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The Independent UK

National

Annabel Nugent and Lauren Morris

DARK SECRETS: Strictly come dancing 2026 who are the 15 celebrity pairings dancing in tonights live show | Vintage Vibes

Bethany Antonia Dani Dyer Emma Willis Nancy Xu Aljaz Skorjanec Annabel Nugent Delta Goodrem Josh Widdicombe Lacey Turner Melanie Walters

Strictly Come Dancing’s class of 2026 made their dancefloor debuts in this week’s first live show and delivered one of the most surprising leaderboards the show has ever seen.

All 15 couples hit the dance floor for the first time on Saturday (26 September), welcomed back to the ballroom by new hosting trio Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Rabede, who faced some teething issues during the live show.

Topping the scoreboard with his astounding foxtrot was content creator John Nellis and his professional partner Katya Jones, whose routine was declared “the best of the night” by the emotional judges. Love Island star Cach Mercer, meanwhile, found that his dance background backfired when the judges told him off for improvising too much during his Quickstep.

At the bottom of the leaderboard was Gavin & Stacey’s Melanie Walters, Shaun-Wright Phillips and Dame Sarah Storey.

With week one done and dusted, here’s everything you need to know about what went down during Strictly 2026’s first live show.

Key Points

Strictly's first scoreboard for 2026
New host Josh Widdicombe is a problem the show needs to solve
John Nellis's foxtrot called 'best dance of the night' by emotional judges
Strictly fans complain about Johannes Radebe's Clauditorium change
Judges clash over Lawrence Robb's Paso Doble

Saturday 26 September 2026 12:57 , Annabel Nugent

Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live blog for tonight’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing. Amid all the recent changes to the show’s line-up and the format, you’d be right to double check the episode’s start time.

Viewers can tune into Strictly on BBC One at 6.15pm, with the extra-long episode due to run for a mammoth two and a half hours.

Saturday 26 September 2026 13:02 , Annabel Nugent

After weeks of speculation, the stars officially unveiled their professional partners during last Saturday’s launch show.

See the full list of pairings below. Remember, it takes two to tango...

Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu
• Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby
• Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden
• Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin
• Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington
• Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley
• Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu
• John Nellis and Katya Jones
• Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola
• Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał
• Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec
• Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon
• Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr
• Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita
• Will Best and Dianne Buswell

Saturday 26 September 2026 13:26 , Annabel Nugent

Rachel, our resident Strictly expert, was thrilled to see TV’s most glittering, sequinned show return to screens last week – though even she had her concerns...

Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis, and Johannes Radebe debut as the new ‘Strictly’ hosting trio (BBC)

Here’s Rachel’s mini-review from last week. Do you agree?

That was a lot of fun, wasn’t it? Given that tonight’s show was pre-recorded, it didn’t really give us a proper picture of how the new hosts will do. But I feel like they’re off to a good start! Emma Willis is undoubtedly doing the heavy lifting, but that makes sense as she is the presenter with the most experience.

At times, when the three of them were all together, it did feel a little crowded - but there is more than enough presenting to go around, so hopefully they manage to divvy up the jobs correctly.

And the pairings, as usual, seem very well matched. I think I’m most excited to see Nancy and Bethany as this year’s same-sex pairing, and I love Lacey and Vito.

Saturday 26 September 2026 13:43 , Annabel Nugent

Among the unfamiliar faces this season are five new professional dancers who will be joining the 2026 edition of Strictly.

Maddie Ingoldsby, Aleksandra Isaeva, Mark Karmalita, Lethabo Monametsi, and Cristian Priori will be joining the BBC dancing competition this year, replacing outgoing pros Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas.

Here’s everything we know about the newcomers...

Who are the five new Strictly professionals? Meet the dancers joining the ballroom

Saturday 26 September 2026 14:00 , Annabel Nugent

As someone who grew up in Australia with “Innocent Eyes” on repeat, I find myself rooting for pop star Delta Goodrem this season.

I had the chance to speak with Delta earlier this year – and she told me the only thing she was after in her professional partner was someone taller than her, and it seems she got her wish. At 6ft 2in, Kai is a full three inches taller than Delta’s 5ft 10in.

