The BBC has hit back at accusations of a ‘fix’ in favour of Daisy Lowe on Strictly Come Dancing.
The model, 27, wowed judges with her “dreamy” waltz to Nat King Cole's Unforgettable – a song dedicated to her grandfather, who passed away on the first day of rehearsals – on Saturday night.
Darcey Bussell said Lowe "instantly set the romantic feel”, Bruno Tonioli told her she was "dazzling" and Len Goodman added: “I don't think I've seen a dance better than that for week one, ever!”
Goodman gave her and Aljaz Skorjanec a nine and they finished at the top of the leaderboard with a score of 32.
But some viewers were angered with the high score so early on in the competition and accused show bosses of favouring Lowe over other contestants.
A BBC spokesperson denied the claims in a statement to Digital Spy: "Any suggestions that the scores are fixed is complete nonsense.
"Each judge scores each dance independently, based on its merits and in their expert opinion."
Ed Balls didn't fare as well as Lowe and finished at the bottom of the leaderboard.
The former Shadow Chancellor performed a Westminster-themed waltz with his partner Katya Jones and was labelled an "ex-councillor pedestrian" by Craig Revel Horwood, while Tonioli joked he dance was “surprisingly conservative, prim, proper and politically correct”.
Strictly Come Dancing 2016 - dance partners
Judge Rinder surprised viewers with his courtroom themed dance and was hailed a "dark horse" and tipped to win following his cha cha to Mercy with Oksana Platero.
The scores from last weekend will be added to the results from this weekend and one couple will be sent home in the first eviction of the series.
Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One at 6:30pm on Saturday.
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