Nigel Harman and Katya Jones Paso Doble to Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana ✨ BBC Strictly 2023

[@SiasCreations]

Nigel stole the show tonight! There's always a week 1 dance that leaves you in awe, and somehow I didn't expect it to be a paso but this was special. The shaping he produced is better than I've seen many male celebs attempt way further into the season. I've been waiting for Katya to have a strong partner for years because she is such a clever choreographer, and I am so excited to see what this pair will produce together - bring on next week!

[@riaana5537]

I was waiting to see this comment. Even the best dancers in precious series didn't get the Spanish line as on point as this! I'm a fan but wasn't expecting him to be the best of the night but by far he was.

[@GodMother.]

4 ppl have done a paso as a first dance Nigel got the highest score

[@Amber-uh1iy]

Katya just proves year after year that she's a genius! This might be one of the best week 1 dances ever! I had kind of written off Nigel, cause he seemed a bit timid on the launch show, but if they keep this up he's got a good chance of being a finalist

[@julkaxDxD]

Nigel has dance experience 😂

[@clairefrier2353]

@@julkaxDxDa lot of contestants do.

[@ceciliagalvin2114]

i don’t think he was timid at all, you could see in the group number he had it down!!

[@faegibb4043]

​@julkaxDxD most people in the entertainment industry have "dance experience". I doubt he has done a paso doble before

[@danielhindson1840]

I'm not sure why people have issues with this so many celebs have learned some dancing but it was never ballroom nor Latin and last time I checked this show was about dancing the best you can so forget popularity Nigel has good rhythm and timing so he has a shot to win but Les Dennis definitely won't win but he'll be through the weeks because he's the most known next to Annabel Croft just don't want another Tony Adams drag situation it was so unfair

[@crystalalpaca9859]

I keep coming back to watch this. Its SO GOOD!

[@babybobs6]

This man!! I KNEW he was going to be epic!! I don’t think I even took a breath during this! INSANE! And the band were incredible too!

[@naimaboukhouf]

Was great but it way too much Of Katya in my opinion

[@inezfeytons8896]

​@@naimaboukhoufno are you blind

[@kierah]

God I love Katya's choreo, always something new. Utterly obsessed with those four spins at 0:59.

[@VanessaDiRenzo]

Omg that was absolutely insane for week one! That has to be the best week one dance I've ever seen!

[@madformentese]

I loved the way that they were still in synch with their breathing at the end, once the dance had finished. A great pairing with oodles of potential for some more fabulous routines.

[@themoores9817]

This has to be one of the best first week dances ever in strictly

[@michelepringle3657]

I am fascinated to see where this goes. This was so week 8 - cannot believe this is the opening show. Magic stuff Katya and Nigel.

[@KellyIsShort]

Astonishing performance! Think Nigel could really win it if he keeps this up!

[@wondeecheeseice373]

Nigel is already a fav. He did brilliantly. This paso doble was on fire. Favourite of the night. Can’t wait to see his other dances. Also super excited for Katya. 💫🙂

[@stratfordbaby]

His twists and turns were in perfect speed and sync with hers. It was almost impossible to tell he was an amateur on Week ONE!!! Just proves that even with age, if you keep fit and manage weight and physicality, everything is possible!!!!

[@PreppiesX0X0]

HELLO? What the hell have I just seen?! I’m sorry what?? This was absolutely fantastic! Omg what an entertainment. By far that was the most wonderful Paso Dobles I’ve ever seen in a while, the cape work was brilliant, loved the intensity and choreography. They could go very far in this competition without a doubt

[@feeltheforce10]

Fantastic 1st dance.Great chemistry between them.I thought they would get a 9 or two. Praise to the singers and orchestra - great job.

[@thebeachisdark7]

gutted we're not gonna be able to see this in the final😭

[@bbcseriesfan]

I've said it before, I'll say it again: we need the Dave Arch footage whenever he's on the guitar. WE NEED IT.