Will anyone be eliminated this weekend?

Saturday 26 September 2026 18:02 , Lauren Morris

Good news for the Strictly class of 2026 – no one is going home this week. As is tradition for week one of the competition, there is no public vote or elimination as we get a first proper look at the celebs’ dancing abilities.

Instead, the judges’ scores from this week will be carried over to week two and combined with the results of the first public vote. At least that’s one less thing for the cast to worry about as they prepare to shimmy, twirl and cha cha on live telly for the first time...

Five minutes to go...

Saturday 26 September 2026 18:12 , Lauren Morris

Strictly’s first live show kicks off in five minutes so tear yourself away from Amanda Holden’s frozen face on The Celebrity: Inner Circle, go to the loo and grab a cup of tea – tonight’s show will be two and a half hours long and as per usual, there are no ad breaks!

Saturday 26 September 2026 18:19 , Lauren Morris

Ooh new opening sequence! It makes sense that Strictly’s titles would also get a makeover along with the rest of the show – although, with 15 celebs to showcase, it proved to be a a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment for each individual star. Perhaps that will change as the eliminations get underway?

'Strictly' opening titles have also undergone a new makeover (BBC)

Saturday 26 September 2026 18:21 , Lauren Morris

Yet another excellent dance number from this year’s pros to open the show – and it was lovely to see Johannes Radebe back on the dancefloor, if even for a second!

Saturday 26 September 2026 18:25 , Lauren Morris

The costume team have not held back for week one. We have Will Best in a leather get-up that barely covers his nipples, Tabby Stoecker in full leopard print and Jaime Winstone head-to-toe in white fur. I’m here for it!

Will Best kicks off Strictly with the first dance of 2026

Saturday 26 September 2026 18:33 , Lauren Morris

What a way to start the show! Will definitely did Robbie proud with that Samba to “Rock DJ”.

He truly committed to it and seemed to land most of the steps. If he can get his facial expressions under control (he flipped between ecstasy and confusion throughout), then he’s one to watch for sure. That was a lot of fun!

Saturday 26 September 2026 18:35 , Lauren Morris

That’s a total of 18 from the judges for Will’s week one Samba. Not too shabby!

Saturday 26 September 2026 18:44 , Lauren Morris

Olympic athlete Tabby Stoecker just received quite the compliment from Anton Du Beke for her electric jive, with the judge comparing her to last year’s winner Karen Carney.

It hasn’t all been positive though, with Craig Revel Horwood – unsurprisingly – bringing Tabby and partner Mark Karmalita back down to Earth with some criticism (”I think you were too upright”). Despite a slight slip-up at the end, it seems Tabby has a lot of promise!

Saturday 26 September 2026 18:44 , Lauren Morris

And that’s 22 for Tabby and Mark (including the first seven of the competition from Anton)!

Dame Sarah Storey trips up in the quickstep

Saturday 26 September 2026 18:53 , Lauren Morris

The quickstep proved to be a bit too quick for Dame Sarah at points, with the Paralympic athlete slipping up a few times throughout her number. It’s a really tough dance to be given for week one though and the judges haven’t been too harsh considering.

Anton said that if Dame Sarah works on a few elements of her form, she’ll “be the most formidable of ballroom dancers”, while Motsi noted that she could definitely “feel the nerves” from her but that she definitely found her inner “showgirl”.

Saturday 26 September 2026 18:54 , Lauren Morris

Dame Sarah Storey received 15 as her first score from the judges. It’s the lowest so far, but as we’re just three celebs in, that could all change!

Strictly's new hosts seem to establish their roles

Saturday 26 September 2026 19:01 , Lauren Morris

While Strictly’s trio of presenters previously said that they wouldn’t have set roles, so far we’ve seen Josh Widdicombe and Emma Willis take on Tess’s dancefloor-based role while Johannes Radebe has been up in the Clauditorium. That may change over the course of the show but so far it seems to be working!

Judges clash over Lawrence Robb's Paso Doble

Saturday 26 September 2026 19:11 , Lauren Morris

Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb brought the drama with his Paso (I can’t imagine he gets the chance to wear much eyeliner on the ITV soap but I personally need to see more of it).

