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.