First Strictly eviction no joke as season 16 gets serious

Week Two
BBC1, 6.30pm Saturday

For the contestants Strictly is no laughing matter, but bookmakers could be right in thinking that one of the two comedy acts will be eliminated on Saturday night.

While Seann Walsh counts stand-up as his day job, presenter Susannah Constantine was expected to be less about the dancing and more about entertainment value when she was paired with Anton du Beke.

However, despite a score of just 12, she gave a perfectly passable performance for a week one contender with zero dancing experience, and was far removed from the back-markers in previous series such as Nancy Dell'Olio and Ann Widdecombe.

A foxtrot won't be easy for the pair, but Walsh looks at greater risk given Du Beke's fanbase. The comic may have gained some sympathy with voters after judge Shirley Ballas told him to 'tidy himself up a bit'.

At a bigger price, Kate Silverton could prove a surprise early casualty. Although scoring 20 points to Walsh's 18, the tango looks unlikely to play to her strengths, and while BBC presenters often fare well, she may have to split that TV vote with Dr Ranj Singh.

Recommendations
Seann Walsh to be eliminated
1pt 9-4 Hills, Ladbrokes
Kate Silverton to be eliminated
1pt 12-1 Hills, Ladbrokes

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