Strictly Come Dancing First Live Show: John Nellis Tops Leaderboard as New Hosts Face Mixed Reviews YouTuber John Nellis tops the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard with 31 points, while new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe receive mixed reactions. YouTuber John Nellis topped the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard on the first live show of the series, scoring 31 points with professional partner Katya Jones. The show aired on BBC on Saturday, with the new hosting trio of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe receiving mixed reactions from viewers. No one was eliminated this week, as scores from week one will be combined with next week's before the first elimination next Sunday. John Nellis Emerges as Early FavouriteJohn Nellis, arguably the least known contestant and without a Wikipedia page, impressed the audience with his Foxtrot to Ordinary by Alex Warren. Paired with the show's longest-serving professional, Katya Jones, the pair topped the leaderboard with a score of 31. They are now the bookies' favourites to win, with Coral giving them odds of 9/4.The performance marked a significant turn for a lineup previously dubbed the worst ever. Viewers finally warmed to the contestants, and Nellis earned himself new fans with his surprising performance.New Hosts Face Viewer CriticismEmma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have received mixed reactions since taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who departed at the end of the 2025 series. The new format sees Emma and Josh present from the dancefloor as Tess did previously, while Johannes interviews stars from the auditorium like Claudia.However, the decision did not go down well with viewers, who remarked that Josh looked like a spare part next to seasoned professional Emma. Emma joked she was feeling nervous about the live aspect before introducing the judges and contestants.Josh did, however, earn some praise for making a change partners joke, a playful throwback to the new musical chairs-style format used to announce the pairs in the launch show. As Josh stood on the dancefloor looking bemused, Emma, Johannes and judge Craig Revel Horwood appeared alongside him, while Josh wailed change partners, leaving viewers in hysterics.Week One Performances and ScoresBig Brother presenter Will Best, 41, performed the Samba to Rock DJ by Robbie Williams with partner Dianne Buswell. Craig Revel Horwood pointed out Will's sloppy arms and awarded him four points, the same as Shirley Ballas. Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke gave five, for a total of 18.British skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker, 25, jived to Animal by KATSEYE with new pro Mark Karmalita. Anton said it was like seeing last year's winner Karen Carney back on the dancefloor and awarded her seven. Motsi gave six and Shirley five, for a score of 22.Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, 48, was paired with Julian Caillon for a Quickstep to C’est Magnifique by Kay Starr. After a few mistakes, she received a three from Craig and fours from the remaining judges, giving her 15.Emmerdale's Lawrence Robb, 34, and Jowita Przystał performed the Paso Doble to Aperture by Harry Styles, earning a four from Craig, fives from Motsi and Shirley and a six from Anton, totalling 20.Former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, 44, performed the Cha Cha to Lil Boo Thang by Paul Russell with partner Alexis Warr. He earned a two from Craig, fours from Motsi and Shirley and five from Anton for 15 overall.House Of The Dragon actress and West End star Bethany Antonia, 28, performed a Quickstep to Stop This Flame by Celeste. She was paired with Nancy Xu, having requested a female dance partner after Nicola Adams and Katya Jones's coupling in 2020 helped with her coming out journey. The pair's dance was branded the best of the night so far and earned them a score of 26, consisting of sixes from Craig and Shirley and sevens from Anton and Motsi. However, they didn't stay top of the leaderboard for long.