[@pennyandfishy7241]

Score - *9/10* Talk about exceeding expectations, this was so strong and powerful, it was so refreshing to see a male Paso with such dominance and coordination. The shaping and focus was on point, such strong footwork and synchronisation. Katya really knows how to do a good Paso, the side by sides and promandes were excellent. I really loved the section with those spins at 0:59 that was just incredible. The spanish lines and CAPEWORK ON WEEK 1! this is so promising, definitely final potential already, Katya finally has a good partner again, long awaited and worth it! Now we get to see what she is really made of again 🎉

[@bessieburnet9816]

Second coming of Joe McFadden in the making?!

[@pennyandfishy7241]

@@bessieburnet9816 looks like it! Strong Kelvin vibes I think

[@rileymartin2202]

Probably because he has a history of being in the stage

[@hazeldellis]

Yep stage school kid for sure

[@pennyandfishy7241]

@@rileymartin2202 and so does Bobby, Angela R, Amanda, Layton and Ellie! It really doesn't matter at all, strictly will never be a level ground completion, it never has been and it never will be. Anyone who complains "oh that's unfair they've danced in this and he's danced on musicals and she did ballet lessons" misses the point of it being an entertainment show

[@ninoj3774]

Best of the night. Katya is a brilliant choreographer. They killed it. I think Nigel is going to be the dark horse of the competition.

[@maryjeffries3126]

A dark horse ? He is clearly fantastic !

[@ninoj3774]

@@maryjeffries3126 I said dark horse because everyone thinks Bobby will win. And the second person people mention (as the winner) is Layton.

[@maryjeffries3126]

@ninoj3774 Oh, I see. I hadn't seen any publicity. I just watched this as the first proper show of the series. They certainly were fabulous.

[@shenayduffy4043]

Dark horse? It's qstvweek he's brill how is this a dark horse..a dark horse is someone you thing might go home week one then start getting better and get to front

[@ninoj3774]

@@shenayduffy4043 Dark horse is a person who nobody expects to win and ends up winning. I literally explained why I put "dark horse" in another comment up there. And I even put "I think". I'm not stating anything.

[@shartzie]

OMG I’m from Singapore and I don’t know who he is but he is INCREDIBLE. Watch the line of his arm and the strength in his wrists. It’s like he’s a classically trained dancer. Straight to finals please!

[@anniebroadbent7961]

He's got the dark and brooding thing down to a fine art.

[@PigeonFace4Life]

This is my favourite dance of all time on Strictly, and it was only performed in week one! Insanely proud of Nigel so far, I love him so much and I hope to see him win the show!! ❤

[@art4artssake352]

Absolutely stunning! Katya is a superb choreographer and Nigel...wow!

[@lulucrumble22]

agree 100% although Nigel studied at Arts Educational so must have had dance training. this was absolutely the standout performance of the night.

[@bestfaes]

Wow, best of the night. This year, we may be able to see more of katya's amazing choreography skills

[@beaniebum24]

Katya is the best pro by a country mile and this partnership has so much potential. My fave of the night 🎉

[@RCTurner]

Absolutely fantastic, deserves to be a dance to see in the final. I don’t think I’ve seen such a strong dance in week 1 ever!

[@adeletaylor6143]

I had the biggest crush on him when he was in EastEnders and now I remember why

[@zxaddictxz]

I am the opposite. I saw him in something where he played a villain, and that unpleasant impression lingered until this fabulous performance. Now I am a fan

[@F1KillerQueen]

Well Done to Jesse Smith for singing this. We LOVE you Jesse. Completely stunning performance

[@mickyg67]

It was horrible. He butchered it

[@kimmarievan-ever6599]

Gosh I'M SO EXCITED NOW !!.. knew he'd do good..he's an actor so can bring that to the dance..he is a fittish guy even though he says he has a tummy on him.. he has Katya as a partner..we know she is THE BEST choreographer in this show !!.? He is still a sexy guy..so putting those all together this is a pairing I LOVE.. glad Layton got pulled up on his pigeon toes..he thought he could just dazzle with all the makeup and top half..no luv this is a dance show !!.. pleased for Bobby..Annabelle..Angela and Jake Cundy who I must admit I didn't know..shameful of me I know..who did well too..But Nigel stole the night along with Dave Arch on the guitar..rock on Dave !!

