Strictly to the rescue: Dancers can put smiles on faces again

Thank goodness, the cavalry has arrived! After seven months in the Covid trenches the nation is crying out for something – anything – to lighten the gloom and this weekend our knights and ladies in shining sequin tangoed to our rescue.

The Strictly Come Dancing show must go on and, apart from the obvious lack of audience and a few other tweaks to ensure social distancing, it’s still the Strictly we know and love. The celebrity line-up has the usual mix (if it ain’t broke) from soaps, sports and comedy, and a token politician.

Ahead of last night’s launch, Olympic boxer Nicola Adams and actress Caroline Quentin told us they were both excited – and a little nervous – to be taking part.

Nicola will be making Strictly history as the first contestant to dance in a same-sex pairing, with professional dancer, Katya Jones. I’m not a big boxing fan but I’ve been a fan of Nicola’s since she revealed during a ringside interview at the 2012 Olympics that she would be celebrating her historic gold medal with a trip to Nandos.

It remains to be seen what the flouncing judging panel will make of Nicola’s dance moves but her down-to-earth nature will help her sidestep any run-ins (though I’m sure a few folk would like to see Craig Revel Horwood at the business end of a boxing glove).

Meanwhile, Caroline is flying the flag for 60-something women. She says: “I’ll enjoy it because it’s been bleak. People long for the joy of it, the sparkle.”

Of course it won’t solve all our problems, but it’s a quickstep in the right direction.