Strictly Come Dancing: week one – live

As this year’s 15 pro-celebrity couples hit the floor for the first time, who will be the stars of the new-look ballroom contest? And who will make the judges wish they were still on their summer holiday?

The big talking point last Saturday, of course, was Strictly’s all-new presenting line-up. With the Tess ’n’ Claud double act replaced by the trio of **Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe **and Josh Widdicombe, was it a case of three’s a crowd?

Being prerecorded, the curtain-raiser was effectively a soft launch. Safe pair-of-hands Willis was a class act and Radebe proved a benevolent, poised presence but Widdicombe bore the brunt of the backlash. At times he looked terrified, while his loud guffaws too close to the microphone annoyed some viewers. This is surely fixable. Indeed, I’m surprised it wasn’t faded down in the edit.

Continue reading...