Strictly Come Dancing 2017 kicked off with a bang last night as the 15 celebrities took to the ballroom with their pro partners for the first time.
Unsurprisingly former JLS star Aston Merrygold topped the leaderboard after impressing with his Foxtrot. The star, who has the most dancing experience out of this year’s crop, was criticised for putting in unnecessary modern flourishes but that didn’t stop him picking up 31 out of 40 with his partner Janette Manrara.
[brid video=”165986″ player=”531″ title=”Aston Merrygold and Janette Manrara Foxtrot to It Had To Be You by Harry Connick Jr.”]
The biggest surprise of the night was Debbie McGee who was told that she danced like someone in her 20s following an explosive Paso Doble. Who knew she was such a good dancer?
Elsewhere Ruth Langsford languished at the bottom of the leaderboard with Brian Conley but we don’t think either of them has to worry when the public vote kicks in after next week’s live show.
Related: Read our full recap of Strictly Come Dancing 2017’s week 1 live show
The leaderboard for the evening was:
Aston Merrygold & Janette Manrara – 31
Debbie McGee & Giovanni Pernice – 30
Joe McFadden & Katya Jones – 29
Davood Ghadami & Nadiya Bychkova – 27
Alexandra Burke & Gorka Marquez – 24
Mollie King & AJ Pritchard – 23
Charlotte Hawkins & Brendan Cole – 22
Chizzy Akudolu & Pasha Kovalev – 21
Jonnie Peacock & Oti Mabuse – 20
Gemma Atkinson & Aljaž Škorjanec – 20
Susan Calman & Kevin Clifton – 20
Simon Rimmer & Karen Clifton – 17
Reverend Richard Coles & Dianne Buswell – 17
Brian Conley & Amy Dowden – 16
Ruth Langsford & Anton Du Beke – 16
Strictly Come Dancing 2017 continues at 6.45pm on Saturday on BBC. See all of the action from last night’s show in our gallery below:
