TV presenter AJ Odudu suffered hoofing heartbreak when she reached the final but was forced to pull out with torn ankle ligaments. She’d hoped to recover in time for the tour but still wasn’t fit to dance. She was replaced by EastEnders actress (and 2020 finalist) Maisie Smith, who formed a firecracker duo with AJ’s partner Kai Widdrington. Impressive as she was, Smith had to play second fiddle to her soap castmate.

The most random name on the bill was Max George from boyband The Wanted, who also competed in the 2020 series but was eliminated third and highly forgettable. He duly finished bottom of the scoreboard here. Surely more worthy Strictly alumnus could have been found? It was a shame only five of last year’s 15 couples were able to take part. Dan Walker, Judi Love or Adam Peaty would have been far preferable.

Head judge Shirley Ballas and resident villain Craig Revel Horwood were joined on the panel by comeback king Tonioli. Travel restrictions meant the Italian judge has missed the last two series but he made up for it here. His flamboyant gesticulations and double entendres elicited peals of laughter. He exchanged quips with Revel Horwood like a pair of panto dames.

TV favourites don’t always translate well to the live setting but Strictly’s blend of song, dance and spectacle give it an advantage. Its old-fashioned variety flavour makes it ideal family-friendly live light entertainment. The whooping crowd spanned from primary schoolers to pensioners. Cardboard scoring paddles were waved. Everyone wore their sparkliest face mask. Bars did brisk business serving prosecco.

Neither Ayling-Ellis nor Whaite dropped a point but once the audience vote was added, there was only going to be one winner.  She and Pernice added “the Birmingham glitterball trophy” to their growing collection.

The climax, rightly, was their barrier-breaking, barefoot contemporary routine which provided one of 2021’s most memorable TV moments. Up close, its spine-tingling silent interlude lost none of its power. You could hear a pin drop as the pair’s feet audibly squeaked on the floor. “Seeing it live for the first time exceeds all expectations,” enthused Tonioli. “You had 10,000 people under your spell. You’re magic.”

Revel Horwood, who directed this tour, denied that his New Year’s Resolution was to be kind but even he couldn’t resist the infectious celebratory atmosphere. “There’s so much love and support in this room,” smiled Ayling-Ellis. By the end, even the sign language interpreter was dancing along.