Sarah Hadland's Strictly Quickstep is "highest ever" for week 1

Craig Revel Horwood simply described the performance as "fantastic" while Motsi Mabuse said: "Honestly, what a year it's going to be, starting the Quickstep like that – fast, rhythmical, great hold, great timing, well done."

Shirley Ballas added: "Entertaining, great footwork, just love this pairing!"

Presenter Tess Daly turned to Hadland and said "what a start" and ushered the pair off to get their scores. Back upstairs with the rest of the stars and Claudia Winkleman, Hadland asked: "What is going on?"

Coppola was quick to praise his partner and said: "I don't know but you were fantastic, they said you were fantastic, you are fantastic."

Then it was time for the anticipated scores and both were overjoyed, receiving eights from Craig and Motsi and then, sevens from Shirley and Anton Du Beke. With a total score of 30, Winkleman was quick to tell Hadland about a fact she had for her.

"That is the highest ever Quickstep in week 1, it is. True," she said.

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It's been a rollercoaster of emotions for Hadland since she joined the Strictly process, with the actress admitting to Radio Times magazine that she had actually burst into tears when seeing her costume for the first time.

She revealed: "It’s amazing. I mean, I burst into tears when I put my costume on for the first time, just because I wasn’t…

"The first time I’d seen it, it was literally three handkerchiefs of purple Lycra, and it literally had six safety pins. And I was like, 'Wow, that’s really basic.' And I was thinking, 'How are they going to bougie this up?'"

She continued: "And, funnily enough, I was talking when they were fitting me into it, when it had all been done, and then I turned around, and it was a bit of a moment, because, yeah, I’ve never worn anything so beautiful. It really caught me off guard.

"I wasn’t expecting it. I just burst into tears. I was like, 'This is so beautiful.'"

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