A Few Words Of Thanks...

There will be no more updates to Stictly Come Blogging until the new year, as I am on holiday.

I will be posting my thoughts on the semi-final and the final in the new year, although I doubt anyone will want to read them after the dust has settled.

Make sure you watch Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on Friday 22nd December at 6.30pm to see myself and another Digital Spy forum member take on two celebrities in a Strictly quiz. It was recorded last week, and I'll tell you all about it once it has aired.

Also tune in for the Christmas Special on Christmas Day. It will be very special.

Thank-you to everyone for reading this blog during the course of Series 4. Let's hope there's more next year.

Thank-you to everyone who posts on all the Strictly forums for listening to the drivel I spout on a regular basis.

Finally, thank you to the participants, dancers and judges of Strictly Come Dancing for keeping us entartained, not just for the past three months, but for the past three years. Apologies to those I have pestered, especially Ian Waite!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Make sure you come back in 2007. Stricly may be coming to an end, but the blog don't stop. I'll still be watching what the participants are up to.

Good luck to Brendan in Just The Two Of Us. Make sure you support him!

Georgina Bouzova: "I Don’t Think That The Judges Can Even Dance"

There was an article in The Sun which says that Georgina has been criticising the judges.

I find this story a little odd, more becuase of the timing than anything else. Why now, when Georgina left ages ago?

“I don’t think that the judges can even dance – don’t they say ‘Those who can do, those who can’t judge.’, I’m a strong girl and I don’t care what they say about me.”

Dancing Times - December

Arlene Phillips graces the cover of Dance Today this month, and there is an article on her inside, part of which is online.

Strictly Come Singing

Having spent the summer on Love Island, it seems our Brendan Cole is not finished with reality TV yet, as he is now lined up to participate in the new series of Just The Two Of Us which hits our screens in the new year.

Brendan will be partnered with a professional singer to learn duets. It'll be interesting to see how Brendan copes with being the taught instead of the teacher. Part of me hopes he is partnered with someone who will give him stick for getting things wrong. It will be one of the following lovely ladies; Natasha Hamilton, Beverley Knight, Jocelyn Brown, Sarah Brightman or Carol Decker.

I can't wait to see him take criticism from the judges as a celebrity. I just wish this was Comic Relief Does Fame Academy, as then he'd still have to face Craig Revel Horwood!

The show got a bit of stick last year, but I thought it was very entertaining. I can't wait to see how Brendan gets on.

Regular viewers to It Takes Two will have heard Brendan take to the mic before, performing Saturday Night Is The Lonliest Night Of The Week with Anton Du Beke. Sadly, YouTube can only furnish us with a short clip. But surely it leaves you wanting more?

The Big Finish

Strictly fans should make sure they tune in to The Big Finish on New Year's Eve.

The show, a quiz exploring the events of 2006, features a whole host of Strictly stars. Bill Turnbull, Craig Revel Horwood, Darren Gough and Colin Jackson are all on quiz teams. And to top it off, Emma is singing Downtown accompanied by some brilliant backing dancers - Ian, Camilla, James, Ola and Darren!

I went to the recording of the show on Sunday and it's pretty entertaining. Sadly, Emma and the dancers had pre-recorded their part and weren't in the studio. But it was great seeing the others, and I got to indulge my new-found love for CRH. I'm a little bit in love with him at the moment. And he was on a team with John Barrowman who I also have a wee flame for at the moment! They even mentioned that Maria episode which sparked my wee flame in the first place. Bliss!

Camilla: "We Were Never An Item"

There was a Mirror interview with Camilla at the weekend. I'm sure they've already run loads of Camilla stories, but there you go.

It has the usual stuff, but there are a few gems.

She says that, despite the rumours, she never had a relationship with last year's partner James Martin.

"That was a comedy episode. We were never an item."

She admits that she likes to slob out when she's not working.

