By Lisa Ramsden
STRICTLY Come Dancing’s judges were left “stunned” as they declared Newcastle content creator John Nellis the unexpected break-out star of the show’s opening episode.
The BBC dance competition kicked off on Saturday night, with all 15 celebrity contestants dancing on live TV in front of the millions of viewers for the first time.
The penultimate dance of the night came from 33-year-old YouTuber Nellis who, despite his 16 million followers online, had been dubbed one of the lesser-known Strictly 2026 cast members by the show’s viewers.
But now, according to bookmaker William Hill, his odds have been cut dramatically from 11/1 into 3/1 to lift the Glitterball Trophy after topping the weekend’s leaderboard.
Performing with his professional partner Katya Jones, he performed a foxtrot to ‘Ordinary’ by Alex Warren that left judges Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas on their feet and the studio audience applauding rapturously.
Judge Anton Du Beke told Nellis: “I shouldn’t really say this, but I’m a bit stunned.
“That was extraordinary. That was absolutely beautiful. I could wax lyrical about that for a long time.”
He then compared Nellis to cricketer Darren Gough, a similar underdog on Strictly’s third series in 2005, who went on to win the competition.
True to form, Craig Revel Horwood was less effusive, but did go on to acknowledge the local man’s “classy, elegant and graceful” performance.
