This time last year, I wrote about how I was heading into the new series of Strictly with mixed feelings. There had been endless bad news coming from the Strictly camp and the selection of celebrities didn’t have me jumping up and down with enthusiasm. I said:

Guess how long it was into the launch show before I was giddy and clapping and bouncing around the room? About ten minutes, if I’m being modest, five minutes if I’m being truthful

It’s been almost a carbon copy of that this year. The bad news has maybe been less but still a few headlines here and there creeping out about bad behaviour behind the glitterball. And of the 2025 cast, I cared for only two of them from the announcements only.

But the launch show does what it does best and the sparkles, bright colours, genuine joy and good vibes made me feel like it might be an okay end to the year after all.

A couple of things to note:

• It was a fun opening skit with last year’s winner Chris McCausland, and of course he and Dianne returned to the dance floor for the last time with their incredible waltz. Dianne was funny saying in approximately thirty seconds she was deleting his number and moving on to her next partner.
• Worth noting it was only 15 minutes into the show before Jowita was airborne. Although the new dancer Alexis looks like she doesn’t mind being thrown around so Jowita might have a rival!
• The judges look good behind their one single desk, but like Craig I prefer the individual desks… maybe not going so far as bringing back the perspex screens.
• Of the celebrities, only a few things really jumped out: Ellie’s energy was off the scale. George has a cute smile. Vicky seems to have developed a language of her own. La Voix is hilarious.

If we have to make predictions at such an early stage in the series (and we do), my finalists would be Dani Dyer, Lewis Cope, maybe Harry and maybe Alex. The first to go out I’m hoping is Tom for personality reasons, but also having seen that first group dance, it was painful to watch. (Amy looks amazing, though!)

So here we are, buckle up and get ready for the next 13 weeks of glitz, glamour, fake tans, dance offs and dramatics. I can’t wait!