His feedback from the judges varied significantly though, with one of his moves being hailed as competition level before Craig Revel Horwood described his style as “stompy” (ouch). Motsi and Shirley certainly didn’t agree, with the pair talking over him.

Lawrence received 20 from the judges though which is good going at this stage!

Shaun Wright-Phillips isn't quite pro level yet..

Saturday 26 September 2026 19:17 , Lauren Morris

The footballer may have declared that he wanted to reach professional dancer level by the time he was through with the competition, but he definitely has some work to do after his cha-cha to Paul Russell’s Lil Boo Thang.

The judges wanted a bit more enthusiasm from Shaun before hitting him with a score of 15 (including a brutal but accurate 2 from Craig).

Bethany Antonia receives glowing praise for Quickstep: 'You're something else'

Saturday 26 September 2026 19:25 , Lauren Morris

Bethany Antonia just made her ballroom debut and she absolutely smashed it. Craig gave his first bit of overwhelmingly positive feedback tonight, telling the House of the Dragon star: “That’s the first bit of good dancing we’ve seen all night.”

Meanwhile, Shirley told her that the standard is something you would see in week four or five of the competition, adding: “You are going to be something else, darling.”

Having received a score of 26, Bethany is at the top of the leaderboard. Dare I say, we have a competition frontrunner!

Lacey Turner tops leaderboard with 'magnificent' cha cha

Saturday 26 September 2026 19:37 , Lauren Morris

Just when you thought Bethany Antonia was the one to beat, Lacey Turner came through with her impressive cha cha to Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know”.

Described as “magnificent” by Shirley and hailed the “favourite dance of the night so far” by Anton, Lacey and Vito Coppola’s performance received a whopping 27 points from the judges – placing her firmly at the top of the leaderboard!

Saturday 26 September 2026 19:45 , Lauren Morris

Celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton took on the tango with his partner Amy Dowden to mixed comments from the judges. While Shirley said that he has the “potential to be a fantastic ballroom dancer”, Craig said it was like watching a “Ken doll” perform. Ouch!

He received a score of 16 for the number to Alice Merton’s “No Roots” (a fitting song!)

Strictly fans complain about Johannes Radebe's Clauditorium change

Saturday 26 September 2026 19:54 , Lauren Morris

Johannes Radebe has taken over Claudia Winkleman’s role upstairs in the studio, but he seems to be jumping the gun when it comes to reading from the autocue – and viewers have noticed.

“Tell JoJo to stop talking as they're coming up the stairs coz we can't hear!” one fan wrote on X, while another complained: “Johannes, stop talking over the applause!”

Three presenters don’t work. Emma and Josh are talking over each other, Johannes is speaking too early. A bit of a disaster really. @bbcstrictly #strictly
— Fleur Stevens (@Fleur_C_Stevens) September 26, 2026

Johannes, stop talking over the applause! 😠 #strictly #scd
— PepperPot (@philm2244) September 26, 2026

Saturday 26 September 2026 20:05 , Lauren Morris

We’ve just had Gavin & Stacey’s Melanie Walters and pro Aljaž Škorjanec drop to the bottom of the leaderboard with her cha cha, where she sits alongside Shaun and Dame Sarah.

Next came Love Island winner Cach Mercer and new professional Maddie Ingoldsby with their quickstep – although there was a bit too much freestyle in there for the judges, who gave them a total of 20 points.

Saturday 26 September 2026 20:08 , Lauren Morris

This is Strictly Come Dancing, so of course dog trainer Graeme Hall has ended his Cha Cha to Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog” with a bone in his mouth. He was loving every minute though and it was a delight to watch.

Looks like the judges are all smiles too!

Saturday 26 September 2026 20:11 , Lauren Morris

A decent score of 24 for Graeme, whose cha cha was called “old-school” by Anton, while Craig praised his “great attention to detail”. He even got a “good boy” from his professional partner Lauren Oakley. What a treat!

