MILLIONS of Dr Who fans were treated to some Strictly sparkle when stars of the BBC show- judge Shirley Ballas and dancer Johannes Radebe made a cameo in the opening episode.
The popular program returned last night featuring upcoming actor, Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th doctor and actress Millie Gibson, starring as his companion Ruby.
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Set in the 1960s amid the rise of Beatlemania, the scene shows Shirley Ballas, 63, and Johannes Radebe, 37, encountering the doctor, before breaking out into dance, before the doctor warns his companion that his adventures always end in a “twist.”
And it seems their performance swept the fans off their feet,rushing to comment on the pleasing crossover between the BBC shows.
One said: “JOHANNES RADEBE?! SHIRLEY BALLAS?! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE AND NOT ON STRICTLY?!”, as his sidekick.
Another delighted fan added: “They were here Strictly for the fun, and I love it.” However, some viewers weren’t happy about the cameo as one commented: “Remember when we said #DoctorWho couldn’t possibly get much worse…” One fuming viewer echoed: “OMG. What the flipping eck was that? More like some lightweight #Strictly send-up than proper serious #DoctorWho!”
Last year it was revealed that Shirley and Johannes would be making a cameo on the new series and Shirley revealed she was delighted to be involved.
In a press conference she said: “The filming was one of the best days of my life.
“We’re doing a guest appearance with Jojo. where I actually get to perform with Jojo and so many other dancers on the show, so I’m very, very excited for people to watch.”
But the first episode was somewhat overshadowed by a tidal wave of discontent, after the BBC pushed back the show’s scheduled time, allowed the episodes to be aired in the US at a civilised hour.
The latest instalment therefore landed on BBC I player at midnight UK time, which deprived die hard fans of their early viewing.
One fuming fan penned on social media: “I don’t care if it’s down to time zones. Doctor Who airing at midnight in the UK so it can air at a respectable evening hour for yanks is when I start flag bashing. burn down the white house immediately.” Another quipped: “might move to America so I can watch Doctor Who at tea time again.”
A third then jumped in: “Can the Americans take a step back from the pi**taking for one minute and realise that Doctor Who has been event television in the UK for over sixty years. It is ingrained into our culture and it is made in Britain!”
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the time travelling show and last year three special episodes where aired to mark the occasion.
The first special saw actor David Tennant returning as the Timelord alongside his former companion, Donna Noble, played by Catherine Tate.
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