Interview With Anton

Anton du Beke spoke to Paul Coyte on Capital Gold by phone this afternoon. Here are a few highlights.

On being in the bottom two: "I was a bit shaky this time".

On Jan's performance: "It was a real shame. Jan had done so marvelously in rehearsals. She could have won the night".

On talking while dancing: "I don't say anything to her. I try to assist her with my body. With the hold".

He's "quietly confident" about this week's Viennese waltz.

On Brendan's outburst: "Sun damage! I've got no opinion at the moment. We're yet to get through a routine unscathed".

Horizontal Tango

There was an interview with James and Ola in the News Of The World this week, about their antics on the floor, and off it (ahem!). A tad unnecessary, methinks.

As has been reported before, James wasn't a fan of Spoony's flirting.

"With Spoony, when I wasn't around he flirted with her all the time. I didn't like it. It's an insult to me and her when men flirt with Ola because she's married. They should know better."

Personally, I think James should be secure enough in his relationship to not worry about men flirting with his wife. I suppose it's not that often that other men actually dance with Ola, or spend that amount of time alone with her. They've been together for eight years. But we've all seen James' firey side.

James is as strict with Ola as he was with Georgina.

"If I reach for a biscuit, he tells me I shouldn't eat it. He tells me straight if I'm looking chubby."

And, she says, there could be a tiny dancer on the way soon.

"After Strictly it's the next thing on the agenda."

Carolcam!

Carol Smillie has launched a video blog on her official website.

It's worth a look, with training footage and studio rehearsal footage, as well as video diaries.

Thanks to Nina on the Anton & Erin Forum for the tip.

The Mud-Slinging Factor

It seems Louis Walsh is feeling a little insecure. Despite The X Factor doing well in the ratings battle, he still feels the need to have a dig at SCD.

Louis is quoted in the Sunday Mirror as saying;

"It's for grannies who have lost the remote control down the back of the sofa and can't get up to change channel. And people in hospitals who don't have any choice!"

Poor Louis. He really doesn't have a clue, does he?

Brendan And Abi Titmuss

I hate this kind of gossip. According to the Sunday Mirror, Brendan spent the night at Abi Titmuss' place after the Dirty Dancing premiere party last week.

Hmm. We haven't heard much of Abi lately, have we? And she's frequently linked to the men of the moment. Not that long ago it was David Walliams.

My best guess is that Max Clifford has had his hand in this one.

Louisa In Tears

According to The People, Louisa Lytton was in tears during Saturday's dress rehearsal, telling Vincent;

"I can't do this. I'm no good at it and I'm going to make a fool of myself. It's too much to remember."

As we've seen over the years, the pressure gets to all of the participants sooner or later. It wasn't Louisa's week, but I'm sure the samba will prove more up her street.

Simply Divine

I went to see Simply Ballroom at the Theatre Royal last night.

What an amazing show!

Lionel Blair and the company take you through all the main ballroom and latin dances, explain their origins and even teach you to salsa! This show is a must-see for any ballroom fan.

The company includes Danny and Jodie, runners-up in Series 1 of Strictly Dance Fever, and a host of other accomplished dancers including Bruce Lait and Crystal Main, who were famously caught up in the London bombings last year.

The show was made all the better by a special guest appearance by the show's choreographers, Anton and Erin. They are just fabulous to watch, and are quite the comedy double act. Line of the night goes to Anton, who when pointing out Ian Waite in the crowd said, "He has a lot of time on his hands now!".

I caught up with Ian, Camillia and Ray who were all in the audience. Ray was picking up tips on the Viennese waltz, which he has to perform this Saturday.



My mum struggles with my digital camera, hence blurry pics of Camilla and Ray! That'll teach me for not checking them after she's taken them!





If Simply Ballroom comes to your local theatre, it's well worth going to see. Even without the guest stars, it's a fantastic show and you can't help but smile.

Sunday Musings: Week 4

Here are my thoughts on Week 4 of Strictly Come Dancing.

This is possibly the most evenly-matched set of celebrities, with maybe a couple of exceptions, that we have ever seen on SCD.

Emma and Darren's foxtrot was graceful. It had fantastic musicality and the pair glided across the floor. It was excellent, especially as they had snatched rehearsal time wherever they could find it. Perhaps she could point her toes a little more on the kicks, but that would be very picky.

Matt and Lilia did a wonderful paso doble. The song selection, I Would Do Anything For Love, was an excellent choice. Matt commanded the dancefloor. He does have to watch his hands, but aside from that, Matt continues to surprise.

I liked Jan and Anton's foxtrot. It was graceful, and mistakes aside, it was a good performance. Jan is elegant and graceful.

Mark and Karen have a real wow factor. Mark's cape work was excellent and he was authoritative on the dancefloor. It's amazing that a closed book like Mark comes to life on the floor.

