I Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet...

...But I am taking a little holiday break.

Thank you all for reading over the past few weeks.

I'll be back with all the usual stuff around 5th December.

In the meantime... keeeeeeep dancing!

Tom's Cape Antics

Tom was so taken with his paso cape that he took it home with him.

The Press Association reports that he told More magazine: "I loved the cape. It scares me how much I enjoyed it! I was allowed to take the cape home and I'd love to take home the other costumes. As a bloke, you're a bit worried, but the studio is so magical - all the glitter balls and lights. It really has a sense of drama and fun."

Sounds like the new Mrs. C is in for some fun!

Dancing Dennis?

Les Dennis has expressed a desire to participate in Strictly Come Dancing.

He told ThisIsSurrey: "I don't think I'd do I'm a Celebrity... but I would never say never because things like Hell's Kitchen. I think are great because you learn to do something. We just sat on the sofa in Big Brother. Certainly when it comes to Strictly, why not? I did get asked to do the Dancing On Ice this year but I just thought that is very much a young man's game, as you've got to do a lot of lifting in that."

John's Gone!

John’s withdrawal from the competition is cowardly and selfish. The more I think about it, the more cross I get.

John said that he had to withdraw because he might just win it. To think that he might win is a little presumptuous in my opinion. The best dancer usually wins, even when there is a ‘wildcard’ left toward the end. But John ends up looking like the good guy by stepping aside. Victory would have been bittersweet he said. Victory would have been a bloody miracle.

John said that being in the dance-off would be humiliating. Excuse me, but it is a process that most participants have to go through. He is being a coward by not exposing himself to the threat of a dance-off. And now they give him the chance to do a final dance on Saturday, so he gets to leave without the chance of being in the dance-off. Coward.

John has let down all the people that have been voting for him over recent weeks. A lot of people genuinely enjoyed his performances and he has thrown it back in their faces.

But it’s Kristina that my heart goes out to. She worked damned hard to get him through as far as he had. Her choreography is amazing, and it is clear the amount of work she has put into their routines. He is very selfish to take away her journey through her first series of Strictly.

So now, John looks like the good guy. Stepping aside for his fellow participants and leaving on a high of an unjudged dance.

I hope the crowd are not on his side on Saturday. He doesn’t deserve the ovation that the likes of Cherie and Heather have got. He doesn’t deserve the respect that I wrote asking people to show him just the other day. I have lost all respect for John.

Kristina Rhianoff is a wonderful asset to Strictly Come Dancing. I can’t wait to see her on tour with a partner who understands the gift he has been blessed with, whomever that ends up being.

The John 'Situation'

I had decided not to talk explicitly about the John 'situation’, but I feel that I now need to comment.

How the world has changed.

Spring 2004 - Series 1. A plucky young lad by the name of Christopher Parker was the resident ‘entertainer’ on Strictly Come Dancing. Good dancers were knocked out of the competition – Claire & Paul, Erin & Martin, Lesley & Anton. The entertainer was left standing until the final. Week after week the viewers noticed, sighed, rolled their eyes at the person sitting next to them on the sofa and went on with their lives.

Fast forward to Autumn 2008. It’s Series 6. There are discussion forums with hundreds of users, dozens of online blogs, Facebook, MySpace. The papers are aware of the millions of viewers, thousands of online users, and regurgitate every judge’s comments. Jeremy Vine has a debate about it on Radio 2 in between discussions about the credit crunch and the Euro. And in the middle of the storm is John Sergeant, plodding along, entertaining the nation just as Christopher had done five years earlier.

The debate about John has only happened because the growth of the show and the communication outlets around it. Aside from Natasha & Brendan, barely a word was written about Strictly Come Dancing during Series 1. Now, it’s out there 24-7 and the papers are all trying to get Strictly exclusives and sell a few more copies.

John and Christopher are not that different. Both were loved by a public who valued entertainment over skill. Both worked hard on their dancing, and had great respect for their professional partners. The only difference is the change in the voting mechanic, with the addition of the dance-off.

Of course, this is a blog, which gives me a platform to give my opinion.

