Strictly Come Dancing made its highly anticipated return to screens on Saturday evening, October 18, delivering a night filled with captivating performances, judging controversies, and a triumphant comeback. Viewers were left both thrilled and frustrated by the judges’ scoring decisions, underscoring the show’s enduring ability to spark debate.

Among the standout performances, Love Island champion Amber Davies and her professional partner Nikita Kuzmin danced an Argentine Tango to Angel Of My Dreams. Despite receiving a score of 33 from judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke with Motsi particularly praising the lifts as being "on a whole different level" fans on social media platform X expressed significant dissatisfaction with the marks. Many viewers felt Amber and Nikita were "robbed," with reactions ranging from "That was sensational" and "Best dance of the night, the skill was outstanding" to accusations of undermarking, suggesting the judges might be pushing Amber harder because of her high talent.

However, the top spot on the Strictly leaderboard was decisively claimed by Alex Kingston and her partner Johannes Radebe. Performing a passionate rumba to Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car, the 62-year-old actress earned an impressive 36 points, including a perfect 10. Judge Shirley Ballas was so moved by the routine that she leapt to her feet, declaring, "I have to tell you, in all my time on Strictly, I have never seen a pair of legs work like that. Every closing place, every forward walk, turning, just an absolute perfect routine for me." She further praised the "stunning" choreography and the beautifully portrayed chemistry between the pair, even asking to give "the queen a kiss." Close behind, former Emmerdale star Lewis Cope and Katya Jones scored 34 points for their foxtrot to Nat King Cole’s L-O-V-E, with Anton Du Beke describing it as "super duper."

Conversely, at the foot of the table and facing the looming prospect of Sunday’s dance-off were drag performer La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec, who managed only 14 points for their cha cha to Pat Benatar’s Hit Me With Your Best Shot. Also at risk were former England rugby star Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova, who scored 24 points for their salsa to Ricky Martin’s Maria.

The evening also marked the much-anticipated return of professional dancer Dianne Buswell and her celebrity partner Stefan Dennis. The duo had been forced to miss week three after Stefan fell ill. Following competition rules, they were allowed to return in week four, performing a Charleston to Tones and I’s Dance Monkey. Several judges hailed it as their best dance to date, awarding them their highest score of the competition so far, 26 out of 40.

Dianne later shared a special behind-the-scenes moment on Instagram, revealing a "manifestation" ritual she performed with Stefan before the live show. In a clip filmed prior to their performance, the pair could be seen bursting through doors and celebrating, with Dianne captioning the post: "I said to Stefan let’s manifest what it will feel like after we dance by doing our door burst before the live show even began, and it worked." Fans were particularly captivated by Dianne’s energetic performance, especially as she is currently pregnant with her first child. Despite some public criticism over her decision to compete while pregnant, Dianne firmly defended her choice, stressing that "we shouldn’t be commenting on other people’s pregnancies when every single woman’s body is so different."