Strictly Come Dancing winner ‘revealed’ after first live show despite ‘fix’ accusations

Strictly Come Dancing 2024 kicked disconnected to a dazzling commencement connected Saturday night, with Amy Dowden making a triumphant instrumentality to the ballroom, Chris McCausland winning implicit the nationalist and JB Gill already topping the leaderboard.

The BBC programme is celebrating its 20th day with a stellar line-up this year, including Pete Wicks, Tasha Ghouri, Jamie Borthwick, Nick Knowles, and Shayne Ward, arsenic 15 celebrities acceptable their sights connected the glitterball trophy, and anticipation to travel successful the footsteps of 2023 winners Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola.

And it looks similar we already person a hint astatine who could beryllium winning, with a wide denotation from the leaderboard and the latest odds.

The archetypal dances of the series saw JB and Amy with 31 points successful apical spot, intimately followed by Love Island prima Tasha and spouse Aljaž Škorjanec and histrion Sarah Hadland and spouse Vito some pursuing with 30 points.

At the bottom, Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones scored 12 points, portion Pete and Jowita Pryzstal’s pasadoble and Paul Merson’s Vindaloo American Smooth with Karen Hauer only managed 17.

And portion JLS vocalist JB is soaring supra the others, he’s not really tipped to win.

According to the latest likelihood by Ladbrokes, Tasha stands astatine likelihood of 3/1, followed by fan-favourite Chris astatine 7/2, associated with JB.

Meanwhile, Paul and Nick are astatine the bottom, with likelihood of 80/1.

This comes contempt ‘fix’ accusations, with fans pointing retired Tasha’s past creation experience.

‘Tasha getting each precocious scores but definite she’s a nonrecreational dancer, spot unfair,’ @GeorgiaFinn11209 wrote connected X.

‘Love tasha ghouri but spot unfair her being successful strictly erstwhile she’s a dancer?’ @_okamber added, to which @SG902110 replied: ‘Agreed! I deliberation she’ll triumph it with her creation inheritance too.’

‘Isn’t Tasha Ghouri a nonrecreational dancer? Wasn’t that a happening erstwhile she was successful Love Island?’ @stewiebirnie wrote.

‌@evrmorslvr said: ‘I emotion tasha but she isn’t meant to beryllium connected the amusement due to the fact that she is already a PROFESSIONAL DANCER.’

Others defended Tasha, with @unityteal writing: ‘shes not ballroom oregon italic trained though, determination are aggregate ‘trained’ dancers connected the show.’

@Hannah15_f1 said: ‘She’s Only trained successful creation styles similar modern and hep hop NOT ballroom and Latin its DIFFERENT!!!!!’

Tasha, who made past connected Love Island successful 2022 arsenic the show’s archetypal deaf contestant, previously addressed the ‘fix’ claims, insisting Strictly would beryllium a caller benignant of experience, saying: ‘I’ve not danced successful rather a fewer years now, since Love Island my vocation has changed truthful much.

‘I mightiness not beryllium bully astatine it, similar ballet, I’m not bully astatine ballet, I’m trained successful commercial, truthful I’m excited to larn these caller styles.’

Tasha’s cha cha cha to Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter earned roaring praise from the judges past night, with caput justice Shirley Ballas saying: ‘You’re connected your mode to having 1 of the astir spectacular limb actions I’ve seen connected the show.’

Anton Du Beke said she was ‘terrific’, portion Craig Revel Horwood hailed their show arsenic a ‘slay’.

Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturdays astatine 7pm connected BBC One and iPlayer.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a personage story, video oregon pictures get successful interaction with the Metro.co.uk amusement squad by emailing america [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 oregon by visiting our Submit Stuff leafage – we’d emotion to perceive from you.

MORE : Fans shocked arsenic Zara McDermott returns to Strictly contempt ‘distressing incidents’

MORE : Strictly viewers spot Chris McCausland’s ‘dig’ astatine amusement with dicey joke

MORE : Inside Strictly co-hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly’s relationship aft claims they ‘despised each other’