SCD Series 21 Discussion Thread

[*Wallace]

Strictly 2023 Launch Show Thoughts!

 

 

Oooh I really loved the opening group number to "Rhythm is a Dancer"! They (epecially the ladies) looked like they were in Gladiators esque outfits. This routine was a lot of fun.

Amanda & Giovanni: It's funny how Amanda was the first celebrity revealed this year but also the first celeb showcased on this episode. Lol Amanda wanting to do this show to embarrass her two teenagers. Amanda is paried with Giovanni. Aww Amanda's excited reaction was reallly cute with how excited she was. I don't think I predicted this.... hmm not sure how I feel on this couple yet but looking forward to what they can do. Giovanni has an amazing track record on this show, so I'm sure he will do well with Amanda and get the best out of her.

Zara & Graziano: First off, Zara is sooo gorgeous! I'm so shook a Love Island contestant is on Strictly, though I know Zara has made a name for herself as a TV presenter and documentary maker, so she's got the credentials to back up her casting. Lol Zara comparing herself to those inflatiable mascots. Zara is paried with Graziano. Hmm this is a good pairing though I think I was kinda wanting her to get Giovanni. But Giovanni has been getting better and better as a pro each series, so I look forward to what they can do. Oooh their first dance will be the Cha-Cha, ooo excited for Zara to take on Latin but hoping she can do well with this style though it's tricky for celebs.

Jody & Jowita: Oh wow Jody got 8 gold paralymic medals and 23 world titles, so he's well decorated in sports. It's also interesting how he started off swimming and switched to cycling. Ooh wow he's a current athlete that's also training for the Paris 2024 paralymics. Jody is paried with Jowita. Okay I think this makes sense, as I think Jody is the shortest male, so him getting the shortest female pro, it makes sense. I don't think Jody will be as great as Hamza but who knows? I can see Jowita having lots of fun with Jody.

Krishnan & Lauren: I'm definitely curious to see how Krishnan, as a news presenter, will take on the show. He seems up for showing a fun side to himself. Lol his son being appalled and embarrassed that he's doing this show, while his wife and daughter are supportive. Krishnan is paried with Lauren. Aww yayy happy for Lauren to finally get to have her first partner on the show here. They should be fun.

Bobby & Dianne: Our resident EasteEnders member for this year's cast. Bobby seems like he will be a lot of fun. He seems really excited and like he will love dancing here. He's got great energy and a fun personality. I think he definitely has what it takes to go far. Aww it was sweet how Bobby talked about wanting to be a role model for his brother but how he's a role model to him too - and lol him wanting him to be less stiff at parties. Bobby is paired with Dianne. Now this was the partnership I got accidentally spoiled on. I didn't expect this as Bobby is really quite tall and Dianne is one of the shorter pros, so unexpected there. But I think they are a great match and will be a lot of fun to watch. LOL Bobby saying he likes the sexy dances and their laughter on that. Aww Dianne already adopting him as her little brother.... aww I can see them being adorable together.

Layton & Nikita: I definitely have very high expectations for Layton, considering he is a West End performer. So I know he will bring a high quality of dancing/performing, which his West End clips showed. lol how Layton wants to bring drama but the good kind of drama. Layton is paired with Nikita. Oooh okay this is a good partnership but I'm sad the producers missed out on the chance of Nikita/Nikita to happen. Nikita has done great with some same-sex dances in the Strictly pro numbers and yayy Nikita also getting a ringer this year too. I am sure he will have a lot of great and amazing ideas in stored for Layton. Ooh wow, the Samba will be their first dance! Okayy now this should be an epic dance - and hopefully in the leagues of Kelvin's, Maisie's and Molly's first week Sambas! 

Nigel & Katya: Ooh so Nigel is also a former EasteEnders cast member, so we got two EasteEnders celebs. Nigel does seem really cool and likable. He's another one I have high hopes for and can see doing well here. Actually that's the case for all of the guys in this segment. lol his comments of his wife laughing at him doing the show... and he had a lot of fun stories to share. Nigel is paired with Katya. Oooh okay, finally I got a partnership I was really wanting so yay for this! I think Nigel's got great potential and Katya is an insanely good and creative choreographer, so again, I think she's got a lot of great ideas and they should be exciting to watch. She's gonna work Nigel HARD so I hope he's prepared.

