Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Strictly Come Dancing viewers were left complaining just seconds into Saturday (19 October) night’s show, with the introductions failing to entertain those at home.
There are 12 couples remaining after Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk’s exit on Sunday night, making them the third pair to be eliminated from this year’s competition.
However, before the dancing even began the viewers were left baffled by the decisions surrounding the new intro to the show, which involved the fours judges dancing their way out to the show’s main tune while Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman awkwardly shuffled behind them.
Then after Daly and Winkleman had begun presenting the celebrities and their professional dance partners were introduced to the audience on the stage behind them.
People at home called the introducing “surreal” and felt that it lacked atmosphere and failed to set an atmosphere for the episode.
One person wrote: “Can we please go back to having the #Strictly theme playing when the stars are introduced? It really created the atmosphere.”
A second added: “HATE the way they don’t introduce Tess and Claude anymore with the “Live from the BBC” and Dave Arch wagging his finger… really takes away from the atmosphere.”
A third said: “We really don’t need the judges dancing, so cringe.”
A fourth person wrote: “Dear #Strictly Can we please go back to using the theme tune for the celeb intros. You’re ruining the vibe. Thank you.”
This Saturday night’s show does not have a theme so viewers can expect a wide but eclectic variety of dances, including Paul Merson dancing a Samba to Rose Royce’s “Car Wash” and Pete Wicks dancing a Rumba to Oasis’s “Don’t Look Back in Anger”.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
This week’s dances include two Sambas and two Quicksteps, plus a couple’s choice routine for Montell Douglas and her pro partner Johannes Radebe.
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell will dance a Waltz to “You’ll Never Walk Alone” by Gerry and the Pacemakers, while Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola will dance a Samba to “Do It Do It Again” by Rafaella Carrà.
Want to watch Strictly Come Dancing while travelling abroad? Then you’ll need a VPN to stream this show. Discover the UK’s best VPN deals today. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.