"I wear so much make-up for work that when I'm off-duty I wear no make-up, combats, big jumpers and woolly socks - and look rough!"

Despite being the legs of Aristoc hosiery, Camilla says she has tried hard to re-shape her legs.

"I'd love to have bigger thighs. I think Latin dancers look better when they're a bit bigger. I've tried to build them up in the gym but it hasn't worked."

SDF Axed

According to several reports, such as this one in the Metro, Strictly Dance Fever will not return for a third series.

The ratings for SDF are not as high as those for Strictly Come Dancing, or other Saturday night bankers like the autumn's How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?. According to the report, the BBC will look for other talent formats.

Tuesday Musings: Week 10

Here are my thoughts on Week 10 of Strictly Come Dancing.

The competition is still incredibly close, and it's really hard to see anyone leave.

Mark and Karen waltzed to With You I'm Born Again. I'm fairly certain this song has been used before. The routine was elegant and well-performed, although I wasn't sure Mark was smiling with his eyes, only his mouth. I loved the ending, which was very romantic.

Their jive was lots of fun, especially Mark's Elvis impression to begin the number. I'm not sure why wardrobe didn't put them in blue shoes, as it would have been an obvious thing to do. There were a few noticeable errors in the routine, which was a shame. The ambitious drop was well executed, and his flicks were nice (although not as nice as Matt's in my opinion). The smile looked genuine on this routine.

I had to agree with the judges about Vincent and Louisa's American smooth. It lacked a bit of wow-factor. I'm not sure why the costume department feels we need to see Louisa's midriff every week on the ballroom numbers. I loved the musicality of Vincent's routine, and the flick kicks at the end. Louisa performed the routine well, but the smooth is the chance to do something a bit different, and it was a bit too safe.

The rumba is always a difficult to sell to the audience. It's very difficult to pitch it right, and the chemistry is often an issue. I liked Vincent and Louisa's rumba, but it didn't blow me away. Perhaps their brother-sister relationship worked against them here. I didn't believe it, although it was certainly one of the better rumbas in the series.

Matt and Lilia's Viennese waltz was pretty good. The choreography was clean and understated. I had to agree with the judges that the rise and fall was a bit severe.

Their samba didn't really work for me either. It lacked the excitement and energy of some of the other sambas in the series, although this was emphasised by the song choice which didn't like for me either. And he was on his knees again! I'm sick of seeing Matt on his knees. The natural rolls were quite nice.

Emma and Darren's tango was good, but I wasn't sure about Maneater. I think Emma would have been more impressive dancing to a more traditional piece of music. However, I think it had some of the drama that the paso doble should have had. It was clean and well performed, but still didn't blow me away.

The second rumba of the night went the same was as the first. Emma doesn't always elongate her lines as much as I would like. Again, I didn't buy the relationship between them. Emma seems to struggle with the dances that require a bit of acting. The bit where Darren turned Emma to the front looked a bit laboured. I did like the ending. And Emma has lovely arabesques.
I worry that I am starting to expect too much. I want the routines to blow me away at this stage in the competition, and they just aren't.

It was awful to see the girls forced to do a dance-off. Louisa and Vincent should not have left the competition. In fact, I don't think they should have been in the bottom two.

I like Matt. He has improved so much. He's had an incredible 'journey' (!). However, after spending the mid-stages of the competition voting for entertainment, I now think the best dancers should be the last ones standing. If Matt makes the final, especially if it ends up being a two-couple final, it will make it very dull for the viewers, because I don't think he can win it.

Here are this week's videos.

Mark & Karen - Waltz



Mark & Karen - Jive



Louisa & Vincent - American smooth



Louisa & Vincent - Rumba



Matt & Lilia - Viennese waltz



Matt & Lilia - Samba



Emma & Darren - Tango



Emma & Darren - Rumba

Bare-Knuckle Samba?

A slightly quirky article from The Times compares England's performance in The Ashes to Mark Ramprakash's performance on Strictly Come Dancing.

