Saturday Service: Week 2

This week's show took a little while to boil. It was a little flat to begin with, but we got there by the end.

Bobby & Dianne's Charleston was fine, if a little uninspiring. High energy, perhaps a little untidy. I didn't enjoy it as much as the foxtrot, but it was good enough to get through to next week.

When Annabel knew the steps, she looked elegant and in control. In the parts where she was less confident it showed all over her face and went to pieces. At times, she was fighting with Johannes. She also needs to point her toes on the kicks. Their quickstep covered the floor well. She has lots of potential.

I didn't really like anything about Jody & Jowita's paso. It was all a bit wooden. Scarecrow arms, lazy free arm during the cape work, stompy. It lacked flow, the movements didn't seamlessly blend. He's trying hard, but it just wasn't there.

A gorgeous foxtrot from Ellie & Vito. Cute story and even better dancing. The footwork was very good, nice toe releases, decent heel turns, nice top line. Quite a bit out of hold, though. This is not American smooth. 

I loved Nigel & Katya's Viennese waltz. He's a great actor, and the storytelling was amazing. I was so wrapped up in the story, that I didn't see the technical flaws that Shirley did. His left arms was leading just a little, but otherwise I loved it. He was leading, he looked in control throughout.

I liked Nikta's sass and attitude. But her Charleston with Gorka lacked any swivel at all. I don't think I've ever seen a Charleston on Strictly with less of it. It was stompy and heavy. I really like Nikita, and I would like her to stay and have the chance to get better.

I feared for Les & Nancy doing the samba, but it wasn't as bad as I feared it might be. The action wasn't right, but it still had a bounciness. It was better in hold than out of hold. The salutes were a little twee. There weren't too many samba steps present after the first 30 seconds. But in a series with probably a greater number of celebrities who are less well-known, Les might be around for a fair few weeks yet.

Adam & Luba's tango was just OK. He broke character when something went a bit wrong in the middle, which was unsettling for me. It was a little soft and lacked drive. There were points where he seemed to be doing too many steps, which made it look panicky. I think Adam will get lost in the middle of the field.

I'm glad Giovanni liked Amanda's salsa so much, because I wasn't so keen. It was a bit aggressive in places. Something about her arms looked a bit odd. The last lift was very clunky. It was good, but not a patch on last week.

Out of hold, Krishnan is a delight. He brings a smile to my face. As soon as he took hold of Lauren, it all went a bit south. He spent the whole time looking at the direction of travel, rather than keeping his head back. He needs to raise his eyeline. And he needs to work on that frame. But I still love watching him. They need to put the foxtrot behind them, and move on to the next dance. 

Eddie & Karen's cha cha was high energy and high performance, but it was also read more like a salsa. His cha cha technique wasn't there. It was flat-footed and pigeon-toed. It was a crowd pleaser more than a judge pleaser. I definitely want to see more of Eddie. And we need to take a moment to appreciate Karen's J-Lo look.

I thought that Zara & Graziano really improved this week. Zara's head was sinking into her shoulders early on, but her posture got a little better as the dance went on. If she can improve her posture and get some core strength, she could really improve. I fear that she might not get the chance.

The jive seemed to be a bit too quick for Angela in places. She seemed to be struggling to keep up with it. I think Carlos might have packed it too much. Angela must have done Irish dancing in the past, because her leg positions definitely had that look and the whole dance had that Irish bounce.

Angela & Kai looked as though they have been dancing the foxtrot together for years. It was classy and elegant. Lovely leg extensions, decent footwork. Simple and beautiful.

Layton & Nikita's quickstep was pure Hollywood. Light and bright, covered the floor beautifully, high energy and anything but basic. Fierce.

No-one is really that bad. Les is clearly the weakest dancer, but his fame will probably keep in him for a few weeks. I think we could be saying goodbye to Zara, Nikita and Adam could all be in trouble.

Tuesday Chatter: Week 1

The new Strictly series began in earnest on Saturday. A bit inconsiderate of the BBC to start the series on a Saturday that I was away! I had to catch up today.

I was really impressed with the standard across the board. It was a good week for everyone, and a fantastic week for some.