Carol and Matthew continue to produce competent, well rehearsed routines. Carol seems to be more comfortable with the ballroom routines. They were graceful and relaxed.

Georgina and James gave a much-improved foxtrot. Georgina was finally looking like a dancer last night. I actually enjoyed their routine instead of cringing through it. They had obviously been working hard.

I didn't like Louisa and Vincent's foxtrot, although I didn't think it was as bad as the judges made out. There were times when it looked like Louisa was having trouble keeping up with Vincent, and was clinging on for dear life.

Peter and Erin's paso was commanding, although like Matt, Peter needs to watch his hands. They do odd things. I think there was a passion to their routine, but perhaps not as much as some of the others.

Ray and Camilla also did an excellent paso, with some great cape work from Ray. The routine didn't appear as involved and complex as Mark and Karen's, but Ray performed it with just as much passion.

Claire and Brendan's foxtrot was tidier than their jive. I liked the musicality, especially toward the end.

Brendan, in true Brendan style, had a go at the judges and stormed out of the studio during the break. Is the making inconsistent? Probably. To be honest, I haven't been taking note of the scoring that much this year, just listening to the comments. But Brendan is correct that the judges have to be consistent. In my opinion, they should mark each dance individually, not taking into account other factors, such as improvement or the routines of others.

It is a shame that Georgina and James were forced to leave after giving their strongest performance of the series, but this has happened on a number of occasions. Was it right for them to leave? Probably.

Arlene Speaks!

Arlene gave her thoughts on some the contestants in last week's Sunday Mirror.

He's bored with Emma's crying, finds Mark fanciable (no shock there) and says Georgina is a very chunky size 10!

The article says that Arlene is a judge at a youth dancing competition, Barbie Dance Stars, organised by Mattell. There is also a Barbie dancing DVD which Arlene is in. Which finally explains that odd research that Mattell put out last month.

Stricly Come Fighting

If you believe last week's People, all is not well between Len Goodman and Arlene Phillips.

According to the paper, an unamed source said, "Both are determined to make a mark with their witty opinions. Arlene was furious when Len tried to spoil her views on Claire with his put-down. Backstage Arlene and Len have been bickering but it was the first time their rivalry spilled over during a broadcast. Now things have hit crisis point."

I don't believe any of this. The judges do have different opinions, and usually give their reasons for those opinions. But that is also true in forumland. Log on to any of the links on the right-hand side of this page, and the same debates rage amoung fans of the show long after the judges have put down their paddles and gone home.

I doubt very much that any of the judges bicker off-set. I'm sure they are professional enough to disagree about things, whilst respecting each other's opinions.

I don't watch The X Factor myself (why would you?), but many similar stories have been published about the judges on that show, with a rumour that Louis Walsh walked out during the last series. It's just the nature of judging panels.

If Only I Were Posh...

If I were Posh (Spice), I could phone up and get tickets for whichever show I like.

Victoria Beckham has been giving Emma all her support, and will attend the show the next time she is back in Blighty, according to last week's People.

Strictly Spotted

Every good newspaper and magazine has it's own 'Spotted' section, so why shouldn't SCB?

Last night I was making my way home through Soho as I do every night. I passed a bar, and there sitting inside by the window was Ian Waite. No stress-laiden dress rehearsals for him! I wonder if that means he's not in tonight's pro display...

Saturday Musings: Week 3

Better late than never, here are my thoughts on Week 3 of Strictly Come Dancing.

The competition is getting much more interesting now that everyone is pitched against everyone else.

Ray and Camilla danced a competent tango. Ray was very focused and did not display the nerves that some of the other participants do. Perhaps Camilla could have challenged him a little more, but it certainly showed what he can do.

Carol and Matthew's jive was interesting. I liked its cheekiness, but was not as good as the foxtrot last week. This couple seem to have great chemistry off the floor, and thankfully it spills off onto it. I think they could be around for a while. But she does need to keep her shoulders down. As an aside, I didn't think the dress suited the dance. It was too samba-ish and not jivey enough for me.

I really enjoyed Matt and Lilia this week. Matt's tango was strong and in control, a big improvement on the group swing the week before, where Lilia did all the work. I was really put off by the music to begin with. I didn't see how you could tango to the sweet Stand By Me. But they pulled it off. Matt has come on leaps and bounds this week. Good job.

Georgina and James. Hmm. Actually, I thought she was much improved this week. But she was the weakest on the night. I have to praise her for her arms, though. He second arm was held up throughout the routine, which helped the overall look of the routine.

Spoony and Ola gave a good performance. It was a shame they lost it with the heads in the middle, but they certainly weren't the only couple to make mistakes. Spoony led well, which is the key to the tango.