I like John. Cha cha aside, John dances the choreography he is given well and makes few mistakes. His technique is not the best and the routines are simple, but he learns each dance and performs it with enjoyment.

The public are entitled to vote for whomever they choose. That is the beauty of Strictly.

Yes, it’s a shame - neigh a travesty - that better dancers have to be thrown out to make way for him. But those are the rules and I respect that.

I certainly don’t think John should step down. And I hope that, whatever their opinions, the public will continue to treat John with respect.

I respect what John has done. It takes great courage to put yourself in front of the public every week in a field that you are unfamiliar with, only to have everyone give you grief instead of credit.

I thought that it was disgraceful that Christopher & Hanna stopped Lesley & Anton getting to the final of Series 1. And I can see John & Kristina doing the same this time around.

I would be happy to see John voted off Strictly Come Dancing. But I have now made peace with the fact that he might still be standing come 20th December.

My overwhelming memory of Series 1 was how boring the final was. Admittedly, it was only a 2-handed final. But there was no way Christopher would have beaten Natasha. I don’t think Lesley would have done either, but perhaps the final might have felt more exciting. As it was, it was dull.

A final with any combination of Austin, Tom, Rachel, Lisa and even Jodie would be the most exciting since Zoe, Colin and Darren (I love Christine, but I don’t see her as a contender). Add John to the mix, and it starts to look a bit boring.

So, for the sake of an exciting final, I would like to see John pack up his Freeds and head for the door.

Oh Fortuna!

Is love blossoming on the Strictly set?

The Sun reports that Lisa and Brian had a cheeky kiss at a show party. An insider told the paper: “Everyone was talking about their kiss a few weeks ago. All the dancers were tanked up on vodka and having a great laugh. Brian’s made it no secret that he fancies Lisa. He was in the studio on Saturday night cheering for her. We’re not so sure that Lisa has quite the same feelings for him, though. But it’s always nice to have a little flirting on set.”

Children In Need

Here are my thoughts on Tess and Terry's efforts for Children In Need...

Tess & Anton did a lovely American smooth. This sounds awful, but I was surpised that Tess was as good as she was. She looked confident and for a first dance, it was pretty good. I would actually love to see more from Tess. It's a shame this is the lot.

Terry & Flavia's waltz was not so good. Terry barely moved his feet. The dance totalled a couple of walks in a circle and about four basics. I know it's all for a good cause, and I never expected Terry to be the next Darren Gough. But I'd have settled for the next John Sergeant.

It was great to see Anton finally win something Strictly related. There was no question that Tess was the better dancer.

Here are the videos...

Tess & Anton



Terry & Flavia



The result

Mandy Wants To Mambo

Peter Mandleson has admitted that he's envyous of John, and would like to be on Strictly Come Dancing.

He told BBC Breakfast: "I was cheering for John Sergeant on Saturday with, I have to say, a degree of... envy... It would be nice to be asked."

He even fished for some tickets: "It would be nice at least to be invited into the audience."

Oi, Mandy, NO! Get in line!!

Saturday Service: Week Nine

I have to write my thoughts early this week, so here goes...

I love Jodie & Ian, but I think I was watching a different dance than the judges. Jodie made heaps of mistakes throughout the quickstep, and it was not her best work. I am a little flumoxed by the judges marks. I think they might have been at the wine cellar before the show...

Lisa & Brendan had a good go at the samba. It was never going to be a great dance for Lisa, and she did a good job. I do wish the judges wouldn't bicker and would give each other a chance to talk. Samba rolls are very difficult, and Lisa did a good job.

Christine & Matthew are always at home with ballroom, and See The Day is a fantastic track. The waltz was very good. It is getting more and more difficult to seperate the couples.

Cherie & James' cha cha was not as good as the judges marked, in my opinion. The embarassing older lady was creeping back onto the floor. This was miles better than the car crash of the salsa, but Cherie is starting to look like a one trick pony and not the all rounder that a Strictly champion should be.

Austin & Erin did an excellent tango to traditional music. It was the best dance of the night in my opinion. It was sharp and engaging. Austin is starting to look like a winner.

