It all started out so well for Daisy Lowe.

The model kicked off proceedings on Saturday night with a “groovy” 70s-themed Salsa, beaming broadly as she swung her hips and channelled her inner hippie.

Her lifts, in particular, were praised, with judge Bruno Tonioli saying she had “all the right ingredients for a tasty salsa”.

And though some criticism of her footwork followed, a healthy score of 31 suggested she had done enough to see her through to next week’s Blackpool-based special.

But, as we know well by now, frontrunners can quickly fade from glory. Less than 24 hours later, Daisy was on the dancefloor again - this time performing her swansong, having lost to Greg Rutherford in the results show dance-off.

So where did it all go wrong for the 27-year-old?

Initially, it seemed, she was being lost in the crowd; not considered at risk enough to warrant voting, but not receiving the highest scores of the evening to guarantee safety.

But then, three times in the bottom two suggests more than that. In a year of incredible dancers (and Ed Balls), she failed to find her niche. She was neither the very best, nor the funniest, nor the most-improved.

There is no doubting she is, as Craig Revel-Horwood might say, a fa-bu-lous dancer. But Strictly has sired a long line of fabulous dancers over the years; these days, it is simply not enough.

One performer, meanwhile, who is positively soaring is Judge Robert Rinder. Having long-awaited his chance to learn the foxtrot, the TV judge finally got his wish as he took to the stage a la Frank Sinatra.

But first, in a TV debut that most likely melted the hearts of 10 million viewers, the camera turned to Mr Rinder’s grandparents, Harry and Francis, who positively kvelled from the front row as they expressed their pride

Following Mr Rinder’s routine, which scored an impressive 33 points, he told Claudia Winkleman: “My grandmother tried to teach me the Foxtrot years ago and didn’t succeed. This is the dance I came here to do – for them. Thank you so much, Strictly.”

A place in next week’s show smoothly followed, cementing the fact that, those who were once supposed “comical” acts in the show – that is, chosen for their personality, rather than dancing potential – are quickly proving themselves on the ballroom floor.

This, of course, brings me smoothly on to Ed Balls. No words can outline the spectacle that was his routine on Saturday night, but a few spring to mind: bonkers, brilliant, mind-boggling.

The former Chancellor of the Exchequer – a senior fellow at Harvard University and visiting professor at King’s College, among his many distinctions – shattered all preconceptions about stuffy politicians forevermore with his best impersonation of a Korean popstar.

They say there is a thin line between genius and insanity. If so, Mr Balls seems to enjoy dancing across it with arms and legs akimbo.