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Thank you and a glittery goodnight<\/p>\n
Feels good to have Strictly properly back, doesn\u2019t it? Autumn is truly upon us.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll be back for the first elimination weekend, which starts at the slightly earlier time of 6.20pm next Saturday. I hope you\u2019ll rejoin me then. In the meantime, I\u2019m @michaelhogan on Twitter\/so-called X. Please do jive kick and flick your way past and say hello.<\/p>\n
Thanks for watching along with me and all your wise, witty contributions. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, sparkly squadron. And it almost goes without saying: keeeeeep dancing! Up the Red Roses and take care.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Finally, Gardener_Maidhc says of Karen Carney: \u201cCarlos\u2019 \u2018My mum says I\u2019m fabulous\u2019 training T-shirt is great. We need these now for all the pro dancers.\u201d<\/p>\n Holmer says: \u201cThat was an extraordinary dance from Karen Carney! I expected something very middling and clunky, but that was fantastic! 9 from me.\u201d<\/p>\n styletraveller says: \u201cLove this and in true football fashion, she gave it 110%.\u201d<\/p>\n KarimaKat adds: \u201cWow, fab by Karen and Carlos! More of this sort of stuff. A proper non-dancer rising to the challenge. Go her, Jimmy and Alex!\u201d<\/p>\n Karen Carney. Photograph: Guy Levy\/BBC\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.07 EDT<\/p>\n Pancake01 says of Amber Davies: \u201cWell, she\u2019s just gorgeous, isn\u2019t she? She has very long arms compared to the rest of her.\u201d<\/p>\n indigoviolet says: \u201cNikita\u2019s the king of instant chemistry, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n Jennifera030 adds: \u201cThis lass must be internally freaking out. Can you imagine? She was probably planning to get a takeaway tonight and now she\u2019s in Strictly. All power to her for being able to do that dance.\u201d<\/p>\n Nikita Kuzmin and Amber Davies. Photograph: Guy Levy\/BBC\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.11 EDT<\/p>\n Poppieshen says of Thomas Skinner: \u201cTom toilet break everyone! Maybe next week, they\u2019ll put him on halfway through for this very reason.\u201d<\/p>\n Susanmarykelly says: \u201cWell, he certainly managed to walk pretty much in time to the music.\u201d<\/p>\n ReclinedPotato adds: \u201cThat Thomas Crapper guy is giving some strong John Sargeant energy right there!\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas Skinner\u00a0and Amy Dowden. Photograph: Guy Levy\/BBC\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.12 EDT<\/p>\n IvanTiger says of Balvinder Sopal: \u201cShe\u2019s a good mover and very elegant. Julian looks fun. Nice pairing.\u201d<\/p>\n ReclinedPotato says of La Voix: \u201cHonestly, La Voix is kind of the lift the show needed at this point. Her turn at the judging panel is what I\u2019ve been waiting for most. They need to get to Blackpool!\u201d<\/p>\n acanthe adds: \u201cMr Acanthe took slight exception when I said that I was sure we\u2019d all like to listen to Aljaz more with our bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n La Voix. Photograph: Guy Levy\/BBC\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.13 EDT<\/p>\n On Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, YodaknowsAll says: \u201c know it\u2019s a low bar but Jimmy is already better than 90% of the footballers on Strictly. A few mistakes but another one who sold the performance. An unexpected delight.\u201d<\/p>\n On Vicky Pattison, Pengolina123 says: \u201cTurbo Sloth is my new favourite term.\u201d<\/p>\n SecretPuddleJumper adds: \u201cI hope Kai gets as far with Vicky as he did with AJ Odudu. He obviously works best with bubbly northern women.\u201d<\/p>\n Kai Widdrington and Vicky Pattison. Photograph: Guy Levy\/BBC\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.13 EDT<\/p>\n On George Clarke, Tomatopincushion says: \u201cNot a fan of \u2018content creators\u2019 but that was cute.\u201d<\/p>\n Somersetlass adds: \u201cWow, I was not expecting that from Content Creator George. Some lovely musicality, smooth moves and great lifts. I agree with Craig. He definitely has potential and seems a sweetie too. This is, or should be, what Strictly is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n George Clarke and Alexis Warr. Photograph: Guy Levy\/BBC\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.14 EDT<\/p>\n On Lewis Cope, Jennifera030 says: \u201cWow. All kinds of fabulous but too much, too soon.\u201d<\/p>\n Poppieshen adds: \u201cI don\u2019t care about \u2018ringers\u2019. Without them we\u2019d be watching dad dancing and two left feet until Halloween.\u201d<\/p>\n ReclinedPotato says of Ross King: \u201cI\u2019m old enough to remember Ross on Pebble Mill At One. Thankfully, I\u2019m also old enough to forget that routine almost immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n Lewis Cope. Photograph: Guy Levy\/BBC\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.15 EDT<\/p>\n joanieloves says: \u201cEllie Goldstein is a ray of sunshine and just what we need right now. If Vito can control some of her enthusiasm, she\u2019ll be fab.