Strictly Come Dancing fans were left puzzled by a huge change to voting as the 2022 series kicked off.
Will Mellor and his partner Nancy Xu found themselves joint top of the leaderboard tonight for their performance to Livin' La Vida Loca, joined by Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal for their beautiful ballroom routine to Islands in the Stream. The judges gave their verdicts, and whilst the public vote is not open yet, hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman revealed how it would all work.
However, the revelation towards the start of the show left fans very confused as the BBC switched up how fans could vote this year. Usually, they are advised to go to the BBC website to make their vote - but a new way has been created now.
Instead of having to type the whole URL in, fans will now be able to scan a QR code on screen to make their vote and choose their favourite who they want to top the leaderboard and secure a place in the show week after week.
The change, though, left some fans confused - whilst others said it was too much of a reminder of the Covid pandemic.
"Sorry, but QR codes were left in 2020. Don't encourage them to return. #Strictly," one wrote, whilst a second added: "Oh look the BBC have discovered QR codes. Partying like its 2009. #Strictly."
A third shared: "The QR code has reached the heady heights of #Strictly," with a fourth writing: "Not all the nannas trying to scan the qr code #Strictly." A fifth added: "Scan a QR code? What is this, a covid era café? #strictly."
Strictly Come Dancing returned to screens tonight for its first live show, and fans were thrilled to see it back - and with a full audience for the first time since the Covid pandemic.
The group will also return to the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom for a very special episode of the show. It will be the first time they're back in Blackpool in three years due to the restrictions.
Motsi Mabuse, who sits on the panel alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and new for this series in his permanent role Anton du Beke, previously teased this would be the most "brilliant" series yet.
"It's going to be bigger and better, it’s exciting. We have the most fantastic professionals, I saw them rehearse, I can’t wait for everyone to see it," she said recently, "And everything is coming back, Blackpool is coming back, and some celebrations, so it’s going to be brilliant, I can’t wait – the audience is coming back, and I’ll see my judge friends."
Ahead of today's live show, Anton was offering his verdict on the celebrities, admitting they were all "brilliant".
He said: "Brilliant, brilliant! We saw the group number in the launch show, where everybody gets together and dances. All the professionals and new celebrities get together. Over the years, it's been one of these things you watch through a squinty eye and go 'oh no' and it's all been a bit - I hope I don't get that one over there. But it was actually quite good! We went, oh, this is tremendous!"
*Strictly Come Dancing returns live at 6:30pm on Saturday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