[@aideencooney1685]

Saw Nigel I guys and dolls in 2005 and he danced the tango in the Cuba/Havana scene. I knew he’d be amazing in strictly and having also met him twice he is a lovely person to boot!! Nigel for the win!!

[@VanessaDiRenzo]

Really? Omfg I can't wait to see his ballroom. They have so much chemistry. It's going to be incredible!

[@aideencooney1685]

@@VanessaDiRenzoyep!! He’s definitely the one to watch!!!

[@MissWizard]

Oh my god, these two are hot. Nigel holds himself really well, he dances like a professional. Save the best for last.

[@ravenclawrumba7096]

By far my favourite of the night, by a mile, i hope this means Katya can get far this year without the comedy act and just based off of pure talent 9/10

[@naimaboukhouf]

Was good but Katya's showing more herself She is a great dancer but needs to focus on celebrity ,was good but he made lots of mistakes Let's be honest

[@Suzibird307]

@@naimaboukhoufYou must be seeing something that everyone else in the comments didn't see. Are you a professional dancer?

[@missthea5259]

Remember that Katya won in 2016 with Joe McFadden. So she's done OK in the past.

[@jennifermcateer1689]

​@@naimaboukhoufand yet the judges didn't see any

[@Danceswithfishes]

​@@naimaboukhouf It's his first dance.

[@petrinaclark3349]

That was beautiful to watch, Nigel always is easy on the eyes, even more so now 🤩😍 hot damn… and well done Katya 😁

[@person2344]

Absolutely loved this routine, can’t wait for next week 😁

[@Anonymous-xk4fy]

WOAHHHH!!!! Nigel was fireeee, definitely surpassed my expectations (didn't notice him last week in the group dance as a frontrunner), 8/10 - keep going!

[@gillandste5808]

Great dancing. Wow what a vocal on this song, amazing!

[@JaniceHorsman]

If you hadn't have known, you'd have thought both of them were professional dancers. Absolutely brilliant!

[@nethe0]

I couldn't tell which one was the professional.

[@GaryWalshDublin]

Wow. I watched all the dances for week 1 and this was by far the best one. I think Katya is amazing anyway so I hope she goes very far with Nigel

[@celiabooth3411]

My mouth was open in shock all the way through. The way he pulled this off in week one is A-MA-ZING! 😲❤️‍🔥

[@ELEKTRARE]

Nigel those arms & those legs are giving me LIFE yaaaaaasssss ❤

[@raemundvp1153]

Katya is the best choreographer amongst the professional dancers. She makes anybody who is paired with her a real dancer.

[@emmabonsall9111]

He's a force to be reckoned with absolutely brilliant

[@elkemacalister7433]

Katya is the best choreographer brilliant at paso doble and tango fabulous ❤

[@KatEtoile]

those spin turns 1 minute in?? Immaculate!!

[@zxaddictxz]

Aren't they? Terrific shapes.

[@louiseyounge8973]

This dance is the my favourite dance ever best dance of week one by far, Kayta has a fabulous partner this year

[@juliethompson5301]

Fantastic and the best of the night .Katya is a wonderful teacher

[@ashleymoon2969]

I'm just happy that Nigel's in it. I fancied the pants off him when he was Dennis in EastEnders ❤❤❤

[@ChrisJustinMusic]

Jesse Smith smashed it on vocals! 🤘

[@michellelewis8393]

My favourite dance is the Paso, I was begging for it to be hot and wow they didn’t disappoint. I couldn’t keep my eyes off Nigel 😍

[@aislingprendergast9235]

This was a phenomenal first week dance the one you would definitely remember from this series they were so in sync from start to finish great job nigel and katya

[@lisaR.3]

