One of the 2024 Strictly cohort is rubbing die-hard fans up the wrong way - for "overconfidence". You might think that person would be Pete Wicks - who admitted before it was aired he was likely to annoy people - but it wasn't

Shayne Ward, the former X Factor winner, delivered a confident performance on Strictly Come Dancing, but it didn't sit well with some viewers. He and his dance partner Nancy Xu performed a samba to Stevie Wonder's hit 'Do I Do', but the routine and seventies styling left some fans unimpressed.

One viewer commented: "The overconfidence is actually something I'm not enjoying about Shayne right now. No question, he's good but he's NOT the master of all things dance."

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Another said: "Shayne Ward did well for week 1, but there just something so cringe about the guy."

Yet another added: "Find someone who loves you as much as Shayne Ward loves himself."

Criticism of Shayne Ward's Performance

A different viewer simply stated: "Hes insufferable."

Despite the criticism, many acknowledged the 39 year old's flair on the dance floor. One fan noted: "For week one he totally smashed it, he will let negative comments go over his head and he will prove them wrong as the weeks go on."

Shayne's wife, actress Sophie Austin, was seen proudly clapping in the audience alongside her father, Austin James.

The Manchester-born star won the second series of X Factor in 2005, beating Andy Abraham and Journey South.

He subsequently secured a recording contract with Simon Cowell's Syco label, leading to the release of several successful singles.

Among Shayne's most notable hits is his debut single, That's My Goal, which topped the charts in the UK.

In 2018, his character tragically took his own life on Coronation Street.

Shayne Ward Hits Back at Critics

STRICTLY star Shayne Ward has hit back after viewers branded him "cocky".

The X Factor winner and actor, 39, got off to a steady start with professional partner Nancy Xiu, scoring 21 for their samba to Stevie Wonder's Do I Do.

There was no shortage of stage presence from former Coronation Street favourite Shayne, who gave lots of hip action and facial expressions in his sparkly outfit.

But it was all a bit too much for some Strictly fans with some branding him "overconfident" on social media.

Shayne took to Instagram last night to assure fans that couldn't be further from the truth.

Accompanied by a moody black and white photo, Shayne said: "Strictly is amazing and I love being part of it.

"But through my smile on TV I'm as nervous as the next person.

"Not cocky or overconfident... I'm nervous!

"I just gotta work hard and listen to my wonderful teacher Nancy Xiu. All I can do is my best!"

His steamy routine and 70s styling surprisingly left some fans a little cold.

One person wrote on X: "The overconfidence is actually something I'm not enjoying about Shayne right now.

"No question, he's good but he's NOT the master of all things dance.”

Another critic said: “Find someone who loves you as much as Shayne Ward loves himself.”

And another person simply said: "He's insufferable."

However, others relished his snake-hipped enthusiasm.

One Shayne fan said: “Week one, smashed it.”

Another agreed, saying: “For week one he totally smashed it, he will let negative comments go over his head and he will prove them wrong as the weeks go on.”

Shayne’s wife, actress Sophie Austin, was seen proudly clapping in the audience alongside her dad, Austin.

The Manchester-born star won the second series of The X Factor in 2005, beating Andy Abraham, who finished second, and Journey South, who took third.

He then won a recording contract with Simon Cowell's Syco label and released several successful singles.

Shayne's biggest hits include That's My Goal; his debut single reached number one in the UK.

Another popular track is No Promises, which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart.

His song Breathless from his second album was also a big hit and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.

Shayne won a National Television Award in 2006 for Most Popular Talent Show for his win on The X Factor.

He later took on the role of Staycee Jaxx in the '80s musical Rock of Ages in the West End.

After his successful music career, Shayne ventured into acting.

He joined the cast of Corrie as bad boy Aidan Connor in August 2015 – the half-brother of Carla (later revealed in a dramatic storyline), who owned knicker factory, Underworld, at the time.

His character quickly became known as a ladies' man, something which came back to haunt him in a complicated love triangle between Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) and Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley).

In a typically dramatic conclusion to the storyline, Aidan felt the wrath of Eva as she went "full bunny boiler" on the discovery of his affair with a devious plot to sabotage their wedding day.

Here's how the first week scoreboard looked:

He bagged two gongs for Best Newcomer in 2016 – one at the National Television Awards and another at the Inside Soap awards.

But in 2018 his on-screen character died when he committed suicide.

Shayne has been in a relationship with Hollyoaks actress Sophie since 2016.

The couple got engaged in 2017 but postponed their wedding day during the coronavirus pandemic.

Together, they have two children, Willow born in 2017 and son Reign, who was born in June 2022.

Nancy Xu Defends Shayne Ward

Strictly Come Dancing pro Nancy Xu has thrown her weight behind her celeb partner Shayne Ward.

The duo, Shayne, 39, and Nancy, 33, strutted their stuff on the BBC stage last Saturday (September 21), sashaying to Stevie Wonder's 'Do I Do' with a samba that snagged them a score of 21 from the judges. But not all fans were impressed and some claimed former X Factor champ Shayne was coming across as "cocky".

However, Nancy wasn't having any of it and declared nobody is "confident" stepping onto the Strictly dancefloor. Standing by her man, Nancy took to Instagram ahead of their next routine this weekend.

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She posted rehearsal clips and wrote: "Samba definitely is one of the hardest dances to begin with. You can tell by my face how much I was suprised and happy and proud of [Shayne]. NOBODY is confident stepping on the Strictly dancefloor, especially [being watched and judged] by millions and four legends."

Nancy, who's been dazzling on Strictly since 2019, promised they'll "keep going" and "learn things step by step". Earlier this week, she posted: "Last but not least, hope you all will enjoy and love this journey just like us."

According to the Sun, Nancy also dropped a teaser for their upcoming tango, posting a dance clip with the caption reportedly penned by her: "I cannot wait for this. Smash it.", reports the Mirror.

Nancy's posts in support of Shayne came after he faced backlash following their first dance routine. One fan quipped: "If Shayne Ward was made of chocolate he'd lick himself." Another chimed in: "Find someone that loves you as much as Shayne Ward loves himself."

A third added: "Shane appears to think he's much better than he is."

Another viewer shared their thoughts, commenting: "The overconfidence is actually something I'm not enjoying about Shayne right now."

One viewer tweeted: "Bit too full of himself." Another wrote: "Shayne's not learned that no-one takes to the hyper-confident competitive ones, has he? ".

However, Shayne defended himself and reassured fans that he isn't "cocky". He addressed the criticism in a recent Instagram post, where he shared a solemn black and white photo of himself.

In the caption, he wrote: "Strictly is amazing and I love being part of it. But through my smile on TV I'm as nervous as the next person. Not cocky or overconfident... I'm nervous! I just gotta work hard and listen to my wonderful teacher [Nancy]. All I can do is my best! ".

The Week Two Performances

If you want to know what songs and dances are set to be performed this week, you can find the full list right here.

Meanwhile, fellow contestant Nick Knowles injured his arm over the weekend, and on yesterday's It Takes Two he said that, despite his arm being in a sling, he fully intends to carry on in the competition for as long as he can.

Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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Conclusion

The 'Strictly' judges will also battle for a throne during an “avant garde gothic tango” alongside the show’s professional dancers.

Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke will participate in the dramatic performance on tomorrow night’s results show.

As the competition progresses, it will be interesting to see if Shayne Ward can silence his critics and prove his worth on the dance floor. Only time will tell if he can win over the hearts of the judges and the public.

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