I thought that Claire and Brendan's jive was fun and energetic, but so untidy! It was as if they hadn't had time to really polish it. I liked the faux lift at the end. But there is a cockiness to this couple which I'm not sure I like. Hopefully the shock result last week will make them think twice.

Jan and Anton were a little disappointing, but as I've said before, Jan's strength will be ballroom. We all know that Anton is the ballroom master, but I wonder how he feels about the latin dances. If he doesn't enjoy them, it could rub off onto his partner. Even without saying anything, he might subconsciously give things away. Jan must really watch he second arm. It was dangled down doing nothing.

Mark and Karen gave the best tango in my opinion. Mark looked emotionless throughout, and really led Karen around the floor. The choreography looked more complex and more traditional than some of the other routines. But even a 9 from Bruno failed to get a squeak out of Mark. It's a good thing he's with one of Strictly's chattiest dancers.

Everyone expected big things from Emma and Darren. They delivered a clean, barring a mistake, well-rehearsed polished jive. What more can I say?

Peter and Erin continue to quietly get on with things. They put in another solid performance. Peter works hard on his technique and it shows. His work so far has been clean and precise.

Louisa and Vincent were fantastic and a great way to end the show. They were bouncy and full of energy. The jive routine was complex and exciting, and Louisa did it perfectly. It was my favourite jive of the evening, and probably second only to Jill and Darren in Series 2.

Spoony and Ola's exit was a shock to everyone. They did not deserve to go out by any stretch of the imagination. Spoony was one of the strongest men in the competition. Should Georgina and James gone out? In my opinion, yes. Although Georgina has displayed improvement, she is still not up to the standard of the rest of the group.

It just goes to prove that no-one is safe. Vote for your favourites, or they could end up like Spoony and Ola.

We've seen so many good couples leave because of sympathy votes over the years. I doubt we'll see anyone weak make the final again, but it's a shame that good dancers are forced to go before their time is really up.

Strictly High Definition

Yes, I'm back! My thoughts on last week's programme will follow tomorrow, but I just had to post this bit of exciting news.

Strictly Come Dancing is joining the BBC's High Definition trial from tomorrow, which means, for those with HD equipment, the finest, sharpest picture quality available.

To be able to watch HD broadcasts, you need an HD TV set, plus a subscription to either Sky HD or Telewest's TV Drive.

I have seen HD demos, and it's pretty amazing. I can only begin to imagine how fabulous our favourite show would be in HD.

Normal Service Will Be Resumed Shortly

There will be no updates to Strictly Come Blogging until Saturday 28th October at the earliest, as I am going away for a few days.

Thanks for reading my take on the competition so far. There will be more to come once I'm back.

Until next time, Keeeeeeeeeeeep Dancing!

Interview With Len

Len Goodman was interviewed on the Capital Gold Drivetime show this evening (it sounds like I missed a chat with Anton yesterday). They had a short chat about DWTS, Strictly and his new DVD.

When asked why he is Head Judge, Len replied "They picked me because I'm the oldest and I sit in the middle".

Len was asked who the best competitor of all the series was. Unsurprisingly, he said Jill Halfpenny. But he also praised last year's finalists, Darren Gough, Colin Jackson and Zoe Ball. There were no comments about this year's crop.

The other highlight was a chat about the other judges. He said they get on well, but Craig gets his goat sometimes. "I know he's a nasty piece of work. Luckily I have Arlene as a buffer!".

Tarbuck Is Out!

The BBC have confirmed in a press release that Jimmy Tarbuck has left the competition.

"I would like to thank my wonderful partner Flavia who has taught me so much and been patient in trying to turn this old carthorse into a proper dancer! I will really miss training with her."

The press release ends with the following paragraph:

The remaining 11 contestants will battle it out to stay in the competition this week but there will be an exciting twist to the competition to look out for.

An exciting twist? What could that be?

Nicholas & Nicole or Mica & Ian get voted back in?

Flavia gets a new partner and must train them within a week?

No-one gets voted out this week?

Who knows. But Saturday's programme will make very interesting viewing...

Downtown

Emma Bunton is recording a version of Petula Clark's Downtown (if you are in your late 20s like me, you may remember Phillip Schofield championing Pet's version from The Broom Cupboard) in aid of Children In Need.

According to the BBC News website, Emma has asked her fellow SCDers to appear in the video if they are available.

"The video should be a good laugh - I've asked all the Strictly guys to come along if they have time and show off all the hard work we've been doing and hopefully there will be a few other surprises in store too."

The single is released on 13th November.

Camilla Injured?

According to a report in yesterday's Sun, Camilla "collapsed at rehearsals" with hip pain earlier in the week.

An 'insider' said, "She pulled a muscle for the tango and just collapsed in pain. Ray is really worried. Even if she is better in time, they won't have enough time to rehearse together."

