SCD Series 22 Discussion Thread

[*Wallace]

I watched the Launch show last night but didn't have all of my thoughts together then. But have it all together now, so here's my thoughts: 

 

Strictly Launch Show thoughts: 

LOL That intro for the dance routine (with the dancing on the bus + the whole acting stuff) was sooo extra and cheesy! Lol I love that cheesy goodness. The dancing in the routine was fantastic and amazing as always though.:wub: I loved the party feel, energy and excitement they all brought to that opening! 

- Craig's new look is reallly interesting. lol Tess telling the fact that Craig used the 1 paddle 10 times and then Craig saying Anton has received 6 of those.  

Chris McCausland: It was nice to see and learn more of Chris' backstory. Aww at how he's been blind for 25 years now. Oooh and lol he mentions the Mosh pit theme here that he mentioned in his intro video.  Lol Chris' backstage interview with Claudia & Tess was fun and hilarious. He's got a great sense of humor where he can just poke fun at himself. Ooh and Chris has Dianne for his partner. I'm happy to see Dianne with a different type and not a young & tall partner this time around. I'm really interested in seeing what Dianne does with Chris. OMG Chris' "that won't be happening this year" at Dianne getting to the final last year when they talked about that. LOL Chris' "Dianne & Katya, you must like a project." Okay Chris is actually rather hilarious.  

Shayne Ward: hahaha I feel like it's been forever since I've heard from Shayne. Crazy to believe he's done the X Factor 19 years ago when he was only 21 there. It's great seeing how far he's gone with his career, especially with his acting career. He has 2 kids and aww his daughter so excited about him doing Strictly. He seems and looks like he could be a hopeful dance in his intro video, or so I hope so. lol Shayne with the Patrick Swayze move he did and then Wynee's "keeep practicing" comment. Oooh Shayne has Nancy for his partner. Definitely an upgrade for Nancy from last year. OMGG Nancy with the "that's my goal" puns with Shayne of hoping to get him to the final.  

Jamie Borthwick: Excited to see Jamie on here after winning the Christmas special and yay glad that they talked about that here. Ooh wow he's been on EastEnders since he's been 11, wowzers. Oooh haha it's interesting how he's looking forward to negative comments from Craig. Jamie has a hunch who his partner could be? I'm curious who he's thinking. Oooh Jamie's got Michelle for his partner! First off, yayyy Michelle finally getting to be a pro! I really like this Jamie/Michelle pairing. Aww I love Michelle's excitement and happiness for having Jamie. They have a good rapport with each other. 

Wynne Evans: OMGG him singing that opera bit at the start of his intro video scared me. He does a lot with not only being an opera singer but also a radio broadcaster. I like his positive/upbeat attitude with approaching the show and not caring what anyone thinks of what he does. LOL his comments of his t-shirt where he can barely hold his stomach in. Okay he's a funny one, which could help him. Wynne got Katya for his partner. Oooh my.... hmmm, poor Katya maybe? I think they'll be fun but we won't get to see Katya's amazing choreo elevated this series sadly. lol Katya's "this man was born to wynne." OMGGG WHATTT @ Wynne's first dance being the Samba to a Tom Jones song? Oooh dearrr.... this could be an entertaining trainwreck that I can't wait for.  

Aww the Amy + professional dancers routine was beautiful and lovely to watch. It's so great to see Amy back dancing and having this shining moment! And ooo nicee that they get to dance to the underrated "Training Season" at the start. There was a lot of energy and excitement and just so much going on in this routine! I especially loved seeing all of the Quickstep content in it. But most importantly, it was wonderful seeing Amy shining so brightly.  

Montell Douglas: Montell is someone whom I'm excited for to see do the show. I love hearing about her Gladiators/athletic and Olympics background in her intro. She's done a lot in the sporting field. Oooh it's fun that she's most looking forward to the Samba! Montell does come across well and fun in her interviews. lol when they showed Johannes and Nikita as the two male pros this round, I knew Montell was getting Johannes due to their heights. Aww I love how excited they are to have each other. Oooh "Bringing the MoJo" is a really cute team name for them! 

Pete Wicks: Pete's casting kinda intrigues me. I see he's from The Only Way is Essex. lol his comment of preferring animals to people. Ooh and he has his podcast with Sam Thompson.... so another year of seeing Sam in the audiece, I guess. lol his personality is an interesting one as he has that dry sense of humor. loll Pete's "my mom laughed at me face" when  he told her he was doing Strictly. Okay Pete seems to have thrown in a lot of jokes and fun shade in his comments in the interviews. OMGG Pete getting Jowita was one of the last partnerships I was ever expecting or predicting. I can not picture this at all. LOLL now Pete saying he's gonna win it after getting Jowita as his partner. Oooh they got a Paso Doble to.... a song I don't recognize. Sounds like a dance song. 

JB Gill: Yayy reallly excited for JB! I think he should be a lot of fun here.  Omg awww at the "Beat Again" flashback. Wow that really takes me back. It's also nice seeing all of what JB has done after his time with JLS as I had no idea what he's done since then. Oooh his wife is a professional dancer? That's really cool. Ahh I got semi spoiled about JB getting Amy and was hoping and trying to pretend I didn't see it but I know I did. Oooh I didn't expect or predict this partnership, but I think I got high hopes for JB/Amy. This could be a hopefully long season for Amy, so I hope she and JB work out really well as I am excited to see how they do. Ooh JB mentions wanting to dance to some R&B, Beyonce and ballads. I already love his playlist here.  

Sam Quek: Aww Sam is really beautiful. I enjoy hearing her background with her sports and presenting background. She sounds very hard working and dedicated with how she juggled her education and sports career. LOLL Sam with telling her husband she had something to tell him and his reaction was "you're not pregnant again, are you?" Oooh I really like Sam getting Nikita as her partner. I'm excited to see how they gel together. 

