More Royal Rumours

Royal Zara Phillips has again been linked to Strictly Come Dancing.

The Sun claims today that BBC producers have also approached her boyfriend, Gloucester and England rugby star Mike Tindall, and they are keen to sign the couple.

Zara has been linked to the show in the past, as have Princess Beatrice, and friend of Prince William, Guy Pelly.

Matt & Flavia Split?

The Sun reports today that Matt Di Angelo and professional partner Flavia Cacace have ended their personal relationship.

The paper claims that Matt has been seen around town with Michelle Scott-Lee, who recently split from her husband Andy.

A source told the paper: “Because they met on the set of Strictly their relationship got very intense very quickly. They were spending every day together and living in each other’s pockets. They became incredibly close. Everything was OK while they were dancing together but after Flavia started working with Vincent again things got a bit awkward.”

Pros Get Pay Rise

Last month it was reported that the Strictly pros were unimpressed with a £3,000 proposed pay increase.

The Sun now reports that the pros have managed to get double that, taking their saleries to £30,000. But it will have to stretch over two more weeks as the series has been extended once again.

Louisa's Panto Debut

Another Strictly star has signed up for panto duties.

Louisa Lytton will take the lead in Peter Pan at the Milton Keynes Theatre this Christmas, starring alongside Strictly fan Henry 'The Fonz' Winkler.

Tickets are on sale now.

Medal Class 3

We started with rumba walks and then moved on to the cha cha.

The cha cha timing is not as bad as the rumba, but she insists on starting with a cha cha cha rather than a back step, but there is the danger there of ending up starting on 3 instead of 2. And she doesn't teach hip action very well.

The teacher can't think much of the students, as she keeps on about Commended and Highly Commended. Erm, I am aiming for Honours, especially in ballroom. But whatever...

The ballroom teaching is so much better, but how stupid would you have to be to get waltz timing wrong?

In fact, I sometimes wonder why I am going to the ballroom class, as I never get any tips or feedback. But there is no way I am perfect.

I'm so bored. I really don't fancy having to take these classes
until the spring...

Letitia In The West End

Over the weekend, many of the capital's biggest shows decended on Leicester Square for West End Live, a free showcase of the best of London theatre and performance.

I popped down for an hour on my way through town, and happened to see the cast of High School Musical. And Letitia Dean, who will be appearing in HSM this summer at London's Hammersmith Apollo, was there to introduce them.

SCD Rumour #42: Teddy Sheringham

Another day, another SCD rumour.

The People reported this week that Strictly producers are keen to sign the ex-footballer. But like all of these stories, it's rumour and speculation, and will remain that way until late summer.

That's Her Final Answer

Columnist and ex-wife of Chris, Ingrid Tarrant, told The People this week that she had turned down Strictly Come Dancing.

She told the paper: "I have been offered lots of things but I have turned down Strictly and Dancing On Ice because it's just too much commitment for me. You have to train every day and I don't think I could cope with it all."

What, No Knighthood?

Can someone please explain to my why Bruce Fortyth has still not been given a Knighthood?

Is 60 years of entertaining the nation on some of Britain's best loved entertainment programmes not good enough?

His body of work is phenomenal, and there are few TV fans who have not been touched by his work over the years. Some of the UK's highest rating programmes have had Bruce 'in charge'.

WHAT MORE CAN HE DO??

Gethin Jones: Storm Chaser

SCD5 semi-finalist Gethin Jones is going to be getting close to some dangerous natural phenomena in his new series.

According to the Daily Record, Gethin will join groups who chase tornadoes, climb volcanoes and walk on thin ice.

The new show, which has the working title Deadly Weather: Fear Junkies, will be on Virgin 1 later in the year.

Oh Yes She Is!

After treading the boards in High School Musical in London this summer, SCD5 quarter-finialist Letitia Dean will be returning to panto this Christmas.

Letitia will be appearing as The Wicked Queen in Snow White
and The Seven Dwarfs at the Grove Theatre in Dunstable.

From Boardroom To Ballroom II

According to the Daily Mail, there could be a double dose of boardroom in the ballroom this autumn.

The paper reports that Sir Alan Sugar's Apprentice advisers Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford have been approached to take part in Series 6 of Strictly.

I don't watch The Apprentice myself, so I don't really have any strong opinions about the pair. But they are the sorts of personalities that often end up taking part...

Anton Gets Touchy Feely

If you missed Anton on The Wright Stuff last week, here is a good clip. Matthew and the panel talk about tactile men.

Anton Interview

There was an interview with Anton recently in the Liverpool Echo. Not really anything new if you have ever read any other interview with Anton, but worth 2 mins for a quick read.

Alex Carter Won't Be Dancing

With celebrities falling over their two left feet to say how much they'd love to be on Strictly, it was quite refreshing this week to hear Emmerdale actor Alex Carter state the very opposite.

According to DigitalSpy, he said recently: "I wouldn't do Dancing On Ice or Strictly Come Dancing - I'd rather put my limbs through a blender."

From Boardroom To Ballroom?

Apprentice contestant Alex Wotherspoon is comfortable in the ballroom as well as the boardroom.

Alex was recently interviewed by DigitalSpy, and they asked him about having done a bit of ballroom: "Yeah, I have done it a little bit in the past."

So would he hit the SCD floor if asked: "Yeah, I probably would do. I'm definitely a fan of the show."

Claudia: "I'm Not Pregnant"

If you haven't read Claudia Winkleman's column in The Independent, you really should start. It's always very funny.

This week she talks about being asked to do a 'natural' shoot for Heat with no make-up. Can you imagine Claudia without her strong eyes and nude lips?

She spoke to a few people to see if they thought you should do it:

Strictly Come Dancing Producer: Is this true, this rumour?
Me: I'm not pregnant.
Producer: Not that one. But sometimes you do look it – you have to admit. You know, from the side.
Me: Well, I promise I'm not.
Producer: Not that rumour. No, the one about you, uh, having your photograph taken with no Photoshop at the end.

Too funny. I do have an obsession with Claudia's belly and spend most of the series looking to see if it's getting bigger. It's not like she looks pregnant (except in one dress one time on Fame Academy in 2007). I just always wonder...

Claudia shouldn't be offended. I spent the Strictly tour convincing myself Zoe Ball was pregnant. I wasn't right there either. I had a case, though. Mysterious time off. Missing lifts. A new shrug which I told myself was hiding the fact her dress would no longer do up. An easy mistake, surely.

And yet I didn't notice Kate Thornton was pregnant until it was obvious.

What is wrong with me?

Medal Class 2

The teacher still can't count latin, despite her helper trying to get her on the correct count. The fact that when they started dem-ing it she was counting 1 on her back step failed to make her realise her error, and after the little battle between her and helper, she told the class that it was definitely correct and that someone else had checked it a couple of weeks ago.

IT'S NOT!!!!!! The helper is right. At least I'm not alone. If this continues, I might have to send an anonymous tip to the IDTA...

The ballroom class is going well, however. It's a really small class, and we're all pretty good. She said if we get it right in time, we can take bronze and silver together. I didn't know you could do that. Presumably if you failed bronze, you'd automatically fail silver. But the chances of anyone failing are pretty slim.

She did comment that she thought I was a 'natural dancer'. Bless her. I'm not sure I am a natural dancer, but almost 24 years of working at dancing have made very basic steps easy to pick up. And I have an ability to correct technical errors if they are flagged to me.

I think the medal class is doing me good. It's not as much fun as the social class, but I feel like I am really learning something.

Anton's Got The Wright Stuff

Anton du Beke is a panellist on The Wright Stuff this week.

It's on at 9am on Five, and repeated on Fiver at 11am.

Sharon For Strictly?

The Sun featured a highly speculative piece yesterday, suggesting that Sharon Osbourne could be headed for Strictly after quitting as a judge on The X Factor.

The article doesn't really have any factual base, other than the fact that Sharon was lined up to appear on Dancing With The Stars but had to pull out due to surgery. At least, I presume that part is factual. I don't know for certain.

A 'pal' told The Sun: “She’s always wanted to do it, so what better time to put on her dancing shoes and go up against The X Factor than when the shows start again in September?”

Indeed. But that's for the BBC to decide.

It's all speculation. Anything to fill half a page with two of the most popular shows on TV.

Where's that *rolleyes* emoticon..?

New Female Pro

Kristina Rihanoff has announced on her MySpace page that she will be a new professional dancer on Series 6 of Strictly Come Dancing.

She says: "This is a marvelous opportunity and I am looking forward to it."

She recently took part in the Dancing With The Stars tour in the US.

Here is a short clip of Kristina performing the cha cha with former professional partner Michael Wentink.

Series 5 DVD?

According to Amazon, there is a DVD due for release on 29th September entitled Strictly Come Dancing: The Best Of Series 5.

Whether this is really the case, or whether this is actually the promised DVD of the live tour is anyone's guess. Still, it's good to know that there is a forthcoming release of something.

Medal Class 1

I started medal classes this week, replacing my previous Tuesday class.

Each week I shall do an hour of bronze latin, followed by an hour of bronze ballroom.

In latin, we started with some hip movement and latin walks. The teacher looks odd when she does them, so how I'm supposed to get them right I don't know. This is definatly a small-town school, and not on the level of the beautiful hip action that Kimberly and Tamara have attempted to teach on Mondays.

I have BIG issues with the teacher's ability to count latin too. She has everyone stepping back on count 1, yet she calls it count 2. Calling a count '2', does not make it count 2 if, in fact, it is actully count 1. And she says 4 1 to a 3& count! The 'helper' I was dancing with thought I was crazy when I mentioned it. I'm waiting for the latin speciallist helper to return so I can take it up with him. There is no was I am prepared to lose marks becuase the teacher can't teach the correct counts, and if it means not taking latin medals then that's the way it will be. The rest of the class is probably not experienced/musical enough to know it's incorrect.

The ballroom class was very small, as a large amount of the school took bronze a month or so ago. People don't need quite so much help with ballroom technique, as it seems to come a bit more naturally.

She says we're going to do the exam in March. So why the Hell we've started classes already I have no idea. I'll be knocking my head against a brick wall by Christmas, I think!

Still, my options appear to be quite limited due to location. If I'm going to get my medals this way, then I guess this is the way it will have to be. But I'm not happy.

Baby Boy For Jill

For those who haven't already heard, Series 2 winner Jill Halfpenny gave birth to a baby boy on 3rd May.

Now magazine reports that Jill and husband Craig named the baby Harvey Reece. He weighed 6lb 8oz.

Congratulations to the happy family!

Gemma Wants To Jive

Hot on the heels of Hollyoaks cast-mate Zoe Lister, actress Gemma Merna has told the Daily Star that she would like to take part.

She told the paper: “I would love to be on Strictly. I think that being able to dance is so sexy, especially for a guy. I just like all the glamorous dresses the girls get to wear, it would be fantastic.”

No Nicole For SCD6?

Word reached me this week that Nicole Cutler has not been invited to participate in Series 6 of Strictly Come Dancing, while Matthew Cutler has. Nicole is said to be very disappointed.

I was very surprised to hear this news. Nicole is passionate about the show. She was delighted to return for Series 4, and was sad to be the first one out with Nicholas Owen. She did a fantastic job with John Barnes in Series 5. No-one can question Nicole's committment and dedication to Strictly Come Dancing.

I wish Nicole all the best for everything she does in the future, and I'll be very sad not to see her on the show this year.