Body language expert on Strictly Come Dancing contestants likely to 'wobble' this season

Some couple's don't appear to be as close as others

Ahead of the first performances this weekend on Strictly Come Dancing, a body language expert has cast predictions on which dancing duos might dazzle and which could struggle.

Last Saturday's launch show (September 14) for BBC Strictly captivated over five million viewers, setting the stage for an eagerly anticipated debut of this year's celebrities in the competition tomorrow night where they will be judged for the first time.

According to media psychological coach Darren Stanton, some couples are exhibiting a "tight connection" and a "10/10 energy", while others seem to lack closeness or might "wobble" due to jittery nerves.

In collaboration with Betfair Slingo, Darren has shared his thoughts, placing Sarah Hadland alongside professional Vito Coppola, and Olympian Montell Douglas with Johannes Radebe, as top competitors.

Conversely, he has identified Sam Quek, the Olympic gold medallist hockey star, as looking "very nervous" and suggests her partnership with Nikita Kuzmin might see them in an early dance-off, reports Devon Live.

Moreover, Darren has yet to sense a strong bond between singer Toyah Willcox and her dance partner Neil Jones, hinting that their journey on the show may be curtailed.

Darren, speaking on behalf of Betfair Slingo, enthusiastically said: "Montell and Johannes are a fantastic couple right off the bat. These are my strongest contenders in the competition so far. I think she is geared up to win. Her body language is so positive, so optimistic.

"They have this instant fire between them, and I think these two will be potential finalists. These two are going to go really far in the competition and go from strength to strength. I say that because they seem to just be electric together, very tactile and a really great connection.

"The buzz from these two is so clear, which is going to put them in a great stead to do well, as well as the fact Montell is quite loud and likes to show her excitement - these two really want to do well for each other."

Regarding Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola, he commented: "I think Sarah is going to surprise a lot of people. She is a bit of a firework, she's super ecstatic and super motivated, went absolutely crazy when she first met Vito. They seem to have a really tight connection, and will definitely do well in the competition.

"She might not make the final, but I think she'll go a fair way through at least. She'll definitely surprise a lot of people, and I think these two will give some brilliant TV. That's based on their interaction with each other so far and apparent deep rapport. They've definitely got the same energy levels which will play to their strengths.

"We've seen genuine smiles from them both in their interactions so far, denoting a great connection. Vito made the analogy last week of a bottle of fizzy drink being shaken up, to compare with their amount of energy as a couple, and I think that's true - they're definitely balanced in terms of their enthusiasm."

However, he believes "the basics aren't there" between Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones, stating: "Toyah seems to be getting on well with Neil, but I personally don't think they are going to go that far in the process. The eye contact there is good but not great.

"They also don't seem to be that tactile with each other and they don't appear that close - the basics aren't really there between them. Despite this, Toyah could go on to be a wildcard in the competition, but I'm not quite convinced at the moment."

Darren also predicts that Sam Quek's nerves will be her "Achilles heel" in the competition, saying: "Sam and Nikita seem to have a good connection but I think the thing that will be her Achilles heel is her nerves. She's coming over very nervous, and it will be about whether she can learn to contain that.

"She touches her heart a lot when she speaks, so she is being genuine. She is not trying to mask the emotions of nervousness, so the openness and honesty is there. Whether Nikita can help her with that will determine how far through they will go.

"It could go either way with these two, but it depends on how her levels of confidence can be contained in the next few weeks. I predict we could see these guys wobble and end up in the dance off around week five or six. Their connection is good, but not at the level of a lot of the other couples."

To find out if Darren's forecasts are spot on, make sure to watch Strictly Come Dancing tomorrow (Saturday), starting at 7pm on BBC One.