Ahh yayyy Loveee seeing Ellie & Vito reunited once again on the show! And them getting to dance one last time. This was a beautiful and fun video to see from them here. It's great to see them perform their Paso Doble one last time, though I kinda wish they reprised a dance that they didn't do on the final / twice on their Strictly journey. This Paso does remain fierce and powerful as it originally was.  

Toyah Willcox: Wow Toyah's career stats are insane! She's had her career that lasted for 48 years, 15 Top 40 singles, recorded 29 albums and made about 45 movies and wrote 2 books. Wow so many accomplishments! Aww at her waiting to do Strictly for 20 years! Aww Toyah wanting to channel her inner Dolly Parton. omg lol her husband's reaction when they showed him in the audience. I was really surprised and shook to see Neil getting a partner this series as I am so used to him being benched. Aww Toyah is so cute with her excitement and happiness of getting Neil as her partner. LOL at Neil's daughter outfit saying "my daddy FINALLY has a partner."  

Dr Punam Krishnan: It's so fun to see another Doctor on the show and this reminds me of Dr. Ranj's casting. It's nice hearing about her growing up on her Indian culture dancing with Bhangra dance, which makes me excited and hopeful for her as a contestant. It would be cool if she could do a dance in those styles. Oooh Dr Punam getting Gorka. This is a cute partnership and I like the idea of this. Wow at the stat Claudia brought up that Gorka has scored more 10s than any of the other current pros.  

Tasha Ghouri: Tasha is so gorgeous. Aww it's so cute seeing Tasha with her childhood dance pics and videos. Aww at how she started dancing because of her deafness and how dancing was what made her be seen. It's nice hearing/learning about how she hears through her ear piece. Ooh she's most excited to learn the Tango. I do like how upfront Tasha is about her dance experience. I just hope the fandom won't be brutal towards her because of that. Omg her talking about her wedding dress and that shot they showed of Andrew there. Tasha getting Aljaz makes sense and was easy to call as he was the only really tall pro of this grou with Tasha being the tall celeb here. I feel like it's been forever since Aljaz has had a proper contender so I am looking forward to seeing how they do. It's especially great seeing Aljaz after his break from the show. I have no doubt that their ballroom will be brilliant but I do hope he can step up/showcase her wonderfully with the Latin. Aww at the show surprising Tasha with a video message from her brother in Australia. That was sweet.  

Sarah Hadland: It's fun seeing the shows and comedies that Sarah has done. Aww at how she got into entertaining her family as a child. Her later bedtime comment was pretty cute. Her approach to the competition was fun to hear and I like her personality and how she comes across. LOL her comments about practicing the faces she'll make when she's getting critiqued. Oooh Sarah got Vito? I was not expecting that as I was thinking she would get Gorka or most likely Neil. OMG lol what @ Sarah's story of hoping to get Vito? OMG LOL Vito is sooo extra in his interviews.  

Oooh really nice performance of Clean Bandit & Anne-Marie's "Cry Baby." How about we get Anne-Marie back as a contestant but on the main show? Though she's probably too busy to commit to a full series. Ooh and great dancing from Kai, Lauren, Jowita adnd Carlos in this performance. And booo I just realized Carlos doesn't have a partner this year, ugh. And poor Kai too.  Oh and I also just learned that Lauren is benched too. Aww sad for her too.

 

Paul Merson: Paul is a former footballer and current broadcaster. In a year of big personalities, he seems more on the quieter and boring personalities. OMG his kids' ages range from 3 to 32....wowzers. lol he did have a funny joke of dancing 3 times all at his weddings. Does that mean 3 different weddings or..... Lol his hesitant response of Claudia's "are you loving it/everybody." Ooh... Paul gets Karen as a partner? I did not see this partnership coming/happening at all. Eeek Poor Karen. I can't say I am too excited or interested in this partnership. lol Paul's "they put the two oldest together" comment. Okay I guess he has a dry sense of humor. Oooh, they have an American Smooth to.... a song I don't even recognize. LOL Karen's comments on wondering how she will choreograph an AS to that song... yikes.  

Nick Knowles: Ooh Nick's been in the TV world for 40 years and he has 5 kids. It's nice that Nick has always wanted to learn how to dance, so yeah this would be the right show  for him to do. Ooh and he mentions the elbow dance being his signature dance move. Aww it's cool how a couple dancinhg the Argentine Tango that he saw got him into wanting to do the show too. Of the three pros, I was kinda predicting Luba for him because that just mad sense. This reminds me of partnerships I've seen in the past. Ooh lol Nick had some funny comments in the backstage interview. 

Tom Dean:  Tom, the Olympian swimmer and ooo he has 4 brothers & sisters in his sibling group. Aww his sister inspiring to swim and it's great hearing how he began his swimming journey to earning his Olympics. Omgg awww at his home video as a kid in his dance/ballet class - but he hadn't danced since then. hahaha I'm not surprised that Tom brought and showcased his medals. But it's crazy how he went straight from the Olympics to Strictly. OMGG the casting department finally gave Nadiya a tall young partner in Tom - this is sooo long overdue. But yay I was hoping for this partnership. I'm not sure how Tom's dancing will be but I do think Nadiya can produce some nice ballroom dances for him. 

Oooh yayy I always love watching the group dance with the couples at the end of the show! I usually watch these a few times to try to see who's good and bad and in between in these. This dance was really cute and a lot of fun. It's hard to say who the standouts were. I would say based off just the first watch, JB and Tasha stood out to me? Shayne, Montell and Sarah also looked good to me. 

I will try to do a pre-series ranking of the couples though this is all just brainstorming and not 100% accurate.   

