Kai Widdrington and Angela Rippon made an iconic debut on Strictly Come Dancing.
But one body language expert has cast doubt on their chemistry.
At 78 years old, Angela is the oldest contestant on Strictly. But she proved last Saturday night that age truly is just a number!
But, body language expert Darren Stanton has since revealed to Betfair Bingo that he doesn’t believe Kai and Angela “resonate with each other”.
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Kai Widdrington and Angela Rippon
He said: “I don’t believe there’s a great level of rapport or connection between Angela and Kai. I don’t see the sparks there. You either really click with someone or you don’t, but I don’t think they resonate with each other. I don’t believe they display the connection that will make it to the final.”
Meanwhile, he also expressed that Layton Williams “needs to wind in his energy slightly” otherwise he will struggle amongst the rest.
He added that Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Lauren Oakley also “didn’t show massive levels of deep connection or reciprocal liking in their dynamic either” and that could serve as a major red flag going forward in the competition.
“I feel he could be an early casualty in the show,” he said.
Amanda Abbington & Giovanni Pernice could go a long way?
Meanwhile, Darran emphasised that Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice could go the extra mile, as they have “strong levels of intensity”. This comes after the duo faced some backlash recently amid ‘feud’ claims – something they’ve shut down.
Darren said: “Amanda is someone else who could definitely go a long way in the competition with Giovanni. While their connection may not be as deep as Nikita and Gorka’s, they also have strong levels of intensity.”
He added: “Amanda is quite competitive and her eye contact is very good. When we were shown footage of them training, she appeared completely determined in her facial expressions. She clearly wants to be the best.”
Zara and Graziano also have great energy and “appear very tactile”
It seems Darren compared Zara McDermott and Graziano Di Prima with the other contestants, but said the pair seem the most “genuine” and are one of his top three contenders.
He explained: “Zara and Graziano also have great energy. Similarly to the other couples, they move as one and appear very tactile. Graziano had his arms completely around her and the smiles coming from the pair were genuine.”
Nikita and Gorka had the strongest connection
Darren admitted he thinks Nikita Kanda and Gorka Marquez displayed “the strongest connection” after their Run To You performance hit all the right notes.
Darren analysed: “It’s like they’ve got their own force field and bubble around them. They’re so connected, especially in terms of eye gazing and constant eye contact. They also show complete synchronicity and move as one, which makes them totally interlocked with each other.”
He concluded: “When one of them does a gesture, the other follows. It’s like looking at two people who are completely connected. They’ve already established deep trust and rapport. They are definitely going to be the ones to watch.”
Read more: Strictly star Angela Rippon divides viewers as she’s accused of being ‘massively overmarked’
Strictly continues this Saturday (September 30) from 6.20pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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