I don't claim to know that much about the cricket, but the article is cleverly written and done so by someone who has actually watched the programme.

How can you not love an article that talks of a "bare-knuckle samba"?

"There were worrying signs in last weekend’s round that the pressure of being ahead might have begun to tell on Ramps, England-style. An all-or-nothing, bare-knuckle samba would eventually redeem him in the public’s eye, but only after he turned in a foxtrot so far below his standards that the judges could only declare themselves “bitterly disappointed”, while deeply lamenting the way in which he “lost his neck” during the routine."

Lilia on Radio 4

Lilia is presenting a show on Radio 4 this Saturday at 10.30am entitled Fat Lads Don't Dance. With help from Darren (Bennett, not Gough) and Lionel Blair, she investigates why British men prefer beer to botofogos!

And if you miss it, don't worry. You'll be able to listen again all week on the BBC website.

Anton Du Beke: I’m Already A Bit Mental!

There is a fabulous interview with Anton on RainbowNetwork.com.

It contains the ususal stuff (dancing at 14 to meet girls), but he also talks about this series, costumes, strange gifts, proposals and lots more.

It's reallay good and well worth a read. Although they credited the "Every woman in the world should have half an hour with Anton Du Beke" quote to Esther! Their researchers need a good talking to!

Free Business Cards

OK, this isn't 100% Strictly related.

Meshcards are offering some free business cards, which you can give out to your mates with you number, email or web address on.

The cards are being offered by the Codemasters gaming company to advertise their Dance Factory DDR games. But they're pretty stylish and quite handy, and they all have a dance theme.

I've been sent some Meshcards before, and they are really nice. They don't bombard you with marketing rubbish either.

Beware Of Fake Tickets

There was a horrible story in the Eastern Daily Press this week.

A Norfolk woman bought tickets for Strictly that had been advertised in a shop window. The advertisment said the profits would go to Children In Need.

When the woman arrived at Television Centre, she was refused entry. The tickets were not genuine.

Selling genuine tickets is one thing - it makes me really cross that people sell on tickets that are free, and make money out of desperate fans - but to sell fake tickets is pure evil.

Dance Lessons, Three Times A Day

There has been a lot of coverage in the press since the weekend, about a scheme for government-sponsored dance lessons for the obese.

I haven't bothered to mention it before, but I've just found a Guardian article from yesterday, in which Darren Bennett describes the benefit of the various forms of dance, from Ballet to Breakdancing.

The best part is Darren's comment on Morris dancing.

"It's not something I'm qualified in, but there is a physical aspect to all styles of dance."

Morris dancing. Now there's a new dance to think about for the next series!

Emma Bunton: "I've Found Muscles I Never Knew I Had!"

There is a lengthy interview with Emma in today's Mirror. In this one she talks about Jade and those Spice reunion rumours (again!), but the bulk of the interview is about Emma's body and shape.

She talks about the difficulty of growing up in front of the media, and the pressure that comes with it.

"I'm not a huge gym fan. I go out with my girlfriends and we love our pizza and wine."

My kind of girl!

"[Strictly] has been the best exercise I've ever had. I don't know if I've lost weight, but I feel more toned. The paso doble is all about using your arms and the cha-cha is all about your legs. So each dance has worked different bits of me - I've found muscles I never knew I had!"

She also mentions how she'd like to do well, for Darren as well as for herself.

"Part of the pressure is knowing Darren would like to win, so I hope I can do it for him. But he knows how hard we've worked, so hopefully he'll forgive me!"

Woman's Weekly

Darren and Lilia are on the cover of the Woman's Weekly Christmas issue. In the 2-page atricle, they talk about growing up, meeting and realising that they sould be more than just dance partners.

I'm slightly scared that I'm actually a few months older than Lilia. I always presumed she was older than me, probably because she's been married for so long.

The magazine is still in the shops, so I won't post the whole article. But thanks to Aimee_642 of the Darren & Lilia Forum, here is a scan of the front cover. You can find thew whole article on the forum.

Carol Smillie: "I Could Rival Arnold Schwarzenegger"

A very short article on Entertainmentwise about the weight Carol has lost during the competition, and the muscle she has built up.

“I didn’t need to lose a lot of weight. I’ve gained a lot of muscle – I could rival Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

Strictly Dance-Off

Many of you may have read in the TV listings mags that the participants are in for a surprise this week.

Well according to a BBC press release which announced Carol and Matthew's departure, the bottom two will face a dance-off this week.

"The two couples scoring bottom with the judges and the viewers next week (9 December) will face a dance off.

They will perform their best dance of the night once again for the judges and viewers' vote. The phone lines will re-open and the lowest scoring couple will be eliminated."

It is unclear from this, but it implies that they will be re-scored by the judges. Or perhaps the judges will have to name which one they want to stay. Will the viewers votes be rolled over, or will they be reset to zero? So many questions. Let's hope the BBC Webiste will reveal more later in the week.

No Vote-In For Strictly

There have been may rumours about how the issue of being one dancer short would be resolved. There has been a gap since Jimmy Tarbuck exited the competition early following doctors' advice.

Some have suggested a no-eviction week. Some have speculated on a two-couple final.

We still don't know the answer. But, according to The Mirror, the participants have vetoed a Big Brother-style vote-in. According to 'insides', the remaining participants were very upset at the suggestion, especially as they had worked so hard.

Interestingly, Entertainmentwise ran the story and asked their readers "Should a contestant be brought back?".

At present, 84% say "No, it would be unfair", while 16% say "Yes, it would be fun". So it looks like the viewers agree with the participants.

Personally, I do too. It would be totally unfair to vote in a participant who has already left. The remaining dancers have worked hard to get where they are. And any participant who was voted back in would feel rested unlike those still in, who are all starting to feel tired and are getting injured.

Louisa Lytton Interview

There was an interview in Saturday's Mirror with Louisa.

There isn't that much Strictly content in there, it's more about her leaving EastEnders.

"[My cosutmes are] getting skimpier by the week, aren't they? This week I'm wearing these tiny hot pants. Sometimes it scares me that I'm half naked in front of 10million viewers."

Carol Smillie: "I Look Like A Crack Cocaine Addict!”

OK, so I took the above quote a little out of context. But isn't that what the tabloids do?

Anyway, there was a story in Saturday's Sun, which said that Carol had "blasted" Arlene (keep in mind that this was written before Carol's exit from the competition).

Carol has said that she had been working hard, and was a bit upset about Arlene's criticisms of her dancing.

“I’m surprised I can still put one foot in front of another. Everything hurts. I’ve got lots of unsightly bruising — I look like a crack cocaine addict!”

Again, she also questioned the judges' marks.

“The worst is when I think I’ve done really well. It can be frustrating when the judges give you some good comments — but their marks don’t reflect that.”

Monday Musings: Week 9

Here are my thoughts on Week 9 of Strictly Come Dancing.

The competition is getting very close, so please excuse me if my comments seem over-critical this week. It's harder to find flaws with the couples, so I'm starting to be a bit picky!

I thought this was one of Carol and Matthew's strongest weeks in the competition. Their Viennese waltz was graceful and elegant. Perhaps Carol could have relaxed her shoulders a tad more, but that's picky! Their fleckle was wonderful. I loved the opening, the changes between natural and reverse turns were very smooth and I loved the lift at the end.

Carol and Matthew's samba was excellent, too. Carol finally seemed to enjoy herself in the way Bruno and Arlene were suggesting. It was energetic and entertaining. I loved the musicality in the choreography. Their samba rolls were fab and the dip at the end was great.

Matt and Lilia did an excellent quickstep. I love Lilia's ballroom choreography. They covered the whole floor and Matt looked like he was having fun. It was fantastic.