1.    JB & Amy
2.    Tasha & Aljaž
3.    Shayne & Nancy
4.    Montell & Johannes
5.    Jamie & Michelle
6.    Sam & Nikita
7.    Tom & Nadiya
8.    Dr Punam & Gorka
9.    Sarah & Vito
10.    Chris & Dianne
11.    Wynne & Katya
12.    Pete & Jowita
13.    Toyah & Neil
14.    Nick & Luba
15.    Paul & Karen

I tried. But yay I'm excited for the upcoming series now and can't wait to see them all dance next weekend! 
 

[*Wallace]

On 9/1/2024 at 1:16 PM, *Wallace said:

I forgot to do some couples predictions but I tried it for fun! I see I have some of the same as Ariel but also some differences.  

Chris & Katya
Jamie & Michelle
JB & Jowita
Nick & Luba
Paul & Lauren 
Pete & Dianne
Shayne & Nancy
Tom & Nadiya
Wynne & Amy

Montell & Aljaž
Dr Punam & Nikita 
Sam & Carlos
Sarah & Gorka
Tasha & Johannes
Toyah & Vito 
 

Ooh I just saw this! I got... 4 couples right: Jamie/Michelle, Nick/Luba, Shayne/Nancy and Tom/Nadiya. It was easier to predict for the male celebs. Sadly I got none of the female celeb partnerships right.  

 

Yikes @ me for forgetting to include Karen here. I'm a mess.  

[*Wallace]

Here are the promo shots of the couples!

 

Chris McCausland & Dianne Buswell

 

Jamie Borthwick & Michelle Tsiakkas

 

JB Gill & Amy Dowden

 

Montell Douglas & Johannes Radebe

 

Nick Knowles & Luba Mushtuk

 

Paul Merson & Karen Hauer

 

Pete Wicks & Jowita Przystał

 

Dr Punam Krishnan & Gorka Márquez

 

Sam Quek & Nikita Kuzmin

 

Sarah Hadland & Vito Coppola

 

Shayne Ward & Nancy Xu

 

Tasha Ghouri & Aljaž Škorjanec

 

Tom Dean & Nadiya Bychkova

 

Toyah Willcox & Neil Jones

 

Wynne Evans & Katya Jones

 

Link: 

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/tv/gallery/strictly-come-dancing-2024-couples-33670305 
https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/gallery/bbc-strictly-come-dancing-2024-33668938 

[Ariel1989]

On 9/14/2024 at 10:58 PM, *Wallace said:

Ooh yayy found a link to the episode. Hoping to watch it tonight but if not then definitely tomorrow.

Could you send it to me please?

[*Wallace]

56 minutes ago, Ariel1989 said:

Could you send it to me please?

Sure thing! Just sent you the link.

[Zoey]

Really excited to watch Montell, Sam, Sarah, Tasha and JB.

[*Wallace]

OK I wanted to try to get in my pre-series predictions before Saturday's show. I really have no idea and especially can't call the winner right now. A lot of this I have no idea on but that's what makes this all so fun!  

15. Paul & Karen
14. Nick & Luba
13. Toyah & Neil
12. Pete & Jowita
11. Wynne & Katya
10. Sam & Nikita
9. Tom & Nadiya
8. Dr Punam & Gorka
7. Chris & Dianne
6. Sarah & Vito
5. Shayne & Nancy
2. Montell & Johannes
2. Jamie & Michelle
2. Tasha & Aljaž
1. JB & Amy

- Paul kinda screams the obvious first boot to me. He doesn't seem like much of a dancer and some of the other male celebs have bigger personalities so I can see him getting lost in the shuffle.
- Pretty much same thoughts with Nick that I had with Paul. Not seeing much hope with him and think he could get lost in the shuffle with the bigger personality males of better male dancers.
- Thinking Toyah will be the weakest female celeb and probably the first female to go (just basing it on the group dance). Although I know Toyah is a legend in the UK so maybe that could push her further. But she also has Neil, who's track record is inconsistent soo I dunno.
- Pete & Jowita are one of the trickier ones to see and his dance ability is a big question mark. I can see him being bad or can see him being good/better than expected. I can see him going out a little earlier or (more likely) lasting longer than this.
- Wynne is another tricky one to predict. I tried balancing this one out in a number of ways: I can see him as an early boot. But then Katya is an amazing and creative choreographer where her work can her magic well with lesser capable dancers. But there's also talk that Wynne could be surprisingly good. So I wouldn't be surprised if he lasts longer than this.
- Sam & Nikita are another tricky one to predict. I can see her being not as good as expected or maybe better than expected? I really don't know. But I just feel like she may have an Ellie S type run and make it around 6/7 weeks?
- I feel like the popular male Olympican athletes can make it to a decent midway point of the season. Thinking like Greg/Adam, where they made it to 7th/9th or so so I feel like Tom will make it to that point.
- Dr Punam was a nice surprise in the group dance and in her intro video/launch show, she did talk about some of doing her cultural dance so that has me hopeful for her that she can be a surprise. I think she could be a journey type contestant and could be a good dancer. I also think it could be time for Gorka to not be a second boot or a finalist contender, so somewhere in between that could work.
- Chris comes off really likable, hilarious and inspiring all at the same time. I think he has what it takes to go really far. I don't think his dancing will be that good and he'll outlast better dancers. I think 7th is probably where he'll rank though I wouldn't be surprised if he can make it even further. He and Dianne should connect with the public and be a lot of fun.
- I think Sarah is one with some prior dance experience? I can see her being reasonably good and not the duffer that Vito is due for. Though I wouldn't be shocked if she can make the final. If she does then lol at the thought of Vito getting into 3 finals in a row.
- I think Shayne has what it takes to be a good or even great dancer. I just have no idea if he'll start off strong and then coast by/not match up to his first dance (ala  Will/Nigel) or if he could be a true contender to win. The verdict is out. But I feel like Nancy is probably the current AJ in the sense where she'll make it to the semi-final and miss out making the final, so I'll predict that here. Though for Nancy's sake, I'd like to see them as finalists.
- Ahh and now the Top 4 is hard to predict but I tried.
- Having won last year's Christmas special, I have high hopes that Jamie should do well here and be a potential finalist here. With him being a young EastEnders star and capable dancer, I think he should be really good and go far. I hope so at least for Michelle, as I'm excited to see what she can do as a pro. I could also see Jamie winning this too, or even miss out making the final (though that feels less likely).
- I have a very good feeling about Montell and seeing lots of positive buzz for her. I just hope her dancing/performing can live up to the buzz. I think Montell would be a great lively performer. I can see her dancing/technique grow... and maybe there will be a storyline to get Johannes into the final. But this is also wishful thinking as I could also see her getting like 6th-8th or so.
 - Tasha pretty much screams the ringer-type dancer that doesn't have the public vote but can win nearly any dance-off she's in to get herself into the final. I'm hoping her dancing/dances will be as strong as expected. I hope she can make the final if that's the case but I do fear she could be a shock boot if she's up against another strong dancer.
- I struggled hard on picking the winner. I'm not sure if JB is too ringery to win or not, he could be - but also think Tasha could face more of the ringer backlash. But JB should no doubt be great and a potential finalist. But also Amy is a back factor. This is her comeback year as a pro, with the terrible cancer she's gone through, I think the audience would want to see her do really well and win here as well. I think the mix of JB being a potentially really good dancer + Amy's backstory, that can be tough to beat. But we'll see.  
 

