Strictly Come Dancing is back with a bang with the first live show seeing an array of incredible moves on Saturday night.
But it is one celebrity who took to the floor and seriously impressed viewers - we may have a winner in our midst.
Former Love Islander Tasha Ghouri's Cha Cha to Sabrina Carpenter's song of the summer 'Espresso' blew viewers away and has been dubbed 'incredible'.
Loyal watchers of the BBC ballroom show took to Instagram to react to the impressive number.
"Dance of the night for me so far! Incredible," wrote one impressed fan, while another added: "They did so well!! What a fantastic dance."
See a snippet of the fabulous toe-tapping number.
Tasha looked beautiful on Saturday night in a seafoam blue dress with a ruffled skirt and rhinestone-adorned bodice. The dance was extra special as it marked Aljaž Škorjanec's return to the Strictly ballroom after his exit in 2022.
Though she may be the viewers' favourite to win at this point in the game, the dancer tied with Miranda actress Sarah Hadland and her partner Vito Coppola. Tasha was pipped to the post by JLS' JB Gill and his partner Amy Dowden who scored an incredible 31 points on the night.
The star landed a spot on Strictly after having been the first deaf contestant on Love Island, appearing in the villa in 2021.
The model and dancer has spoken about her hopes of inspiring 'little Tashas' through her representation of the deaf community through her appearance on the show and her openness about wearing a cochlear implant.
Tasha was born deaf and was initially fitted with hearing aids before receiving a cochlear implant just before her fifth birthday.
In her VT ahead of her Cha Cha, Tasha spoke candidly about her "concentration fatigue" when lip-reading those around her.
"There may be times when I have a power nap for ten to 20 minutes just to get myself back and re-energised," she revealed to her pro partner.
Aljaž asked Tasha how he could best support her through rehearsals and the pair rehearsed with Tasha removing her implant so she could feel the vibrations of the live music.
DISCOVER: Amy Dowden celebrates emotional moment following Strictly ballroom comeback
"It felt like just you and me on that dance floor," the star told Aljaž following the stellar performance, which scored 30 points out of a possible 40.
Strictly Come Dancing enthusiasts are abuzz with predictions that contestant Tasha Ghouri is set for victory in the celebrated BBC dance contest following what many believe to be a significant indication of her potential triumph.
The 2024 season of Strictly has commenced with a bang, following an enthralling launch show. The familiar faces of hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman return to guide viewers as fifteen new pairings strive to impress with their footwork in hopes of raising the prestigious Glitterball trophy sky high.
In the inaugural week, celebrities and their professional counterparts come together, aiming to secure their spot on the leaderboard with their debut performances.
Tasha, teamed up with returning professional dancer Aljaz Skorjanec, left a memorable impression on the Strictly dance floor. The pair's exuberant Cha Cha to "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter drew particular praise from head judge Shirley Ballas.
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Shirley lavished Tasha with commendations before proclaiming, "You're on your way to have one of the most spectacular leg actions I think I have ever seen on the show."
Claudia echoed the sentiment by labelling Shirleys remarks as "extraordinary", while avid fans took to social media platforms, voicing premonitions of Tasha securing the glitterball trophy.
On platform X, fans rallied support with comments like: "I loved Tasha. What a dance! ! ! ! #Strictly." Another fan shared their fervour with, "Tasha is SENSATIONAL #Strictly" and yet another articulated, "Tasha Ghouri was absolutely incredible on strictly, she is sooooo good #Strictly."
One more eager supporter predicted, "ALJAZ is back Him and Tasha for the final #Strictly".
Although the judges will provide feedback and score the celebrities, no one will be sent home in the first week. The real tension begins in week two when one celebrity will be eliminated permanently, reports the Mirror.
Tonight's action will commence at 7pm on BBC One, but there won't be a results show this weekend.
Currently leading the betting odds are X Factor winner Shayne Ward and JLS star JB Gill however, former professional dancer Erin Boag has highlighted Miranda star Sarah Hadland as another contender to keep an eye on.
Strictly Come Dancing sensation Tasha Ghouri has now emerged as the favourite to clinch the title of the BBC hit show after wowing viewers and judges on the dance floor, dealing a crushing blow to another contestant.
Toyah Willcox's chances of winning are looking bleak as the singer saw her odds take a nosedive. Following the pre-recorded launch show last weekend, week one of the BBC One dance contest kicked off on Saturday night (September 21) with a routine from the professional dancers.
