Strictly Come Dancing returned for its first live show on Saturday, September 26, with celebrities taking to the stage alongside their professional partners. Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe made their debut as a trio for the first live show, and the reaction was mixed.
Delta Goodrem, Lacey Turner and John Nellis topped the leaderboard with their respective partners. John impressed the judges with a show-stopping Foxtrot with Katya Jones, securing 31 points in his first week.
Audience notes tense atmosphere
Mirror TV Editor Nicola Methven was in the audience and observed that the atmosphere in the room seemed tense. She wrote: "As I sat in the studio watching the action unfold, I realised the only time I could properly relax was when seasoned TV presenter Emma Willis was speaking.
"When it was comedian Josh Widdicombe or former pro dancer Johannes Radebe, it seemed as though we were collectively holding our breath. At one point the warm-up guy rushed over to tell us all to clap and cheer more, because we weren’t making enough noise! It’s like the palpable nerves had got to us as an audience too."
Pressure on the presenting trio
She added: "This will undoubtedly improve as the trio find their footing over the forthcoming weeks, yet the fundamental question remains - why are there three of them?
"The producers have made the task considerably more difficult, as one presenter will inevitably appear surplus to requirements."
Turning point in the studio
Nicola added that the arrival of Lacey Turner on stage with Vito Coppola also marked a change in tension, writing: "Thankfully, the standard of dancing was really impressive for week one. The turning point in the studio definitely came with Lacey Turner's sensational cha-cha-cha which got the first standing ovation of the night.
"It seemed to ease the tension and push everything up a notch or two, paving the way for the higher scoring second half. Even the presenters seemed to relax a bit."