[Abe1818]

3 hours ago, *Wallace said:

- I have a very good feeling about Montell and seeing lots of positive buzz for her. I just hope her dancing/performing can live up to the buzz. I think Montell would be a great lively performer. I can see her dancing/technique grow... and maybe there will be a storyline to get Johannes into the final. But this is also wishful thinking as I could also see her getting like 6th-8th or so.
 -
 

Hopefully she gives us Denise Lewis rather than Lolo Jones on the dancefloor

[*Wallace]

17 hours ago, Abe1818 said:

Hopefully she gives us Denise Lewis rather than Lolo Jones on the dancefloor

Fingers crossed!

[*Wallace]

The Week 1 dances are officially posted on Strictly's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAIZ-AtNA8F/ 

I'm most excited for Shayne's, Jamie's, Tasha's, Sarah's, JB's, Sam's, Montell's and Punam's dances! 
 

[*Wallace]

Yay, It's show day today!

 

i won't be around to update how show's going. But I can't wait to see how everyone does!

[Arsh]

On 9/20/2024 at 3:16 AM, *Wallace said:

OK I wanted to try to get in my pre-series predictions before Saturday's show. I really have no idea and especially can't call the winner right now. A lot of this I have no idea on but that's what makes this all so fun!  

15. Paul & Karen
14. Nick & Luba
13. Toyah & Neil
12. Pete & Jowita
11. Wynne & Katya
10. Sam & Nikita
9. Tom & Nadiya
8. Dr Punam & Gorka
7. Chris & Dianne
6. Sarah & Vito
5. Shayne & Nancy
2. Montell & Johannes
2. Jamie & Michelle
2. Tasha & Aljaž
1. JB & Amy
 

I would have Toyah & Niel swap place with Tom & Nadiya. 

Rest I have somewhat similar ranking

[Arsh]

Are they going to give good celeb to Karen, Luba and Nadiya ?

 

I first thought they 3 are the new pros, when checked on wiki they did had partners and most of them eliminated early.

[*Wallace]

Week 1 scores:

 

Nick & Luba - Jive: 3/5/5/5 = 18
Sam & Nikita - Foxtrot: 6/6/6/5 = 23
Shayne & Nancy - Samba: 4/6/5/6 = 21
Toyah & Neil - Tango: 2/4/2/4 = 12
Tasha & Aljaž - Cha-Cha: 8/8/7/7 = 30
JB & Amy - Waltz: 7/8/8/8 = 31
Pete & Jowita - Paso Doble: 4/5/3/5 = 17
Sarah & Vito - Quickstep: 8/8/7/7 = 30
Tom & Nadiya - Tango: 5/6/6/6 = 23
Dr. Punam & Gorka - Cha-Cha: 4/5/5/5 = 19
Paul & Karen - American Smooth: 2/4/5/6 = 17
Jamie & Michelle - Viennese Waltz: 6/6/5/6 = 23
Chris & Dianne - Cha-Cha: 4/6/6/7 = 23
Montell & Johannes - Foxtrot: 6/7/6/7 = 26
Wynne & Katya - Samba: 6/6/7/7 = 26
 

 

Definitely an interesting mix of scores. Some expected and some unexpected scores in there. Happy to see JB and Tasha do well and leading the leaderboard! Definitely was NOT expecting Wynne to score higher on the Samba than Shayne.  But yeah, I'm very curious and excited to see the show soon!

[Arsh]

I loved Chris and Dianne dance. 

[*Wallace]

Yayy soo excited for the actual competition to begin now! Loll these intros so feel like the Love Island intros.  I also loved the Latin flavored opening group dance. It was so hot, fun and fiesty! Jowita & Vito did a fantastic job in their leading roles for the dance too. Also LOL how perfect was it to have the cast dancing to "September" as it was the 21st of September yesterday.  

Week 1 Thoughts!

Nick & Luba - Jive: Oooh how fun to learn that it's Nick's birthday and he gets to open the series with his Jive. I also realized this is Luba's second premiere in a row to open the series as she opened with Adam last year. Ooof the Jive is a reallly tough first style for Nick and I am not too hopeful for him here. I like the positive attitude he had with Luba about wanting to do the dance in front of the audience. Omg lol the theme of this dance kinda reminds me of Mark & Karen's Cha-Cha from Series 12 with the construction theme, haha. I get that as it fits Nick's job. Okay, this Jive from Nick was not as bad or the trainwreck I was expecting it to be. He did give it a good go here. He had performed and looked like he was having fun. He had good energy in there. The Jive technique and kicks & flicks did look wobbly and not the strongest/sharpest. He was on the flat footed and heavy footsided side of things. But yeah Nick didn't do a bad Jive and he's got more potential than I thought. He got a 18 which isn't bad - I think I would have gone with a mix of 4s and 5s. I think I agree with that 18. Aww at the happy birthday celebration they did for Nick. LOL at Carlos putting all that cake on Nick's face.  

