STRICTLY Come Dancing enjoyed a ratings boost thanks to the excitement of the three new hosts and the arrival of five sexy new pros.
Last night’s series opener had 5.8m tune in — up on the 5.6m and 5.7m who tuned in over the past two years.
The BBC series returned to screens last night after undergoing a huge refresh.
Seasoned presenter , comedian and pro dancer made their debut fronting the new-look show.
They took over from and , who quit at the end of the last series.
Fans were impressed with Emma’s effortless and confident style and were pleasantly surprised with Johannes’ assured performance.
But they were less complimentary in their reviews for Josh, saying he looked out of place and they felt only two presenters were needed for the gig.
They weren’t the only new faces on the show, with five exciting pros taking to the stage this series.
Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita lit up the dance floor in a fiery number to some club classics.
In a complete overhaul, the 15 celebs were split into three groups of five and danced alongside multiple pros as their partners were revealed live in the studio.
Dani Dyer was teamed with Nikita Kuzmin, in a repeat of last year’s pairing before Dani had to exit the show after breaking her ankle prior to the live episodes.
She’s favourite to win this series, along with Australian singer Delta Goodrem. The Eurovision star couldn’t contain her excitement when she found out she’d be dancing with Kai Widdrington.
House Of The Dragon’s Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu paired up in the show’s only same-sex duo.
Other pairs included telly dog trainer Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley, EastEnders’ Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola, celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden, Gavin and Stacey’s Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec, Big Brother host Will Best and Dianne Buswell, Love Island winner Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby, Paralympic cyclist Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon, actress Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu, former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr, Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał, YouTuber John Nellis and Katya Jones and Olympian Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita.
