Strictly Come Dancing is well and truly back! The BBC One dance show kicked off in style on Saturday night, with everyone having their say on what they thought about the new dance pairings and their first dances. And HELLO!'s very own Strictly columnists Ola and James Jordan have had plenty to say on the good, the bad and the terrible dances of the night.
James Cracknell didn't impress James and Ola
Ola: There was the good, the bad and the ugly on the dance floor!
James: Yes definitely. I know people thought James Cracknell didn’t try but I don’t think that was the case. Tango is a serious dance but he looked very stern and it was boring.
Ola: There was no emotion for him. His posture wasn’t good.
James: It was horrendous. He needs to work on his posture. He doesn’t stand like that with the judges but when he was dancing he looked a bit stilted.
Ola: He would need to improve a lot. He was the worst performance for me.
James: James might not have the dance experience but that’s not an excuse. Look at Mike Bushell with Katya Jones. He isn’t a natural dancer but he had bags of personality. He had the Chris Hollins effect.
Ola: Mike just went for it. The beginning of the routine had the same feel as the dance Chris and I did.
James: Kelvin Fletcher was the best performance of the night. He’s not the best dancer but the music, the costume and the choreography all came together to create this amazing performance. He sold it 100 per cent.
Ola: The dance suited him. He is going to be very good.
James: It makes no difference that he came in late. You can either dance or you can’t. If you get a celebrity that can’t move it doesn’t matter if you have two weeks extra it won’t help if they don’t have natural ability. Kelvin has the natural ability but he’s quite a shy guy. He’s like Ola in that she’s quiet but then when she gets on the dance floor a whole new persona comes out. I was slightly concerned he would be apologetic but bloody hell he was brilliant.
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Kelvin Fletcher was a massive hit
Ola: The women are going to love him.
James: He’s got a great body and the way he moves his hips. He lost all inhibition. He just went for it. There were other celebrities that had the potential but were almost apologetic and held back. I hope he doesn’t get his top off. I’m all for equal rights so if he takes his top off then maybe one of the women should take their top off too.
Ola: Oh James. And obviously Kelvin’s partner, Oti had her sister Motsi judging her. I thought Motsi was good but she’s not as feisty as Shirley Ballas.
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James: Shirley is the boss on that panel. I thought the judge scoring was fair. No one was marked too harshly.
Ola: The scoring was good.
James: It’s very strange that Motsi will judge Oti. In the proper dance world it wouldn’t be accepted for family members to judge each other.
Ola: Shirley was never allowed to judge her son Mark when he danced in competitions.
James: I’ve got nothing against Motsi judging Oti. Is it fair? Not really and I find it strange. But I actually thought she judged her fairly and it would have looked weird if she marked her down. But to be fair on the BBC they let you do anything.
Ola: You are right there were some reserved celebrities like Viscountess Emma Weymouth who need to let themselves go. She was quiet in the dance. It was nice and she did all her steps but it was not exciting. It was boring really.
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James: David James had a terrible song, “We’re going home” You will be if you don’t improve next week. It was predictable and boring. He was at a disadvantage because music is such a big part of the performance. It didn’t give me any feeling. It just looked like he was going through the motions.
James: For me Karim Zeroual was the best of the night but can I say he will win? Not yet as it’s a public vote but he will make the final. Him and Amy are one of the best pairings.
Ola: We’ve predicted the finalists and he’s one of them. He’s a dancer.
James: I think possibly Emma Barton and Anton Du Beke could make the final too. Not necessarily on ability but viewers will want to get them there. People want to see Anton in the final.
James and Ola can see Anton and Emma in the final
Ola: Catherine Tyldsley had a very clean waltz too. It was a good first dance.
James: We shouldn’t underestimate Neil Jones either. He’s a very clever boy. He’s been given Alex Scott who doesn’t have natural ability but he is going to get the best out of her. I thought his choreography was clever. I’m excited to see what Neil brings to the show.
Ola: Her posture needs some work but it’s early days. She was first to come out so she probably had the most to be nervous about.
Kevin and Anneka on Saturday night
James: Not having a natural dancer as a partner makes it much more difficult. That’s been proven with Kevin Clifton who has Anneka Rice. She’s a more mature lady who has never danced before. Everyone goes on about how amazing Kevin is but he’s had three amazing partners before. This year he’s got someone that’s maybe not as talented. Neil is in a similar position and will have to work hard to get the best out of Alex.
James: AJ and Saffron Barker are a predictable partnership. Brilliant though. They have youth on their side so they move differently. Even me I know I move differently now than I did in my 20s. They look really good together.
Join us next Sunday when Ola and James will be back to give us the low down on Strictly's Week Three.