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EastEnders star opens night’s dances with delicate American Smoothpublished at 18:47 GMT
Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter
With an American Smooth, Balvinder Sopal and her partner Julian Caillon kick off the night’s dances.
Before that, there’s a treat for Julian as he gets a tour of the fabled Albert Square set.
And as the professional dancer takes in the EastEnders sights and scenes, he’s impressed by… the squirrels?
On to the pair’s performance, and it’s a flowery affair as Balvinder mimics her partner’s movements while they revolve across a petal-clad floor – and there are a few lifts too in what is an assured performance.
“What a lovely way to start an evening,” Anton reacts, though admits it felt “a little safe” if “neat and tidy”.
Motsi agrees there’s a little too much “carefulness” to the pair’s routines, but says the punchy moments were “really really strong”.
Now, the first scores of the night:
Craig: 6
Motsi: 7
Shirley: 7
Anton: 7
Total: 27