\u201d<\/p>\n Storm adds: \u201cI want Vito to encourage me the way he\u2019s doing now whenever I have something difficult to do (literally anything!).\u201d<\/p>\n Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola. Photograph: Guy Levy\/BBC\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.15 EDT<\/p>\n Irreverentnurse says of Nitro: \u201cHarry has great posture and moves. Don\u2019t peak too soon with the crying.\u201d<\/p>\n On Stefan Dennis, MikeMoonlight says: \u201cIf he\u2019s going to perform Neighbours-inspired dances, then it would be good to see one based on Bouncer\u2019s dream or Jim Robinson and Doug Willis\u2019s magic mushroom trip experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Stefan Dennis and Dianne Buswell. Photograph: Guy Levy\/BBC\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.16 EDT<\/p>\n On Alex Kingston, SnailyWhaley says: \u201cI love Alex and think she\u2019ll be great but that was surely more faffing abaht than Viennese Waltz?\u201d<\/p>\n Gardener_Maidhc says: \u201cNot perfect but oh so glamorous. Alex just oozes charisma and she is acting the sh*t out of this dance. Bodes very well for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n SecretPuddleJumper adds: \u201cPhoto last week, training room this week. The dog thing is escalating rapidly. I predict he\u2019ll be on the dancefloor by week 4.\u201d<\/p>\n Johannes Radebe and Alex Kingston. Photograph: Guy Levy\/BBC\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.17 EDT<\/p>\n On Chris Robshaw, MikeMoonlight says: \u201cI really wish these random blokes would stop wandering onto the dancefloor when Nadiya is performing her solo routines.\u201d<\/p>\n LazyMillennial adds: \u201cPoor bloke. Gets forced on first for some rugby synergy and is given the samba of all things for his first dance, despite being hopeless.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova. Photograph: Guy Levy\/BBC\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.18 EDT<\/p>\n Readers\u2019 verdicts<\/p>\n A rapid-fire round-up of your sage words. Lidoswimmer says \u201cAs per every year I was thinking \u2018I\u2019ll wait a couple of weeks until the duffers have gone and the show\u2019s less than two hours, then I\u2019ll get into it\u2019 – yet here I am, drawn in by the sheer gravitational pull of a million sequins.\u201d<\/p>\n Whistledownthewind says \u201cThat opening dance was an absolute hoot! However, looking at Anton, I am left wondering whether an Elvis Presley impersonator in the home counties area is missing a wig.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>This year\u2019s first Golden Glitterballs<\/p>\n They\u2019re back, back, back by public demand. Well, sort of. At the end of each live show, we traditionally dish out some imaginary but highly coveted gongs to the night\u2019s highlights and low points. Let me know if you agree with my choices. Drum roll please *squints at autocue while fumbling nervously with envelope*\u2026<\/p>\n Best dance: It has to be that showstopping jive from Karen Carney, with Lewis Cope in second.<\/p>\n Worst dance: Dear old Ross King but Thomas Skinner\u2019s old el paso really wasn\u2019t much better.<\/p>\n Best music choice: One Way Or Another and Chelsea Dagger both rocked. Pink Pony Club was also fresh and fun.<\/p>\n Worst music choice: That plodding version of Shake Your Booty didn\u2019t do Balvinder any favours.<\/p>\n Best outfit: Amy Dowden\u2019s frock was fabulous.<\/p>\n Worst outfit: Ross and Jowita\u2019s star-spangled messes. Team with fur coat and sparkly trousers for full frightmare.<\/p>\n Best judges\u2019 comment: Motsi to Ross King: \u201cYou\u2019ve never danced, ever. And you still haven\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n Best Claudia quip: Good toilet and pant bantz but the prize goes to her improvisation when Tess wasn\u2019t ready for a link. \u201cTess? Not yet. Hey, there\u2019s no rush. Balvinder, how\u2019s your week been? I enjoyed that, let\u2019s do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.41 EDT<\/p>\n From jives to Jokers<\/p>\n TV viewers can now stay on BBC1 for Anthony Horowitz\u2019s new tongue-in-cheek mystery thriller Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue, starring no less than Eric \u201cWill from Will & Grace\u201d McCormack and Siobh\u00e1n \u201cSister Michael from Derry Girls\u201d McSweeney.<\/p>\n Over on BBC2, it\u2019s Banned in the 80s: Moments That Shook Music. Film-wise, tonight\u2019s picks are Joker (9pm on ITV1), Mean Girls (10pm on ITV2+1) and excellent Japanese drama Evil Does Not Exist (10.05pm on BBC4).<\/p>\n Share<\/a>First leaderboard of 2025<\/p>\n So Karen Carney sits atop the year\u2019s inaugural leaderboard, with Lewis Cope in second spot. Ross King is way down at the bottom, with Chris Robshaw and Thomas Skinner just above.<\/p>\n Scores will be carried over to next week, combined with their second dance and the viewer vote, then the bottom two couples will dance-off for survival. Looks like a male celebrity will go but which one?<\/p>\n