Jade's Blister

Ian Waite has twittered a picture of Jade Johnson's beauty of a blister.

Ouchie!

Check it out here, but don't click if you're a bit squeemish!

Len Goes 'Hollywood'

All the time Len spends in Tinsel Town must be rubbing off on him.

According to The Guardian, Len is going to make his film debut in an independent British film called Love/Loss, playing a teacher at a village hall dance club.

Rumours that he has issued a rider to the BBC insisting on a north-facing dressing room, a huge trailer and a bowl of blue smarties are totally unsubstantiated.

Natalie & Vincent's Partnership

Natalie Cassidy & Vincent Simone appear to be getting on well, having been papped out and about after training.

The story in the Daily Mail attempts to suggest that the two are romantically linked, but I think it's just another example of Vincent's tactile nature and nothing to get excited about.

But have a look at the pics and draw your own conclusions.

Richard Dunwoody: "I'm In Great Hands"

Richard Dunwoody has written a column for The Mirror, in which he talks about his Strictly experience so far.

He says: "My partner, Lilia Kopylova, is tremendous. I'm in great hands. She wants to learn to ride horses. I'm looking forward to teaching her... probably more than she is looking forward to teaching me! I took a whip in with me yesterday, so she could keep me in check. The first week of training has been a great laugh. We've got a great team and everyone gets on well. Phil Tufnell and Craig Kelly have had us in stitches, and OXO mum Linda Bellingham has tried to keep us under control. Martina Hingis is a star."

James: "Zoe Is Lovely"

James Jordan says he doesn't mind that other men fancy his wife, because he gets to take her home.

Although he admitted to Sunday Mercury that it was a bit more difficult when they first joined the Strictly team: “The first year we did Strictly, I found it very difficult that Ola was spending so much time with another man when I wasn’t there. But a relationship is based on trust and I don’t get jealous any more.”

He says of new celebrity partner Zoe Lucker: “Zoe is lovely and beautiful with a nice body and personality, but she’s not really my type.”

James and Ola have a healthy rivalry when it comes to Strictly. Ola says: “I want him to see me lifting the trophy! I am looking forward to putting the glitterball on my bedside cabinet, so James has to look at it every night before he goes to bed.”

James quips: “I tell her she’d still be in Poland queueing for bread if it wasn’t for me!”

It's a great interview, worth a read.

Follow Tuffers On Twitter

Phil Tufnell has a Twitter page.

Follow him for an insight into his Strictly journey.

He says: "10 to 1 who dreamt up those odds it should b at least 20 and I hv to wear high heels niiice"

"Had to try the outfits on today tangerine is so not my colour"

http://twitter.com/philtufnell

Craig Will Miss Arlene

Craig Revel Horwood will miss Arlene Phillips this series.

He told The Mirror: "It's going to be completely different without Arlene. I'm certainly going to miss her because I've literally grown up with her on the show. It is rather odd having someone new."

He is quite diplomatic when it comes to Alesha: "She knows quite a bit about dance because she's been through the series and won it, so she's been trained by professionals and the best. But a celebrity contestant can never match someone who has been dancing their entire lives, who has been competitive and in professional competitions."

Strictly Come Texting

The BBC have launched a text alert service this series. From what I can make out, the only cost is a standard rate message to sign up. Awesome.

You can find more details on the Strictly Come Dancing website.

The Strictly Draw

Camilla Dallerup perfomed a World Cup-style draw to decide who would dance in Week 1.

Interviews From The Launch

Listen to Jo Wood, Joe Calzaghe and Richard Dunwoody being interviewed by Victoria Derbyshire and Colin Patterson at the Strictly launch on Radio Five Live, via BBC iPlayer.

Skip to 2hrs 24 mins.

The Line-up: My Initial Thoughts

Here are my thoughts on this year’s line-up… I might not be that familiar with them now, but in a few short weeks, I’ll know them better than I know my own family!

It’s hard to say what Jo Wood & Brendan Cole will bring to the party. Jo is famous for little aside from having been married to a rock star. She’s certainly going to have a lot to prove.

Ali Bastian & Brian Fortuna should be strong contenders. Ali is young, and attended theatre school, so would probably have done some dance training, however limited. They should make a good team [Strictly trivia: Ali used to date Kevin Sacre, who is now engaged to Camilla Dallerup].

Colleen Nolan proved on that dreadful ITV1 programme that older ladies can go far (so I heard when I watched Loose Women during my unemployed days). Lynda Bellingham could do as well with Darren Bennett on Strictly. The great thing is that hopefully the show will get lots of exposure on Loose Women. She has a lot to live up to. Fellow Loose Woman Lesley Garret got to the semi-final of Series 1.

I’m very excited about the pairing of Natalie Cassidy & Vincent Simone. Natalie comes across as the sort of girl that will get stuck in and give it everything. I didn’t see anything of her fitness DVD, but the fact that she did one suggests that she must have a certain degree of rhythm. I can’t wait to see them on the floor. Natalie is this year's youngest celebrity participant.

Logic would say that Martina Hingis would be agile and nippy on the dancefloor, with her years of tennis experience. But, as anyone who saw Monica Seles on Dancing With The Stars can attest, that might not actually be the case. She’s in safe hands with past champ Matthew Cutler.

Jade Johnson is familiar with the Strictly floor already, having partnered Roger Black on the Sport Relief special. She was pretty good too. Ian Waite will be used to working with an athlete, having been runner up in Series 2 with Denise Lewis. Athletes are focused and used to training.

