BBC Strictly Come Dancing viewers figure out Shirley Ballas' 'favourite' already during launch show
The celebrities and their professional partners have barely shuffled their feet around the ballroom but Strictly Come Dancing fans think Shirley Ballas already has a favourite. The show's head judge was back on the expert panel as the hit dance contest returned to screens.
The launch show aired on Friday night (September 23) ahead of the first live show on Saturday night and saw the 15 celebrity contestants discover which of the professional partners they will be training and performing with during their time on the BBC One show.
The show opened with a ballroom performance from the professional dancers and the four new dancers – Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas, Coppola and Gu – were introduced with a cinematic group number.
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And while Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman were back at the helm of the programme, Shirley, Craig Revel-Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke all returned to the judging panel.
It was revealed during the first show of the 20th series that there will be two same-sex couples this year, among them reigning champion Giovanni Pernice, who will compete to retain his title partnered with BBC Radio 2’s Richie Anderson in the 2022 series. Comedian and actor Jayde Adams and professional Karen Hauer are also paired up.
Other couples this year include Paralympic swimming gold medallist Ellie Simmonds and Nikita Kumzin, Coronation Street actress and presenter Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima, and TV presenter Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez.
But Kiss FM DJ Tyler West caught viewers' attention as he was partnered with Dianne Buswell. He admitted that he thinks his Strictly fan mother was