Strictly's Nick Knowles impresses but the night belonged to Chris McCausland

Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk, during their appearance on the live show on Saturday for BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing
-Credit: (Image: Guy Levy/BBC/PA)


After two weeks of training, the Strictly Stars took to the floor on Saturday night to show the nation what they could do - and what a performance! The good news is there were no complete disasters. Everyone made it through their dance, which is a huge success considering opening night nerves.

Looking at the dances ahead of show, I felt nervous for those who had harder dances like the Samba, Viennese Waltz and Jive. Whilst all the Ballroom and Latin dances are difficult in their own unique way, these three dances are less forgiving due to complex techniques and the speed of the music.

That’s why I was particularly impressed with Nick. Going first is no mean feat, but he performed with such confidence. His Jive was much better than I expected, with lots of energy and excellent timing. Some pointed toes would have made it cleaner, but all in all, not a bad start.

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Similarly, the two Sambas of the evening, from Shayne and Wynne, were really strong for a week one performance. Both dancers had fantastic hip rolling movements, the sign of a nice Samba action developing. I thought Jamie executed his Viennese Waltz well, but as the judges said, the footwork just wasn’t there. The middle of the leaderboard was the right place for him and Michelle on the night.

We saw two very different Tangos during the show. Unfortunately, Toyah and Neil’s dance fell short, with lots of mistakes and erratic head movements. Hopefully Toyah can come back stronger next week, or she may be looking at an early exit. Tom and Nadiya performed a much better example of a Tango, with Tom showing a great understanding of the footwork. I was particularly impressed to see him using the inside edge of his toe. It’s those little details that will become even more important as the competition goes on.

JB and Amy’s classic Waltz rightfully earned them the top spot on the leaderboard. JB’s rise and fall was truly excellent. Tasha also deserved the high scores with her sassy and snappy Cha Cha Cha. It would have been even better if she pushed through her feet to allow her legs to fully straighten. Sarah and Vito’s Quickstep was a delightful surprise! Sarah was light on her feet and had a strong frame throughout, she’s definitely one to watch.

As much as I’d love to delve into all the dances, there was one performance that stood out to me. Chris and Dianne, wow! The fact that Chris learnt the whole routine by feeling Dianne dance the steps is truly incredible. Yes, the technique wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty good for a week one dance. And to top it off the performance was captivating. I can’t wait to see Chris dance next week.