Strictly Come Dancing fans were left frustrated after the BBC introduced its new Instant Dance challenge on Saturday’s show that was deliberately chaotic. Some fans called it “utterly mad” and saw it as a sign that the show was tampering with the formula that made it successful in the first place. Lewis Cope and Katya Jones were the initial winners of this intense new format, as they wowed the judges with their impromptu routine.
However, the overall segment left longstanding viewers questioning the decision behind the Week 10 challenge, as the celebrities seemed to struggle through their choreographed routines after last weekend’s hectic Blackpool show, which had no elimination due to La Voix’s injury.
Lewis and Katya were the first to win the new Instant Dance challenge. (Image: BBC)
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Celebrities were forced to perform dances they had already learned, but with almost no preparation time and no rehearsal. Just a random style drawn live and then a mad dash through the wardrobe to grab whatever costume they could find in seconds.
Show hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman kept the energy up as usual, but the time pressure saw celebrities rushing to find outfits, scrambling to prepare for their routines and desperately trying to look composed as the clock ticked.
After the whirlwind performances, judges ranked the couples from six points to one, in marks that could prove decisive in what has become one of Strictly’s tightest-ever competitions. Head judge Shirley Ballas was quick to defend the segment, insisting: “The dance styles, costumes and music might not be revealed until the night, but what we can be sure of is that it’s going to be a whole lot of fun.”
Social media erupted within minutes of it airing, with one viewer writing: “I can’t tell if this Instant Dance thing is the best idea or complete utter madness.” Another fumed: “Please stop with the judges, Tess and Claudia doing their silly dancing, it’s a cringe fest!”
A third claimed the whole segment “felt too manic, like when Cowell messed around with The X Factor format and sent it into its demise”. Others said Strictly should have stuck with the classic format, calling the frantic clothes-grabbing idea “silly” and “beneath the show.”
However, many others praised the new addition, feeling it had completely “reinvigorated” the programme and also provided some much-needed humour and fun. Claudia, in particular, received an influx of compliments, as she was declared a “national treasure” for continuing to front the show despite not having a clue what was happening around her.