Angela R & Kai: Aww how Angela R wanted to be a ballerina as a kid but she became a journalist instead. It's interesting how she hosted Come Dancing.... in the 90s, was it? And it took Strictly this long to cast her as a contestant? I'm kinda shocked by that. Oh it's been 32 years since she hosted that show. Angela is paired with Kai. I'm kinda surprised Kai got the older lady two years in a row, though I think Angela will have more potential than Kaye. I think they got some lovely ballroom dances in stored. Oooh Angela most wants to learn the Argentine Tango. LOVE that dance style and I'd love to see how she would do that dance.

Ellie & Vito: Aww Ellie is really adorable and so lovable. She's very bubbly and sweet. LOL she loves the worm and had to demonstrate that.  She is another one who I think will have great potential and could go really far here. She's kinda giving me Dani/Georgia vibes, both of whom who made the finals, so we'll see. She mentions how her TV character is always so moody and barely smiles so she's making up for that here. Ellie is paired with Vito. Oh okay, I did not expect this partnership, lol. I'm kinda glad Ellie didn't get Gorka as that would have been too predictable. I think Vito's got two contenders in a row, though Ellie is a much different type of contestant to Fleur. Their first dance is the Jive. OMGG LOL Ellie going from really excited to freaking out in fear about having that dance within 3 seconds.

Eddie & Karen: Lol Eddie calling his style of comedy as "nonsense." Oh I forgot he was a commedian, as I was thinking of him more as a radio DJ presenter. Lol he seems like a lot of fun and will be done for a good time here. He has a really fun and engaging personality. Lmao he had me cracking up while talking with Claudia & Tess. Eddie is paired with Karen. I can't remember if I predicted this partnership or not, but I do reallly like this pairing and think this is a great match! They are both funny with great personalities.

Annabel & Johannes: As a former tennis player, I'm not really sure of Annabel's potential as tennis players tend to do bad on these shows, but curious to see how she can do. Aww she is doing the show as her husband loved this show (aww he's passed) so I take it she's doing this in his honor. Annabel is paired with Johannes. Okay, this pairing makes sense as Annabel is pretty tall, and so is Johannes, so it makes sense. She talked about how she wish her husband could have met Johannes. Aww at how emotional Annabel got with everyone and how supportive and comforting Johannes is of her.

Adam & Luba: Adam seems very smiley and giddy. It's cool learning that his wife is a dance teacher. Aww it's cute how his kids are more excited about him doing the show than he is, though Adam is really excited as well. lol him doing the robot in front of everyone, which he's been doing in a lot of the pre-series promos. Adam is paired with Luba. Omg I did not predict this. Ahh I'm happy for Luba getting a partner this year as she's been benched far too much. But... is Adam that tall? He looks quite short to me, so I don't get this height-wise.

Angela S & Carlos: Angela S seems to be really cute, fun and likable. She mentioned doing Irish dancing - which will be completely different to ballroom and Latin dancing. I have high hopes for her. Angela is paired with Carlos. Oooh I did not predict this partnership at all, I think. But I think Carlos maybe got another contender in Angela. lol Angela likes Carlos' brutal honest and lol the nan comments she was wanting for her partner. Carlos is very determined to win with her. I am really liking this partnership.

Nikita & Gorka: Nikita seems really bubbly and has a fun and great personality. She's gorgeous as well. Definitely looking forward to what she can bring here. Aww at her friends laughing at her when she told them she was doing the show. Lol her nickname is Candid Chaos? Interesting, but she got it from her morning radio show. Nikita is paired with Gorka. Oooh wow I definitely did not predict or see this partnership happen but I kinda really love this on paper. A different kind of partner for Gorka and I think he'll do great things with Nikita. Ooh they came up with their couple name of Gorkita, which is cute. Their first dance is the Waltz. OMGG Nikita's scream in shock... was so hilarious. She talked about loving to party and fist dancing... and she was not expecting the Waltz for her first dance.

Les & Nancy: Oh wow at the clip they showed of Les' with his first break, he was so young there. He seems like quite a character with the celebrity impressions he could do. He seems like he'll be really fun, though I'm not expecting much dance-wise. He mentioned being in the business for 52 years, back in 1971. LOL him accidently posting his Strictly playlist on social media. I wonder/assume he did this before he was officially announced and if so, yikes at that. Les is paired with Nancy. Ooof, poor Nancy kinda. Well, Nancy had two contenders in a row so she was bound to get a duffer - but they should be fun, I think. LOL the part where Les was teaching Nancy how to speak scouse?