Nigel was absolutely incredible tonight! He made this rock/ring master theme work and brought strength, timing and excellent partnering skills. Nigel is the dark horse of the competition. Katya looked super happy with the scores too. Katya will bring outside the box choreography again that will compliment Nigel’s talent. Nigel will go far in the competition that’s for sure. I’m interested to see more of the same going forward. His argentine tango should be a treat. I enjoyed him in Eastenders as Dennis and I’m sure I will enjoy his strictly performances too! Bring on next week! 💃🏽

[@lisastephens3447]

Absolutely fantastic and wonderful and thank you. Plus a big shout out to singers and Dave Arch and his orchestra, they can do anything from classical to rock, fabulous xxx

[@bessieburnet9816]

Wow. Wow wow wow wow! WOW! I am quaking!! This was AMAZING! Week 1 Paso Doble would be cruel, but this was so amazing! I had a feeling Nigel would do well, but not this well! Call me too much, but that dance belongs in the final. Paso Doble is my favourite dance style, and I say it is one of the best Pasos on Strictly, up there with the likes John and Johannes's. I see this as an absolute win! Executed esch move perfectly, and the cape! He never fumbled it! Wow!! Well saved for last. I will be thinking about this for so long. Katya Jones is back, people! Could Nigel Harman finally be the one to compliment her choreography skill since Joe McFadden?! Aaaah!! I loved it!! 😍🤩🤪😭❤️‍🔥

[@Nix0616]

Best performance of the night! Nigel smashed it! 👌 👏👏

[@marriedtomowgli]

Unreal 🤍 9/10 however that is one of the best pasos ive seen on strictly and for week one. Wow. So happy for katya!!! She so deserves this!! Well done nigel 💕

[@alib1919]

Amazing!! How can this be THAT good on week one?! Loved it, the music, the choreography, the outfits. Just incredible. ❤❤

[@alysonsaunders2582]

Brilliant! Had a touch of Danny Mac about him. Hope Katya & him go all the way to the final, she deserves a great partner for a change!

[@BA17Hel]

I knew it was going to be good, they always finish the show on a high. They were amazing!

[@charlotteb5802]

Very powerful paso doble, love Katya's choreography 😊

[@lillyrose1787]

Wow, for week 1 this was phanominal. Katya is a brilliant choreographer and Nigel was excellent. The best dance of the night.

[@debbieking4128]

A match for Katya s legendary paso dobles!

[@JanisDavis-b8v]

Wow! Nigel and Katya fantastic paso doble. Katya is a great choreographer. You smashed it tonight Nigel. Onwards and upwards. Can see you in the final

[@joannehills140]

That would have made a cracking Halloween performance. It was all spot on, dancing, choreography (Katya is just a genius), costumes, theme, music . I already feel like its a Strictly classic u could watch over and over...

[@kateaxford4338]

Absolutely brilliant. They deserve to win just on this one dance

[@ronfarkas]

The incredible dancing aside, really need to commend the lighting and wardrobe teams for this one, excellent jobs!

[@iblamebatman8874]

Katya's choreography and concepts are always absolutely amazing.

[@lindaz8689]

damn straight she's one of the best the show's ever had.

[@firespirit8925]

My favourite dance of the night I think him and Katya could win if he keeps this up just wow

[@kerrytaylor8850]

These two were absolutely amazing, surely a contender for winners of the show!!!🕺💃✨

[@jakebowlertheatre]

He comes across so robotic in the vts that i was suprised by how suave and sexy this paso doble was. Brilliant shaping, the right amount of showing off, even the cape work wasnt a disaster (as it so often is). I thought he could go into his lunges a bit deeper, but overall this was a very good dance. 9

[@TheClairex]

1:56 I think they purposely didn’t give too much away in the vts, so that they could really bring the surprise element tonight. If you think about it, whenever there was a vt of them all practicing their dances, Nigel would be just watching Katya and not dancing himself.

[@Suzibird307]

He was being tongue in cheek in the vts hun. That's the way he is.

[@kullyk5285]

He looked like a pro dancer never seen anyone in strictly history do such a macho and raunchy paso Hes on drama classic easteders and i was looking forward to him on scd never expected this Well done Nigel and katy who seems to be batting her eyelashes and a bit smitten lol

[@candyb2205]

brilliant paso 👏🏾😍

[@JoannaWoodley-t3c]

Nigel is so attractive.