Again, I was watching a different show than the judges. While Rachel & Vincent's rumba was technically great once again, I did not buy their relationship. I thought they were over-marked a little. Four nines in my opinion.

John & Kristina had their best week. Which usually means you're heading for the door. I loved the choreography, especially the running splits. There is something engaging about John when he dances, but like Cherie, he can only do ballroom.

Tom & Camilla did a brilliant job with the salsa. It was hot, hot, hot. Tom always turns it on and looks like a final contender.

It's so hard to choose a bottom two now. Perhaps Jodie & Ian. And surely it has to be John & Kristina - but they did have a good week. This has to be the closest series ever!

Here are the videos...

Jodie & Ian



Lisa & Brendan



Christine & Matthew



Cherie & James



Austin & Erin



Rachel & Vincent



John & Kristina



Tom & Camilla

Dance-Off Knocks Rachel's Confidence

Rachel Stevens has admitted that her confidence took a knock after she and Vincent found themselves in the bottom two last weekend.

She told the Daily Mirror: “I was really upset about it and started asking myself what I was doing or not doing right. You can drive yourself mad thinking about it. I was like: ‘Oh, no one voted for me!’ I didn’t even hear my name when they saved me. I just burst into tears. I hardly stopped crying all night. It’s very personal. I was so overwhelmed and emotional for the rest of the evening. But Vincent was lovely – he gave me a big hug. When I woke up the next day I had this horrible sinking feeling. It’s that feeling you get when you’ve been dumped. I felt rubbish.”

She's picked herself up and is now looking forward to tomorrow's rumba: “We’ve had a good week. For the first time the routine’s gone in really quickly. Onwards and upwards. Fingers crossed the dance-off won’t happen again."

Dirty (Come) Dancing

The Strictly crowd have done another Heat photoshoot, this time recreating iconic moments from Dirty Dancing.

Tom & Camilla had fun with the famous Love Is Strange scene.



While Andrew & Ola had Hungry Eyes.

Fantastic!

Are You Winding Up The Judges?

Psychologist Dr Sandra Wheatley thinks the public are voting for John to get back at the judges.

She told the Daily Telegraph: "Each week the judges become increasingly frustrated by the public's decision to save John, and that makes us even more determined to vote for him. It's the 'buggeration factor' and it's a part of the British psyche - that feeling of 'I'll show you'."

She also suggests that the public like John because they can identify with him: "As much as we would all like to wake up next to an Austin Healey, the fact is we go to bed with a John Sergeant. He has the appeal of the common man. He's fun and cheeky and he's not taking himself too seriously. It's an entertainment show and he's keeping us entertained."

Craig On BBC Breakfast

Did you miss Craig on BBC Breakfast this morning? Here is the interview...

Heather Speaks

Before being voted off of Strictly, Heather Small spoke to the Daily Mail about her experience.

She said: "I actually agreed to do Strictly in order to help tackle my nerves, which I struggle with terribly, even in my singing. The way I saw it, if I could go out and dance live in front of millions of people every week, well, it doesn't get worse than that. Nerves can make me look like a total misery guts, but I'm not, that's just the terror taking hold. But it's been a fantastic ride and I've made wonderful friends."

Wedding Bells For Brendan?

Has Brendan propsed to girlfriend Zoe Hobbs? He has if you believe the News Of The World.

The paper reports that he has asked Zoe to marry him, but the couple are keeping it quiet in the hope of securing a lurcative deal with a glossy magazine.

A source told the paper: “He told his closest business confidants about his plan and the news has started to leak. He’s now pretty annoyed because he hasn’t even told a lot of close friends yet, including his BBC colleagues on Strictly.”

Big congratulations to Brendan & Zoe... if the news is true.

Terri Joins The Strictly Queue

Simon Cowell's ex-girlfriend, Terri Seymour has said that she would like to take part in Strictly.

She told the Daily Mirror: "I'd consider doing Strictly Come Dancing. I've danced in music video, so I don't think I'd be useless at it."

Of course, she's only saying it to wind up Simon. But that's just fine by me.

Clarkson Has No Re-Morse

The Top Gear team have been planting secret Morse code messages into the show, which were picked up by enthusiasts.

