Strictly Come Dancing fans have rushed to support Delta Goodrem after she returned to the ballroom following a rib injury, scoring the first 10 of the series with her Rumba.
The singer and her partner Kai Widdrington made it through to Halloween Week after her high-scoring performance. Body language expert Sean Johns told Wales Online publisher Reach that Delta's hidden signals reveal her true feelings about her first week back.
Emotional Return to the Dancefloor
Sean Johns noted that Delta's hug with Kai after the dance was not a typical celebration. He said: "Watch the first two seconds after the music stops. Delta doesn't turn to the judges or the crowd; she goes straight into Kai, her face buried in his shoulder, both arms wrapped round his back, and the hug holds well past the point where a stage hug would break."
He added: "That is not a celebration hug; a celebration hug is upright and looks outwards. Hiding the face in a partner is what the body does when it has been holding something for a week and can finally put it down."
Signs of Caution and Support
Sean observed that Delta's confidence is yet to fully return, saying: "When they part, her hand goes up to her cheek before she looks anywhere else, the gesture we use to catch a tear we haven't decided to show. Only then does she find the crowd."
He compared this with her composed walk-on, noting: "The composure got her through the dance; the hug is what it cost. Off the floor, the same two gestures come back. Her arm stays hooked around Kai's neck the whole walk, which is a body that doesn't want to let go of its support yet."
Judge Praise and Fan Reactions
Judge Anton Du Beke praised her performance, saying: "I'm a bit old-fashioned with the Rumba because I like it to be romantic, I don't want it to be sexy. I don't want all the unpleasantness; I want love. And I have to tell you, this is my favourite dance of the series, by a million miles."
Fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts. One said: "Delta was given the Rumba, because it's slow & gentle, with her injury in mind. But she knocked it out of the park, I enjoyed it & I love that Celine Dion song. She definitely deserved that 10 from Anton." Another added: "What injury? That rumba by Delta Goodrem was fantastic!"
However, some viewers felt she was overmarked. One viewer shared: "Overmarked by Anton, especially. There are 3 Judges who give marks that folks can reasonably understand then Anton who tonight handed out sympathy votes to Shaun & Delta. Time for a change." Another agreed: "Delta hugely overmarked."
Sean warned that Delta cannot continue to play it "carefully" if she wishes to go all the way, adding: "The danger is that the body doing the dance was a careful one, and careful reads as careful. Kai chose the rumba to rest the rib, Anton gave it a ten and Craig a seven, and that gap is where she is: between the emotion she showed and the risk she couldn't take."
Looking Ahead to Halloween Week
For Halloween Week, Delta and Kai will dance a Viennese Waltz to Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers. Following her return, Delta said on Instagram: "It's all coming back to me... Couldn't have asked for a better first night back in the ballroom. Thank you for your support, we're so grateful to be dancing for another week."
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on Saturday at 6.30pm.