These dancers are professionals, and injuries are an occupational hazardrd. It would have to be incapacitatingng for a dancer to not compete. And the routines on SCD are probably not as gruelling as those they would perform in competition.

I expect we'll see a cracking, well-rehearsed routine from Ray and Camilla tomorrow night.

If Bill Turnbull can dance through injury, I'm sure anyone can.

Jimmy Quits?

I was told of a rumour reported on the radio this morning that Jimmy Tarbuck has quit Strictly Come Dancing. I cannot find any evidence to back up this claim.

If I find out any more, you'll read it here.

Sign My Guestbook

In case you didn't notice, I've added a guestbook to the blog. I'd love to hear what you think of SCB, so please feel free to drop me a line.

Sign the guestbook.

Jan & Anton on BBC Breakfast

Jan and Anton were on BBC Breakfast last Friday (ie before their quickstep). I didn't know about it until I was surfing YouTube today.

So if, like me, you missed the interview, here it is...

Part 1



Part 2

Interactive Ian

According to his website, Ian Waite will be providing the interactive red button commentary on SCD this Saturday.

I still haven't listened to it. And sadly, I won't be able to this week either. I'd love to hear what Ian has to say.

Magic of Dance Website

There is now a website up and running for Ian and Camilla's The Magic of Dance DVD.

The site contains trailers, some amazing photos, wallpaper and biographies.

Having watched the trailers, I now understand why Camilla and Ian are so excited by this project. The locations are almost as breathtaking as the dancing, and the whole concept was about taking dancing out of the ballroom.

The DVD is released on Monday (23rd October).

Len on Capital Gold

Len Goodman is going to be a guest on Paul Coyte's drivetime show on Capital Gold this Friday between 4pm and 7pm.

You can listen online, on 1548AM in London, on Sky and cable and on DAB. No excuses to miss it!

Mica & Ian's Jive

If you were watching It Takes Two last night, you would have seen training footage of Mica & Ian's jive, which they would have been performing this Saturday, had they not been knocked out.

If you didn't, you can see a clip on the BBC website.

The jive looked pretty good. I must admit, I wasn't that fussed with the 15-bar introduction (Queen's Don't Stop Me Now was the track), and I'm not sure the judges would have been either. But once they got into the up-tempo part, Mica looked a lot better than the rumba gave her credit for. I was convinced that she'd struggle with the more bouncy numbers which favour smaller dancers, but I take it all back. The jive was a marked improvment on the rumba. And this was only training footage. I'm sure on Saturday night with a nice frock, hair-do, make-up and lights, it would have come across really well.

I think this is the flaw of the 'one boy, one girl out' format. Had it been the usual format from the start, perhaps Jimmy would have departed before Mica.

We'll never know.

I noticed that Ian chose Ray as the one he'd be supporting in future. I'm not sure Claudia made the Camilla connection. But I'm sure all the viewers did.

SCD Needs Your Votes

The final shortlists for the National Television Awards have been drawn up, and Strictly Come Dancing is nominated for Best Entertainment Programme.

It's a tough category, with Strictly up against Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Dancing On Ice, Friday Night With Jonathan Ross and The X Factor.

Strictly desperately needs your votes. Click here to vote.

Excuses, Excuses

There is a report in the Liverpool Echo that Jimmy Tarbuck actually chose not to parcipate in Saturday's group swing, rather than being out due to illness, as stated on the show.

"I had a blood pressure rush, but I'm fine. The routine was excruciatingly difficult, it was a tough routine for young people,and I just decided I couldn't do it physically."

Jimmy is going to find it very hard if he gets past this week's tango. The more energetic dances cannot be avoided forever.

Bruce on Paul O'Grady

Bruce Forsyth is going to be a guest on
The New Paul O'Grady Show, tonight on Channel 4 at 5pm.

Don't miss it.

Dance Today

Mark and Karen are on the cover of the October issue of Dance Today.



I believe it contains an interview with Karen, but I haven't seen a copy yet, so I don't know for sure.

Nervous Nicole

It seems Louisa and Emma were not the only ones feeling nervous on Saturday night!

Nicole Cutler has written a blog entry, detailing her excitement and nerves at dancing a samba with Matthew during Simon Webbe's performance on Saturday night, as well as taking part in the pro's jive and providing red button commentary (which I have to admit I haven't ventured into yet).

"I think I was more nervous than I have ever been in any competition [Matthew and I] did together and that takes some doing."

Well, it certainly didn't show!

Are Dancers Better In Bed?

There was a fabulous interview with Brendan in Saturday's Mirror. The Mirror seems to be turning into SCD news central this year!

Anyway, the reporter met Brendan at the Oxo Tower (where he also had a date with the Britain's Next Top Model girls), and they chatted about this and that.

All the usual themes come through in this rather flirtatious interview; Camilla and Kaplinsky, Love Island, his ideal woman. Certainly no revaltions here.