Sam & Nikita - Foxtrot: I like Sam's positive attitude. She's competitive and ready to learn without being too competitive. Curious to see how she and Nikita do as a partnership. Oooh and a Foxtrot to "Where Did Our Love Go" is so cute! Love that song/style combo. Aww this dance was so precious, cute and adorable. Sam really did well with the cutesy adorable aspect of performing this dance. She was joyous and having a good time. I thought she did well with the Foxtrot basics with having a good frame and footwork. She did shine even more on the out of hold parts in the middle of the dance. Shocked about that 5 from Anton, as he's mostly the nice/easygoing judge. I do agree with the 6s. A 23 is good though I would have gone with a 24. 

Shayne & Nancy - Samba: I'm excited for the Shayne & Nancy partnership and see how they will do together. LOL Nancy's singing for Shayne. It's fun hearing and seeing the Samba rivalry that Shayne and Wynne are having with their video chat. Oooh I love the "Do I Do" song choice. Omg Nancy's hair matching Shayne's, love it! I thought this was a fun and pretty solid Samba, especially for Week 1. It maybe wasn't as mindblowing as I was wanting it to be. But it did have a fun 70s Disco inspired feel to it. I thought he had good rhythm, energy and spins here. The partnering work they did was good and solid and he seemed to have some workable hip action in there. I get the comments of him shining more on his own and lacking posture in the partnering work, which Shirley mentioned. Hmm Craig saying this failed as a Samba and felt more like a Salsa - I didn't think that while watching but I guess I can get that. But this was fun, good and I thought it was quite underscored. A 21 did seem a little low - I would have given more 6s and up it to a 23. I do agree with Motsi's and Anton's 6s here. 

Toyah & Neil - Tango: Okay I didn't know if I believed Toyah as a punk princess as I don't know much about her career but I take it that she is for real, haha. lol I love Toyah's energy and excitement with wanting to learn the Tango. Wow her 2 inches difference in her legs and getting surgery on that at 51 was interesting to learn about. Oooh a "Ray of Light" Tango intrigues me.  That's my favorite Madonna song and I never imagined it to a Tango. Hmmm this dance.... I wish it was given to a better dancer. She was really such a wild child in this dance. This Tango was really rough around the edges... and it was just so bumpy. Oooh dear, those pivots were... really tragic though, yikes. Her footwork very bumpy, messy and she seemed to be holding onto Neil for deer life. OMGG Motsi's comments of Toyah how this dance never met Toyah and now even Neil didn't know was going on had me howling. I feel like this dance just never had or found its right setting. Ooof, this is Neil's second disastrous Tango (other with Nina) and this was even worse, which is not good. Okay Toyah's and Neil's comments on the dance had me cracking up too. Ouch at a 12... especially ouch and SHOCKED at Shirley giving this a 2. I get it from Craig but never imagined Shirley would score so low. I... can't fault the score. I would probably give this a 12 or 13. 

Tasha & Aljaž - Cha-Cha: Tasha is another one whose attitude/personality I've been enjoying. It's also so cool how she was the first deaf contestant on Love Island. It's so great seeing Aljaž come back to the show and I'm excited to see what he does with Tasha! They already have a cute and positive partnership. It was informative hearing more and how Tasha has dealt with her deafness. Omg she was really channeling Sabrina Carpenter at the start of this, haha. Tasha did great with this Cha-Cha, as expected. Tasha did sooo good with all of the Cha-Cha basics and partnering work she did here. She was so precise and sharp with her movements. I can get some comments of her footwork needing to be more grounded as she was a little loose there. But she had the cheekiness and attitude down with the dance. Aljaž gave Tasha a lot of content and she handled it all so well. Oooh Shirley's comments thinking she could have some spectacular leg action here. And yayyy an actual good Cha-Cha to "Espresso" this time!! I'm happy!  Omg Craig being the one judge without any negatives had me shook, lmao. Yayyyfor a 30 here! I agree with the score and the mix of 7s and 8s. 

JB & Amy - Waltz: As I said many times, I'm excited to see JB & Amy together. And them starting off with a slow Waltz is a nice way for them to begin their Strictly journey. Oooh aww I didn't even know JLS was touring (on a comeback tour)? And oooh the last JLS show - how perfect timing for JB, haha. It was nice seeing Amy  there at their show. I do worry for JB here as I don't really see him as a ballroom boy (like a Latin guy). But JB did pleasantly surprise me here. This was such a beautiful dance. JB was very smooth and charming with how he danced and performed this. He had a good frame, led Amy well and had good footwork throughout the dance. I don't know why but it also felt a little fast in spots? I don't know why cause he still took his time with it. But it was a classic smooth standard Waltz that I could not find faults with. Maybe JB will be better at ballroom than I thought. Aww Amy's happiness in the Clauditorium was so sweet and adorable. Yayy for the 7 and three 8s for a 31. I can't fault those scores - as I would have gone with a 30 or 31 here as well. 

