Wigan's Kym Marsh lies in 10th place on Strictly after a performance short on confidence

The Wigan actress, singer and TV presenter was appearing on the show for the first time after surprisingly figuring in last week’s dance-off despite positive marks from the expert adjudicators.

In a week when each couple was asked to perform a dance in tribute to the 100th anniversary of the BBC, she and partner Graziano Di Prima came on last and were honoured to pay hommage to the show wich spawned Strictly: Come Dancing, which first aired way back in 1949.

Dressed in a pink ballgown, Kym danced a quickstep to Sweet’s Ballroom Blitz with Graziano which was introduced by former Come Dancing presenter, TV legend and one-time dancer (on the Morecambe and Wise Show) Angela Rippon.

Judge Motsi Mabuse described their performance as a “ray of sunshine” but Shirley Ballas critcised Kym’s “collapsed frame” and said it wasn’t her best dance.

Anton due Beke praised her footwork but had the same issues with her frame and said she appeared to demonstrate “a little self-doubt” for the first time.

But Craig Revel Horwood, usually the most exacting of the judges, said that while her frame “needs work” her footwork was “well done.”

After the dance Kym said: “It was a bit of a dodgy day for confidence levels but the team has picked me up.”

She singled out out Morning Live co-presenter Gethin Jones, who was sitting in the audience, for helping to motivate her.

But she added: “Being in the dance-off last week was a bit horrible last week but we did our best.

Revel Horwood, Mabuse and du Beke each awarded the couple seven, while Ballas gave them a six, giving them a total of 27.

Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez stand top of the table on Saturday night with 35 and bottom is former Arsenal and England defender Tony Adams with his partner Katya Jones who scored a lowly 19 points.

But all that can change when the public vote is announced on the evening of Sunday October 23.