The Daily Telegraph reports that last week one message spelt out "Strictly Come Dancing is crap".

Hmm...

.. ..- ... . -.. - --- .-.. .. -.- . - --- .--. --. . .- .-. -... ..- - -. --- .-- .. .----. -- -. --- - ... --- ... ..- .-. .

Sealed With A Kiss

It seems Jodie's boyfriend was a little put out by Ian's post-rumba smacker.

Jodie told the Daily Mail: "I asked Thomas, 'Do you want to go back and watch it?' and he mumbled, 'Don't want to.'"

It must be hard for the partners of the Strictly participants to watch the passion and intimacy on the floor. But it's only acting. Well, usually...

Sunday Serivce: Week Eight

Here are my thoughts on Week 8 of Strictly Come Dancing.

Tom & Camilla's quickstep was a fantastic start to the show. The routine was bouncy and fun, with great choreography throughout - especially the Billy Elliot-style opening and close. They covered the floor well with bags of energy. Tom's eye is well and truely back on the ball after the wedding crazyness. His cheekyness simply shone through.

The samba was never going to be Jodie's strong suit. Yet she attacked the dance and looked to be enjoying it. Ian's choreography was good for Jodie and it was a good performance of a dance that was going to be challenging for her. It was a pleasure to watch.

The tango was easily Heather & Brian's best dance of the series. The intensity and drama of the tango suited Heather, and could be enough to save her from the bottom two again. She still has a tendancy to look at Brian for prompting when she is not in hold, but that was the only thing that let her down. Brian's choreography was simple, but effective.

Austin & Erin's rumba was pretty good. The rumba does not really suit Austin's physique, but his arm lines were as good as they could be. Erin's choreography cleverly kept Austin's arms down for a lot of the dance. I didn't really buy the love story between the couple, though. Austin could have done more with his facial expressions. A sound performance of a dance that was likely to be challenging and probably his most difficult dance out of the way.

Cherie was back to her elegant best with the waltz. It was an excellent performance and should give Cherie a big confidence boost. James' choreography was lovely. It will be interesting to see what happens when she has to go back to latin.

I think the jive was one of Christine's best performances so far. It suited Christine's happy, bubbly personality perfectly. She looked to be having a ball. I liked Matthew's choreography, which showed Christine in a really good light.

Rachel & Vincent's quickstepping American smooth was lovely. Excellent and complex choreography from Vincent, and finally some personality on the floor from Rachel. If Rachel can continue like this, she could be a contender. Ballroom does seem to be her strength. I did agree with Craig though, about the clumsy trasition in the lift.

Sadly, this had to be John's worst week. He seemed to struggle with the cha cha timing, and was frequently out of time. I liked that Kristina had filled the 1 count with arm movements and accents to help John with the timing, but this sadly didn't always help. And, as much as I love Kristina's choreography, I really didn't like the mobile phone opening. It was really odd. Could this finally be the end of the road?

Lisa & Brendan's Viennese waltz was magical. I didn't like the fact that Brendan's opening was very similar to Vincent's. It looked like he'd copied it. But Lisa danced it well. Annoyngly, it was hard to tell if her fleckerls were any good because of the camerawork. But it was generally well danced and romantic. I also loved Lisa's dress. Monochrome has really been a style feature this series.

Bottom two? Well, it was certainly not John's night. He has finally been tripped up and it's time for him to take off his shoes. But it's difficult to choose a candidate to join him. Most other couples had an outstanding week, or coped well with dances that really didn't suit them. It pains me to say it, but I think perhaps Jodie would be my other choice - which reflects the judges' leaderboard. Which means it probably won't be those two anyway.

Here are the videos...

Tom & Camilla



Jodie & Ian



Heather & Brian



Austin & Erin



Cherie & James



Christine & Matthew



Rachel & Vincent



John & Kristina



Lisa & Brendan

Sing, sing, sing!

Heather Small has been calming her nerves by singing along with the Strictly band.

Tess Daly told The Sun: “Heather treated us to a blast of those famous vocal cords backstage during one of the routines, singing along to the live band. What a talent, what a voice, and her legs ain’t bad either.”

Tom's Injury

Tom injured his shoulder in training earlier this week, according to the Daily Mirror.

A source told the paper: “[Tom & Camilla] were dancing really quickly when Camilla tripped on Tom’s trousers as they were quite long. They fell really heavily and Camilla fell into the wall but Tom pushed himself in the way to stop her hurting herself and took the full impact. Camilla would have been really badly hurt if she’d gone into the wall. She’s so thankful that Tom broke her fall. Thanks to him she’s fine, but she feels really sorry for him because he’s really hurt himself."

Oops! Oh well. No pain, no gain, eh?

Snapped!

There have been a couple of amusing photo shoots this week.

Round 1: Ding ding. Tom and Austin have posed in the ring in some great photos for Closer magazine, reports the Daily Mail.

Austin says: "The hardest thing has been spending so much time with another woman after being married for so long. My four-year-old daughter Daisy keeps asking why I've got a new girlfriend." Bless!

While newlywed Tom admits a crush on Arlene: "She's a Mrs Robinson. Arlene looks fantastic and is a beautiful older woman. I've always liked brunettes."

Meanwhile, it's off to A&E with Tess, Ian, Brian, Arlene and Brendan in a shoot for Heat magazine, reports The Sun. Inspired!

Abigail Clancy Would Love To Do Strictly

Abi Clancy says she'd like to do Strictly Come Dancing, but she's not sure how boyfriend Peter Crouch would feel about it.

Now magazine quotes her: "I don’t think Peter would be too keen for another guy to be touching me and dancing that close."

If that's the case, Peter needs to grow up a bit and not be jealous...

Sunday Service: Week 7

Here are my thoughts on Week 7 of Strictly Come Dancing.

If there's one thing Erin always does well, its the quickstep. Austin did a 'marvelous' job with the quickstep. It was light and nippy. Austin looked in control and led the dance well. It was exciting, bright and glamourous. Austin was at his best.

I had to agree with the judges about Heather & Brian's cha cha. Heather was frequently out of time and she appeared to be looking to Brian for propmting all the time. I liked Brian's choreography, and I loved the music choice, but it was just off. Heather seems to go to pieces on Saturday nights. The training footage always looks good, but it goes to pot on the floor. I would like to see Heather come out and kick butt, but it's just not happening.

I recently commented to someone that Jodie & Ian were my guilty pleasure, the couple I shouldn't like, but I do. But not any more. Jodie continues to grow as a dancer and is getting better every week. Jodie & Ian's waltz was romantic, elegant and tender. I loved it. Jodie is really stepping up, and the hard work is paying dividends. I hope her latin will improve at the same rate as her ballroom.

I enjoyed Andrew & Ola's samba. Andrew seemed to really enjoy himself this week. Yes, his dancing is awkward, but he appearedd to have a confidence on the floor that I haven't seen before. Perhaps it's because he knows his days are numbered and had decided to throw caution to the wind. Either way, I enjoyed what he did this week.

Lisa & Brendan's tango was everything a tango should be. It was dramatic and passionate. They covered the floor well. Lisa had the stacarto action and feel down. Lisa has a habit of flexing her knees too much, but that's not a problem with tango and this was totally her dance. It was fantastic to see a tango danced to traditional tango music.

Frankly, I thought Cherie & James' salsa was a bit of a car crash! She made mistakes all throughout the dance. And when she wasn't doing it wrong, she looked like an embarassing older lady - something she had distanced herself from up until now. She went from amazing to embarassing. And frankly I think it was her past form that saved her from being cruicfied by the judges. I thought they were very soft on her considering how truely awful her performance was. I'm sure it was just another off week, and I have every faith that she can pull it out of the bag next week.

Meanwhile, I thought the judges were unfair to John & Kristina. John doesn't make any mistakes. His foxtrot was competent and confident. Yet they still like to have a go at John. John should sail through again this week.