Adam & Luba had the tough gig of kicking off the series with a cha cha. I really liked the opening section with the handkerchiefs. He has such a cheeky smile that you forgive some of his shortcomings on the dance front. His dacncing was actually better than I thought it might be. His timing was OK. His footwork could have been better, but for Week 1, it was a good effort.

Angela & Carlos' tango was another solid start. She needs to watch her arms, which lacked proper placement and went a bit 'Stacey Dooley' in places. But it had decent intent and good timing. I can't wait to see her tackle a dance with a bit more of a fun vibe.

I loved Eddie & Karen. The quickstep is a tricky dance for Week 1, and most of the elements were there. Great storytelling, great performance and great timing. The only thing which let him down was his posture. He was leaning into Karen and sticking his bottom out. Everything out of hold was a winner.

Angela is a national treasure, and she showed exactly why she has been so closely associated with ballroom dancing for so long. It was a confident performance. Kai is the master of presenting his partner and showing them off, and he got the best out of Angela. That leg! And i

I'd like to borrow that robe, please! She just needs to make sure she keeps her eyeline up.

Nikita & Gorka's waltz was very sweet, but a little tentative. Very romantic, but in a field of 15 couples, it got a bit lost in the middle. She's such a lovely girl, I really hope she gets to show us more. It's never good news when Shirley leads with how nice you look...

I thought the judges were quite hard on Layton & Nikita. I thought their samba was great. It had energy and attack. Everything was nicely finished. Just just missed the last beat of the music to nail the finish. He's a born performer. I'm looking forward to seeing his range, especially when he comes to the ballroom dances.

Zara & Graziano were another couple that got lost in the mix for me. Her timing was iffy in places. He looked how a novice should look, though. We're so spoilt on Strictly these days that there isn't time for a couple like these two to grow. Next week's dance needs to be better than this cha cha.

Les looked better in hold for me than out of it. His tango with Nancy lacked drive and his posture needs more work, but his timing was good. He needs to open his shoulders, and that would improve things immensely.

Ellie stood out to me in the launch show because of her gorgeous smile and high energy. The performance was 100% there in her and Vito's jive, but the technique needs more attention. She was a bit stompy in places, most apparent in the drunken sailors. As her stamina improves, she is going to be one to watch.

Jody & Jowita's quickstep was mostly good, although they were a bit out of sync in some of the running steps in hold. They need to go up and down at the same time, but they seemed not to be, and it made it a bit awkward to watch. Room to improve.

The thing I liked most about Bobby is that he kept upright in hold, despite a bit of a height difference between himself and Dianne. Bobby was the first celebrity male that I felt was actually leading his partner. His timing was spot on, and the storytelling was cute. I loved their foxtrot and I can't wait to see more.

Annabel & Johannes' cha cha was a good solid start. Annabel has a natural elegance, and that comes through on the dancefloor. I think she might struggle with some of the more 'earthy' dances, but this was a good start.

I can't tell you how much I wanted Amanda to be terrible. I really don't want her in the competition. Unfortunately, she was very good. And being paired with Giovanni, one of the most creative choreographers, won't do her any harm either. Their Viennese waltz had an intensity which only Giovanni can pull off. The storytelling was impeccable, her lines were wonderful. She looks as though she's been dancing for a long time.

Krishnan's 'La' training t-shirt brought me joy before he even danced a step. He and Lauren are such a watchable partnership and I hope we get to see it for a long time. Krishnan's new found love of dancing is exactly what I want to see on Strictly, and is endearing to watch. I loved their goofy cha cha. This is exactly why they always put journalists on Children In Need. They all have this peacockery in them, they just need to let it out.

Nigel & Katya's paso was phenomenal. Strictly is back, baby! His drive was fabulous, his armlines were a thing of beauty, it was masculine and strong and hot. And the cape work at the end was the cherry on top. Undermarked, because they can't hand out 9s in Week 1, but if Nigel makes the final we will definitely see that dance again.

A very solid start, a very high standard, and anyone mid-to-low on the leaderboard will need to turn it out next week to save themselves. If there was a vote this week, I could see Nikita, Zara, Adam and Jody all looking a bit precarious.