Nicola Adams wins praise from judges as she makes Strictly history

Former pro-boxer Nicola and Katya whizzed across the dance floor to Get Happy by Ella Fitzgerald during their infectious performance – and Craig Revel Horwood simply "adored" it.

"They proved [their pairing] was absolute dynamite," Craig added following the impressive routine, which scored the pair 21 points. "I absolutely adored that routine. What a fantastic, fantastic partnership."

Motsi Mabuse said, "I was curious as to how it was going to happen, and I have to say, you haven't disappointed me. You look good, I liked how everything fitted together. You rocked it and I loved it".

Shirley Ballas added, "Absolutely you [both] hit the ground running. Katya – you're genius. This is just a partnership I'm really going to enjoy watching. Well done!"

Tess Daly was also impressed, telling Nicola, "I think it's safe to say you're not just a boxer anymore." This prompted Nicola to officially proclaim herself "a dancer, baby" as the audience cheered.

Nicola and Katya finished up joint third on the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard alongside Ranvir Singh and Giovanni Pernice and Caroline Quentin and Johannes Radebe.

Tonight marks the first of the 2020 live shows, with all 12 of this year's Strictly Come Dancing line-up taking to the dance floor for their first official routines.

This year's roster is smaller than usual due to Strictly having a shorter run because of the impact of the pandemic.

Last weekend, the celebrities were paired up with their respective Strictly Come Dancing professionals during a pre-recorded launch show – again, slightly different to the usual course of events for the much-loved BBC show.

While some aspects of the series may have a little of a new look thanks to COVID-19, the format remains the same for the most part. Due to social distancing requirements, only one couple at a time are permitted in this area to be interviewed by Claudia Winkleman.

Bruno Tonioli may be missing from the panel, but Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas are all taking their places on the panel. However, Bruno joined in via video link to give his own feedback after the routines were all finished.

Tess and Claudia Winkleman are also back as hosts – even if they do have to remain two metres apart.

Strictly Come Dancing live shows air Saturday nights on BBC One. To find out what else is on in the meantime, check out our TV Guide.