THERE’S no beleaguered newsreaders, no floundering soap stars and not a rock star’s ex-wife in sight.

This is Strictly Come Dancing without the ‘celebrities,’ where the put-upon professionals finally get a chance to dump their hapless partners and shine in the spotlight themselves.

But just like the television show, this live tour is not without its dramas. An injury to Natalie Lowe left Ian Waite without a partner and, by his own admission, hanging around like a spare part.

That left Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, James and Ola Jordan, Brian Fortuna and Kristina Rihanoff and Matthew Cutler and Aliona Vilani to showcase a range of ballroom and Latin American dances.

This they did this in an accomplished, efficient manner, barely putting a foot wrong in any of the complex routines.

But expectations were high and, for me, truly heart-racing, show-stopping performances were few and far between. Tango specialists Vincent and Flavia, who appeared slightly muted in the group performances, came into their own with a dazzlingly intricate Argentine Tango and Ola and James poured their heart and souls into a tender and romantic rhumba.

And there’s no doubting Kristina, who has an overtly sensual style of dancing that simply demands attention, also exudes real star quality.

But the group dances struggled because of the constraints of the stage and the on-stage banter, which masked numerous costume changes, became tedious.

Good but not great. In true Len Goodman style - se-ven!