Whiplash no bar to Denise's jive

Denise Van Outen has overcome whiplash to wow the judges and lead the celebrity dancers on Strictly Come Dancing.

The 38-year-old television presenter and actress needed medical attention after the suffered the injury on Thursday while in training for the jive.

But she did not allow her pain to show as she and partner James Jordan did not put a foot wrong in a dance judge Craig Revel-Horwood described as "fab-u-lous".

Gaining eight points from each judge for their jive to Little Richard's rock'n'roll classic Tutti Frutti, Van Outen shares top spot with Olympic medal-winning gymnast Louis Smith, 23, who also scored highly with his waltz to Puppy Love by Donny Osmond with Flavia Cacace.

Former Big Breakfast host Van Outen, who also starred in hit musical Chicago, said: "I couldn't feel it (her neck) because of the adrenaline, but I think tomorrow I will be in agony."

Saturday night's show saw the dancers fighting for survival as the competition was opened up to the public telephone vote for the first time. The losers will be eliminated in tomorrow's night's results programme.

Westlife star Nicky Byrne and former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan are propping up the rest after failing to impress.

Byrne, 34, failed to impress the judges with his chachacha with partner Karen Hauer. Revel-Horwood described it as "like a zumba exercise class", while Len Goodman described is as "more boyband than chachacha".

But Vaughan, 38, scored the lowest for his lumberjack-themed jive to This Ole House by Shakin' Stevens with partner Natalie Lowe.

After the show he tweeted: "Thanks for all the messages.... Had fun and if I go I will go with a smile and a laugh...."