REVIEW: Strictly Come Dancing Live, Metro Radio Arena.

Even in the vast cavern that is the Metro Radio Arena, the production still managed to pull off the glitzy pizazz of the TV show without losing the intimacy.

And this live event was elevated by the calibre of celebrity dancers and a loud appreciative audience.

The latest season of the TV show arguably produced its best ever peformers with snake hips Jay McGuiness finally winning the day with partner Aliona Vilani.

For the live tour, the talented line-up was bolstered by the addition of EastEnders’ star Jake Wood and girlband singer Frankie Bridge.

Puntastic judges Len ‘Se-vun’ Goodman, the fab-u-lous Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno ‘please sit down’ Tonioli delivered their clearly scripted critiques with aplomb, but the show pulled out a cracker with their choice of presenter.

Bake Off co-host Mel Giedroyc added ladles of good humoured banter to keep the show ticking over at a lively pace.

With a spectacular Strictly lighting show, top judges and a great presenters all that was left was the dancing… and it didn’t disappoint.

Even ‘two left feet’ Ainsley Harriott managed to cook up a storm and some laughs with his dancing.

But it was the likes of Gleb Savchenko with Anita Rani doing their ghost routine and Frankie Bridge on her broom which the audience really came to see.

In the end, the voting for the winners was narrowed down to current glitterball hero Jay and Aliona, up against Georgia May Foot and Giovani Pernice.

Georgia was close, but there was no cigar. With the now legendary Pulp Fiction-inspired dance under their belts, there was no way the glitterball could be prised from jivemaster Jay and Aliona.

A performance, much like the show, deserved of Len’s 10.