Strictly fans call for "iconic" format twist to become regular feature after chaotic scenes

Ever since it was announced earlier this month that Strictly Come Dancing would be introducing a brand new dance challenge, fans have been desperate to see how it would shape up.

Now, finally, we've seen the first iteration of Instant Dance – and it's safe to say it was a pretty chaotic experience!

The challenge started with the couples wearing dressing gowns, before they were each given an envelope containing a piece of paper that revealed which dance style they'd be performing. They were then played a brief snippet of the song they'd be dancing to before being taken to a clothing rack to choose their outfits.

After a hurried change backstage – which included some slightly surreal moments and a bizarrely dressed Nikita Kuzmin declaring his love for live TV – the couples then took their places on the stairs, and were given ten seconds each to plan a 40-second routine.

First up, Alex and Johannes performed a Rumba to Show Me Heaven by Maria McKee, followed by George and Alexis's Tango to Prince’s When Doves Cry and Lewis and Katya's Jive to Wake Me Up Before You Go Go by Wham.

Next up, Balvinder and Julian performed a Paso Doble to The Animals’s Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, before Karen and Carlos danced a Cha Cha Cha to The Four Seasons hit Beggin’ and Amber and Nikita closed things up with a Samba to Shakira's Whenever Wherever.

The studio audience appeared to be loving the experience, with Claudia declaring that "everyone has goosebumps."

And the judges seemed no less excited by the whole affair, with a delighted Anton Du Beke exclaiming that he wanted to see the challenge repeated every week and remarking that some of the celebs had danced better in the challenge than in their earlier routines.

After a brief deliberation, Craig Revel Horwood announced that the judges had decided to award 1 point to Karen and Carlos, 2 to George and Alexis, 3 to Alex and Johannes and 4 to Amber and Nikita.

He then handed over to Shirley Ballas to reveal the final two, with Lewis and Katya being named winners and taking 6 points just ahead of Balvinder and Julian on 5.

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All in all, it was a pretty breathless time, and many viewers at home took to social media to voice their enthusiasm for the new challenge – and calling for it to become a returning feature.

"I’m so serious I need the Instant Dance to happen EVERY series. Iconic tv," wrote one fan, with another adding: "Forget I said I didn’t want the instant dance I just had the BEST TIME."

Meanwhile, referring to a moment in which Claudia hurried backstage clutching a pink dress, a third viewer wrote: "This is surely a BAFTA winning moment. Absolute chaos with Instant Dance. I love it."

One viewer was a little more torn, writing, "I can't tell if this #StrictlyComeDancing 'instant dance' is the best idea or complete utter madness," while another fan was more sure of their verdict, declaring, "This #Strictly Instant Dance is a brilliant idea: you get to eavesdrop on how the dancers and celebs interact, everyone is out of their comfort zone, and anything could go wrong."

When the challenge was first announced, head judge Shirley Ballas explained how it had "the power to change everything for our couples" and added that it would "challenge them in ways they have never been challenged before."

She continued: "With standards so incredibly high this year and the competition so close, there's a lot resting on it. The dance styles, costumes and music might not be revealed until the night, but what we can be sure of right now is that it's going to be a whole lot of fun. I cannot wait!"

Although the challenge didn't quite change everything, it did lead to some alterations to the leaderboard, with Amber's 4 points putting her alone at the top after she scored a perfect 40 with her first dance, while Lewis leapfrogged Karen – who had also scored 40 earlier in the show – into second place.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 6th December.

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