Strictly Come Dancing returned to our screens tonight to properly kick off the action for the 2014 series.
The first of two live shows this weekend, tonight saw 6 of the 15 couples take to the ballroom for the first time and show off what theyāve learned over the past 3 weeks. Following the launch show earlier this month, the celebrities have been hard at work with their pro partners preparing for their ballroom debut.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman helmed the show tonight after being handed the Strictly baton by Sir Bruce Forsyth during the launch show. Weāre glad the BBC decided to stick with Tess and Claudia as theyāve proven themselves to be more than capable of handling the show between them.
Of course Bruno Tonioli, Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood and Darcey Bussell resumed their roles as judges casting an eye over the couples and offering up their usual mix of critiques.
Caroline Flack & Pasha Kovalev
In her intro VT TV presenter Caroline Flack said there was something about Pasha Kovalev that made her notice him when they first met; we wonder what that was? Pasha is confident that Caroline could go all the way in the competition. For their first dance Caroline & Pasha performed a cha cha cha and in training Caroline was struggling with her dance face often looking a bit too serious.
The dance: A great first dance from Caroline and what an opener for the show. Full of energy and the technique looked great. A very funky cha cha cha to the Jackson 5ās Can You Feel It. Colour us impressed.
The comments: Len said itās āalways nice to start the night with a glass of champagneā and called her āSweet Carolineā. Bruno said it was āCaroline Flashā and told Caroline that her arms were impressive. Craig said Caroline had āgreat musicalityā but told her that some of her lines āneed finishing properlyā. Darcey called Caroline a natural performer and a natural dancer complimenting her ālovely legsā.
The score: 27 out of 40
Tim Wonnacott & Natalie Lowe
Bargain Hunt presenter Tim Wonnacott told viewers not to count him out just because heās the oldest contestant. Partnered with Natalie Lowe, Tim seemed to have a ball in training and was full of energy. Natalie surprised Tim during the filming of Bargain Hunt before they got back to some serious training. To kick off the series Tim and Natalie danced the cha cha cha.
The dance: Well that was an interesting take on a cha cha cha. Tim walked around the dancefloor for most of the routine but Natalie was fantastic. The judges looked a bit bemused. Could this be the new Dave Myers?
The comments: Bruno said he appreciated Timās āsense of confidenceā and told him āif you can sell this, you can sell anythingā. Craig said he didnāt enjoy it telling Tim āyour gait is extremely wide and you look like youāre wearing a soiled nappyā. Darcey said dancing is about being entertaining and told Tim she āloved itā. Len said Timās footwork wasnāt ātoo cleverā but commended him for giving it everything.
The score: 18 out of 40
Jake Wood & Janette Manrara
EastEnders actor Jake Wood was the third celebrity to dance tonight and he admitted that heād been told by co-star Jo Joyner that he has a āgrandad danceā. Jake is paired with Janette Manrara for the series and the two have been practising their tango in the training room. In preparation for their dance Janette told Jake to tap into his EastEnders character Max Branning.
The dance: A good effort from Jake with the tango. The moves were all there but he needs to loosen up a little and not look quite so serious. We expect heāll relax into it as the show progresses and the audience loved the performance giving him a standing ovation.
The comments: Craig said he was impressed and that the routine was full of āintent and purposeā. Darcey said it was ācoolā and admitted she was shocked at how easily he took to the dance. Len said Jake was āfar betterā than he expected and called the dance āterrificā. Bruno said Jake ātook care of business beautifullyā but told him he wants to see his softer side.
The score: 28 out of 40
Judy Murray & Anton du Beke
Tennis trainer Judy Murray seemed pleased as punch with her pro partner Anton du Beke. In her intro VT the two were seen laughing and joking around and Anton headed up to Scotland for training. Judy admitted she wasnāt the most graceful person which may prove difficult considering sheās kicking the series off with a waltz.
The dance: Weāve never seen a Scottish-themed waltz before but Judy and Anton tailored it to suit Judyās heritage. It was a nice enough performance with Judy getting all of the steps right but weāre more interested in seeing her in the Latin dances if she progresses in the series.
The comments: Darcey said she could see Judyās nerves coming through. Len said the footwork was good but the posture wasnāt great. Bruno said it was like a flight that hit turbulence and told her to enjoy it more next week. Craig said he was on the edge of his seat because he felt Anton was ādragging Judy around a bitā.
The score:Ā 18 out of 40
Scott Mills & Joanne Clifton
Radio DJ Scott Mills is partnered with new pro Joanne Clifton for this series. In his VT he admitted that everything about the show scares him and revealed that heās not a dancer. Joanne said that sheās delighted to be paired with Scott and determined to turn him into a dancer. For his Strictly debut Scott is doing a cha cha cha and during training he was getting the moves right but struggling with the flow of the moves.
The dance: Scottās debut was a fun routine and Joanne did a great job but heās not a natural mover is he? We admire the energy he gave the routine but heāll need to up his game to progress in the competition. It was a little all over the place for a cha cha cha.
The comments: Len said it was a dance that would be ābetter on the radioā and told Scott his āfootwork was poorā. Bruno said āthe vibe was there but it didnāt travel down to the feetā. Craig said āa zimmer frame has more movement than I saw thereā and told Scott he was ālifting his knees like he was having a tantrumā. Darcey said there was a ācheeky connectionā between Scott and Joanne but told him she was impressed with his attack.
The score:Ā 16 out of 40
Pixie Lott & Trent Whiddon
Popstar Pixie Lott said in her VT that sheās used to performing but sheās usually hiding behind her microphone. Paired with new pro Trent Whiddon, Pixie managed to hit him in the face early on in training. Ouch! The two are performing a jive for their first dance and weāve got very high expectations from them.
The dance: A confident and energetic first performance from Pixie but weād expect nothing less from the popstar. Weāre fairly sure sheāll cause an outcry of āunfairā from the audience but we enjoyed her performance. She could have had a bit more movement in her legs but for a debut pretty good.
The comments: Bruno said it was a āgreat, great performanceā and told her it was a āgreat debutā. Craig said that the āenergy was fantasticā but he noticed an error in the middle. Darcey said āwonderful energy and actionā but told Pixie she could have had more leg action and bounce. Len said ālots of marks because I think thatās terrificā.
The score: 27 out of 40
The leaderboard
The leaderboard for tonight was:
Jake Wood and Janette Manrara – 28
Caroline Flack and Pasha Kovalev – 27
Pixie Lott and Trent Whiddon – 27
Judy Murray and Anton du Beke – 18
Tim Wonnacott and Natalie Lowe – 18
Scott Mills and Joanne Clifton – 16
Strictly Come Dancing continues tomorrow night at 7pm on BBC One. Take a look at our gallery to see images of tonight’s couples in dress rehearsal earlier today: