Arlene: Kelly Needs To Grow Up

OK, I know I said there would be no updates for a week or so, but there isn't much to do on a very wet Wednesday evening in Windsor, Canada. So I thought I'd catch up on the goss.

Arlene Phillips believes that Kelly Brook need to behave like a woman rather than a girlif she wants to win Strictly Come Dancing.

InTheNews.co.uk reports that Arlene told The Mirror: "[Kelly] is like a giggling six-year-old wrapped in a woman's body. Her smile, her hair, her teeth, her body, her legs - everything about her physically is stunning. But she doesn't exude sexiness. She's like a little kid, and she needs to grow up fast if she wants to win."

She also states that Kelly needs to be a woman to make her partnership with Brendan work: "Brendan likes women like Natasha Kaplinsky - women who inspire him. He likes serious women, and I don't know how serious Kelly is."

Gethin's Dad: "You Can't Dance"

Gethin Jones' parents, Sylvia and Goronwy, were surprised when their son told them he was participating in Strictly Come Dancing.

Speaking to icWales, Goronwy said: “When he told me I asked, ‘You’re actually going to dance? You can’t dance’. He said ‘it’s a challenge and I’ll give it my best shot’.”

He also says that they have to wait until Sunday to find out the result like everyone else: "There’s those long pauses and your stomach churns. We’re on pins until we hear he’s through.”

Penny's Secret Surgery

The Mirror reports that Penny Lancaster-Stewart had surgery on a slipped disc earlier in the year.

Penny told Hello! magazine: "I may have been eliminated... but the training and dancing was the best form of rehabilitation and healing. Muscles in my left foot still don't work properly. That's probably why I wasn't good at the jive. But I wanted to be judged on my performance."

Please Stand By

I'm off on my hols, so there will be no updates until 30th November.

The Sunday Service, as well as all the news and gossip from the tabloids, will return then, starting with a belated review of Week 8.

Thanks for reading my thoughts so far.

In the meantime, keeeeeeeeeeeeeeep dancing!

Kate's Out!

That's it! Kate Garraway has danced her last dance on Strictly Come Dancing.

It was the weirdest dance-off all series. You knew who was going all the way through, and there were a few wry smiles as they all went through the motions.

Mark Frith was right when he appeared on It Takes Two recently and said that the public will carry people like Kate and Kenny so far through, but then they start to realise that there is no point having them in the latter stages. I certainly never want to see a final as one-sided as Series 1 ever again.

Kate & Anton gave us a few laughs and a couple of good performances, but it was time for them to receive that tap on the shoulder to indicate they must leave the floor.

Sunday Service: Week 7

We must be getting close to the point where they start performing two dances per week. However, for now my job is quite easy with only eight dances to get through this week.

Kelly & Brendan's jive was fun. However, I didn't think it was bouncy enough. And she did about a million American spins in a row, so I thought it was a little bit uninteresting choreographically. That said, Kelly turned in another polished performance. It just left me a little cold.

Letitia & Darren did a grand job. The routine was romantic. I agreed with the judges that Letitia's posture was much improved. I loved the twirl at the end. It had lovely rise and fall. I thought it might have been Letitia's best performance so far.

This was not a very strong week for Kenny. He struggles with the count of the cha cha. I did think it was a 'softer' performance than we have seen in some of his latin performances, which was a good thing. Ola cleverly choreographed large portions of the dance with Kenny not moving his feet. It didn't work for me, and I wasn't too keen on the Moonwalk.

The rumba was always going to be a struggle for Gethin, who has battled with the intimacy of dancing all the was through the competition. I thought the rumba was sweet and tender, but I was captivated by Camilla rather than the interplay. I thought it was slow to start, but then suddenly he seemed to get into it, and the ending was beautiful. I swear I thought that before Arlene said the very same! I always think, unless it is done extremely well, rumba can be lost on the audience and is hard to sell, especially when up against fast exciting dances like the jive. Not quite up to last week's Viennese waltz, but a good performance.

John lacked the staccato sharpness required for the tango. He knew the choreography, and his footwork was good, but his upper body and head lacked the quick, sharp movements which define the tango. I loved the ending where he dragged Nicole across the floor though.

What would Kate do without Anton? They spent the best part of the paso in hold. He always puts her upright on her feet after any kind of drop or leaning position. He leaves her to stand while he dances around her, a trick the female pros usually use. She stomped around, and at points looked like she was walking to the bus stop. On the plus side, it was better than the salsa...

Alesha & Matthew's waltz was just stunning. I loved the opening especially. It was breathtaking, the sort of dance where you don't breathe until it's over. It was fantastic and romantic. Effortless and engaging.

I loved Flavia's quickstep choreography, and it was well executed by Matt. He has developed a flair for ballroom. The routine was a joy to watch.

I think Kenny & Ola should be in the dance-off tonight, along with Kate & Anton. Of course, that never actually happens, and we could see John & Nicole taking a spot. Not that they deserve to, of course.

Kelly & Brendan



Letitia & Darren



Kenny & Ola



Gethin & Camilla



John & Nicole



Kate & Anton



Alesha & Matthew



Matt & Flavia

Matt On The Romance Rumours

Matt Di Angelo has commented on those rumours about a romance with partner Flavia.

Entertainmentwise.com reports that he told BBC Five Live: "We just went for a coffee in a public place. You know what it's like. If they want to print a story about you they'll find a way."

Brendan Doesn't Want To Dance With Heather

The Daily Mail reports that Brendan Cole has no interest in partner Heather Mills in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.

He said: "I haven't been asked, I don't expect to be asked and I don't want to be asked"

Heather wanted to dance with her Dancing With The Stars partner Jonathan Roberts, but the BBC have reportedly told her she must dance with one of the Strictly pros.

Vincent & Flavia Are 'Definitely Still Together'

The evil tabloid rumour mill has been working overtime this week.

The Sun reported earlier this week that Matt DiAngelo and Flavia were 'cosying up together' after training. The article made an innocent coffee break seem like an enactment of Billy Paul's Me And Mrs Jones.

There has also been a furore on the forums about Facebook status listing Vincent & Flavia as having ended their relationship.

The Sun also reported that the couple had had a heated argument in a club.

What's On TV have now reported a statement from a spokesperson on the couple's behalf: "They don't remember having an argument in public but it's perfectly possible, as dancers do. They are definitely still together."

Flavia Interview

Flavia Cacace has given an interview to the Daily Mail.

It's quite a length piece.

She talks candidly about Jimmy Tarbuck: "Jimmy was lovely, adorable and so entertaining, but no, he wasn't the sort of person you want to see when you open that door to the rehearsal room."

She was disappointed that as one of Strictly's new girls on the block, she didn't get to make an impression: "It was the worst thing that could happen. I still took part in the group dances and helped out with choreography, but it was soul-destroying to go out so soon in those circumstances. I look back and think: 'What a terrible year.'"

On being dropped by Matt early on in training: "As a dancer, you know when someone is about to drop you. You train to fall in a certain way, to minimise the damage. Still, since then we've been a bit careful about what I get him to do."

On her schooldays: "At the time [ballroom dancing] was seen as naff. I remember when I was a teenager trying to avoid telling people at school what I did in my spare time. They didn't get it. People laughed at the costumes and make-up. They thought it was old-fashioned."

On Vincent: "He's only the third dance partner I've had, and when you work that closely with someone, the bond is incredible and very special.
The only way I can describe it is that you are consumed by what you experience together. The passion, the intensity. I suppose it's no surprise when it moves into real life."

It's well worth reading the whole thing.

Strictly Come WAGging

Alex Curran, wife of football star Stephen Gerrard, is a big Strictly fan, and is the latest celebrity to express a desire to take part.

She told Now magazine: "Strictly Come Dancing would be nice [to do], but I'd be too shy."

Strictly Rag Trade

Now magazine reports that this year's Strictly participants are asking for costume alterations to show off more leg or more chest, in a bid to upstage their fellow competitiors.

According to an insider: "They all want more cleavage and more leg. The only two who have keep it relatively demure are Alesha Dixon and Letitia Dean."

More On Strictly Come Dancersize

More details have been published about the Strictly Come Dancersize DVD.

easier.com reports that the DVD will feature five energitic routines - salsa, jive, quickstep, samba and cha cha - each targeting a different zone of the body.

In stores from 3rd December.

Interview With Flavia And Nicole

Last week Flavia and Nicole gave an interview to Sunday magazine.

Here is the article, curtesy of Fig Roll, who posted it on the Vincent & Flavia Forum.

New Lesson 10

We moved on from foxtrot at last! We did tango this week. I love tango, and I really enjoyed the class. We didn't finish the combination, but they should have by the time I get back from holiday. I can't wait to progress tango around the room.

We did a bit of jive too, though not as much as last week.

I'm going to miss dancing while I'm away.

Meet Anton du Beke

Anton will be signing copies of his book, Anton's Dance Class, at Waterstones in Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent on Wednesday 28th November, from 6pm.

Get down there if you want to experience the Du Beke Effect first hand!

Heather Sets Sights On Christmas Special

The Daily Mail reports that Heather Mills is itching to take part in this year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, which will be another UK vs US competition.

According to a source: "Heather approached producers and negotiated herself a £7,500 fee which she plans to give to her animal rights charities. The only stumbling block was that she wanted to enter the competition with her American dance partner, Jonathan Roberts. Unfortunately, as she will be competing for the British celebrities, this was not allowed but the production team promised her she'll be given another star performer in the shape of Brendan Cole. Heather is really excited about the show and although she sees it primarily as damage limitation, she is absolutely desperate to win."

The Mail implies that the winner will be decided by telephone vote. However, the past two Christmas specials have been pre-recorded, and the studio audience have decided the winner.

I'd rather see Kelly perform with Brendan in the Christmas special myself.

Lesson 29

The beginners class was rammed to the point of discomfort this week. If I had anything better to than shopping or watching It Takes Two in the office, then I would probably skip beginners. At least until Easter or something!

In beginners we started with tango, followed by jive. They seemed a little flummoxed by the change of hands behind the back. But it was pretty good for a first go.

The second class was much better. There is room to dance. And yesterday it was challenging without going over my head. We did a split thingy (don't ask) followed by a hop chassé lock step. That certainly got everyone in the class thinking. Brilliant fun.

Kenny's No Fairy

According to the News Of The World, Kenny thinks the judges want him to be less masculine.

He told the paper: "The judges want me to be camp and like a fairy—but the public are the ones I need to please."

"I've got big arms and I slouch, but it doesn't make me a gorilla."

I think that is a bit unfair. Kenny has been masculine to the point of aggressive in some dances. I don't think they want him to be camp, just softer. I do think he displayed a masculine yet softer side during this week's Viennese waltz. But the article would have been written before that performance.

Penny Goes Home To Rod

According to The Mirror, Penny Lancaster-Stewart was so distraught at being knocked out of Strictly Come Dancing that she couldn't face the after-show drinks, and instead went straight home to husband Rod.

Before leaving, she was consoled by fellow early-exiter Gabby Logan. A source said: "She was consoled by ex-contestant Gaby Logan, who knew how it felt to go before you feel it's your turn."
I do feel sad for Penny. It was clear to everyone that she loved to dance. It's so hard to see passionate dancers leave. Although, I think that is true of everyone left in the competition.

But she didn't have a great week, and it was not that surprising to see her in the bottom two.

It was a huge shock, however, to see Matt & Flavia in the bottom two. I thought they were one of the most popular couples in the competition. It wasn't Matt's best dance, but it certainly wasn't his worst either. As soon as the bottom two were clear, there was no question in my mind who would go home.

Royal Come Dancing?

According to the Daily Mail, and we all know how accurate they've been lately, Princess Beatrice was approached to participate in the current series of Strictly Come Dancing, but declined because of her gap year travel plans.

According to a source, there is an open offer on the table, so the Princess could still do it next year.

Sunday Service: Week 6

I think it was the Viennese waltzers who won out this week. With a couple of exceptions, the salsas didn't seem to go that well.

Gethin & Camilla's Viennese waltz was beautiful and romantic. The perfect start to the show. It was Gethin's best performance by a country mile. I loved the storytelling. It was great to see him finally find his stride.

I love dances where the professional dancers are out of their element almost as much as the celebrities, although the salsa isn't really one of my favourites. Penny looked like the had a ball with the salsa. Ian looked like he had a great time, too. However, I didn't think it was Penny's dance. She looked a little awkward and untidy.

Matt & Flavia produced yet another solid routine, but are Matt's nerves starting to creep back in? He looked a little serious, and it didn't have the romance of his rival Gethin.

Sadly the grace that Kate displayed last week disappeared and we were back to normal. Kate was a bit stompy. She lacks control and balance, although her timing seems to have improved. But without being in hold, Anton can't make up for her shortcomings.

Letitia looked nervous before she walked out. She lacked hip action. But do respect Letitia in terms of performance. She always performs to the best of her ability, but latin is just not for her. Craig made a great point, that her timing and rhythm is very good. And Darren seems to give her the support she needs.

I thought Kenny & Ola did a good job this week. Maybe dancing to Flower of Scotland inspired him. The performance was gentle and romantic, a side of Kenny we'd not really seen before. The ending was beautiful. Definitely Kenny's best performance.

Was John & Nicole's salsa a ten? I'm not sure. But it was an excellent routine. He has bags of rhythm and confidence. The salsa was made for John. However, I did agree with Arlene's point that he is still hunching over Nicole.

I loved Brendan's interpretation of the Viennese waltz. Fantastic musicality. It was fabulous. It was great to see Kelly & Brendan back on form. Loved it.

It was obvious that Alesha was very excited to finally get out of the ballroom and do the salsa. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' was a great music selection. I thought it was the most exciting choreographically of the salsas, and Alesha did a great job. Will Alesha & Matthew ever turn in a bad performance?

It's hard to call a bottom two. Surely it has to be Kate & Anton's turn to dance off? And joining them, based on last night's performances, I would probably go with either Letitia & Darren or Penny & Ian. But it's now getting to the point where it's getting harder to call.

Gethin & Camilla



Penny & Ian



Matt & Flavia



Kate & Anton



Letitia & Darren



Kenny & Ola



John & Nicole



Kelly & Brendan



Alesha & Matthew

Tour Website Updated

The website for the Strictly Come Dancing tour has been updated, and is looking good. It has bios on all of the celebrities, dancers and judges. It also has a section for press releases and you can join their mailing list for news updates.

There is still no word on who the last celebrity male will be.

Karen On BBC Breakfast

Here is a clip of Karen Hardy reviewing Saturday's show on BBC Breakfast.

The meanies at the BBC won't let anyone post their videos on their own blogs, but at least they are starting to put content on YouTube at last.

Set The Video!

Who sets videos anymore? Aside from me, that it. It's all Sky+ these days.

Anyway, set your recording device for Loose Women on Monday 12th November, as Anton du Beke and Lelesy Garrett will be chatting to the ladies. The Simply Ballroom DVD is released on Monday, so no doubt they'll be chatting about that.

Craig Goes Back To School

Why didn't we have celebrity teachers at my school? The closest we came was a former Olympic judo competitor as a PE teacher...

The Sun followed Craig Revel Horwood on a trip to an East London school where he took some pupils for a drama lesson.

He was his usual critical self: “I threw them a foxtrot and that was a little bit of a disaster. But then I do have very high standards when it comes to dance. And their acting was very good, I was really impressed.”

Of course, he was asked about Strictly: “Alesha is fabulous, very fit, fantastic. Matt is very good. Actually, Letitia Dean is coming up the ranks really quickly."

So, can our Craig be a role model for teenagers?: "Yes – I want everyone to be nasty!”

New Lesson 9

More foxtrot. No comment.

We also spent a bit of time on jive. I don't think we did anything new, but I love doing the jive with a strong lead. It's so much fun. The class is staying quite busy which is really good.

But please, no more foxtrot. Unless it's a new combination.

Nadine Coyle For SCD6?

We're mid-way through Series 5, but the stars are already lining up to take part in the next series. If there is one.

Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle says she's sick of TV singing contests, despite having had her own career kick-started by such a show - Popstars: The Rivals.

She told DigitalSpy: "I'd rather watch - or take part in - BBC One's ballroom series Strictly Come Dancing."

Lilia Blames Dominic For Exit?

The Sun claimed earlier this week that Lilia blamed Dominic's attitude towards their low score on Saturday for placing them in the dance-off.

An 'insider' suggested that he was a bad sport, and that Lilia refused to talk to Dominic in the bar after the show.

Matt And Alesha A Couple?

After rumours a couple of weeks ago, The People reported over the weekend that Matt Di Angelo and Alesha Dixon are a couple.

Of course, there is still no confirmation that the story is true, only the words of 'insiders'.

Who cares if they are a couple? They're both lovely. If they're together then good for them, and if they're not then the press should stop making stuff up.

Dominic: "I Didn't Want To Stay In A Circus Like That"

Dominic Littlewood has accused the Strictly judges of deciding their comments before the participants hit the floor on a Saturday night.

The Mirror reports that Dominic thinks that Craig, Arlene and Bruno watch the practices on Saturday afternoons: "I believe they watch dress rehearsals and they decide their vote there and then, and their comments. There's no way they come out with those comments off the cuff. We're all fairly certain that's what goes on, which makes it a bit of a farce."

He also felt he was being used: "I was quite happy to go, I didn't want to stay in a circus like that. We were puppets and they're just pulling the strings and you're dancing around and they come up with their stupid comments."

Gossip, Gossip, Gossip

There was a piece in yesterday's Daily Mail which was a total gossip-fest.

Worth a read, but who knows how much of it, if anything, is true.

According to the article:

• the celebrities are always trying to find out about the other couples' dances, while the close-knit professional dancers keep tight-lipped
• the participants are getting irritated at the attention Kelly has been getting
• Brendan continued to bicker with Craig in the bar after the illegal American smooth lifts
• Gabby is still bitter about her exit from the competition
• Kate is smoking more than usual to calm her nerves
• Matt has been wearing mascara

Most of it is probably tosh, but it's entertaining, isn't it??

Penny Gets Rod To Help With Training

There was a lengthy interview with Penny Lancaster-Stewart in the Sunday Mirror's Celebs On Sunday magazine today. It adds very little that we hadn't heard before, but I love her little comment about getting Rod to help her with training. I believe the move she is referring to was in the girls' group blues swing dance from Week 2.

"He had to help me out with this one move. I said, “Rod hold my hand, then I’m going to count to five and you have to drop to the floor. Then I’m going to kick my leg over your head.” He was like, “Er, OK!” I don’t think anyone has ever tried to choreograph for Rod. He has his own kind of dance!"

Gethin: "I Just Find Kate Incredibly Sexy"

Kate may not see it herself, but there are plenty of men who find Kate Garraway sexy, and Gethin Jones is one of them.

He told today's Sunday Mirror: "She might not be the best dancer, but she's got a very sexy way about her. I love her. She's very funny and we get on really well. And she's got a bit of a lisp which I like."

So Gethin likes a lisp? I'm a lisper, too. Our invitation to come to Expressions on a Monday still stands, Gethin.

Gethin's mum would prefer that he get together with partner Camilla: "My mum wants us to get together because she thinks we'd have lovely-looking kids."

But Gethin has reassured Camilla's boyfriend that that is not on his mind: "We've met and I think he understands Camilla's job. All I could do was say, 'Hi, I'm Geth. I have no intention of coming on to your girlfriend.'"

Sunday Service: Week 5

This week was fantastic and very competitive. Those who were the strongest put in more polished routines, but the less strong participants improved.

Kelly & Brendan's paso lacked basic content, and was quite showy. I liked Kelly's decision to do cape work, but I'm not sure it really added anything to the routine. I supposed it stopped Brendan getting his annual moment in the spotlight. It was another polished performance, but it was not as inspiring as some of their earlier work. I agree with Craig's point that they sometimes don't work as a team.

John & Nicole were given a beating by the judges that I wasn't expecting. I thought their foxtrot was elegant and well executed. The foxtrot was the harder dance to sell to the audience on the night.

Letitia really seems to have found her confidence, which is leading to an improvement to her overall performance. She seems to enjoy what she is doing. Darren's routine was pitched perfectly for Letitia.

Gethin was much improved, and it looks as though he'll find his stride in ballroom rather than latin. Thanks to Camilla, Gethin's footwork was neat and accurate. And Brown Eyes Blue was a fabulous music choice. It was one of Gethin's best performances so far.

Kenny & Ola turned in a better performance this week. Kenny's cape work was lovely. His timing has improved, although it's still off a little at times. I really enjoyed Ola's choreography.

Alesha & Matthew were fantastic once again. Alesha was elegant, poised and graceful. She has fabulous fluidity. Will this couple ever put a foot wrong? I beginning to wonder if there is anything Alesha can't do.

Dominic's timing was off on the paso. I liked the fact that Lilia chose to use traditional paso doble music. I wish more couples had. His cape work was pretty good. But the performance left me a little cold.

Kate was a revelation. I think it is focus rather than confidence she has been lacking. Anton's tactic this week of being harder with her and working her harder seems to have paid off. I knew she was no Fiona. I knew there was a dancer in there. And I'm glad she and Anton have found her. Of course, they have a lot of work still to do. But it was good to see Kate actually dance.

Flavia gave Matt a very challenging routine, and he coped very well. Matt continues to improve, and is becoming more and more enjoyable to watch as the weeks go on.

It was great to see Penny & Ian return to form this week. Penny clearly has a flair for ballroom and she and Ian are elegant and majestic. I shall be interested to see how she copes if she gets salsa next week.

The competition is getting tighter and tougher. Those at the top of the leaderboard consistently perform well. Those at the bottom are raising their games. It's going to be an interesting and exciting run to the final, and has the potential to be one of the tightest Strictly finishes ever.

Kelly & Brendan



John & Nicole - with commentary



Letitia & darren - with commentary



Gethin & Camilla



Kenny & Ola



Alesha & Matthew



Dominic & Lilia



Kate & Anton



Matt & Flavia



Penny & Ian

Matt At The NTAs

What's On TV magazine managed to nab Matt Di Angelo for a quick chat that the NTAs on Wednesday.

Here's what he had to tell them.

Dancing Is A 'Form Of Tourture'

One in four Welsh people believe that dancing is a form of torture.

icWales reports that, according to research for Ocean Village, one in three won't dance at the office party for fear of their efforts ending up on YouTube.

It's such a shame that the internet has make people more inhibited in this way.

Brendan: Billy Is "Very Supportive"

Brendan has told reporters that Kelly Brook's fiancé Billy Zane has been supporting them. He only attends training sessions to offer support, and not to keep tabs on Brendan.

"[Billy]'s very supportive. He's been to a few things just to see what we're up to. He loves what Kelly's doing."

New Lesson 8

I am so over basic foxtrot.

We've been doing it for at least 4 weeks, and I need a change. The steps are burned into my brain...

Feather finish, three step, feather, telemark, feather, whisk, feather, reverse turn, feather, whisk.

And a teeny tiny bit of rumba to finish the class.

I need a change.

On the upside, the class was way busier that I've seen in ages. If it stays at that level, we might survive beyond Christmas.

Karen's Comments

Karen Hardy is now BBC Breakfast's SCD correspondant.

Click here to hear her take on last weekend's controversy.

Ian's Blog

Ian Waite has started posting a mini-blog on his website. His posts are short and sweet, but it's nice to see the site being kept up-to-date.

Kate Garraway MySpace

I have found a MySpace page for Kate Garraway. I'm not entirely sure if it's genuine or not. It's so hard to tell.

The user posted a bulletin recently which reads as follows:

"Please understand that I am trying to catch up and I am even putting in extra training this week. I am determined to improve.

So please, those of you that keep sending messages saying I should give up, or be kicked off or say I'm a disgrace to british TV etc etc please understand that I can only try my best and I hope this Saturday you will see an improved dance from Anton and I.

Kate x"

Draw your own conclusions.