James Jordan’s Strictly Come Dancing Blog: First Elimination
Welcome to week three of my column for WhichBingo, where I’ll be giving you my honest verdict on week one of the live shows, my thoughts on how the new series is shaping up, and my predictions for who’s in trouble this week.
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James Jordan’s Strictly Scores for Week 1
Looking back at the whole night, I thought the judges were surprisingly harsh this year. Normally I think they overmark, and I’m usually the toughest of the lot alongside Craig, rolling my eyes at how high they’ve gone. This year felt different. Here’s my couple by couple verdict.
Will Best and Dianne Buswell, Samba. My score: 5. Judges: 4, 5, 4, 5.
I wasn’t a massive fan of the song choice, Rock DJ by Robbie Williams. Not because I don’t like the song, I just don’t think it’s authentic to Strictly, and it felt like they were trying to modernise the show. I wasn’t sold on the leather trousers and string vest either, though others might disagree.
As for the dancing, for a week one effort Will has real potential. He’s clearly in great shape, they’re a good looking couple, and I think they could go far. It’s also worth remembering the samba is probably the hardest dance of the lot, so it’s good to get it out of the way early rather than drawing it in the quarter finals or semis, when it becomes a killer.
He was a little awkward though, in a sort of Ben Stiller in Zoolander way. Lots of potential, but this one wasn’t for me.
Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita, Jive. My score: 7. Judges: 4, 6, 5, 7.
This was brilliant for week one. Tabby has clearly had dance training, and to be fair to the cast this year, a lot of them have been upfront about their backgrounds, which I think is the right way to go. I loved the costumes and the music, and her kicks and flicks were sharp with great retraction. It’s impossible to look that good in week one without some dance experience behind you.
Mark did a fantastic job in his first series too, even if he does still look about twelve. Tabby outperformed her judges’ scores here, though I did laugh when she said she’d had no previous training. Call me bitter if you like, but I’m a professional dancer, I can tell when someone’s trained.
Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon, Quickstep. My score: 3. Judges: 3, 4, 4, 4.
Good effort for the first week. The quickstep is a fast dance with a lot packed into the routine, and her posture was a little stiff, with her top line needing more shape and her head position too rigid. Her feet weren’t closing properly in the chassés either, which made it look a bit wooden. Early days, so it’s hard to say how much she’ll improve, but this one was a bit lacklustre for me.
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał, Paso Doble. My score: 5. Judges: 4, 5, 5, 6.
Great costume, though the track wasn’t really a paso for me. He had moments of real strength and slickness, including an impressive paso leap down onto one knee and a good knee spin, but the majority of the routine looked quite wooden. I think he’s going to struggle with the softer, more lyrical dances further down the line. You heard it here first.
Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr, Cha-cha. My score: 3. Judges: 2, 4, 4, 5.
Starting with the positives, Shaun clearly has natural rhythm and good timing, and he’s got a brilliant partner in Alexis, who proved herself last series. But this was rigid and stiff in places, with small steps walking backwards and his heels dragging, which is a cha-cha no-no.
He looked like he was concentrating so hard that the characterisation and cheekiness the dance needs just wasn’t there. You could see it on his face. He needs to let himself go and take the mickey out of himself a bit more.
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu, Quickstep. My score: 5. Judges: 6, 7, 6, 7.
Lots of good posture at the start and end, but the quickstep they were asked to do mostly went in a circle rather than travelling round the floor, which is a shame because Bethany has a really good frame and the potential to be a great quickstep dancer.
I think the choreography let this one down, which may partly come from the challenge of two women dancing together, where one is used to being led and now has to lead. That’s not a knock on Bethany, who did a great job.
I did like that they swapped the traditional lead and follow roles around, even if that upsets the purists who insist it’s just lead and follow regardless of gender. There just wasn’t enough actual quickstep in it, which is why I scored it a five. Not because of her ability, but because she was asked for a quickstep and didn’t really get one.
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola, Cha-cha-cha. My score: 7. Judges: 7, 6, 7, 7.
For a week one cha-cha-cha, a dance that looks simple but is genuinely hard to perform well, they did a great job. Lacey has clearly had some dance training, though it’s hard to say what style. Her feet turn out slightly too much at times, which suggests possible ballet training, but her flexibility and legs look excellent.
Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden, Tango. My score: 4. Judges: 3, 4, 4, 5.
I loved the look of this and thought the routine overall was good, even if the tango timing wasn’t quite there choreographically, and that’s down to Amy rather than Chris. His posture needs work, and he was a bit blocky at times for a staccato dance like the tango. Still, for a very tall guy, a solid week one effort.
Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec, Cha-cha. My score: 3. Judges: 2, 4, 4, 5.
I actually thought Melanie might be one of the shock contestants, in a good way, especially paired with Aljaž. I didn’t think they’d give him a partner without real potential to go far. It did shock me, just in the other direction. The routine itself was clever, but she didn’t quite pull it off. It’s week one and the cha-cha is a tough dance to make look good, so I hope they come on from here.
Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby, Quickstep. My score: 6. Judges: 3, 6, 5, 6.
I have to say it, that three from Craig was pathetic. If you’re marking a performance like that a three, you probably shouldn’t be on the panel, because it’s an insult to the rest of the dancers.
As a performance, this was brilliant from start to finish, and the choreography was really clever. It was meant to be a quickstep, and Craig picked up on the fact they opened with their own style rather than the set dance, but plenty of other couples did exactly the same thing and he didn’t mention it with them.
Normally I don’t like that kind of thing, but it was done so well here that I actually really enjoyed it, and once they got into the quickstep proper, it was very musical. I’m usually a traditionalist, but this worked. Posture needs work, but they’ve got real potential. Maddie is a brilliant addition to the show too. How that scored a three is beyond me.
Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley, Cha-cha. My score: 7. Judges: 6, 6, 6, 6.
Graeme is kind of what Strictly is about for me: an older gentleman out there giving it his all with a traditional cha-cha, and doing it to a pretty high level. Lauren put together a fantastic routine, full of precision.
I did later find out he’s had a fair amount of ballroom and Latin training, including senior level competitions, which you can find online if you look. As far as I was aware, you’re not supposed to come onto Strictly already trained in ballroom and Latin. That said, Brendan Cole was the same, and he’s on this tour with me now and he’s rubbish, so I’ll leave that there.
Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu, Tango. My score: 6. Judges: 5, 5, 5, 6.
I think they were undermarked here, and I’m usually one of the harsher ones. I really liked the routine and the music suited it well. They seem to work really well together. Her posture needs some work, and her left hand should have been closed rather than open throughout, which I don’t think the judges picked up on. Even so, for me this was one of the top five performances of the night.
Sometimes I think the judges hold the better dancers back early on, so that a few weeks later they can act amazed at how much they’ve improved. If they were good in week one, say so. Don’t mark them down just to manufacture a journey.
Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin, Samba. My score: 5. Judges: 6, 5, 5, 6.
Were they good? Yes. Dani looks great on the floor, the costume was good, and they make a strong partnership. But I wasn’t a fan of the song choice, it reminded me of watching kids bouncing around a dance floor with no control. I expected more from her, given how much she’s spoken about her dance training, because I didn’t see a huge amount of it on the night. Her feet and legs weren’t as clean as I’d hoped.
Having said that, I think they’ve got the ability to go a long way in this competition. The samba is a brutal dance, and it may just not suit her as well as others will. Right now, I think she’s getting away with it a little because she’s young, pretty and has a good look on the floor, but there’s clearly potential there.
John Nellis and Katya Jones, Foxtrot. My score: 8. Judges: 7, 8, 8, 8.
This genuinely surprised me. I didn’t expect them to be this good, although whoever Katya gets always seems to come out the other end looking brilliant. It was sublime, total class, and exactly the kind of pure, beautiful ballroom and Latin dancing that people fell in love with Strictly for in the first place.
Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington, Samba. My score: 8. Judges: 7, 8, 7, 7.
This deserved more than the judges gave it. For me, it’s one of the best female celebrity dances I’ve seen on the show, full stop. She’s clearly got serious dance experience, because you don’t walk out and perform like that without one. When people say someone looks like a natural, what they usually mean is that person is a trained dancer, and that’s exactly what this was.
I do think the show has drifted from what it used to be. Strictly was always about taking someone who’d never danced, or barely danced, and watching them improve across the series. Now we’re getting people in week one who are already better than some finalists used to be. If I’m being picky, I’d have liked a touch more fluidity through the legs, but the performance more than made up for it.
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My Thoughts on the Show So Far
Three presenters is not working
Now that the first live show is behind us, my view on the new presenting team hasn’t shifted much. I still don’t see why the show needs three presenters. I don’t think I’m saying anything most people watching don’t already think, it just doesn’t quite work.
