Strictly Come Dancing: The Competition Begins

This weekend saw an array of new celebrities strut their stuff on the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor with the men ready to show off their cha cha chas and waltzes.

On Saturday it looked like Gary Rhodes and his professional partner Karen Hardy were set to be the first pair to leave - after the judges voted the spiky haired chef at the bottom.

The celebrities who topped the leader board were ex-rugby ace Austin Healey closely followed by Holby City’s Tom Chambers.

Another star of the evening was surprise favorite John Sergeant who waltzed around the dance floor with elegance and charm.

The tension was high in a dramatic dance off on Sunday night between Don Warrington and partner Lilia Kopylova and Phil Daniels and Flavia Cacace.

Both pairs made a few fatal mistakes in their final dances - a point which didn't go unnoticed by the judges.

In the end it came down to head judge Len’s decision as he pulled the plug on Phil Daniels and Flavia Cacace's chances of winning, booting them out in the first week.

Next week is the girls' opportunity to impress. Let’s hope they can dazzle as well as their male counterparts.