Before the show, JLS star JB Gill, who has been paired with Welsh professional Amy Dowden, was the bookies' favourite to bag the Glitterball trophy but now Tasha Ghouri has leapfrogged in the outright market, despite finishing in second place on last night's leaderboard.
Tasha received a standing ovation after her Cha Cha Cha performance to Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter with partner Aljaz Skorjanec. Head Judge Shirley Ballas praised the reality star for having 'the most spectacular leg actions she has ever seen on this show' and was awarded a whopping 30 points from the panel.
The Love Island star, 26, is now priced at 3/1 to win. Hot on her heels is comedian Chris McCausland, who has surged from 20/1 to a competitive 7/2 after impressing fans with an outstanding performance, pushing JB Gill into third at 4/1, reports the Mirror.
READ MORE Strictly fans 'fuming' as popular star suffers major snub on show [LATEST]
Pete Wicks and Toyah Willcox have suffered setbacks in the betting stakes, with Pete's odds slipping from 16/1 to 20/1, while Toyah's have taken a nosedive from 16/1 to a staggering 100/1.
Consequently, Toyah has emerged as the favourite to be the first shown the door, with odds of 3/6 indicating she could be leaving next weekend.
Betfred's Kayley Cornelius commented on the shifting odds: "A tough first week for Toyah Willcox, who now finds herself trailing behind her peers at the bottom of the leaderboard after the first round of live performances. Priced at 3/6, she's now the favourite to be the first eliminated from the competition."
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"It wasn't just a rough night for Toyah-Pete Wicks also struggled, and as a result, his odds of 16/1 to win have now been lengthened to a measly 20/1. He now finds himself in a worrying spot for next weekend and risks landing in the dance-off if he doesn't step up his game."
"On the flip side, football pundit Paul Merson, who tied with Pete at a score of 17, may have caught a break. Before Saturday night, he was almost certain to be the first to go, but he's shown he might offer more competition than expected. While his position is still shaky and priced at 2/1 to go next weekend, if Paul delivers on the dancefloor, he could survive another week."
"Meanwhile, Nick Knowles seems to have turned things around. Like Paul, Nick's chances on the show looked grim, but after narrowly beating Paul and Pete by a single point this weekend, a solid performance next week could keep him in the competition a little longer."
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There are always going to be standout performances on the first night of Strictly Come Dancing – and what a mega start to the competition it's been for Sarah Hadland!
The actress took to the floor with professional dance partner Vito Coppola for a Quickstep to 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton and it not only got the audience up on their feet and the judges singing their praises, it went on to become the highest scoring Quickstep ever for week 1 of the show.
Craig Revel Horwood simply described the performance as "fantastic" while Motsi Mabuse said: "Honestly, what a year it's going to be, starting the Quickstep like that – fast, rhythmical, great hold, great timing, well done."
Shirley Ballas added: "Entertaining, great footwork, just love this pairing!"
Presenter Tess Daly turned to Hadland and said "what a start" and ushered the pair off to get their scores. Back upstairs with the rest of the stars and Claudia Winkleman, Hadland asked: "What is going on?"
Coppola was quick to praise his partner and said: "I don't know but you were fantastic, they said you were fantastic, you are fantastic."
Then it was time for the anticipated scores and both were overjoyed, receiving eights from Craig and Motsi and then, sevens from Shirley and Anton Du Beke. With a total score of 30, Winkleman was quick to tell Hadland about a fact she had for her.
"That is the highest ever Quickstep in week 1, it is. True," she said.
Read more:
It's been a rollercoaster of emotions for Hadland since she joined the Strictly process, with the actress admitting to Radio Times magazine that she had actually burst into tears when seeing her costume for the first time.
She revealed: "It’s amazing. I mean, I burst into tears when I put my costume on for the first time, just because I wasn’t…
"The first time I’d seen it, it was literally three handkerchiefs of purple Lycra, and it literally had six safety pins. And I was like, 'Wow, that’s really basic.' And I was thinking, 'How are they going to bougie this up?'"
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She continued: "And, funnily enough, I was talking when they were fitting me into it, when it had all been done, and then I turned around, and it was a bit of a moment, because, yeah, I’ve never worn anything so beautiful. It really caught me off guard.
"I wasn’t expecting it. I just burst into tears. I was like, 'This is so beautiful.'"
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