Why has Len suddenly started to object to cape work? It has always been a feature of Strictly pasos, and if it is done well, it can really enhance the number. I thought Tom's cape work was good (actually, the music was a little slow for it but it still looked OK). I certainly don't think it was time wasting. What is Len's problem all of a sudden? I'm glad Camilla commented on it in the red room. I thought Tom's facial expression was a bit comedy, but I liked the routine and think he did a good job. Tom's mind is definitly back on the task at hand.

Christine & Matthew's American smooth was very cute. I agree with Arlene that a ballet class wouldn't do Christine any harm. It would teach her to use her feet and help her understand turnout, both of which would improve Christine's work. Christine is going to have to raise her game soon though, if she wants to be a contender.

I'm with Len on Rachel. I expect to be wowed by her, but somehow I'm not. Her performances are solid, but I'm not blown away. Like Len, I was expecting a Louisa-esque jive, with real bounce and energy. But something was missing. Everything about Rachel is a bit 'nice', a bit 'dancing school', a bit dainty really. I loved Vincent's routine, though, expecially the bit where her stepped over Rachel's leg. Vincent often gets overlooked in discussions of Strictly's best choreographers, but he has fantastic musicality. Like Christine, Rachel will have to raise her game if she want's to be left standing at the end.

Sadly, I think Heather has to be a candidate for the dance-off again this week. I think she'll probably be joined by Andrew, but he was more pleasurable to watch this week, and not so tentative. I thought Cherie had a absolute shocker and would like to see her dance again to know if she can do it.

Here are the videos...

Austin & Erin



Heather & Brian



Jodie & Ian



Andrew & Ola



Lisa & Brendan



Cherie & James



John & Kristina



Tom & Camilla



Christine & Matthew



Rachel & Vincent

Jodie, You Can Start My Car!

Jodie Kidd got herself and Ian out of a bind the other day when their car broke down.

The Sun reports that they stalled on a busy roundabout, but Jodie managed to get them back on the road.

A passer-by told the paper: “Ian and Jodie were stranded in the road and he looked really stressed. Jodie just leapt out, tinkered under the bonnet and had it going in no time.”

Mark Reflects

Mark Foster has been reflecting on his time on Strictly, and admits that he is "gutted" to be out of the competition.

He told the Echo: “I’m gutted to have left, but at the end of the day, I didn’t even expect to make it past the first few weeks. I was starting from scratch, I really couldn’t dance a step before the show and that did put me at a bit of a disadvantage as many of the other contestants had dance experience.”

He has been enjoying the attention that comes with being a participant on the show: “It’s really flattering to get all this attention. I don’t read websites much, but It’s very lovely to have nice messages of support. A lot of people have been coming up to me in the street for autographs over the past few weeks. It’s weird. People seem to know me as a dancer rather than a swimmer.”

CONGRATULATIONS, STRICLTY!!

At last, a right result at the National Television Awards.

It was great to see Strictly Come Dancing finally kick the Cowell's butt! Congratulations to everyone!!

Cherie And Tom Join Strictly Tour

Tom Chambers and Cherie Longhi have joined the line-up for the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour, according to ThisIsNottingham.

With Gethin Jones already signed, who will dance with Camilla? And who will the other one dance with instead??

Lord Of The Judges?

Could Michael Flatly be getting his own set of Strictly paddles?

Flatly has been standing in for a tired Len on Dancing With The Stars, and the Daily Star reports that Strictly bosses are interested in him to join our panel, either as a fifth judge, or to come in if any of our fab four decide to step down.

Anton: "Tess Daly Just Cannot Dance"

Anton du Beke is dancing with Tess Daly for children, but it's proving to be his toughest challenge yet, including the Garraway.

Anton told the Birmingham Mail: “It is the most frightening thing I have ever had to do, because Tess Daly just cannot dance. I would rather be partnering Bruce Forsyth - he is my hero.”

Oh dear... See how they get on on Children In Need night, 14th November on BBC1 from 7pm.

Austin's Quickstep Tribute

Austin Healey is dedicating his quickstep tonight to his late mother, who died a year ago today.

Austin told the Daily Mirror: “If my mum had been here she’d have loved all this. She’d have been on the front row every week proud as punch. And I know it’s a cliché but I’m sure she’s watching from somewhere. It’s given me a lot of drive this week to go out and put on a great performance."