Strictly Come Dancing: The biggest talking points from week one, from Bobby Brazier to Angela Rippon
The Glitterball is up for grabs once again...
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It’s back. The BBC’s flagship dance competition series, Strictly Come Dancing, has returned to screens for its 21st series.
The programme has lined up an enviable roster of celebrity guests for the new series, which premiered on BBC One at 6.35pm on Saturday (23 September).
Episodes will continue to air every Saturday, with the acompannying results show airing the following evening.
Among the contestants this year are reality star Zara McDermott and veteran Channel 4 broadcaster Krishnan Guru-Murthy, as well as TV presenter Les Dennis.
You can find the full line-up for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing here.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are returning to present the series, while the judging panel comprises Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas.
Here are the biggest talking points from the first competitive episode of Strictly 2023.
Angela Rippon makes history
The 78-year-old presenter became the oldest contestant to feature on Strictly in this week’s episode... and she certainly didn’t disappoint. Dancing the Cha Cha Cha to “Get the Party Started” by Shirley Bassey with partner Kai Widdrington, Rippon stunned the judges with her flair, defying the years with a fleet-footed performance that Revel Horwood aptly termed “jaw-dropping”.
Bobby Brazier draws tears from his father
Soap actor Brazier was another of the night’s clear highlights, performing an absolutely magnetic foxtrot to McFly with partner Dianne Buswell. The son of the late reality star Jade Goody and TV presenter Jeff Brazier drew high praise from the judging panel, and was seen moving his father to tears, in an affecting emotional moment.
Les Dennis brings the levity
Family Fortunes star Dennis may have finished the night at the bottom of the leaderboard, but it was a performance that stood out for its initmitable sense of fun. Dennis mugged his way through “Don’t You Want Me” by the Human League, with a tango that managed to transcend any technical stiffness on show. Some might see him as the novelty act of the 2023 series, but it’s clear Dennis is trying his best – and the warm comments from the judging panel show that his efforts didn’t go unnoticed.
You can follow along with the first live episode of Strictly Come Dancing 2023 with The Independent’s liveblog below...
Good afternoon, and welcome to The Independent’s Strictly Come Dancing 2023 liveblog.
Still a good few hours to go until launch, so I’m going to take this opportunity to share some of the Strictly-related pieces we’ve run recently.
First up, here’s a great piece about the over-50 stars leading the line on this year’s series
Strictly’s biggest stars this year are 50 plus – it’s refreshing to see
With six out of 15 of the new series’ contestants having clocked up a half-century, it’s the most mature field in years. I’m here for it, writes Michael Hogan
A refresher before the series starts! Here’s a breakdown of all the contestants on Strictly this year
Meet this year’s Strictly Come Dancing celebrity lineup
The 15 stars competing for the Glitterball Trophy this year include actors, comedians and presenters
And here’s who they’re paired with...
Who are the Strictly Come Dancing 2023 couples?
Meet the cast of 2023 – and their professional partners
Ellie Harrison spoke personally to Bobby Brazier, the actor and son of Jade Goody who is one of this year’s competitors.
Highly recommend.
Bobby Brazier on Strictly, EastEnders and his mum Jade Goody
The soap star talks to Ellie Harrison about learning to act on the job, his ‘mad’ dancing, and how he’s feeling about stepping into the limelight
Ellie also went long for this feature on Amanda Abbington, the Strictly contestant whose involvement has prompted calls for a boycott.
Amanda Abbington joins Strictly 2023 cast – and is already facing a boycott from fans
The actor’s casting on the BBC One dance competition has led to calls for a boycott of the series after she spoke out against a drag show for babies earlier this year. Ellie Harrison looks back on a life and career that has seldom been free from controversy
A bit more left-field, but here are eight facts you might not have known about Strictly...
8 facts you didn’t know about Strictly Come Dancing
From where the show’s name comes from to the lowest scoring dance
Another list, this time rounding up the 12 greatest moments of the entire series.
Will this new season give us anything on this level? We can hope...
The 12 greatest Strictly Come Dancing moments of all time
From Kelvin Fletcher to Ann Widdecombe, the very best and worst of the 20 series of ‘Strictly’ so far
One of the most frequently Googled queries about Strictly, I’m told: do the contestants get paid?
Do the Strictly celebrities get paid to take part?
It’s not just the Glitterball trophy the stars could take home
Another bit of Google catnip - the dreaded Strictly curse.
Is it a real thing? It’s complicated...
What is the ‘Strictly curse’ and is it real?
Tales of rehearsal room lust dominate headlines every year, but is the so-called ‘Strictly curse’ actually real?
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