Other notes:
- Aww it's so sweet how Tess & Claudia gave Amy a nice and sweet shoutout before the second group dance, which also featured the judges. I hope we get to see Amy in some group dances later in the series, but hoping her recovery is going well. Okay onto the group dance.... okay Miss Motsi was FIERCE and working it on this dance! Shirley was also fierce and proved she's still got it and hadn't missed a beat here. Craig was as camp as you can expect. I'm crying that he got to dance to "Padam Padam" here! Get it, Craig! But he was great and fierce here too! Not Anton trying to be sexy here, lol. But no really, he's a great dancer adn did great here. I forgot how good he can be when he's dancing with pro dancers. But wow this was a fantastic group number!

- Aww it's so great seeing Hamza & Jowita reunited and back together on the show! Aww I just love their partnership and how much love & respect they have for each other. Oooh okay, so they are reprising their Salsa! Not surprised as that was an iconic dance from them... and it was the dance that won him the competition, in Week 4! Oooh Jowita has a bit of a different look here. But yesss absolutely lovee this dance. This dance is still so exeburant, such a FUN blast and it's sill a really iconic and amazing! Aww at how emotional Hamza got after the dance too.

- I was looking forward to Strictly's tribute to Len.... and it did not disappointing. The hosts, judges and dancers all had lovely and beautiful words to Len!

- Jessie Ware performed "Free Yourself" with Johannes, Nadiya, Neil & Michelle dancing. This was a very good and fun performance!

- The closing group dance was a lot of fun!  I was having a hard time trying to figure out who the standouts were.... until towards the end of the dance where Layon came out dancing. Unsurprisingly, Layton slayed it and looked like a professional dancer already. But then Ellie was also a standout too. I gotta rewatch this again a few more times to see who else stood out. But yeah a fun group dance!

I may try to figure out pre-series dance rankings later on? I want to try to think some more on these couples.  ETA: Just gonna do some pre-series ranks here for fun.

 

 

1. Layton & Nikita
2. Ellie & Vito
3. Bobby & Dianne
4. Eddie & Karen
5. Angela S & Carlos
6. Zara & Graziano
7. Nikita & Gorka
8. Nigel & Katya
9. Annabel & Johannes
10. Angela R & Kai
11. Adam & Luba
12. Amanda & Giovanni
13. Jody & Jowita
14. Les & Nancy
15. Krishnan & Lauren
 

I really like my Top 8 so far. But looking forward to everyone.

[*Wallace]

Here are the couples promo pics!

 

Adam Thomas & Luba Mushtuk

 

Amanda Abbington & Giovanni Pernice

 

Angela Rippon & Kai Widdrington

 

Angela Scanlon & Carlos Gu

 

Annabel Croft & Johannes Radebe

 

Bobby Brazier & Dianne Buswell

 

Eddie Kadi & Karen Hauer

 

Ellie Leach & Vito Coppola

 

Jody Cundy & Jowita Przystał

 

Krishnan Guru-Murphy & Lauren Oakley

 

Layton Williams & Nikita Kuzmin

 

Les Dennis & Nancy Xu

 

Nigel Harman & Katya Jones

 

Nikita Kanda & Gorka Márquez

 

Zara McDermott & Graziano Di Prima

Links: 
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/live/2023/sep/16/strictly-come-dancing-launch-show-live?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-6505fd438f083f8242cdd619
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/bbc-strictly-come-dancing-2023-27726792 
 

[jarmon]

Graziano is so fine like my god imma be Team Zara & Graziano just for him lol

[*Amanda]

Excited for the new season!

This looks like a good cast.  

 

There’s no celeb screaming “IDF Favorite” from the get-go like Fleur did last season, so I’m looking forward to seeing who we end up stanning.

[Ariel1989]

My thoughts on couples:

 

Adam & Luba: So happy for Luba getting another partner!  Not so sure about Adam going far, he looked messy in the group dance but hopefully Luba can whip him into dancing shape and last longer than her other two partners.  

 

Amanda & Giovanni: Of course she gets Gio, have to counter the TERF-ness with a beloved pro.  She looked kind of good in the group dance so she could last a while.  
 