Pete & Jowita - Paso Doble: Pete is such an interesting person. I can't take to how he truly is but he does kinda intrigue me. Oooh them getting the Paso is interesting. With Pete saying this is a dark and mysterious dance, it sounds like it should suit him despite him saying he lacks rhythm and natural ability. Pete has the look, style and the whole vibe that really suits a Rock Paso. This dance had a strong epic feel to it.... but I didn't really quite "get" or "feel" it much from him, sadly. He was way too walky and lacked the Paso shaping. I can get how it was quite repetitive and he didn't really resemble the Paso elements that well here. It LOOED like it could have been but it sadly didn't. Also I found the (lack of) partnering work on the bumpy side. Ah I wish and wanted to like it much more. Aww it's nice seeing his mother looking so proud of him here. A 4/5/3/4 for a 17 is fair. Dangg ouch at the 3 from Shirley. She's harsher than Craig this year! I think I agree with the score - I'd go with a 16 or 17. 

Sarah & Vito - Quickstep: I'm really looking forward to Sarah & Vito as I got a really good feeling about them. Sarah is really adorable and fun! lol at her bringing all of that tea for Vito and wanting him to learn about that while he teaches her how to dance.  Ooooh wow, this was a really good and fun Quickstep. It was also really cute and adorable too. This really suited Sarah as she had so much fun while performing this and was having a blast. She had a really good frame and footwork throughout the dance - she was light and quick on her feet. LOL whyyy did Vito put on that glasses and nose thing when they got into hold the second time around? But hahaha there was a lot of humor and comedy in this dance, in which they both channeled and performed it so well. A great mix of technical dancing and energetic performing. Oooh yayy for the mix of 7s and 8s she got here. And nicee at a 30 here! I think I would go with a 29 or 30 here. 

Tom & Nadiya - Tango: I'm really liking Tom & Nadiya as a partnership and look forward to how they'll work together here. Aww Tom does seem really hard on himself with how he was starting out learning the dance. Oooh and haha "Golden" is a funny/fitting song for him. I had no idea what to expect from Tom here. This was a decent Tango and not too bad gere, U felt like Tom was really concentrated here. He was determined to get the steps down and had a decent frame. He did seem to dance down / hunch down a bit, which did affect some of his footwork.  I also think he's got to get into the performance aspect of the dance to really sell the passion of the dance as that wasn't quite there - but that's a common thing for athletes being non-performers. He could have some strong potential in ballroom but I do worry about his Latin. A 23 is pretty good for him though a bit overscored - I would have gone moreso with a 21 or 22. I do think a mix of 5s and 6s were fair. 

Dr. Punam & Gorka - Cha-Cha: Aww it's really cool how Dr. Punam  already got to dance to Kylie right on Week 1 as she was really wanting to dance to Kylie. Oooh lol some of the early rehearsal bits they did was funny, specifically that part with her trying to do the Cha-Cha walks and nearly falling - not that her falling would have been funny but she was cute about it. Aww I do love "Love at First Sight" and haven't heard this song in awhile. I thought this was a really cute and joyous  Cha-Cha. I maybe didn't love it as much as I wanted to. But I do love how excited and happy Punam was throughout the dance. She was so smiley, happy and had lots of personality... and just so infectious to watch. She had some decent Cha-Cha dancing but some of her leg action and footwork wasn't so great and that's something she could work upon and improve on (on a technical level) as the series continues. I do think she's got potential. Ooof Craig did point out a lot of technical faults. The 19 is fair here though I might have bumped it up to a 20. 

Paul & Karen - American Smooth: Oooh dear.... it's that song he's dancing an American Smooth to.... which I just can't even begin to understand, lmao. LOL What even was his intro video about - him walking down the street with his airbuds? That felt like it was straight from a music video? lol I was so confused but okay it was an acting bit. Oooh lol some of these rehearsals looked funny... and dangerous. Ooh dear, this is one of those soccer/football themed dances. The song.... for an AS makes zero sense, lmao. Proops to Karen for trying to put together an American Smooth to this as I know that must have been difficult. Paul... had fun, I guess. But yeah this dance felt so hectic and like a hot mess. It wasn't smooth and was all rough around the edges. There were fun comedic parts in which he did well with and he looked like he had fun. LOL this dance... was a dance. omgg Motsi's "this was special" and "I don't know if it was the American Smooth but it was something." The 5 from Shirley and 6 from Anton how they scored other dances earlier in the night. Chiiilllddd. A 17 was nice though on the high side. I would have gone for a 15 or 16 here.  

Jamie & Michelle - Viennese Waltz: I am SOOO excited that the gorgeous Michelle finally gets a partner here! And I'm happy it's Jamie too. Oooh now I always imagined and wanted to see a Viennese Waltz to "Beautiful Things" so yay for that happening. lol Jamie saying he doesn't know what he's doing knowing that he won the Strictly Christmas special. But it's fun seeing them at the EastEnders set. Okay overall, I did like this dance and I do think Jamie's got good potential to be a really good ballroom dancer. This dance did have quite an intense and aggressive feel to it. Jamie did showcase some nice lines and grace with his arm movements. But yeah when he got into hold, it got rough and not as flowy/elegant that it should have been and it just had a roughness in the drive of the movement. Ooh and yeah he did perform and sold the dance well. I did love the storyline that they had here. Overall it was kind of a mixed bag but I still enjoyed it. The 23 for this does seem fair. 

Chris & Dianne - Cha-Cha: Aww Chris is really fun and such a hoot. I like his humor that he has about himself and his dancing. I am really interested in learning Dianne's teaching tactics and how she'll have to teach Chris differently from her past partners - and seeing that bit was really interesting. Aww look at Chris go here! haha I love how much fun he was having. He looked like he was having a blast. His dancing was also much better than I expected. He danced some decent and recognizable Cha-Cha steps. The footwork and partnering work he did was all pretty decent. He still has some technical stuff that needs improving and stuff needs to be worked on but the effort was so there. He had great and energetic performing skills. Lol he had a lot of fun air guitar moves and lol that part where he was playing Dianne's leg like a guitar. I'm not surprised that this was such a big crowd favorite with the audience. Ooh the 4 from Craig was harsh and the 7 from Anton was way too generous. I agree with the ladies' 6s. I would go with a mix of 5s/6s though I think I agree with the 23. 