"Dancers are often good lovers because they're very aware of their bodies and have spent a long time understanding their partner's movements."

I really should start those ballroom lessons... I must be halfway there with all the other dancing I've done, though.

I love the answer to the question about getting 'excited' during a dance.

"Occasionally you get a twitch."

Back in the Camilla days, I can only assume!

And thanks to Dvj140 of the Activeboard, here is the main pic which went with the article.

Jimmy's Health Scare

Jimmy Tarbuck was absent from Saturday's programme. According to a report on the BBC News website, he was diagnosed with high blood pressure and told to rest for a while. The report says that he hopes to be back for the tango next week.

Get well soon, Jimmy!

New Forum

Another forum has sprung up. The lovely folks at Unreality TV, who have been very complimentary about my blog, have added a Strictly forum.

Go and check it out!

Week 2: Monday Musings

Here are my thoughts on Week 2 of Strictly Come Dancing.

As a whole, I don’t think the women were as strong as the men. But that said, some of the women were amazing.

Carol and Matthew did a good job. Carol looked confident and poised. I wish everyone could hear what I say in my armchair, because otherwise it sounds like I’m copying the judges, but I did say that Carol needs to keep her shoulders down before Bruno. I thought Carol had a lovely headline, though.

I expected more from Mica, and I have to admit I was disappointed. As a musical performer, I expected her to wow, but she looked as if she didn’t know what she was doing. I love watching the male dancers in action with the celebs. You can see their skill as they push and pull the girls to where they should be and make them look good. Ian was doing a lot of that.

Why is it that the most nervous performers are so often the best? Louisa and Vincent made the floor their own. They made a very complex quickstep look effortless. I noticed that they’d had the fake tan out on Louisa!

I was pleasantly surprised by Georgina and James this week. After the group mambo, my expectations of Georgina were at rock bottom, but she was better than I anticipated. She was lacking in hip-action, she stuck her arms up like a gymnast several times, but she got from one end of the rumba to the other.

Like Craig, I had commented on how Jan and Anton got stuck straight into the routine, with no endless intro. They looked really good, and Jan must have known she was in a safe hold with The Master. I think she might be a Lesley Garrett, strong at ballroom but not so strong with latin.

Brendan knew that an illegal lift in Week 2 was not going to jeopardise their place in the competition, so he went for it. Twice. I loved Craig’s description of it as “absolute filth”. Claire smoulders on the dancefloor, and she and Brendan are a great match. I wonder how they can work together on the less sexy ballroom dances like the foxtrot or quickstep, though.

Emma and Darren delivered exactly to form. They were bouncy, they looked good together, she pointed her toes and smiled. I didn’t like the shoulder action right at the end of the routine, and did wonder if there was an error there. I’m expecting a Halfpenny-esque jive next week.

The group swing was very hit and miss. The three boys, Ray, Spoony and Mark, delivered another great performance. Mark’s swing of Karen was particularly noteworthy. But Peter didn’t look as confident as he did in the waltz, and Matt barely danced at all, Lilia was doing all the work. I loved that they used Right Now, which we used in our show earlier in the year. It’s a great track to dance to.

Like last week, I thought the bottom two couples were the correct bottom two, and if I’m honest, the right couple were eliminated. Unlike the judges, I thought Georgina and James had the edge on Mica and Ian.

On a personal level, I was gutted to see Ian leave the competition. He is one of my favourite pros, and I would have loved to have seen him go further. Thank goodness for the pro demos! At least we’ll still get to see him each week dancing with Camilla. And I’ll have a reason to look forward to It Takes Two tonight!

Under Pressure

According to The Mirror, the pressure of being the favourite to win Strictly Come Dancing is proving 'too much' for Emma Bunton.

They report that Emma has broken down in tears twice this week. She's scared she's going to let people down.

"I find it really flattering that people are being so positive, I just feel so much pressure now."

I'm sure Emma will do just fine. It's widely reported that she suffers from terrible stage fright, and this is probably just a manifestation of that.

Malteasergate: The Trouble Continues

It seems that relations between Georgina and James have not improved since the Malteasergate affair earlier in the week.

According to source of all truth, The Sun, the pair have now cancelled all of their future training sessions.

According to the paper, James told bosses, "I am cancelling practices with her. I'd do anything to make the show good but I've got the laziest cow ever."

I'm beginning to wonder if this story is been exaggerated by the red-tops. Everybody loves a bit of drama, and for once it's not about Brendan! Unless I hear something more concrete, I'm going to be taking this one with a pinch of salt.

There's also a non-story (with a picture) about James' rage at Spoony looking at Ola's chest. Utter kack! I know from experience that pictures (or screen caps in this case) can be misconstrued because of perspective. And I don't believe the bit about James being cross, even if he did ban their kiss at the end of their kiss routine. And I'm not sure I believe that either!

