A body language expert has cautioned that Strictly Come Dancing contestant John Nellis could be "struggling" following a "tense" moment on the show. Judi James, speaking to Paddy Power, highlighted signs of inner tension from both Nellis and his professional partner Katya Jones after their Paso Doble to Bon Jovi's It's My Life.
Nellis, a content creator, impressed audiences and judges during the opening live programme, topping the leaderboard with 31 points alongside Jones. However, despite being an early contender, James has warned about his difficulties in subsequent weeks.
Signs of Struggle in Week Two
James noted that Nellis "struggled a bit last week" and observed "subtle and not-so subtle signs that the heroic and magnificent Katya, who could get a winning dance out of a dead cactus, might be getting nervous too."
She pointed to the "exploding guitar with the firework stuffed into the neck" during the performance, which meant Nellis "didn't have to do any dance steps for about twelve seconds." James described this as "a time-wasting get-out" that suggested his "dance talent might secretly be eroding a little."
Katya's Body Language 'Tell'
James also identified a "massive 'tell'" from Jones's body language during an interview on the balcony. "She held her wide fixed rictus smile in place (It's virtually weatherproof), but her left hand screamed 'tension', with the fingers held splayed, stretched and spiked in an anxious rigidity," James said.
She added: "At one point she brought her hand over her mouth as though struggling to keep the smile in place and there was a look of shock at Craig's measly 6 points." During the results show, Jones displayed "similar signals of displeasure and intense resolve tinged with anxiety," with her left hand "fiddling nervously" as Nellis was interviewed.
What It Means for John and Katya
James observed that as Jones watched the video clip of their dance, "that same hand very ominously curled into a tight fist, suggesting John will be pushed hard this week as Katya knows he can do better, despite his hard work so far."
Nellis previously told the BBC he had "never imagined" his career would lead him to Strictly, saying: "The goal was never particularly high and then to transcend social media and to end up on actual media or the TV that we all grew up watching - it wasn't part of the plan - but I am buzzing it is happening because every day I am living someone's dream and I'm coming in and learning to dance with one of the best in the world."
Reflecting on the show's demands, he added: "I think the first week or two was almost like the honeymoon phase of coming in, learning a new dance... and I was top of the leader board somehow, so it was this real high. I think coming in the week after and you have to delete all that because we're going again and starting from scratch and this time you've got four days and your body is really tired and sore... it was a real moment of like 'oh wow this is a lot'."
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 6.30pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
