By Jessica Sansome

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Strictly Come Dancing fans have been told which couple’s it’s ‘bad news’ for following the first live show of the new series. The hit BBC One dance contest returned in all its sparkly glory on Saturday night (September 27) with the first live show of the series, following the launch show which aired earlier this month. The episode saw all of Strictly’s 15 new couples take to the dancefloor with their first routines, officially marking the start of the competition. Things kicked off with former England rugby player Chris Robshaw and his professional partner Nadiya Bychkova, as they opened the show with a samba to EMF’s Unbelievable. And later in the evening, former Lioness Karen Carney closed the show alongside her professional partner Carlos Gu, as they topped the leaderboard with Jive to One Way Or Another by Blondie alongside her professional dance partner, Carlos Gu. Elsehwere, social media star George Clarke and professional partner Alexis Warr, who was also making her Strictly debut, scored 24, for their American smooth to Myles Smith’s Stargazing, while EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal and her professional partner Julian Caillon, who was the second new dancer to perform on Saturday, scored 17 for their samba to (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty by KC And The Sunshine Band. And it’s now been revealed that the first round of live shows has dramatically shaken up the odds market, with early frontrunners Vicky Pattison and Ellie Goldstein both slipping down the table. Vicky now trails behind last-minute recruit Amber Davies, who was a last-minute replacement for an injured Dani Dyer, at 7/1, while Ellie has drifted to 16/1 from her opening 5/1. Meanwhile, social media star George has emerged as the new favourite at 5/2, with strong online backing and a solid debut score of 24 fuelling his rise. Football pundit Karen has also made her mark, topping the leaderboard with her jive and climbing the market to 11/2 alongside partner Carlos, quickly winning over viewers at home. Speaking on behalf of Online Casino provider Slingo, a representative said: “The first round of live shows has seriously shaken up the odds market, and it’s bad news for some of this year’s fan favourites. “Vicky Pattison and Ellie Goldstein have both seen their odds to win slashed, as both stars were early frontrunners when the markets opened, but Vicky now sits behind last-minute recruit Amber Davies at 7/1 and Ellie follows at 16/1 – a far cry from her opening odds of 5/1. “Although it’s not bad news for everyone, as last night allowed a new star to shine. While it came as a huge blow to Lewis Cope, George Clark has quickly emerged as the latest favourite to win this year’s series, sitting at odds of 5/2. “The social media star has quickly become the dark horse, with a huge online following backing him to go all the way, and after a promising start with a solid score of 24, it appears George may have the moves and charm to win the Glitterball trophy.” They added: “Another star to watch is football pundit Karen Carney, who has quietly crept up the market and now sits just behind Lewis at 11/2. Topping the leaderboard with her jive, she and pro partner Carlos showed they meant business last night and are quickly winning over viewers at home.”