BBC Strictly Come Dancing star dealt week one blow as fans 'work out' who'll leave first

One of the stars of Strictly Come Dancing has been dealt a blow following their first live performance as fans 'work out' who will leave first. Week one of the hit BBC One dance contest took place on Saturday night (September 21).

The first episode of the new series actually aired the previous weekend and saw epic performances from the show's talented group of professional dancers but all eyes were on finding out which celebrity had been paired with which pro.

However, it was this weekend that the competition really got underway as all 15 of the new Strictly couples performed together for the first time followed by the judges' comments and scores.

READ MORE: BBC Strictly Come Dancing viewers say 'absolute rubbish' as judges 'harsh' on former 'winner'

But they didn't receive votes from fans just yet as lines will open in week two next Saturday (September 28) ahead of the first elimination.

A leaderboard was, however, still revealed at the end of night one with JLS star JB Gill and Amy Dowden topping the scoring so far. After their first performance, the pair were awarded 31 points by the judges for their waltz to When I Need You by singer Leo Sayer.

Meanwhile, DIY SOS star Nick Knowles, who was celebrating his 62nd birthday, and his dance partner, Luba Mushtuk, opened the show with a jive to We Built This City by Starship and finished in 12th position at the end of the night.

But iconic singer Toyah Willcox and dancer Neil Jones received the lowest score of the episode - 12 points - after they performed a tango to Ray Of Light by Madonna which was criticised by Craig Revel Horwood.

Following the first live show, the latest odds were revealed and despite finishing second place, Tasha Ghouri overtook JB in the outright market, 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 wowing fans with an incredible performance, pushing JB into third at 4/1.

Meanwhile, Toyah and reality star Pete Wicks have taken significant blows, with Pete’s odds dropping from 16/1 to 20/1, and Toyah’s plummeting from 16/1 to 100/1. As a result, Toyah is now the favourite to be the first eliminated, priced at 3/6 to leave next weekend.

Analysing the latest odds, Betfred's Kayley Cornelius said: "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.

"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."

And Strictly fans seem to be in keeping with the current odds as they took to social media with their concerns for 80s favourite Toyah. One viewer commented: "Toyah will be at risk next week," as another said: "Think Toyah could go first though." A third added: "Toyah might be the first one going home. That was not a good Tango. #Strictly."