Montell & Johannes - Foxtrot: Loving how Montell & Johannes are a partnership and so excited to see what they can bring together here. Oooh Montell was looking so elegant and just so different from how I remember her on the show so far. Maybe it's the darker hair too? I kinda feel like Montell is more of a Latin girl so I am really worried for her in ballroom. Johannes was working hard on her frame. I like how Montell is looking forward to being glammed up and aww her first time wearing a dress at 10 was because she was a flower girl. But okay, Montell... yess she brought the sass, style and attitude needed for this Foxtrot and the song choice. I love how sassy and dramatic the opening was. But oooh dangg, Montell was legit so good with this Foxtrot. She had a good frame, tight body contact, good footwork and she captured the general style of the Foxtrot so well. She was so effortless and really shone on the out of hold parts. I can get that she needs to improve on her footwork but that's something she could work on. But yess, she was so graceful like Motsi said. I'm now really excited to see what more they can do! lmaoo all of Johannes' comments talking about her walking and stuff.  Oooh the mix of 6s and 7s seem fair for a total of 26. I feel like I agree with that score, either a 26 or up it to a 27. 

Wynne & Katya - Samba: Oooh wow Wynne closing the show with the Samba was not what I was expecting here. OMGG another "Help Yourself" Samba, this gives me nightmares of Jacquie Smith's horrid Samba, but I am hopeful that Wynne would be better. Okay, Katya is putting in hard work with Wynne and he does not look bad wit hhow he's learning this dance. Oooh omgg the singing/piano bit, I was not expecting that but omg their original song was funny there. Oooh... he's a chef for this dance? Interesting. Wynne's got a good sense of rhythm and musicality here. He moved well and was light on his feet - though some of his footwork did seem heavyfooted at times (at least from what I saw?). But he had good partnering wotk with Katya and again was clearly having a blast. This was a lot better than I was expected. He got the mix of 6s and 7s for a 26, which I never would have expected for him with a Samba. Hmm, I think this was maybe a bit overscored but that can happen with dances toward the end of the show. I would have gone for a 24 or 25 here, so it wasn't too bad. 

Rankings:
1.    Tasha & Aljaž - Cha-Cha
2.    JB & Amy - Waltz
3.    Sarah & Vito - Quickstep
4.    Montell & Johannes - Foxtrot
5.    Wynne & Katya - Samba
6.    Sam & Nikita - Foxtrot
7.    Jamie & Michelle - Viennese Waltz
8.    Chris & Dianne - Cha-Cha
9.    Shayne & Nancy - Samba
10.    Tom & Nadiya - Tango
11.    Dr. Punam & Gorka - Cha-Cha
12.    Nick & Luba - Jive
13.    Pete & Jowita - Paso Doble
14.    Paul & Karen - American Smooth
15.    Toyah & Neil - Tango

This was a really fun and exciting premiere episode. I feel good about these rankings. Some are interchangeable but not sure which ones. Can't wait for next week and already nervous for the first elimination. 

[Abe1818]

Also this iconic part from Toyah's Tango

[ungodlyhour]

Finally got around to watching the premiere! My immediate favorites are Sam and Montell, but I'm into the trio of early frontrunners too.

 

I thought Shayne would be better from the jump but getting hit with a week 1 samba is kind of a death knell for starting on the wrong foot (unless you're Maisie ). Also weirdly I think my favorite dance of the week was JB's even as anti-men as I tend to be

 

Tasha's dancing reminds me a lot of Stephen's from this last week of DWTS, some promising technique but a little too much energy off the bat that made the whole dance slightly messy. Also random but Sam from the new Survivor season looks so much like Aljaz to me lol

 

Unrelated to the dances but wtf was that song that that Jamie danced to? Idk if the actual song sounds that awful or if it was just a poor cover but wow was it distracting me from the dance

Edited September 22 by ungodlyhour

[*Wallace]

5 hours ago, Abe1818 said:

Also this iconic part from Toyah's Tango

OMGG lol yess, this part had me howling.  

 

45 minutes ago, ungodlyhour said:

Finally got around to watching the premiere! My immediate favorites are Sam and Montell, but I'm into the trio of early frontrunners too.

 

I thought Shayne would be better from the jump but getting hit with a week 1 samba is kind of a death knell for starting on the wrong foot (unless you're Maisie ). Also weirdly I think my favorite dance of the week was JB's even as anti-men as I tend to be

 

Tasha's dancing reminds me a lot of Stephen's from this last week of DWTS, some promising technique but a little too much energy off the bat that made the whole dance slightly messy. Also random but Sam from the new Survivor season looks so much like Aljaz to me lol

 

Unrelated to the dances but wtf was that song that that Jamie danced to? Idk if the actual song sounds that awful or if it was just a poor cover but wow was it distracting me from the dance

Kelvin also applies breaking the Samba curse - don't forget. But yeah I hope it was just a really difficult first style for Shayne and he delivers stronger dances going forward.

 

Oooh lol the Aljaz/Sam comment. I got to take more notice of Sam to see if I see the Aljaz comparison.  

 

Oooh at the last comment.  Kinda surprised you don't know the song, but that was "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone. It's one of the biggest (and most overplayed) songs of the year. I hear it all the time and it's everywhere.  The cover wasn't too great, lol. But here's the original if you want to hear it. (Though I don't see you liking the original any more than the cover either lmao).

 

 

 

[Abe1818]

1 hour ago, *Wallace said:

OMGG lol yess, this part had me howling.  

 

 

 

Also dare I say I think I preferred Grandpa Reggie doing two steps in his salsa to whatever Toyah and Neil did

[ungodlyhour]

1 hour ago, *Wallace said:

Kelvin also applies breaking the Samba curse - don't forget. But yeah I hope it was just a really difficult first style for Shayne and he delivers stronger dances going forward.

