Saturday Service: Week 1 [Better Late Than...]

I'm a little late, but I'm back to review the first week of Strictly Come Dancing, just in time to get in the mood for tonight's show.

Nick & Luba had the honour of kicking off the whole series with their jive. I thought Nick did quite well. It was very 'placed' in the way someone who is not a natural dancer has to be - arm goes here, foot goes here - but it was an enjoyable routine, and a good start.

Foxtrot is a tough ask on Week 1, but Sam & Nikita made it look as if they had been dancing for weeks. Sam released her toes and looked really elegant. However, her timing was off on the parts out of hold, and I fear she might look a bit gangly when it comes to the Latin dances.

I really enjoyed Shayne & Nancy's samba. All hail the disco samba! Shayne looked in control, and was certainly leading on the spins. It was relaxed and comfortable. He has lots of potential, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

I don't know what happened in Toyah & Neil's tango. It started off quite well, and then went to pot. Something went wrong in the middle of the dance, and she never quite recovered. She was frequently on the wrong foot and out of time. Neil seemed to be dragging her around like a ragdoll. Hopefully this week will be better, or she could be on the chopping block.

Tasha & Aljaž's cha cha was really good. Tasha was so confident, and paired with the big summer banger in Espresso, the routine was magic. Lovely leg action, if a little light in places. And it's good to have Aljaž's energy back in the room.

JB & Amy's waltz was very sweet. Waltz is such a hard dance to sell, and they did a good job. JB could have had a little more drive, and a little more sway, but a good job for Week 1. It was a showcase for beautiful Amy's return, but I can't wait to see what happens when they have a dance with more drama.

Pete is clearly not a dancer, but it was clear he was trying hard, and Jowita did well to get him to the standard he was. He had some lovely paso lines at times. It just want a bit Pete Tong when he needed to move his feet. His timing is not there.

Sarah looked as though she has been dancing her whole life. Her quickstep with Vito was effortless. Fast, light, bright, they covered the floor well, and a lovely grand jeté towards the end. If she keeps this up, we'll see her in December.

I think the only thing wrong with Tom & Nadiya's tango was his posture. He was lent forward. It was odd because he didn't seem to be doing it to come down to her height, which some male celebs do. Otherwise, everything else was good. Good footwork, good timing.

Poonam looked as though she was living her best mummy life - glammed up on a Saturday night, dancing with a hot man. She looked as though she was having the time of her life, and it was enjoyable to watch. She's got potential. Her cha cha legs were a bit bendy, but I'm sure Gorka can work on that.

I really don't want to talk about Paul & Karen's alleged American smooth. Poor Karen. What did they expect her to do? His timing was OK. That's the review.

I thought the judges were a bit tough on Jamie & Michelle. Their Viennese waltz was solid, and for a Week 1 routine, it was a good effort. His timing was good. It lacked a bit of drive, it was a bit small, but not bad for a first routine.

I think we were all quite surprised at just how entertaining Chris & Dianne's cha cha was. His timing was good, and he really went for it. It was fun and I can't wait to see more. Of course the technique wasn't quite there, but there is time for that.

Montell & Johannes were everything I wanted them to be. Their foxtrot was perhaps a little too American smooth for my taste, there was lots of of hold. But they were beautiful together. She is a beautiful dancer, and she is going to go far.

I'm not really sure why they saved Wynne & Katya until the end. He is clearly very musical, but he's a bit of a dad dancer. Their samba was nice, but I don't need to see it again. A personality dance like this was fine for Wynne, but I'm not sure how he'll get on with something more serious.

So there we have it. Numb bums have finally woken up after a week, and they'll be back asleep in a few short hours.

I think Toyah, Paul and Pete were the right bottom three. They are going to have to work some to not be in the dance off.