Saturday 26 September 2026 20:25 , Lauren Morris

Jaime Winstone and reigning champion Carlos Gu took on the tango to Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”, bringing disco to the Strictly dance floor. The judges however weren’t too happy with her posture, with Craig saying that her frame “really let you down”.

They picked up a score of 21, landing in the middle of the leaderboard.

Dani Dyer finally makes it to the dancefloor

Saturday 26 September 2026 20:32 , Lauren Morris

Former Love Island star Dani Dyer channelled her inner Zara Larsson with her and Nikita Kuzmin’s samba to her hit “Lush Life”, with the pair finally getting to dance after over a year of waiting. Strictly fans will remember that Dani was meant to compete in last year’s competition but was forced to drop out after injuring herself in rehearsals before the first live show.

It was worth the wait though, with the pair receiving a score of 22 from the judges while Shirley declared Dani to be the “pocket rocket” of the competition.

John Nellis's foxtrot called 'best dance of the night' by emotional judges

Saturday 26 September 2026 20:40 , Lauren Morris

I wasn’t expecting content creator John Nellis to top tonight’s leaderboard with his foxtrot but here we are – and it was truly spectacular.

John and his professional partner Katya Jones received a very impressive 31 from the judges, with both Shirley and Motsi becoming emotional as they called it the “best dance of the night”. The former air traffic controller has certainly established himself as the dark horse of the competition.

Delta Goodrem closes the show with sensational samba

Saturday 26 September 2026 20:47 , Lauren Morris

It’s not a huge surprise to learn that Delta Goodrem can dance but that samba was truly something else. The Australian singer and her professional partner Kai Widdrington were incredible to watch, a sentiment shared by the judges, who gave them a score of 29.

“Wow, darling. You are one to watch,” Craig told Delta. “End of.”

Strictly's first scoreboard for 2026

Saturday 26 September 2026 20:56 , Lauren Morris

With week one officially over and done with, we have our very first Strictly leaderboard. We have content creator John Nellis at the top with an impressive 31, while Dame Sarah Storey, Shaun-Wright Phillips and Melanie Walters are joint bottom with scores of 15.

John Nellis and Katya Jones - 7 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 31
Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington - 7 + 8 + 7 + 7 = 29
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola - 7 + 6 + 7 + 7 = 27
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu - 6 + 7 + 6 + 7 = 26
Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley - 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 24
Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita - 4 + 6 + 5 + 7 = 22
Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin - 6 + 5 + 5 + 6 = 22
Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu - 5 + 5 + 5 + 6 = 21
Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby - 3 + 6 + 5 + 6 = 20
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał - 4 + 5 + 5 + 6 = 20
Will Best and Dianne Buswell - 4 + 5 + 4 + 5 = 18
Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden - 3 + 4 + 4 + 5 = 16
Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon - 3 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 15
Shaun-Wright Phillips and Alexis Warr - 2 + 4 + 4 + 5 = 15
Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec - 2 + 4 + 4 + 5 = 15

Strictly viewers point out issues with new hosts: 'It's messy and chaotic'

Saturday 26 September 2026 21:16 , Lauren Morris

Strictly delivered two and a half hours of nonstop star power tonight, however it seems that the three hosts are still finding their feet with the new format.

Viewers have complained on social media about Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe speaking over one another, as well as Johannes Radebe reading from the autocue too early.

“This three presenter line up isn't working for me. It's messy and chaotic,” one fan wrote. “Three presenters don’t work. Emma and Josh are talking over each other, Johannes is speaking too early. A bit of a disaster really,” another said.

“My God, this is chaotic. Two presenters on the dance floor is a terrible idea, and Johannes is talking while they're still running up the stairs. Not a flying start..” another wrote.

Hopefully the trio will find their groove as the competition plays out!

New 'Strictly' hosts Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe (PA)

That's all folks!

Saturday 26 September 2026 21:22 , Lauren Morris

We made it to the end of Strictly 2026’s first live show and what an episode it was. Hugely entertaining, unsurprisingly camp and somewhat overwhelming, tonight’s show gave us a real taste of everyone’s dancing abilities with John Nellis being a personal highlight of the night.

While there were undoubtedly a few bumps in the road for our three new hosts tonight, I think fans need to give them more of a chance – with a few tweaks, I reckon they could truly revitalise the show.

