Strictly Come Dancing Week 1 recap: Best moments from epic show
Strictly season is officially here.
As we enter autumn and the dark nights draw in, that can only mean one thing: we're back in Strictly season.
This year's run of Strictly Come Dancing kicked off with a bang, as the first live show saw a host of terrific performances and gave us our first glimpse at who could go all the way and lift that Glitterball trophy.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman were, of course, back on hand to host, while judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke were on rambunctious form, as ever.
For all the highlights and key moments from Strictly Come Dancing 2023 week 1, check out our catch-up video above.
The scores in this first show ranged all the way from 16 for Les Dennis and Nancy Xu, through to 32 for Nigel Harman and Katya Jones, who brought the house down with the final routine of the night.
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Proceedings were kicked off by Adam Thomas, whose Cha Cha to Waffle House by The Jonas Brothers got mixed reviews – and we bet no one had 'the robot' on their Strictly bingo card, but he pulled one out of the bag.
Later, 78-year-old Angela Rippon was celebrated by fans online, as the oldest-ever Strictly contestant delivered an excellent routine which ended with a jaw-dropping high kick.
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Layton Williams' routine with his partner Nikita Kuzmin scored big, with the duo topping the leaderboard at the time (although they were eventually replaced by Harman), and Bobby Brazier's dad Jeff provided the most emotional moment of the night, as he was seen tearing up following his son's performance.
No contestants were sent home this week, with the first elimination arriving after next week's show. Who will be first in the firing line, and who is going to sail through this first round? For now, we'll just have to wait and see.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday 30th September at 6:20pm. The results show will air on Sunday 1st October on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