[@danjon8799]

Week 1 a Paso. Wow this was amazing. I think its so brave but Katya must really trust him. Had everything you wanted. 8.

[@KaylM1990]

I think Nigel & Katya could definitely win this year

[@hannahbubeer7852]

I was desperate for Nigel to be good. Brilliant!

[@exthxr_04x21]

A-MA-ZING !!! This is week ONE guys, a guy who has never danced like this before in his life and in two weeks he’s learned this?! what a way to end the show, dance of the night hands down 💐

[@cynthiahaynes8788]

He's danced on stage. Been in musicals. Danced Tango on stage. Most actors have dance training

[@mon_avis2978]

Didn't think he could pull it off, since paso doble is a complete 180 from the way he comes across as himself. Very happy for Katya to get another actor partner. Lots of potential here.

[@Codex7777]

He appears to have a very dry sense of humour, which some people can miss. Once you see it, you realise that he's actually quite confident but not arrogant. Soft-spoken confidence. :)

[@Tay_Zel]

This definitely does not look like a week 1 dance, and that’s a huge compliment

[@fionawhitefield6822]

I'm happy for Katya because I think she's one of the best pro dancers and a great choreographer. Nigel did a great job too I hope they go far in the competition.

[@ydhddhfhdbd7438]

Nigel🔥🔥🔥. Well executed performance🔥🔥🔥❤️

[@dajtoad1]

Woah, that was unexpected! I think he’s just joined my favourites.

[@gloriajenkins1569]

Way ahead of everyone else - stunning!

[@shaunig6716]

That was Brilliant 🤩 And for week one that was Incredible!! If that had been later in the series it would of been 10’s

[@philipparobinson6949]

Did I just watch this 2 times in a row, yes I did

[@SpockPlaysGuitar]

Oh hey, they've stopped punishing Katya and given her a good dancer finally. Best rock song dance we've had (ACDC PTSD flashbacks), definitely looking forward to where this pairing goes.

[@kerryshepherd5676]

Loved this Nigel was amazing and Katya's choreography was so good, shes one of the best pros for that. Loved the music too ❤

[@carlyoconnor3875]

I loved everything about this performance. He was phenomenal

[@chalkiememe4183]

Ooh yeah, loving this. I am so looking forward to next weeks show already.

[@jaynesmith8509]

Nigel was incredible!!!! I know he’s done a lot of musical theatre before so I expected him to be at least decent but that was something else!! I think he could go on to win, just amazing ☺️

[@jerushadaniels3115]

Stunning Performance🔥. Katya did an amazing job with the choreography 9/10

[@ryanniv1851]

Whoever was singing did a stellar job!

[@KathyBly]

Jesse Smith 😊

[@lucypreece7581]

Am I the only one who got Moulin Rouge vibes from this? The song, the outfits. It was amazing. Nigel is deffo gonna be one to watch.

[@GFSTaylor]

I kept forgetting that Katya was in this, I was so mesmerised by Nigel's arms.

[@patienceboafo1998]

My favourite dance of the night. Go katja your chance to 🏆 the cup again

[@EmelyHale-u9g]

From the US...I've been out of strictly come dancing for years because I've been addicted to KPop and Kdrama. I don't know them but they both look like professional dancers. He did so good for first week.

[@goldenwitherphoenix1389]

Ok, if they make the finals, they HAVE to dance this again! Best dance of the night imo, hands down.

[@noahlewisayling]

DANCE OF THE NIGHT. Best Week 1 Dance EVEF!

[@Wemius61]

Well. That WAS a surprise. Also, that man has the most beautiful arms, and the costume department obviously think so too...

[@TASIAawful1]

She’s my favourite dancer she’s an extremely talented choreographer

[@patdoe5242]

Definitely best dance of the night both were amazing

[@zoobiamunir3649]

Indeed 👍best of the night👏