ClAudIA Connell

CLAUDIA Winkleman’s fringe was so long she looked like Cousin Itt from The Addams Family. Craig Revel Horwood had a face that could sour milk, and Tess Daly still hadn’t mastered walking down stairs in heels.

Yes folks, Strictly Come Dancing is back for its 16th series and, according to head judge Shirley Ballas, it will be ‘the best Strictly ever’. That remains to be seen. Though what we do know is that this series features one of the least-known line-ups ever.

Sitting rooms up and down the country must have echoed with ‘Who?’ when the contestants were introduced.

But the beauty of Strictly is that, as the series unfolds, this ceases to matter. I doubt too many had heard of singer Jay McGuiness but he ended up lifting the glitterball trophy in 2015. On Saturday night it was a chance to see celebrities matched with their professionals – and for pros to pretend the celeb was the one they’d wanted.

Top marks to Katya Jones for appearing delighted to have been paired with comedian Seann Walsh. Strictly law dictates that last year’s winning pro must be lumbered with a no-hoper. ‘I’ve got the champion!’ shrieked Seann. ‘I’ve got the one who’ll be out by week three,’ thought Katya.

Another Strictly foible is the inclusion of a celebrity with previous dance training. This year it’s former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts, who danced her rivals off the screen in the otherwise lumpy group performance.

At the other end of the scale, the early carthorse contender was Susannah Constantine. Her dance partner, Anton du Beke, looked rather terrified – and he was once paired with Ann Widdecombe.

The nights are drawing in and Strictly is like an evening with an old friend. Even without a dazzling line-up, it hasn’t lost its sparkle.