Lacey Turner could be heading for a "downfall" on Strictly Come Dancing, according to a body language expert who spotted "clear signals of panic" in her performance. The EastEnders star, who plays Stacey Slater on the BBC soap, opened last week's live show with a Samba to "Bamboléo" by the Gipsy Kings, earning 26 points and finishing seventh on the leaderboard.
Expert warns of 'dire' chemistry
Body language expert Judi James said Lacey has dance potential and is a hit with the audience, but she must work as a team with pro dancer Vito Coppola. Judi said: "The body language 'chemistry' between her and Vito on Saturday night looked worrying to the point of dire. Lacey clearly lacks inner confidence, and her self-esteem as a dancer requires massive amounts of shoring up and underpinning."
She added: "She dances beautifully, but there are clear signals of moments of anxiety and hesitation or even panic as she allows an arm or her smile to drop mid-routine, suggesting that, instead of being lost in the moment, her brain suddenly 'future panics', worrying what comes next."
Judges impressed despite nerves
Although Lacey and Vito looked nervous about opening the show, the judges were left impressed by the couple's Samba. Judge Motsi Mabuse urged Lacey to feel more confident in herself, while Shirley Ballas added that the routine was "spectacular".
Supporting Lacey, Vito told her: "I challenge you, but I will always make sure you achieve the goal. I wish you could see yourself from the outside and see how amazing you are doing."
Potential winner must build 'team empathy'
Judi noted that Lacey's facial expressions after her dance showed "many denial gestures" and she started to look down and stand in self-protective poses like the 'fig leaf' or even trying to fold her arms at one point. The expert added: "Lacey is a potential winner of this show as her blend of personality and techniques should power her through to the end. But they can only do it together and they need to work up some form of 'team' empathy rather than 'big character' Vito and 'nervous looking' Lacey."
On Saturday evening (October 13), the remaining 13 celebrities and their professional partners will hope to dazzle on the dancefloor after Melanie Walters became the second contestant to be eliminated alongside Aljaž Škorjanec. The latest live show will see the couples transform for Icons Week, as Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe return to presenting duties.