What Do You Do In A Power Cut?

There was a power cut in my office building this morning. I was sent home for a short while.

What are you going to do with an unexpected hour at home?

Pop on a DVD and work on your waltz with Anglea Rippon and Ian Waite!

I've had it for ages and it was the first time I've popped it in. And I quite enjoyed it. It's probably the closest I'm going to get to a lesson with Ian for the foreseeable future.

Vincent and Flavia Phone It In

It has just come to light (well to light for me anyway), that Vincent and Flavia appeared in a recent press campaign for Samsung.

Thanks to Quackaquacker from the Digital Spy forum, here is the scan.

MSN Quiz

There is a little quiz on the MSN site. Although it says it's about SCD, it's actually more about the contestants.

MSN's SCD Quiz.

'Malteasergate'

There is an article in The Sun about 'Malteasergate' - that's my new name for James confiscating Gerogina's Malteasers, and the accompanying hoo-haa.

It says that Georgina has 'sobbed', “I don’t want to dance with James anymore.”

The Sun also reports that Spoony would have got what-for from James if his routine with Ola had ended in a kiss.

“There’s a line and if you cross it then there’s going to be hell to pay.”

I desperately hope this is a load of old knickers that has been made up in the editorial office of The Sun. Perhaps they have decided to give Brendan a break (at last) and now want to paint James as the new bad guy.

Congratulations to Emma!

It was announced today that Emma is set to marry her partner Jade Jones.

At least she won't have any trouble with her first dance. I hope she's taking Jade to her rehearsals with Darren!

Simply Ballroom

I have booked my tickets for Simply Ballroom at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 29th October. I'm very excited.

According to the See tickets website, Anton and Erin will be special guests at the show.

I'm wondering if there might be some other SCDers there. I can just see a little It Takes Two segment where they all go and see the show to relax after the stress of Saturday. Here's hoping!

New Banner

If you've clicked in from one of the many forums I use, or MySpace, you might have clicked on my lovely new banner to get here.



Isn't it lovely? It was made for me by Gracie, and I love it.

Tess: "We'll Kick Simon Cowell's Ass"

In a Mirror article from Saturday, Tess said that Strictly Come Dancing would continue to beat The X Factor in the ratings, even if it is by attracting grannies and children!

And Strictly did indeed trounce The X Factor!

It all works out for everyone. The X Factor attracts the young, upmarket audiences that advertisers look for, and the BBC fulfills its public service remits. Everyone's a winner!

Except poor Nicholas, of course.

Georgina: "Put Extra Sequins And Sparkly Bits Over My Problem Areas!"

In an article in The Mirror, Georgina says that James has told her she needs to lose weight if she wants to win.

In a clip on the Mirror website, James is seen confiscating her Malteasters.



And she discusses her rumba training.

"James is standing there encouraging me by going: 'Do it again! Come on! Turn me on, baby!' Frankly, I'd rather have a cup of tea."

Carol: "I don’t think Brucie is quite ready for the Smillie"

Here is an interview with Carol Smillie from The Times.

My favourite part of the interview is this...

"For the photo shoot they gave me false eyelashes. I was so taken with them I kept them on for dinner that night and even wore them to bed. Unfortunately, one stuck to the pillow. Not a good look."

Week 1: Monday Musings

Here are a few of my thoughts on Week 1 of Strcitly Come Dancing...

I thought all of the men were really good. There were no Quentin Wilsons or David Dickinsons here. All of the men were capable of getting further in the competition, and that was something I was really pleased to see.

Matt and Lilia did a good job. It must have been awful to have to go first, and I'm sure Matt will be more relaxed in two weeks time when he has to dance again.

Nicholas and Nicole did well. Nicholas didn't make any noticeable mistakes and put in a solid first effort.

I knew good things were in store within the first four bars of Ray and Camilla's Can You Feel It. Like Arlene, I felt it! Their chemistry is going to be hard to top. They look great together on the floor.

Peter and Erin did a graceful waltz. I loved the opening choreography, where they performed the same steps before taking the hold. I think Peter will improve, although he may struggle with the Latin dances because of his size. And we got our first bit of classic Len, when he told Arlene she should've gone to SpecSavers! And that was quickly followed by describing Peter's arms as "two bits of elastic hanging from a knicker leg".

Spoony and Ola were excellent. Of the new dancers to the competition, I think I have warmed to Ola the most. She is an amazing dancer, and has the sweetest little face. I loved her and James' part of the show number. I can't wait to see more of her and James on the show. I didn't notice Spoony's inturned toes on the first viewing of their routine, but on rewinding and reviewing, it's quite clear. I think this could be the biggest correction battle since Darren Gough's hands!