Angela R. & Kai: Wish that Kai got a younger partner after Kaye but Angela could last longer, not sure if she’ll make Blackpool but hopefully she gets to do the Argentine Tango like she said she wanted.  She looked a bit stiff in the upbeat group dance so she’ll probably do better in the slow ballroom dances.  
 

Angela S. & Carlos: Didn’t expect this pairing but I’m loving them already.  I think she could be Helen Skelton-popular and make it far based on the group dance.  

Annabel & Johannes: So sweet about her late husband being a Johannes fan, they should be a lovely pairing.  Not sure how to judge her dancing since she was mainly lifted in the group dance.  
 

Bobby & Dianne: Most surprising couple, I never thought they’d give the tallest celeb to one of the shortest pros.  He looked a bit gangly and unsteady in the group dance but on IG, his posture in ballroom hold is looking better than I thought so hopefully Dianne has a better idea of how to partner a taller guy after struggling with Tyler’s ballroom.  
 

Eddie & Karen: Not a surprising couple given Karen’s partner history but they should be fun.  He looked like he had musicality and rhythm in the group dance so maybe they’ll last a while.  

 

Ellie & Vito: Another unexpected pairing height-wise but I’m liking it!  Could be another Georgia & Giovanni and she looked pretty good in the group dance.  
 

Jody & Jowita: The reigning champ always gets an expected duffer and he looks like one.  I expect him to last a little past his time based on the track record of handicapped/Paralympic contestants but not go all the way.  

Krishnan & Lauren: Very happy about and looking forward to Lauren as a partner.  She and Krishnan are nice together, not sure how long he’ll last though.  
 

Layton & Nikita: Super excited about them together!  They’ll probably not win and will hit multiple dance-offs but they’ll give us some AMAZING dances.  

 

Les & Nancy: Figured that Nancy would get a duffer after two semifinals with her first two partners, will be interesting and fun to see her with a non-contender.  

 

Nigel & Katya: Very pleased with this pairing, Nigel has loads of potential based on his fancy footwork in the group dance.  Could Katya join Aliona and Oti in the two-time winners club?!

 

Nikita & Gorka: Feels like an afterthought pairing, every other partner of Gorka gets eliminated early so I don't expect Nikita to last long.  She was okay in the group dance but I think she will fade into the background like Katie McGlynn.  

 

Zara & Graziano: I feel like she’ll be a decent dancer based on what I heard about the male pros clambering for Zara and the female pros for Bobby after the group rehearsals.  I do think she’ll struggle with votes since Love Island hasn’t turned out for their female contestants on other competition shows as opposed to their support for their male contestants.  

[*Wallace]

The cast revealed their favorite Strictly dances, which were posted on the Instagram stories... here is what they said:

Zara - Stacey & Kevin's Paso Doble
Eddie - Judi & Graziano's Samba
Angela S - Danny & Oti's Samba
Les - Debbie & Giovanni's Argentine Tango
Adam - Kym & Graziano's Argentine Tango
Bobby - Molly & Carlos' Rumba
Annabel - Ed & Katya's Salsa
Ellie - Will & Nancy's Jive
Jody - Jonnie & Oti's American Smooth
Zara - John & Johannes' Paso Doble
Krishnan - Bill & Oti's Couple's Choice
Amanda - Rose & Giovanni's Showdance
Nigel - Fleur & Vito's Couple's Choice
Layton - AJ & Kai's Couple's Choice
Angela R - Kym & Graziano's Argentine Tango

[*Amanda]

I feel like someone always manages to throw in Ed’s Salsa when each season’s cast is asked this question.  

[*Wallace]

17 hours ago, *Amanda said:

I feel like someone always manages to throw in Ed’s Salsa when each season’s cast is asked this question.  

It wouldn't feel complete without that being listed from someone.  

[*Wallace]

Okay since the first performance show is coming tomorrow, Imma try to make some pre-series predictions. I can't wait to see how off base I'll be here.  

