Strictly Come Dancing's best ever underdogs

© instagram/bbcstrictly

Oh yes, it's that time of year again - when sequins and fake tan fill our screens on a Saturday night and we find ourselves saying "as rumbas go it wasn't bad, but her timing was off".

Strictly is back with a big spangley bang, sadly, it's missing its usual Brucey bonus, but Claudia and Tess do the job just as well.

As much as we love the fancy footwork and Latin American vibes, there's one thing that's sure to win us over week-after-week and that's an underdog.

Yes, it's all well and good having pop starlets like Frankie from the Saturdays (not her actual surname) or Pixie Lott (not her actual first name) twirling and spinning like pros, but then, that's because they kinda are.

For us Diamond girls, it's all about those celebrities who've only ever showed off their best moves after one-too-many G&Ts at a family wedding.

The judges may not have liked them but, in the words of Mr Forsyth himself 'they were our favourites'. Here are five of Strictly's best underdogs.

1. Anne Widdecombe - Widdey may not have had the moves but man did she know how to make an entrance. Being lowered in by wires anyone?
2. Fiona Phillips - much loved morning TV presenter Fiona may be great at interviewing A-listers, but she certainly wasn't a dancing queen. When Craig described her as 'a rag-doll being dragged around the floor', the nation welcomed her into their hearts.
3. Lisa Riley - best known as mouthy barmaid Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale, Lisa proved that being able to move on the dance floor was not just the domain of teeny blondes. She made it all the way to week 11 and the best thing about Lisa was the fact she was actually very good.
4. Robbie Savage - golden haired Welshman Robbie may have spent most of his life on a football pitch braving British weather, but he seemed rather at home surrounded by glitter and fake tan. His enthusiasm and impossibly bright gnashers had us cheering him on every week.
5. Dave Myers - he might have been missing biking-buddy Kingy, but one Hairy Biker in sequins and dancing shoes was more than enough to put a smile on our faces.