I’m all for giving the professional dancers opportunities. I’ve never thought of us as just dancers, a lot of us can turn our hand to other things. But I think Johannes was a little out of his depth in that first show. I hope that’s just first week nerves and he grows into it, because it’s a tough gig, and of course he was going to take the opportunity if it was offered. I’m just not sure it’s the right fit for him long term. The gap between Emma and the other two was huge.
If I’m picking a position for everyone, I think Josh would be better suited upstairs in what we all still call Claudia’s room, doing the reaction interviews. I don’t think Johannes is the right character for that job either, it needs someone quick and witty who can think on their feet, rather than leaning on ‘my darling’ every time. Having three presenters in the mix just made the whole thing feel confusing, and if there was a clever reason behind it, I didn’t see it.
For what it’s worth, I feel for Josh with the amount of criticism he’s had, including being called a spare part. The truth is, the moment you put yourself in the entertainment world, you’re going to get judged, whatever you do. You have to learn to take it on the chin, crack on and get better, or step away from social media if it’s getting to you. I know he’s said he’s stepping back for a while, and I don’t blame him.
Time to shake up the judging panel
I don’t think the judges gel the way they used to when Len was on the panel. We’ve watched the same four for years now. They’ve got no problem changing the professional dancers every couple of seasons, so I don’t see why the judging panel should be any different. I’m bored of hearing the same opinions from the same people.
Get Brendan on there. Get me on there. Get someone who’s actually been through the show. I know they’ve got Anton, and I actually think he’d be brilliant upstairs doing the interview room instead, he’s quick and funny, exactly what that job needs. Put him there and get me on the panel instead. As for Craig, I think he’s done his time. You know what he’s going to say before he says it.
I don’t think it should rotate though. When I’ve seen it rotate in the past, including the head judge role, it got confusing. Len was head judge and he always had the final word, and that’s how it should work. I understand why they were cautious about changing too much this year with new hosts and new dancers already in the mix, but I’d like to see the panel properly refreshed next year.
In defence of Shirley
There’s been some chat about Shirley having a soft spot for younger men and whether that affects her scoring. She’s always had a bit of favouritism towards the men, if I’m honest, but why shouldn’t she? If she wants to date someone in their thirties, good luck to her.
I’ve known her for years, she’s always been supportive of me and she’s a brilliant teacher. I can only judge people on how they’ve treated me, and she’s never done anything but be kind, so I’m not going to say a bad word about her.
Bring back the entertainers
The scoring this year makes me think the panel is trying to prove how much better everyone has got, when actually some of this year’s cast were genuinely brilliant in week one. What’s missing are the John Sergeants, the Ed Balls, the Ann Widdecombes of this world. Those are the people who make Strictly what it is. Right now it feels like the show is chasing amazing dancers rather than leaving room for a few proper car crashes too. The public love watching the bad ones as much as the good ones, and so do I.
There’s always a worry in the background that someone entertaining rather than a dancer could end up lifting the trophy, the way John Sergeant nearly did years ago, and that it somehow devalues the competition. I don’t buy that. If people are voting for someone, that’s exactly what the show is about. It’s not a serious dance competition. If it was, we’d have proper judges running it rather than a panel built for entertainment.
Theming it up too soon
I don’t mind themed weeks in general, Movie Week, Halloween, all of that, but I think they come far too early in the series these days. We’re only in week two and we’re already doing a themed show. I’d rather see a handful of proper, straightforward dance weeks first.
I also think Strictly is chasing a younger audience that was never really going to watch the show anyway, when it should be looking after the older audience that has supported it for years. Give them what they actually want, which is old school ballroom and Latin, with proper music and authentic routines. Sometimes I think the costumes, the music and the concept behind a routine overpower the dancing itself.
I remember Aljaž dressing up as Shrek for a routine a couple of years back. Was that really necessary for a jive or a cha-cha? It felt unnecessary to me, and I think the show sometimes falls into that trap.
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My Predictions for This Week
Based on what I’ve seen so far, here’s where I think things stand heading into this week’s show.
My bottom two are Melanie and Aljaž, and Chris and Amy. If it comes down to a public vote between the two, I think Melanie and Aljaž would be the ones packing their bags, simply because more people tend to vote for the men than the women in that situation.
For the final, I’m backing Tabby and Mark, Cach and Maddie, and Delta and Kai to go the distance.
As for the winner, my first instinct was that they’d want a woman lifting the glitterball this year. But then I remembered last year’s champion, Karen Carney, was a woman too, so the show might actually swing back the other way. If you put a gun to my head today, I’d go for a man, and I’d probably say Cach.
In case you missed it, you can catch up with last week’s Strictly live show blog..
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