My Prediction order:

15. Krishnan & Lauren
14. Nikita & Gorka
13. Annabel & Johannes
12. Jody & Jowita
11. Adam & Luba
10. Les & Nancy
9. Angela R & Kai
8. Amanda & Giovanni
7. Zara & Graziano
6. Eddie & Karen
5. Nigel & Katya
2. Layton & Nikita
2. Ellie & Vito
2. Angela S & Carlos
1. Bobby & Dianne

- This is tough to guess a first boot and I'm still not too sure about it.  No one really stands out as a first boot in this cast. For now, I'll go with Krishnan - although if he really gives himself to the show and have a blast with it, I can see him lasting longer (maybe up to Top 10 at the most).
- Ugh I hope I'm wrong here but I fear Nikita could go out early? I could also see her lasting longer than this which I hope is the case. But I feel like with a lack of fanbase/recognition, it'll be tough for her to go far unless she's really good.
- I was going to have Annabel as the first boot, being a former tennis player and all, but I think she may have a bit of potential so I think that could give her a few weeks. I had her at 12th at the highest but dropped her down a spot.
- Jody is someone I could see anywhere from the first boot, to making it to 9th or so place - so I'll put him in the middle at 12th. Jowita should have some fun and flashy routines to overcome his possible lack of dance ability, which could help them last a few weeks.
- Adam didn't look too great in the group dance but he seems like he's up for having a blast and a lot of fun. I'm not sure how great he'll be on a technical level and of the soap actors, I can see him having the least potential. Sadly Luba doesn't have a great track record so far, so I wouldn't be surprised if Adam goes out sooner than 11th. But I can also see him making it to 10th/9th too.
- I think of the (potentially) bad male celeb dancers, I think/fear Les could make it the furthest. I'm not sure if he'll have that Ed Balls/Tony Jacklin comedic value to him but if he does, that could bring him to the Top 10. But I could also see Krishnan being that type of dancer.
- Angela R is really well known with a lot of name recognition. I can see the audience voting and keeping her in for awhile. Not sure if she'll have what it takes to make it to Blackpool but if she does, I can see her leaving there.
- I kinda had the toughest time predicting Amanda. She's someone I can see going out as early as 12th or so but someone I can see making it all the way to the Final 6. All depending on how good she is. But I opted to go with 8th.
- Zara is another tough one to predict. I fear she could go out sooner but I'm hoping she can do well enough to make it to 7th. Graziano has done better and better with each partner but I think he'll just miss his best placement.
- Hmm, I am gonna stop predicting the radio DJ type contestants to go far/into the final because it never happens. I do feel like Eddie will be well liked and well recieved. He was someone I was thinking would go from 6th-8th, alongside Zara and Amanda but giving him the upper hand for now.
- With Nigel, I feel sure he will go far. I'm conflicted on putting him as a finalist, a winner or someone who will just miss the final. Often times, the middle aged actors that start off strong end up losing steam towards the end/just before the final. So I wonder and think this could happen to Nigel but then I could see him in the final.
- I am getting Dani/Georgia vibes from Ellie where I think she'll be a really good dancer and could make the final. Maybe in a dance-off along the way. I think she'll be a standout and will make it far, even if she just misses the final.
- Layton seems like he'll be that amazing dancer/ringer that will land in the Bottom multiple times but can win any dance-off he's in. So his spot in the final should be easy to see happening.
- Angela S does seem like she could be very likable, a contender/frontrunner. I'm not sure if she'll be the best dancer but I can see her being up there. Of the women right now, I think she has the best chances of winning. I nearly had her as my winner pick
- Hmm, even though it's impossible to say right now, at this point I feel like guessing either Angela S, Bobby or Nigel to win. Of course someone totally unexpected could pull a Hamza or Bill to win but I don't know who to guess for that. I'll go with Bobby as I think he'll be that journey type contestant that starts off fine/decently but grows into a really good dancer throughout the season. Plus, it can finally give Dianne a win too. 
 

[*Wallace]

And also... Week 1 songs + styles finally revealed.

Layton and Nikita Samba to Touch by Little Mix

Angela and Kai Cha Cha to Get The Party Started by Shirley Bassey
Bobby and Dianne Foxtrot to All About You by Mc Fly
Jody and Jowita Quickstep to I’m Sitting on Top of the World by Bobby Darin
Angela and Carlos Tango to Prisoner by Miley Cyrus featuring Dua Lipa
Ellie and Vito Jive to Can’t Tame Her by Zara Larsson
Annabel and Johannes Cha Cha to Uptown Girl by Billy Joel
Eddie and Karen Quickstep to Two Hearts by Phil Collins
Les and Nancy Tango to Don’t You Want Me by the Human League
Adam and Luba Cha Cha to Waffle House by the Jonas Brothers
Amanda and Giovanni Viennese Waltz to Pointless by Lewis Capaldi
Nigel and Katya Paso Doble to Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
Nikita and Gorka Waltz to Run To You by Whitney Houston
Zara and Graziano Cha Cha to Crush by Jennifer Page
Krishnan and Lauren Cha Cha to Boom Shack-A-Lack by Apache Indian

Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxfFmdptw1R/ 

 

Thoughts:

Of the songs/styles combos, the dances I'm most excited for are:  Layton, Angela S, Ellie, Nigel and Zara's. Lovee that "Touch" is finally being used! But still looking forward to all of the dances and seeing how all the couples do. 

