STRICTLY fans think one professional dancer was fuming with the song they danced to on Saturday night.
Viewers jumped on social media to remark about the moment as Karen Hauer gave her honest opinion about her first dance with ex-pro footballer Paul Merson.
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After performing an American Smooth, she admitted she had “no clue” how to choreograph the moves to the legendary football anthem Vindaloo by Fat Les.
After the pair danced in football kit-inspired outfits, she told Claudia Winkleman: “Choreographing to Vindaloo was one of the most challenging things I’ve done in my life.”
Karen and Paul struggled to impress the judges, but viewers had more sympathy for them.
One said: “Karen throwing shade at song choice. She a brilliant pro!”
Another remarked: “The judges keep saying it wasn’t an American Smooth like poor Karen had any say in that awful song choice!
“It’s a shame it overshadowed what was a really good try from Paul. You could tell he really tried and put in such a good effort. I wish that was recognised more.”
And another chimed: “Karen having no clue about how she was gonna choreograph an American Smooth to that song (though tbf it doesn’t scream AS)”.
However, fans also hit out at Strictly and urged bosses not to make Paul a gimmick.
The pair were eventually scored 17 points, putting them close to the bottom of the leaderboard behind Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones.
And fans slammed the show for not giving Paul a fair chance with the odd dance style and song combination.
Meanwhile, on Saturday viewers finally got to find out who has been paired with who – and some think that one celebrity’s face said it all.
Many took to the internet to say the same thing – that Karen and Paul didn’t look happy about their partners.
One wrote on discussion website Reddit: “Wow Karen was struggling to look happy when she met Paul.
Another chimed in: “I really wish Karen had been benched instead of Lauren this year. It feels unfair that she’s had a partner every year but her enthusiasm for the show seems to get lower and lower each year.
She came across as really rude.”
A third said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Paul Merson doesn’t want to be partnered with Karen lol I can see another Will Young exit type lol #Strictly2024.”
Next Sunday will see the first dreaded dance-off, and the first elimination.
Strictly 2024 Week One Scoreboard
Here’s how the first week scoreboard looked:
- JB and Amy = 31
- Tasha and Aljaz = 30
- Sarah and Vito = 30
- Wynne and Katya = 26
- Montell and Johannes = 26
- Shayne and Nancy = 23
- Jamie and Michelle = 23
- Chris and Dianne = 23
- Sam and Nikita = 21
- Dr Punam and Gorka = 19
- Tom and Nadiya = 18
- Nick and Luba = 18
- Pete and Jowita = 17
- Paul and Karen = 17
- Toyah and Neil = 12
