Ellie Goldstein Breaks Silence After Shockingly Low Strictly Debut Scores
Ellie hails Saturday night's show as the "best time ever."
Strictly is back, and model Ellie Goldstein just had the kind of week-one debut that tells you exactly why people love this show: glitter, nerves, a blunt Craig-ism, a present from Shirley, and yes, birthday cake in the green room.
The dance and the scoreboard
Ellie and her pro partner Vito Coppola kicked off their run with a Cha Cha to Ariana Grande's 'yes, and?'. It was bright, fast, and very week-one in the best way. The judges handed them 17 points, which left them hovering near the bottom of the first leaderboard. Not ideal placement, but also not a disaster for night one.
Judges' read: one 'stompy', one 'fabulous' fan
Craig Revel Horwood labeled the routine 'stompy' (classic Craig), while the rest of the panel was kinder. Shirley Ballas went the extra mile and literally gifted Ellie a fan with 'fabulous' emblazoned across it. A subtle note? Not really. A strong vote of confidence? Absolutely.
Viewers clocked a moment in the Clauditorium
On the balcony (aka the Clauditorium), some cutaways showed fellow pros comforting Ellie at points — Karen Hauer stroking her hand, Dianne Buswell playing with her hair. That set off the usual 'is something wrong?' chatter online. For what it's worth, the vibe backstage looked fine by the end: Ellie and Vito were out on the dance floor with the rest of the cast celebrating the first live show wrap.
Ellie speaks, and then... cake
'I had the best time ever. I am so happy and grateful.'
That was Ellie on Instagram after the show. She called the night 'amazing' and later posted an Instagram Story from bed proudly showing off Shirley's fan — a very Strictly way to end the evening.
Meanwhile, Vito's birthday got its own mini after-party in the green room. He and Ellie were spotted enjoying cake, with the moment popping up on Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito's Instagram Stories. Consider the backstage mood officially good.
What people said
- Craig: 'stompy.'
- Shirley: a 'fabulous' fan for Ellie.
- One viewer summed up the energy: 'ELLIE!!! Fab-u-lous!!! What a first dance!! Her face said it all. Vito is the perfect partner. I'm so so exited for her and him.'
Bottom line
Not a leaderboard-busting start, but a memorable one — the kind of spark that tends to grow once week-one jitters shake out. The fan from Shirley is not nothing.
Next episode
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday 4 October at 6:20pm on BBC One and iPlayer.