[*Wallace]

Yayy performance show night is today! Excited to see the dances and how everyone does!  I think the show airs within an hour (or less than it?)

[*Lily]

Ooh I forgot to do my predictions but just did mine super quick before the show!

 

15th: Les & Nancy

14th: Jody & Jowita

13th: Nikita & Gorka

12th: Krishnan & Lauren

11th: Zara & Graziano

10th: Adam & Luba

9th: Annabel & Johannes

8th: Angela & Kai

7th: Amanda & Giovanni

6th: Eddie & Karen

5th: Nigel & Katya

Finalists: Layton & Nikita

Finalists: Ellie & Vito

Finalists: Angela & Carlos

Winners: Bobby & Dianne

And of course @*Wallace and I had the same top 6! Promise I didn’t look first

 

[*Wallace]

6 minutes ago, *Lily said:

Ooh I forgot to do my predictions but just did mine super quick before the show!

 

15th: Les & Nancy

14th: Jody & Jowita

13th: Nikita & Gorka

12th: Krishnan & Lauren

11th: Zara & Graziano

10th: Adam & Luba

9th: Annabel & Johannes

8th: Angela & Kai

7th: Amanda & Giovanni

6th: Eddie & Karen

5th: Nigel & Katya

Finalists: Layton & Nikita

Finalists: Ellie & Vito

Finalists: Angela & Carlos

Winners: Bobby & Dianne

And of course @*Wallace and I had the same top 6! Promise I didn’t look first

 

LMAO I love our minds at having the same Top 6 predictions.   Yayy you posting your predictions. Can't wait to see how far off we are at the end of the season.  

 

 

Show should be on now, so I'll try to update scores every few dances where I see them online.  

[*Wallace]

First 3 dances scores:

 

Adam & Luba - Cha-Cha: 4/5/5/5 = 19
Angela S & Carlos - Tango: 6/6/5/6 = 23
Eddie & Karen - Quickstep: 4/6/6/6 = 22

- lol Reading that Adam got to do his robot moves in this dance. Also reading that he seemed very overexcited but also that he was better here than his group dance showing last week, so that's good.
- Reading mixed comments on Angela's. It seemed she had noticeable nerves and not a good start but she got better as the dance progressed. Sounds like potential is there.
- With Eddie, I'm seeing comments that he didn't have the best in hold frame/posture and some technical issues but he sold the performance and was really fun. Also sounds like a lot of faffing about. I think that's kind of to be expected as I feel Latin will be his strong suit.
 

[*Wallace]

Next 3 dances:

 

 

Angela R & Kai - Cha-Cha: 7/7/7/7 = 28
Nikita & Gorka - Waltz: 3/5/5/5 = 18
Layton & Nikita - Samba: 7/8/7/7 = 29

- It sounds like Angela had a lot of fun and gave a lot of personality. She had some flexibility in there too, though. Sounds like the dancing was a mixed bag - some saying not so good but some saying better than was expected. LMAO Everyone is shocked about the 7s... and even I am without having seen the dance.
- Read mostly positive comments on Nikita's Waltz being really pretty and lovely. Though some felt it was on the dull side. Some pointed out some technical frame/posture issues. Wow that 3 from Craig sounds harsh, which people are saying and disagree with.
- Kinda surprised Layton performed so early as I thought they would have had him on at least the middle'ish part of the show or moreso at the end. But reading lots of positive comments that Layton was great here - performed and danced it really well, as to be expected. Some people weren't sold on his technique. I think I was expecting more 8s for him but this ~lowish first score may be a bit good for him in the long run to give him a journey?
 

