Strictly Sunshine

Welcome back to the land of dance, camp and glitter! Strictly is here with a very interesting selection of people and loads of excitement to come for the series. It's the vitamin D injection that the government may/may not insist on you having to get through the winter. We even got a super-sunny opening number with the pros living it up in a street food market, bring me a margarita and let's get down to business!

Jamie and Karen

I was not expecting Jamie in the coveted first dance position! Does this mean he's getting to final? It's not a given, but this fun little number showed some possibilities. He didn't look great during the launch show but Karen has clearly whipped him into some sort of shape in the past couple of weeks, there was more rhythm for sure. I also loved the reinvention of the song as an 80s party anthem, especially when it gives us Karen starting 2020 with yet more amazing outfits. A promising start for a beginner. 

 

Caroline and Johannes

I don't think I've seen an interview with Caroline yet where she hasn't mentioned her dancing experience, she's owning it and it seems to be a good tactic. She's clearly confident out of hold with great arms and knows how to perform her moves, but she'll need to do more work on the stuff in hold. This was a lovely performance and exactly what we wanted, even if the CGI porn train was quite a distraction! 

Max and Dianne

I don't normally approve of a week 1 tango, but Max seemed to grab the technicality of this fairly well. He seemed to adapt to hold well enough and was in time, very very bent knees though. Plus compulsory blue-steel tango face. Like Craig though, I was left wanting a bit more, he's going to have to express a bit more in the latin dances. Rubbish tango song, but that's what we've come to expect in the past few years.

Clara and Aljaz

These two are very much on my 'Ones to Watch' list, so I was very excited for this and Clara's tinsel outfit. This was a brilliant opening cha cha! It was all you wanted to see, with cheeky accents and a great relationship between the two of them. She has some rough edges but clearly a lot of raw talent and I can't wait to see what Aljaz can bring out in her.

Jacqui and Anton

A week one foxtrot with Anton, you say? Well blow me down with a feather. This wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't very good either. Jacqui had a fair stab at doing this rather difficult ballroom dance though, so I wonder what she has for week 2 to build on it. However it was also ridiculously prop-tastic and the fireworks were needed to wake things up.

JJ and Amy

Oh this was schmaltzy, but we could do with a bit of that right now. Amy knew just how to pitch this and gave JJ a good waltz but nothing too advanced for week one. I saw rise and fall and a good stab at musicality for someone with no performing experience. Good tactic with the judges to go for classic and lots of basic steps and in lovely classy outfits too, it felt a bit old school. There's a long way to go but we might have a contender here.

Maisie and Gorka

What. A. Frock. This was an old-school Strictly samba dress and all the better for it, just bring us the camp we want! As expected, these two came out all guns blazing with the kind of energy we love to see. Gorka must be having the time of his life after being benched last year. Yes, it got a bit wild at times and that impacted on the technique, but the girl has rhythm and boy can she shimmy! Ballroom will be a different beast for her, but I'm excited to see it. 

 

Jason and Luba

Can Jason shrug off the lumbering male sportsman tag? Possibly. This dance was actually quite bonkers, there was skipping about and dad dancing interludes when I was expecting, well, something smoother. He was light enough on his feet but also a bit hunched. He does however have enthusiasm in spades, so maybe he'll be better at party latin? 

 

Ranvir and Giovanni

A Beyonce paso in week one for someone with no dance experience was....ambitious, but they certainly gave us good frock! Extra points to Ranvir for coming out on her own too, Gio wasn't going easy on her. This dance was about 80% attitude and 20% technique, her footwork wasn't that great but she performed it much better than I was expecting. I was even occasionally distracted from Gio's weird emo fringe. 

Nicola and Katya

Another highly anticipated dance, this didn't disappoint. A lovely peppy quickstep that played to Nicola's strengths with lots of flying around the dancefloor and changing of direction. The switching of hold was also pretty impressive. I'm sure there's lots more to come from these two and Katya is ready to dish us up all sorts of choreographic treats. 

Bill and Oti

The return of champion Oti Mabuse here to bring us sunshine for 2020 and she's also bringing the unexpected delight of Bill into our living rooms for the winter. This was a joy from start to finish, Bill might not be a boyband ringer, but he has rhythm and musicality and is clearly hell-bent on having a marvelous time. I'm already desperate to know what dance they're doing next week!

Harvey and Janette

The young upstart was in the pimp slot so he needed to impress, but this boy can move! As with a lot of people tonight, it wasn't technically perfect, but the raw materials were certainly there. He was fast and bouncy and clearly very suited to the jive. A bit flat-footed at times, but I don't want to be too Craig about it. A good way to finish off the night too, there's clearly lots of excitement to come this series!

The Winning Formula - Version 12!

Here we are again, in an attempt to bring some much-needed normality back to us I armed with the ever-reliable Winning Formula to work out who will win Strictly this year. Well, I say ever-reliable, but last year the only finalist the formula predicted was Karim and he was a massive ringer. Although it wasn't really possible to predict Kelvin at the time, so I'm going to say it balanced out. There's only 12 celebs this year, so surely our odds of predicting the winner have improved? 

 

Formula don't fail me now, let's get 2020 sorted out! 

1) Get the party started
How annoying to start on a frustrating variable, do real scientists have to deal with this? The person who dances first usually gets to the final. Last year we got Alex first, who popped onto our screens with a peppy quickstep and general positive vibe, it all seemed like it could happen at that point! To be fair, she made the quarterfinals before she was felled by the Musicals Week randomness. All I'll say is that they rarely put a duffer on first, so watch whoever gets out there first on Saturday. 

