Delta Goodrem topped the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard with a score of 33 on Saturday, but a body language expert has suggested her off-floor confidence could affect her chances of winning the Glitterball Trophy this year.
The singer delivered a Salsa alongside her partner, Kai Widdrington, which secured the series' first nine from judge Motsi Mabuse. Following the celebrations, Delta announced she would be unable to take part next weekend owing to an injury.
Expert notes 'overwhelmed' demeanour
Body language expert Sean Johns spoke about how her assurance away from the dance floor differs markedly from when she is performing, noting that she seems "overwhelmed". He explained to Wales Online: "Delta topped the board with 33 on Saturday and was called safe early on Sunday. Her dancing is a frontrunner's. Her body between the dances is not."
Expanding on the singer's demeanour following her routine, he continued: "Watch her hands. From the moment she came off the floor, through the judges' comments and again when the scores came up, they kept going back to her chest, clasped together or pressed flat under her collarbone. That is self-soothing: when we are flooded, touching the chest slows the breath and settles the body."
Praise and family moments
He added: "When Shirley said 'I think you're going to go all the way', her head dropped and the hands clasped again. A head drop at praise is gratitude being held in, not a winner's pose. On Sunday, when her family in Australia came up on screen, both hands went over her mouth and she wiped her eyes. Covering the mouth is how we stop an emotion escaping in front of a room."
He continued to describe how her partnership with Kai reveals the same narrative. "When Kai told Johannes the 'circle of trust' has 'one foot in', Delta stood beside him with her fingers interlaced in front of her while he had a hand on his hip. Interlaced fingers are a way of holding ourselves; a hand on the hip is a settled, open stance."
Advice and fan support
"He is settled. She is still holding on to herself rather than to him. That is normal at week three, but it is what decides whether the lifts get bigger or safer. My advice to Delta: let the hands rest on him, not on her own chest."
Delta remains a strong favourite to claim the Glitterball this year, though she isn't becoming complacent about her achievements. Posting to Instagram, she told her followers: "Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us and continues to support us. It gives us all the energy to come out and dance for you every Saturday. We're so grateful."
Judge Motsi remarked about her Saturday night routine: "She brought the D.I.S.C.O. Delta, I absolutely loved that. What people don't get is that you are very tall. If I was to stand next to you, I'd be by your knees or something. But honestly, with this speed, with this rhythm, with this class, with everything you bring on the dancefloor, it looks so easy."
Her single piece of guidance, which was reinforced by some of her fellow panellists, was to maintain her arms slightly lower while turning. "You are fighting, like wrestling, you don't need to do any of that," she explained. "But you have been giving from week one, week two, week three, for me, this was the highlight, you did an amazing job."
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on Saturday at 6.15pm.