[*Wallace]

Zara & Graziano - Cha-Cha: 3/6/5/6 = 19
Les & Nancy - Tango: 2/4/5/5 = 16
Ellie & Vito - Jive: 7/8/7/7 = 29

- Reading some hesistant, stiff and nervous comments regarding Zara. Oof another 3 from Craig but not seeing as much complaints on that one. But then Zara did say pre-series that she would have felt like she would have already won if she got a 3 from Craig... so there's that.
- LMAO I'm reading nothing but "oh my" and really bad/awful comments on Les' Tango, which I kinda was expecting. It kinda sounds like it was a comedic Tango... or maybe just the judges comments are comedic? Hmm interesting Shirley gave a 5 to both Angela and Les on their Tangos. Kinda expected Craig to bust out the 2.
- Lots of positive comments on Ellie with people thinking her dance was great and had high energy. Lots are saying she's one to watch out for. Sounds like one of the highlights of the night so far! Seems like the judges are keeping relatively tame on their scores for week 1.
 

[*Lily]

Amanda kinda ate that  

[*Wallace]

Fourth set of dances:

 

Jody & Jowita - Quickstep: 5/5/6/5 = 21
Bobby & Dianne - Foxtrot: 6/7/8/8 = 29
Annabel & Johannes - Cha-Cha: 7/7/7/7 = 28

 

- Sounds like Jody was quite a pleasant surprise and better than what people were expecting. He had some stiffness but still did well.
- There were positive thoughts on Bobby's dance. Sounds like it had a sweet and nice quality to it. Sounds like he had some posture issues and there being a noticeable height difference. I'm seeing lots of comments on "the floor bit" so I wonder what that is about lol.
- Sounds like Annabel had nice precise footwork and technique. Some saying she could already be the best tennis player on the show. Another one that seemed better than expected. Also as expected, sounds like she had a tennis themed dance too.
 

[*Lily]

3 minutes ago, *Lily said:

Amanda kinda ate that  

At least she didn’t steal the top spot alone like I was nervous about..

 

Great show so far. Layton  Angela R  even Annabel kinda turned it!

 

[*Lily]

DAMN NIGEL

[*Wallace]

Last set of dances:

 

Amanda & Giovanni - Viennese Waltz: 7/7/8/7 = 29
Krishnan & Lauren - Cha-Cha: 22
Nigel & Katya - Paso Doble: 8/8/8/8 = 32

- Sounds like Amanda's VW was gorgeous and elegant... and well danced. She had good technique and sold the dance. Some saying the best of the night so far.
- Sounds like Krishnan had great fun with his Cha-Cha. He wasn't great but some saying he wasn't as bad as he expected (I see something of him walking through the dance) and really sold it performance-wise. It does sound like he could be the favored comedic type performer? Ooh a 22 was much better than what I was expecting though.
- I'm not surprised with Nigel closing the show, as he has a potentially epic song choice/dance combo and it will close the show out with a bang. Sounds like Nigel's dance went really well as I'm reading lots of love and positive comments for this one - with him selling the dance performance-wise and technically. I'm definitely curious/excited to see this dance as I really loved Aston's Paso to the same song. Lol I was kinda hoping someone would top the leaderboard alone as a 4-way tie for 1st was kinda annoying me, lmao.
 

Week 1 Leaderboard:
1. Nigel & Katya - 32
2. Amanda & Giovanni - 29
2. Bobby & Dianne - 29
2. Ellie & Vito - 29
2. Layton & Nikita – 29
6. Annabel & Johannes - 28
6. Angela R & Kai - 28
8. Angela S & Carlos – 23
9. Eddie & Karen – 22
9. Krishnan & Lauren - 22
11. Jody & Jowita - 21
12. Adam & Luba – 19
12. Zara & Graziano - 19
14. Nikita & Gorka – 18
15. Les & Nancy - 16
 

[*Wallace]

21 minutes ago, *Lily said:

At least she didn’t steal the top spot alone like I was nervous about..

 

I was expecting her after what I was reading.   

[Abe1818]

Angela R serving and being top half of the leaderboard. Good for her!

[Abe1818]

1 hour ago, *Wallace said:

Zara & Graziano - Cha-Cha: 3/6/5/6 = 19

 

Her hot mess samba to Wherever, Whenever is coming.

[*Wallace]

10 minutes ago, Abe1818 said:

Her hot mess samba to Wherever, Whenever is coming.

I believe it was Nikita that wanted that.  I hope we get that from her as I'm not sure how long she'll last here.