Jimmy and Flavia gave a competent waltz. Jimmy was looking at his feet a bit, but I can forgive that on week one. But as Craig, I think, commented, he kept time throughout. Being able to keep time is often the biggest hurdle, so if he can do that, it's a good start.

I loved Mark and Karen. Mark's footwork was fab, and Karen's choreography was great. I didn't mind the clappy bit in the middle, as it fitted in with the fun mood of the dance. I'm looking forward to more from them.

I was delighted that the first part of the group mambo was to Johnny's Mambo from Dirty Dancing. I love that piece of music! I have to admit that I thought Georgina was the weakest of the bunch. She was same-arm-as-leg (a pet hate of mine) at one point and didn't look as confident as the others. I think Emma and Louisa were probably the strongest, with Claire, Carol and Mica snapping at their heels. I'm looking forward to Jan's quickstep. I think ballroom might be more her thing than mambo, and she'll be quickstepping with The Master, Anton. Mica's rumba should be pretty slinky, judging by her moves at the beginning of the mambo. But like Denise Lewis, she might struggle with the pacey Latin routines because of her long limbs.



I thought the bottom two were the right bottom two this week. But I don't think either of them deserved to be voted off, and was a shame to see either of them go. I was gutted for Nicole, especially as she was so excited to be back on SCD.

Claire King: "Harder Work Than I Thought It Would Be"

A short and sweet interview with Claire from the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Claire says she's been approached to do other reality shows, but decided Strictly Come Dancing was the show for her.

"This one involves learning a new skill, so at least there's more to it than eating kangaroo balls in a jungle or sitting around on an island."

That's the kind of candour that's going to make Claire King an interesting contestant. I can't wait to see how she gets on.

Emma on Paul O'Grady

Emma Bunton will be a guest on The New Paul O'Grady Show on Thursday 12th October. As usual it's 5pm on Channel 4.

Tess On Paul O'Grady

Tess Daly is going to be a guest on The New Paul O'Grady Show this afternoon on Channel 4 at 5pm. She'll be there to talk about SCD. The show must be pre-recorded, as they should be rehearsing this afternoon.

Tune in!

Press Red For Expert Commentary

For the first time, Strictly Come Dancing will feature red button interactivity for digital viewers.

You can press red for thoughts and comments from former pro Philip Jackson.

The BBC website has more details.

I'm not sure how I feel about this innovation. I think it's a good idea, but I do really like to come to my own opinions before the judges say their stuff. I think having commentary would take this away from me. But for a slightly less critical audience, this might add a nice extra dimension.

I wish I could experience the show both ways. Perhaps I should tape the main TV with the commentary, and watch it first time through on the other TV. One to ponder...

Soundbites

There is another article on the Manchester Evening News site about Peter and Bente Schmeichel. Most of it is a re-hash of the one the other day. But it also has a few soundbites from some of the other contestants.

Emma says: "When I was a little girl I used to love dressing up and dancing around, and this is my chance to do it for real."

Nicholas says: "I have no expectations of hanging on after the first show - being there for the first one and the last one, when we can all have a jolly good knees-up, is enough for me."

Nicholas on GMTV

Just seen a bulletin from Nicole which says that Nicholas Owen will be on GMTV tommorw (Fri 6th) at around 8.30am. No doubt he'll be spilling the beans on how the training is going.

Get up early, skip work or school, or set the video!

TV Times

Anton, Louisa and Claire are on the cover of this week's TV Times, looking fabulous.

It does strike me as a little odd that they are not with their own partners, but it's great to see Strictly getting the main shot on the front cover.



Sadly, I hear that this is also the magazine in which Craig 'voiced his opinions'. I haven't seen a copy myself.

Camilla Models For Aristoc

You may have heard that Camilla is the current face (or rather, legs) of Aristoc hosiery.

There are now some lovely promotional shots of Camilla on the Aristoc website. Just click on Fashion at the top of the page.

Has Craig Already Chosen A Winner?

According to a report in the Daily Star, Craig has given an interview to one of this week's TV listings magazines in which he has given each celebrity marks out of ten.

The Star says that Craig has already labeled Jimmy Tarbuck "Britain's worst dancer" (Quentin Wilson might have something to say about that - he is very proud of his lowest-ever score!).

This is all a bit strange in my opinion. Normally, the judges are at pains not to say who they think will do well or not. Their feeling become clear through their voting, but you can't pin them down for straight answers. For Craig to have done this, especially before any of the contestants have set foot on the dancefloor, is pretty disappointing. And a bit out of character.

Brendan: "I Fancy Carol Smillie"

There was an interview with Brendan in a recent issue of Closer magazine.

In the interview, Brendan says that Claire King is very attractive and sexy and they have great chemistry. But he reveals that there is something appealing about Carol.

"Carol's absolutely gorgeous - there's something about her that I love".

