Week 1: Friday Thoughts

Guess who's back, back again. Strictly's back. Tell a friend! And I'm also back to let you know what I thought about everything.

So, a varied show with quite a few surprises - good and bad. Including Claudia's hair, make up and bright pink dress. I did not expect that!

Caroline & Pasha had the tough job of going out first, and they totally nailed their cha cha. From the moment the music started, I had a good feeling. It was really impressive. It was packed with choreography, and apart from one small mistake, Caroline breezed though all of it. For week 1, it was fantastic, and should have been top of the leaderboard in my opinion.

Tim & Natalie were the night's first dancefloor surprise. Tim really gave it a decent effort. I loved how much he went for it. Their cha cha wasn't great, but it was fun to watch. It was a bit wild and uncontrolled, but a decent first try. Well done, Tim!

The next surprise was Jake. He and Janette had the tango, a really difficult dance to do first, but he did a really amazing job. I guess being an actor helps, because Jake was totally in character. His frame was fantastic and he maintained it throughout. His footwork was a bit iffy, and his legs were too bent in places, but overall it was a pleasant surprise. Even the way he used his head was brilliant.

Judy & Anton were also surprising, but sadly for all the wrong reasons. Her timing was terrible. She littered the waltz routine with stutter-steps which were not choreographed. It was very ploddy. Judy was lucky that she had Anton to pull her through the dance. Judy looked so lovely, and is so elegant when she's standing still, I really expected more. So disappointing.

I so wanted Scott & Joanne to be good, but it wasn't to be. Scott's cha cha was very stompy. Scott looked better when out of hold doing more 'freestyle' moves, but it was still pretty bad, and worse in hold. In his defense, he does have a sense of timing and that is the one thing no teacher can teach. All of his routine was in time, but it had no sense of flow. His arms and hands were not pretty. 

The last couple tonight were Pixie & Trent. It was no surprise that Pixie was great. Her jive had great style. There was a small mistake in the routine, but it was mostly spot on. She had lovely picked-up kicks, which you don't often see celebrities achieving. Unfortunately, I think the public are against Pixie, and it's going to be hard to win them over. She is heading to be this year's Denise van Outen.

So, what will tomorrow bring when the remaining couples take to the floor?

Here are the videos...

Caroline & Pasha



Tim & Natalie



Jake & Janette



Judy & Anton



Scott & Joanne



Pixie & Trent