Australian singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem left Strictly Come Dancing viewers and judges stunned with her Samba performance on the first live show of the season, scoring an impressive 29 points and finishing second on the leaderboard.
Performing with her professional partner Kai Widdrington, the 41-year-old was the last to take to the floor, waiting over two hours before delivering a routine that earned a standing ovation from judges Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas.
Judges' Reaction
Motsi Mabuse said of the performance: "I just got, for the first time this season, really, this is not a lie, I got goosebumps. You turned around and I'm like, 'This is a queen'."
Shirley Ballas added: "Energy, personality, great Samba, great content. My goodness, wow, what a way to close the show."
No Prior Dance Experience
Despite her stage career, Delta admitted she has no formal background in ballroom or Latin dance, though she took childhood dance lessons before focusing on music.
In a BBC interview with new Strictly host Emma Willis, she explained: "I love dancing, but I don’t get to dance. It’s never been my role. My music doesn’t sit in the space where I do a lot of choreography. I don’t do a lot of dancing, and I don’t think people associate me with dance."
She added: "I’ve never done ballroom. I didn’t even know there was a difference between Latin and ballroom until yesterday."
Past Criticism and Fan Reactions
In 2014, Delta faced public criticism when American actor Marlon Wayans posted a viral video mocking her dancing at a Beyoncé and Jay-Z concert. Speaking on The Life of Bryony podcast in 2025, she said the video initially was hard to cope with but later changed her life for the better.
She shared: "There’s always been that little bit in me that was a little bit shy to dance. That freedom that moment gave me, it’s like if someone keeps pressing on a certain point where they’re like, ‘You can’t dance.’ And you’re like, ‘You know what? Awesome.’"
Fans took to X to defend the singer, with one commenting: "Delta has obviously danced before, once again @bbcstrictly it’s not fair." Another wrote: "Just did some research and apparently Delta has no dance training so that was even more impressive whewwww."
A third fan said: "I’m not gonna lie when I first heard Delta was on the show I didn’t really think she’d be good, but f*** me she slayed that Samba and woke up all of the ancestors while doing it!!"
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on Saturday at 6.15pm.