Of course, he goes on to say that he learned his lesson about relationships during series 1, but the press need an angle, and that 'relationship' is always going it be it with Brendan.

He sees Emma and Darren as their biggest competition.

Thanks to Djv140, who like myself is a serial forum user, here is a scan of the whole article. Click on the picture to enlarge it.

Ian & Camilla's DVD Revealed

Ian Waite and Camilla Dallerup have made their own DVD, The Magic Of Dance. It will be available at the end of October, but you can pre-order your copy now from Classic Pictures.

The blurb about it says:

The Magic of Dance is a romantic, Ballroom and Latin dance fantasy, taking the dance out of the ballroom and into magical settings, with each of the extraordinary performances set against stunning backdrops.

This unique DVD brings something special and personal to everyone. Not only will the viewer be mesmerized by the entertainment, they can also go to the special features and learn Camilla and Ian’s dance techniques.

Dance A Mile In Aled's Shoes

Want to step into Aled's shoes? Literally?

Well now you can, because a pair of Aled's dancing shoes, signed by the man himself, are being auctioned on eBay for charity, in aid of Hope House Children's Hospices.

The current bid of £250 is a little over my budget. But if ever I opened 'Strictly Come Dining' (think Hard Rock Cafe meets the ballroom), they would be a nice piece of memorabilia to have on display!

I hope they find a good home.

BBC Website Overhaul

The BBC's SCD site has undergone a makeover, and is looking pretty sharp.

Not all the links work, and a large number of the old pages have been totally removed, but it looks really sexy.

My favourite addition is a scorecard, so you can be just like Arlene or Bruno. Fabulous!

Nicole's Blog

Nicole has written a new blog entry, telling us how the training with Nicholas Owen is going. It seems to be going well, and she says that Nicholas is really enjoying dancing. He can't get enough.

I'm so pleased that things are going well for Nicole. She's seemed like such a good teacher on series 2, I'm sure Nicholas is going to be just fine.

I couldn't sleep last night. I spend so much time thinking about the show, it's obscene. With this blog up and running, I'm living and breathing it more than ever before. The show hasn't even started yet. And I'm not even involved with the show!

Set The Video!

Peter Schmeichel will be a guest on Loose Women on ITV1 this Thursday at 12.30pm.

Patsy Palmer is also a guest on the show, so hopefully she'll be passing on some wisdom to Peter before he takes to the floor.

SCD On Your Tellybox

According to the listings on the BBC website, the main SCD show will be on at 7.50pm to 9pm this Saturday. The results will follow at 9.45pm to 10.15pm.

The more interesting thing is the slot at 7pm on BBC2 on Sunday. This one-hour slot looks like it could be a highlights or behind-the-scenes package. Looks like the BBC have finally learnt something from the endless repeats of The X Factor.

The Wives Have It

It seems that Peter Schmeichel wasn't the only one whose wife encouraged him to go on Strictly Come Dancing. Mark Ramprakash's wife also convinced her husband to take part.

In an interview with the England & Wales Cricket Board, Mark said that he is loving his lessons with Karen.

"I am quite self-conscious so I need to be pretty relaxed and prepared to do all the moves. She was good in that respect. So far all the practice sessions have gone well and they have been fun, which is good."

Camilla: "Ray's Fit, Dedicated And A Great Mover"

There was a lengthy interview with Camilla in this week's Sunday Mirror. She talks about many things, including her relationship with Brendan (yes, the press are still asking about that), the truth about James Martin and her man Fabio D'Alonzo.

I do with the press would let Brendan and Camilla get on with their lives. I know their break-up was somewhat public, but it's almost three years ago now. I want to read about something else.

At Home With The Bennetts

Darren and Lilia recently let the Sunday Mirror's Homes And Holidays magazine have a nose around their pad.

Thanks to JayEff from the Activeboard, here is the article in all its glory. Click on the pics to enlarge them.

Peter's Pleased Wife

Peter Schmeichel's wife is over the moon that he's a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. Bente Schmeichel has been trying to get her husband to salsa lessons for years.

"He has been training for four weeks and he's really put a lot into it, he just can't do things by halves. I just hope he isn't the first to be voted off."

Bente told the Manchester Evening News that Peter had been approached to do the show in previous years, and has finally agreed.

"I think he wanted to do it this year because it's given him an opportunity to get fit again after football. It's a great challenge for him."

Bente will be in the audience on Saturday to cheer him on.

Tess On Emma

There were a few nice words from Tess Daly on Emma Bunton in Celebs On Sunday.

"She's going to look gorgeous in her frocks."

She said some nice things about Bruce too.

Sometimes I feel I am alone in my fondness of Bruce. The jokes he does on Strictly Come Dancing might not be the funniest in the word, but the show would be a lot less rich without him. He cares about the contestants.

Read a summary of what Tess said on Digital Spy.