2) Quit your day job

Is this the year when they finally level the playing field and we have contestants who aren't doing anything else at the same time as Strictly? Maybe those bubbles do have their benefits! I am hoping that Maisie has escaped the Eastenders curse of being expected to record Christmas scenes on the Square in the middle of the night after doing 12 hours training. People like Caroline and Bill don't have much else going on performance-wise, while you also have the recent professional retirees like Nicola and people whose job seems to just be being themselves like Jamie. Does Clara have time off from Radio 1 or is she going to pull the old BBC-presenter trick? Only time will tell...  

3) Blondes don't have more fun
Once again, the British public did not elect a blonde to win Strictly last year - we didn't even get a blonde in the quarterfinals - what gives? Jamie Biscuits was the most high-profile 'curse of the blondes' last year and hilariously they've given him a partner with the same haircut as him! So it wasn't too surprising that we don't see to have many blonde contestants this year, apart from Jamie I would put JJ and Bill in the 'fair' category rather than trademark blonde. Plus we have a hotly-tipped redhead this year: could Maisie be our second ginger winner? Stranger things have happened...

 
4) Latin fever 

This variable is now seeming more and more of a given, as the only pro left who specialises in ballroom is Anton. Plus there aren't any new pros this year because no one had the mental or physical strength to make that happen in a global pandemic. But it remains true that Joanne Clifton remains our shining exception as the only non-latin specialist to win the show. Anton, despite getting to the final again last year, I don't think 2020 is the year you'll be flying the flag for the ballroom brand. 

 

5) Age is more than a number

Otherwise known as 'life begins at 42', it still seems weird that Joe was our first and only winner over 40. So what does 2020 hold for us? We have some fairly young contestants in Maisie and HRVY but there's also quite a range this year. Poor Jason is hitting the dancefloor at exactly 42 however, he should have signed up last year! Our over-42 contestants this year are Bill, Caroline, Jacqui and Ranvir - could one of them break this sparkly ceiling and win this year?

6) Embrace the sparkle!
If there was ever a year the literal and metaphysical sparkle needed to be embraced, it's this one. Thankfully it looks like our chosen 12 are all raring to go and ready to have a good time. We've got superfan Clara, Nicola skipping all over TikTok, Caroline ready to camp it up, and that's just for starters. As ever, there's some people who might take a while to come out of their shell, like JJ, who I think is going to be guided expertly by Amy this year. Plus I can't wait to see what irreverent fun Bill is going to dish up along the way. This show is going to be such a tonic! 

So here is that all-important equation once again, and our predicted finalists for the 2020...

Dance first - day job + brunette x latin pro - 42 years old + sparkle = winner!

Clara

Jamie

Maisie

Max

Nicola

As ever, the first dancer on the opening show will be added to the list - in the meantime, let us know what you think and vote in our poll!

You Have Now Entered The Strictly Bubble

Strictly has begun! Phew, it didn't look like we'd make it at some points this year, so bring on the sparkles and sequins for 2020. We started the show with some wafty pros getting chilly on the beach before taking us on a tour of National Trust properties. I suppose it's nice to remind us what the outside world looks like. The show has often been here to get us through the long winter nights and this year it feels more important than ever.

Caroline and...Johannes!

What a great pairing to kick things off with! These two are going to be theatrical and dramatic and all that jazz, what a delight. Caroline is also well and truly owning her ballet past, a tactic to ward off ringer accusations from the beginning?  

Clara and...Aljaz! 

Another good partnership! It's always a good sign when your celeb partner runs around screaming when they're realised you're been put together. Loving Clara being a superfan and obsessed with her song choices and when you add the forever delightful Aljaz to the mix you have a couple to watch. 

Ranvir and...Giovanni!

A slightly more left-field pairing, but mostly because Ranvir is very much an unknown quantity when it comes to dancing. Gio has worked so hard with his partners over the years to bring the best out of them, so let's see what he comes up with this time.

HRVY and...Janette!

I didn't see this one coming, but then again I'm barely aware of Harvey as a concept. He was also one of the surprises of the night in the group number. Could he reach the heights of Joe Sugg? There's a long way to go...

Jason and...Luba!

I did see this one coming, Luba is statuesque and awesome - these two could make some waves together! Also, I don't mean this in an insulting way, but Jason is the most American person ever. It's like he's a GI who's come to sell us nylons or something.  

Jamie and...Karen?!

We all thought it would be Oti; I love Karen but this really feels like a missed opportunity. Saying that, I'm sure they'll get on like a house on fire. There's bound to be a lot of laughs along the way and I really hope Jamie gets to have the Strictly journey he deserves.

Nicola and...Katya!

The rumours were true and thank goodness for that! If there was a pro who could take on the innovation of the first same-sex partnership it's Katya. Nicola has a lot to give as a contestant and she's bound to put together some amazing routines for her. Get on it girls!

Jacqui and...Anton

I was shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, to hear Jacqui had been paired with Anton. I feel like we've been here a few times before, so should we predict an early exit?  

Maisie and...Gorka!

Now this is an exciting pairing! These two look like they have the final written all over them and they're going to come at this competition full throttle. The big question is whether Maisie can overcome the ringer tab, but people are also so happy to have Gorka back that it is bound to help. 

 

JJ and...Amy!

This is just lovely and they will spend all series being lovely together. I don't have much more to say at the moment really, although I'm hoping he gets something simple like a waltz to begin with. Also, Amy looks better blonde than Gorka does.

 

Bill and...Oti!

I did not anticipate this, mostly because I was obsessed with her dancing with Jamie. They do look like they're going to have a brilliant time though and I spied Bill doing some good moves with rhythm in the group number. Could they be this season's surprise? 

 

Max and...Dianne! 

Lucky Dianne, she's had quite the mix of partners over the years and now she's landed herself the male favourite for the year. He's always going to be in the shadow of Jay though and I hope they keep him away from the jive for a while.