(Image: BBC)
BBC Strictly Come Dancing expert names 'underdog' of competition as celebrity 'will surprise people'
by Jessica Sansome · Manchester Evening NewsA Strictly Come Dancing expert has named the 'underdog' of the competition that viewers need to watch out for as well as the celebrity that 'will surprise people' on the show.
The hit BBC One dance contest kicked off earlier this month with the pre-recorded launch show which saw Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman welcome the class of 2024 to the ballroom before revealing their professional partner for the first time.
Since then, the competition has got underway with the first live show of the series last weekend which saw all 15 of the new couples perform for the first time.
They performed their first routines of the series before receiving their critique and scores from the judges - Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke - which resulted in the first leaderboard of the series.
JLS star JB Gill and Amy Dowden are topping the scoring so far after their first performance, the pair were awarded 31 points by the judges for their waltz to When I Need You by singer Leo Sayer. They were closely followed by Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Skorjanec and Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola with 30 points out of a possible 40 each.
Down the bottom end of the leaderboard was Toyah Wilcox after getting off to a tricky start. The singer was given just 12 points out of a possible 40 after dancing a Tango to Ray Of Light by Madonna with Neil Jones.
Reality star and podcast host Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal and former footballer Paul Merson and Karen Hauer also found themselves near the bottom of the leaderboard with a score of 17 points each.
Now, leading dance expert Dr Jill Rose Jacobs has shared who she thinks Strictly fans haven't got their eyes on just yet - but should. Speaking exclusively to the Manchester Evening News on behalf of Heart Bingo, Dr Jill said: "My underdog of the competition is Tom Dean. He was another who really surprised me, he is beginning to embody dance already and he has the facilities to do so.
"He made a comment about being scared to be on his feet because he was used to being in the water when swimming, I did not see that at all. He looked so grounded, so masculine but elegant. I loved his male energy, because he needs to lead, and he has a great connection with his partner.
(Image: Guy Levy/BBC/PA)
"You know he has worked so hard in his career and can do that here again; I feel like now he’s busy thinking about the choreography and he has that hard work and physicality. Does he have artistry? I think so, I see him getting to the final."
She continued: "Another I see surprising people is Dr Punam Krishan. She was good, the technical aspects were pretty good for this point in the competition, and she has musicality.
"At this point, she looked to be lacking confidence and comparing herself to other women in the competition, she doesn’t need to because she has it and she’s fantastic. I’d say to her just hang on the music and connect to it because all the skills are there."