I really liked Matt and Lilia's rumba. It was romantic rather than passionate. Matt does peculiar things with his hands from time to time. I loved the ending. The whole routine was really touching. But perhaps it lacked the passion it is supposed to have.

Something about Emma and Darren's waltz left me a bit cold on first viewing. Emma spent the first half of the dance with a very serious expression on. Perhaps that was nerves. Their standing spin was gorgeous. Once Emma relaxed into the dance, it was much better.

The choreography and music for Emma and Darren's paso doble was fantastic. The performance was excellent, the footwork was great too. For me, Emma lacked a bit of aggression, particularly in her face. It needed a tad more attack. Despite telling everyone how she can have a nasty streak, I didn't see it one the floor. But all that said, I still loved it.

I liked Mark and Karen's foxtrot. It didn't really have a wow-factor. Foxtrot was always going to be a difficult dance to sell in, and by going for a less traditional piece of music they lost some of the romance.

Mark and Karen's samba was fantastic. It had heaps of energy and was the carnival dance it was supposed to be. They were synchronised in the places they should be. I could live without Karen's "I told you so" looks at the judges, though, although it was all in good fun. It was wonderful.

I really liked Louisa and Vincent's routine as a dance and a performance, but there was too little Viennese waltz to it. In fact, during the routine I wondered if they were going to do any. It was well performed, and Louisa cannot be faulted for Vincent's choreography. It was enjoyable.

Louisa and Vincent's cha cha was very good. It was fast and fabulous. The footwork was busy, but not too packed, and Louisa executed it very well. It was a pleasure to watch.

I really didn't know which way things would go this week. The whole competition is so close. It was a real shame to see Carol and Matthew leave this week. I have changed my mind about this couple all throughout the competition. I liked them, then I didn't, then I did again. But they were so strong this week, I was sorry to see them leave.

The biggest shock was seeing Emma and Darren back in the bottom two, especially as they had been top with the judges. Are they really that unpopular with the public? Or was it that people didn't vote, assuming they were safe? Surely after all the shock exits in this competition, the public would know better than to assume anyone is safe.

Next week, according to the listings magazines, the participants will get a 'surprise' to resolve Jimmy Tarbuck's early exit. We'll have to see what that is.

Here are the videos...

Carol & Matthew - Viennese waltz



Carol & Matthew - Samba



Matt & Lilia - Quickstep



Matt & Lilia - Rumba



Emma & Darren - Waltz



Emma & Darren - Paso doble



Mark & Karen - Foxtrot



Mark & Karen - Samba



Louisa & Vincent - Viennese waltz



Louisa & Vincent - Cha cha

Some Interesting Facts...

Some very dedicated folks on the Digital Spy forum have collated the judges scores, and it makes for interesting reading.

TallyHo77 reports that the total scores are as follows:

Emma & Darren: 33, 33, 30, 34, 36, 30, 34 = 230
Mark & Karen: 27, 32, 35, 36, 33, 27, 36 = 226
Louisa & Vincent: 28, 36, 26, 29, 32, 36, 34 = 221
Matt & Lilia: 19, 30, 28, 25, 34, 37, 28 = 201
Carol & Matthew: 25, 27, 29, 29, 27, 30, 30 = 197

Gritty has reported each couple's placing with the judges.

Craig Revel Horwood: 1 Emma, 2 Mark, 3 Louisa, 4 Carol, 5 Matt
Arlene Phillips: 1 Mark, 2 Emma, 3 Louisa, 4 Matt, 5, Carol
Len Goodman: 1 Mark, 2 Emma, =3 Louisa, =3 Matt, 5, Carol
Bruno Tonioli: 1 Emma, =2 Mark, =2 Louisa, =4 Matt, =4 Carol

So it looks like the judges are split between Mark and Emma. They all place Carol bottom except Craig.

Tomorrow's vote will be very interesting.