Amy Dowden has revealed how her first Strictly Come Dancing routine with Chris Appleton could have gone wrong as they suffered a mishap in rehearsals before the show went live to the nation.
The couple were among the show's 15 new pairings to take to the ballroom floor on Saturday night (September 26) as the 2026 run of the BBC One dance contest officially got underway.
Opening night details
The first live episode of Strictly this year opened with a dazzling routine by the Strictly professionals to an orchestral version of Joy by Raye, with new presenting trio Josh, Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe joined the dance at the end of the routine before introducing the couples to the ballroom floor.
It was then time for the competition to get underway, with the new line-up of 15 celebrities and their professional dance partners taking to the dance floor to perform their debut routine in front of the judges.
The tango and the fall
Among them were celebrity hairstylist Chris and his pro partner Amy. They performed a tango to No Roots by Alice Merton and received 16 points from the judges - Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke - leaving them near the bottom of the first leaderboard.
The first show did not include a public vote or elimination, with the first exit set to take place this weekend, following movie week, which is the first time the themed week has ever appeared this early in a series.
But as they headed back into rehearsals for their next performance, Amy revealed how things could have gone wrong for her and Chris, after he suffered a fall while executing one move during their routine in rehearsals, before it went as planned on the night.
Fan support and Amy's tribute
"Rehearsal vs show day! #strictly #teamappleden #fall #tango," Amy captioned the video comparison, to which Chris replied: "Babe, what a week 1 [heart emojis]."
Fans were quick to show their support. @peony_583 said: "Smashed it. Proud of you." @sydness99 commented: "Love you & @chrisappleton1 so much!!! Both of you did incredible!!! So excited to see all of the amazing things you & Chris will do on your @bbcstrictly journey @amy_dowden." @courtneeybain added: "Least it went well in the actual performance!! so proud."
Amy said after her and Chris' first live performance: "Chris, I’m SO proud of you. I know just how vulnerable you felt stepping out there last night. I know how much you wanted to make your children and me proud and you did exactly that. More than you know."
"Trust yourself. Believe in yourself as much as we believe in you, because you truly are amazing. What a strong start, and I couldn’t be more proud of the man I watched take that dance floor. Seeing you put yourself out there, embrace the nerves and just go for it made my heart burst. This is only the beginning… and I genuinely can’t wait to see what’s to come. You did amazing, Chris. Never forget that. #Strictly #teamappleden #Proud #SoProud."