Week two here we come!

Judges 'stunned' by unexpected star

Saturday 26 September 2026 22:22 , Lauren Morris

John Nellis proved to be the big surprise of the night, with the judges describing his routine as the “best” of the night.

“You are very, very special, I can tell you that now,” an emotional Shirley said, while Craig called it “classy, elegant and graceful”.

You can read more about his breakout routine here.

John Nellis becomes bookies' favourite to win Strictly 2026

Saturday 26 September 2026 23:22 , Lauren Morris

After tonight’s live show, bookmaker Coral has given John Nellis odds of 9-4, making him the favourite to win Strictly’s 2026 series.

He’s closely followed by Lacey Turner with odds of 7-2, as well as Dani Dyer and Delta Goodrem, who both have odds of 5-1.

John Nellis: From YouTube sensation to 'Strictly' frontrunner

Sunday 27 September 2026 00:22 , Lauren Morris

If tonight’s episode left you wondering “who is John Nellis”, then we’ve got you covered. You can read all about the Strictly favourite – who was an air traffic controller before becoming a content creator – in our piece.

John Nellis (CREDIT LINE:BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Lights, camera action: it's Movie Week next

01:22 , Lauren Morris

Strictly: It Takes Two host Ellie Taylor confirmed during tonight’s episode that the 2026 cast will be tackling Movie Week next week. It marks a first for the show, which usually brings in the theme later on in the competition.

Radebe actually revealed the news to The Independent earlier this month, saying that the week was moved forward so every star had a chance to take part in a themed week.

A recap of Strictly 2026's week one dances

02:22 , Lauren Morris

Strictly Come Dancing’s 2026 stars knocked it out of the park with their dancefloor debuts last night, with most of the line-up showing promise.

If you need a reminder of what we saw during yesterday’s live show, here were the first numbers of the series:

Bethany & Nancy - Quickstep to Stop This Flame by Celeste
Dani & Nikita - Samba to Lush Life by Zara Larsson
Delta & Kai - Samba to Baianá by Barbatuques
Jaime & Carlos - Tango to I Feel Love by Donna Summer
Lacey & Vito - Cha Cha to How Will I Know by Whitney Houston
Melanie & Aljaž - Cha Cha to Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee
Dame Sarah & Julian - Quickstep to C’est Magnifique by Kay Starr
Tabby & Mark - Jive to Animal by KATSEYE
Cach & Maddie - Quickstep to I Just Might by Bruno Mars
Chris & Amy - Tango to No Roots by Alice Merton
Graeme & Lauren - Cha Cha to Hound Dog (Smokey Joe's Café version)
John & Katya - Foxtrot to Ordinary by Alex Warren
Lawrence & Jowita - Paso Doble to Aperture by Harry Styles
Shaun & Alexis - Cha Cha to Lil Boo Thang by Paul Russell
Will & Dianne - Samba to Rock DJ by Robbie Williams

Will anyone be eliminated this weekend?

03:22 , Lauren Morris

Good news for the Strictly class of 2026 – no one is going home this week. As is tradition for week one of the competition, there is no public vote or elimination after last night’s show.

Instead, the judges’ scores from this week will be carried over to week two and combined with the results of the first public vote.

Judges tell Cach Mercer 'you need to learn the rules' after first dance

04:22 , Lauren Morris

While Love Island’s Cach Mercer was tipped to be a contender thanks to his dance experience, it may have worked against him during last night’s show.

After showing off some of his moves during his quickstep, the judges told him that there was “too much freestyle” in the routine for them.

“The whole point of this is that you’re learning a new genre of dance. So I’m finding it really difficult to actually judge that,” Craig Revel Horwood told him.

Motsi Mabuse added: “He’s right, you need to learn the rules, you need to learn the ballroom rules so that you can break them. You need to break the rules sometimes, so get it right.”

Shirley Ballas said that she agreed with Craig, resulting in boos from the audience. “Hold on, one second please,” she told them. “I’m afraid I have to go with Craig in this instance but are you gifted? Absolutely!”

