Strictly Come Dancing crowns first ever winners of Instant Dance challenge

Couples faced the high pressure test for the first time in the competition’s history

Lewis Cope and Katya Jones have emerged victorious in Strictly Come Dancing’s first ever Instant Dance challenge.

For the first time in the show’s 21 year history, the contestants were tasked with choreographing a routine in a matter of seconds before performing for their judges.

Each couple had to randomly select a dance style from those they have already learned during the competition.

They were then allocated a backing track and were allotted just 10 seconds to come up with a loose strategy for their choreography.

Emmerdale star Cope and seasoned Strictly pro Jones received the maximum six points from the judges for their jive to “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham during Saturday (29 November) night’s show.

Head judge Shirley Ballas praised the couple for taking chances with their routine, hailing their “jive content” as “absolutely fantastic”.

Katya Jones and Lewis Cope’s jive scored top marks (BBC)

She was also full of praise for Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon, who ended up in second place with their “fierce” Paso Doble, earning them five points.

Amber Davies and her dance partner Nikita Kuzmin came third, picking up four points for their samba to Shakira’s “Wherever, Whenever”, while Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe were in fourth place.

George Clarke and Alexis Warr followed them in fifth place, receiving two points.

Despite picking up a perfect score of 40 for their couple’s choice routine earlier in the show, Karen Carney and Carlos Gu came last, with the judges branding their attempt “a bit disconnected” and allotting them just one point.

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