 

Oooh lol the Aljaz/Sam comment. I got to take more notice of Sam to see if I see the Aljaz comparison.  

 

Oooh at the last comment.  Kinda surprised you don't know the song, but that was "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone. It's one of the biggest (and most overplayed) songs of the year. I hear it all the time and it's everywhere.  The cover wasn't too great, lol. But here's the original if you want to hear it. (Though I don't see you liking the original any more than the cover either lmao).

 

 

 

I always think that Kelvin samba is like a week 3 dance for some reason  Important correction!

 

On listening to this, it was definitely the cover that was killing it for me... also, no clue how I haven't heard this given that it's that big omg! And I may not be a ~huge fan of the song (you know me well lol) BUT I wouldn't have been as thrown off if it was a little closer to the studio version  

[*Wallace]

3 hours ago, Abe1818 said:

Also dare I say I think I preferred Grandpa Reggie doing two steps in his salsa to whatever Toyah and Neil did

Grandpa Reggie and Grandma Toyah.  

 

LOL I lowkey agree with you. But I appreciate them both for giving us trainwreck goodness with those dances.  

 

2 hours ago, ungodlyhour said:

I always think that Kelvin samba is like a week 3 dance for some reason  Important correction!

 

On listening to this, it was definitely the cover that was killing it for me... also, no clue how I haven't heard this given that it's that big omg! And I may not be a ~huge fan of the song (you know me well lol) BUT I wouldn't have been as thrown off if it was a little closer to the studio version  

lmaoo I can understand that.  I just remember it as Kelvin's first dance that blew everyone away and won him the competition right then and there.  

 

Oooh phew, okay glad to hear it was just the cover as I feared you would have hated the original.  This all makes sense.

[Zoey]

I refuse to believe that Chris is blind and feel an absolute fool for believing him for the last few years since the first time I came across him.

 

He’s one of the best males this year based on his first dance.  I imagine he’s had to work ten times harder than anyone else to even learn the choreography. He’s an icon. 

[*Wallace]

Week 2 dances are revealed now: 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAS7L8xNM4r/?hl=en

 

Montell & Johannes Samba to Fuego by Eleni Foureira

Punam & Gorka Foxtrot to Man! I Feel Like A Woman! By Shania Twain
Sam & Nikita Charleston to Bob Wilson and his Varsity Rhythm Boys
Sarah & Vito Paso Doble to Freed From Desire by Gala, Molella, Phil Jay
Tasha & Aljaz Viennese Waltz to Misty Blue by Dorothy Moore
Toyah & Neil Jive to Nutbush City Limits by Ike & Tina Turner
Chris & Dianne Foxtrot Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy by The Tams
Jamie & Michell Rumba to Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers
JB & Amy Cha Cha to Closer by Ne-Yo
Nick & Luba American Smooth to Parklife by Blur
Paul & Karen Salsa to Fireball by Pitbull, John Ryan
Pete & Jowita American Smooth to I Had Some Help by Post Malone, Morgan Wallen
Shayne & Nancy Tango to The Door by Teddy Swims
Tom & Nadiya Cha Cha to Boogie Wonderland by Earth, Wind & Fire
Wynne & Katya Viennese Waltz to The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II

Thoughts: 

- Aww kinda bummed that Montell is using her Samba up so early. I know it's the dance she's most wanted to do but was hoping it would have come in a little later where she's grown into an even better dancer. Still really looking forward to the dance.

- Ooh haha interesting how we're getting another "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" routine but on Strictly and a Foxtrot. I wonder if Punam would be better with ballroom - I'm thinking she would be. But an interesting style/song combo, hmm.
- I think Sam could be great with a Charleston. I think it's probably too soon for her to produce a reallly great Charleston. But maybe not, she could have a real breakthrough dance and be a contender with this.
- Don't know Sarah's song but looking forward to her Paso. She's a strong performer so I can easily see her nailing the character and dance. Should be really dramatic.
- Oooh Tasha getting Danny's AS song. I can see this being a really stunning and gorgeous dance, or at least I hope so.
- LOL Toyah getting the Jive. I guess Toyah for first boot confirmed after that, lol. At least she's got a great Tina classic.
- I'm sure I heard of Chris' song but can't really think of it off the top of my head. Curious to see how he does with a slower ballroom number.
- Oooh Jamie with another romantic dance but a Rumba..... this early? I guess it's best to get it out of the way early on when everyone is there.  And oooo to "Ain't No Sunshine" too. Kelvin/Oti's Rumba song. I don't see it comparing to that but hoping Jamie has a good dance with this.
- Ooooh I love "Closer" a ton, so I'm already looking forward to JB's Cha-Cha. This should be so fun.
- Don't know Nick's song. But he has an arm/shoulder injury that is worrisome that if he will dance this week. I think him having a dance in hold + a dance with lifts is very risky for him. But I hope he's 100% well enough to perform it.
- Bummed that "Fireball" is wasted on Paul. I love that song for a Salsa but ugh I just want a great Salsa to that song on this show.
- "I Had Some Help" for an American Smooth.... sure is interesting. I can not see this working but maybe it'll be a surprise? I heard this last night on ITT. I was confused then and still am confused now.
- Never thought of "The Door" for a Tango but really like that combo for Shayne. Hoping this can be a great dance for him.
- Tom getting "Boogie Wonderland" for his Week 2 Cha-Cha reminds me of Ashley Roberts' dance! His won't be nearly as good but it'll be nice to see if he can have fun and loosen up here.
- Don't know Wynne's song but hmmm really curious to see how he'll tackle the more serious Viennese Waltz. 


Overall the dances I'm most looking forward to are: Jamie, JB, Montell, Punam, Sam, Sarah, Shayne, Tasha and Tom 

 

[taylorkat]

I love Tasha's Cha-Cha and I am so glad that Aljaz is back.