Josh Widdicombe was 'terrified' ahead of first live show

05:22 , Lauren Morris

Before filming his first-ever live show, new host Josh Widdicombe revealed that he was “terrified”.

“I think it’s going to be really, really fun,” he said beforehand. “It’s going to feel utterly surreal, just as terrifying as the first one. Will it ever stop being terrifying? I hope not, because hosting something like this should be the best kind of terrifying.”

Everything you can watch after Strictly's first live show

06:22 , Lauren Morris

Can’t get enough of Strictly after last night? Not to worry – there’s plenty to dig your teeth into this week.

Strictly: It Takes Two’s new iteration kicks off on Monday at 6:30pm on BBC Two, with Ellie Taylor hosting the new format. Meanwhile, the BBC show is getting another spin-off fronted by comedian Abi Clarke and Strictly alum Tyler West with Strictly: Lights Up, which will be available on BBC iPlayer after each Sunday’s results show.

Ellie Taylor will present 'Strictly' spin-off show 'It Takes Two' (PA)

Melanie Walters delights Gavin & Stacey fans with 'fishing trip' story

07:22 , Lauren Morris

Melanie Walters made one final reference to Gavin & Stacey’s infamous “fishing trip” gag during her Strictly VT last night, when a producer asked her off screen: “So Gwen, what happened on the fishing trip?”

The actor, 64, played Stacey’s mum Gwen on the BBC sitcom, which featured a long-running gag about a mysterious fishing trip which Uncle Bryn, played by Rob Brydon, and his nephew Jason West, played by Robert Wilfort, went on before the events of the show.

“OK, so it was a really very, very dark night,” Melanie said, while acting out a series of hand gestures. You can read more about it here.

Strictly 2026's leaderboard so far: what happened last night?

08:22 , Lauren Morris

Strictly Come Dancing’s cast of 2026 performed live for the first time this series last night, showing off their progress after just a few weeks of rehearsals – and they weren’t half bad!

Content creator John Nellis proved to be dark horse, topping the leaderboard with his foxtrot, which judges declared to be “the best dance” of the night.

If you missed yesterday’s live show, here’s where the scoreboard stands ahead of next weekend’s public vote:

John Nellis and Katya Jones - 7 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 31
Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington - 7 + 8 + 7 + 7 = 29
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola - 7 + 6 + 7 + 7 = 27
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu - 6 + 7 + 6 + 7 = 26
Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley - 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 24
Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita - 4 + 6 + 5 + 7 = 22
Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin - 6 + 5 + 5 + 6 = 22
Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu - 5 + 5 + 5 + 6 = 21
Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby - 3 + 6 + 5 + 6 = 20
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał - 4 + 5 + 5 + 6 = 20
Will Best and Dianne Buswell - 4 + 5 + 4 + 5 = 18
Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden - 3 + 4 + 4 + 5 = 16
Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon - 3 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 15
Shaun-Wright Phillips and Alexis Warr - 2 + 4 + 4 + 5 = 15
Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec - 2 + 4 + 4 + 5 = 15

08:37 , Annabel Nugent

Phew, that was quite the episode last night!

ICYMI check out our review of the first live show... which was not without its issues.

Strictly Come Dancing review: Josh Widdicombe is a problem the show needs to solve

09:00 , Annabel Nugent

John Nellis emerged as the surprise winner of the night, impressing the judges with his elegant foxtrot alongside pro Katya Jones.

In case you missed it – or just want to relive the moment – watch below what the judges called “the best dance” of the night.

09:42 , Annabel Nugent

All eyes may have been on the dance floor, but our ears certainly pricked up when Melanie Walters offered her own answer to Gavin and Stacey’s long-standing fishing trip mystery.

The question of what happened during a fishing trip between Uncle Bryn, played by Rob Brydon, and his nephew Jason West, played by Robert Wilfort, was a long-running joke on Gavin and Stacey, and subject of speculation among fans.

In her first VT, the Swansea native shed some light on what actually occurred. Responding on Strictly, Walters jokingly explained: “OK, so it was a really very, very dark night,” while acting out a series of hand gestures. “And that was that,” she said.

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