Strictly Come Dancing made its live return on Saturday night as the BBC sought to move on from a series of controversies that have overshadowed the show. Last year's winner Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola lifted the Glitterball before an internal investigation was launched into the treatment of contestants. Allegations were made by Amanda Abbington against Giovanni Pernice, which he has denied, while Graziano Di Prima was removed from the show after rehearsal footage caused concern.
The 20th anniversary series features 15 celebrities, including soap stars, an Olympic athlete, and a Gladiator. Professional dancer Amy Dowden also made an emotional return after being forced to withdraw last year due to breast cancer. She said before the show: 'I literally can't keep still. I have to keep moving, I can't sit down. I'm like a bottle of pop waiting to burst with nerves and energy.'
During the first live episode, judge Shirley Ballas surprised Motsi Mabuse with a kiss on the mouth while demonstrating a tango move, sparking social media reactions. Comedian Chris McCausland, the show's first blind contestant, impressed with a cha cha to The Beatles' 'Twist and Shout', leaving head judge Shirley Ballas 'quite shocked' and 'very emotional'. Anton Du Beke called it 'one of the most extraordinary things I've ever seen'.
Gladiator star Montell Douglas, paired with Johannes Radebe, joked about marrying her dance partner as they performed a foxtrot. The leaderboard was topped by JB Gill, with Tasha Ghouri also scoring highly. No elimination will take place in the first week, with the first departure scheduled for week two.
