Ola Jordan: Shaun Wright-Phillips is Strictly's weakest link
Ola Jordan: Shaun Wright-Phillips is Strictly's weakest link

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Ola Jordan has named Shaun Wright-Phillips as this year's weakest link after the first live show of the 2026 series.

The show aired its opening live instalment on Saturday night, with John Nellis and Katya Jones topping the leaderboard with 31 points.

At the other end, Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr, and Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec all finished bottom with 15 points.

Jordan's verdict on the leaderboard

Speaking via Mecca Bingo, Jordan, 43, who appeared on Strictly from 2006 to 2015, said: "I think it's too early to read into anything, to be honest."

She added: "Shaun is the weakest for me. I would put him lower than the others. I would put Shaun lower than the other two girls, if I'm honest. Shaun is probably the weakest link in the competition right now. But I wouldn't look into it just yet."

Sympathy for the professionals

Discussing the former footballer, 44, receiving just a two from judge Craig Revel Horwood, Jordan said: "It is hard because you put everything into it."

She continued: "As a professional, you want to make the routine good. You want them to do the best they possibly can. But sometimes, if they can't dance, you don't know how many hours they could put in that week. Maybe you were limited with the way you were training them, hours wise."

Jordan added: "There's a lot of things that could go into it, but it is quite hard on a professional because every professional in that show wants to do well and every professional in that show wants to win. Especially if you get someone who is not as good, you're like, 'Oh'. And Alexis, Alexis is so good."

Concern for Alexis Warr

She went on: "She was so amazing last year. And I'm a little bit gutted that she got someone that can't really dance and there won't be much help there. And doesn't matter how amazing she is, it's going to be hard for her to go a long way."

Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.