Zoe Lucker is famed for being sexy siren Tanya in Footballers’ Wives. James Jordan will probably play to her sexy on-screen persona and raunch it up a bit. Should be an exciting pairing.

I really don’t know that much about Laila Rouass, having not watched Footballers’ Wives or Primevil. It’s great that Anton du Beke has finally been blessed with a young ever again. Can she take him to the final?

Like Jade, Joe Calzaghe will have that disciplined training mentality. Boxers can bob and weave, but can Joe be light on his feet? Kristina Rihanoff proved her worth last year, and will be itching to show off some cleaver choreography that she wasn’t able to do for John.

Richard Dunwoody was the leftfield name in the pack. Another sportsman, but one who’s been retired for quite some time. I think the jury is out for me on his and Lilia Kopylova’s partnership until they step onto the floor.

Ricky Groves & Erin Boag should get along well. Ricky once attended ballet school so he should be more of a mover than he looks. I'm intrigued to see him take to the floor.

Chris Hollins continues the tradition of news presenters on Strictly. Ola Jordan worked with Andrew Castle last year, so she’ll understand what it’s like to coach someone who works early mornings.

I loved Craig Kelly in Queer As Folk, and certainly danced in the nightclub scenes, but it wasn't exactly ballroom. I’m sure he’ll do very well, and Flavia Cacace will want to emulate the success she enjoyed with fellow soap actor Matt DiAngelo.

I’m really excited about Phil Tufnell. I really think he’s going to give it everything he’s got. He’s got a lot to live up to – fellow cricketers Darren Gough and Mark Ramprakash both walked off with the glitterball. New kid on the block Katya Virshilas has lucked-out, getting a celebrity so popular with the public, as proven by his success on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!.

Hollyoaks heart-throb Ricky Whittle will win a few votes from the ladies. Where’s Alrene when you need her, eh? New girl Natalie Lowe will be out to make her mark on the programme. This could be a dynamite pairing.

Finally, Crimewatch cop Rav Wilding is partnered with newbie Aliona Vilani. I don’t know that much about Rav, so I’ll be watching his progress with interest.

So there we have it. The sixteen celebrities who will fill our homes six days a week from 18th September. I can’t wait!!

My personal faves are Natalie, Phil and Craig, but I think it’s Jade and Ricky W that will have the smooth moves.

The New Celebs Speak!

Hear what the new Strictly celebs have to say...

Top marks to Ricky G for being the first one to use the J-Word!

Strictly 2009 Line-up

At last, here is the line-up for Strictly Come Dancing, Series 7, 2009!

I'll post some thoughts about the pairings this evening. It's a shame that we knew so many of the names already...

Ali Bastian & Brian Fortuna
Lynda Bellingham & Darren Bennett
Natalie Cassidy & Vincent Simone
Martina Hingis & Matthew Cutler
Jade Johnson & Ian Waite
Zoe Lucker & James Jordan
Laila Rouass & Anton Du Beke
Jo Wood & Brendan Cole
Joe Calzaghe & Kristina Rihanoff
Richard Dunwoody & Lilia Kopylova
Ricky Groves & Erin Boag
Chris Hollins & Ola Jordan
Craig Kelly & Flavia Cacace
Phil Tufnell & Katya Virshilas
Ricky Whittle & Natalie Lowe
Rav Wilding & Aliona Vilani

Arlene Could Still Be A Part Of Strictly

The Sun reports this morning that Arlene will be a part of Strictly Come Dancing this year.

According to the paper, Arlene will be choreographing some of the group numbers and may also get a guest slot on It Takes Two. She'll be a busy bee, as this will be alongside her duties on The One Show.

A source said: "Arlene may not be a judge any more but we still want her on board as her expertise is unparalleled. We've offered her a role doing what she does best, which is choreography. As viewers know, the group dances are highly technical so it's not an easy thing to do."

I have so much respect for Arlene. If she signs on in this way, it proves what a class act she is, showing no bitterness towards the producers that unseated her from her judge's chair.

Next! Jeremy Bowen...

BBC war correspondant Jeremy Bowen has revealed that he was approached to take part in Strictly Come Dancing, and would love to, but is too busy.

He told WalesOnline: “They asked me to do Strictly this year – and not for the first time. I just wasn’t able to do it, my job is very full-time. But I would absolutely love to do it.”

Celebs On Same Pay

All the celebrities participating in this year's Strictly Come Dancing will be paid the same amount.

According to MerryMedia.co.uk the blanket pay rate of £50,000 will stop any squabbling or backbiting on-set.

Teaser Trailer

The BBC have posted a teaser trailer on the Strictly website. It's too exciting!!



In one of the shots you can see a piece of paper, which has the dancers' partners' codenames (if they are the genuine codenames, of course.

Can you crack this code?

Vincent & Trumpet
Darren & Calendar
Brendan & Tree
Aliona & Brass
Erin & Albert
Copper & Natalie
MBE & ??

It's certainly got tongues wagging on the DigitalSpy Forum.

Today's Rumours - Tufers And LaToya

Two more celebrities have been linked with Strictly Come Dancing today.

Heatworld.com claims that LaToya Jackson is thought to be signing on the dotted line today. A source told the site: “LaToya would be a great name to have on the show. If she chats about Michael live on TV, or dedicated an emotional performance to him, it will make for fantastic viewing.”

Having LaToya on dosen't feel like a very 'BBC' thing to do. She's a bit sensationalist. I would be quite sceptical about it. Besides, surely she'd demand too much cash?

The other name today is ex-cricketer Phil Tufnell. The Sun reports that he is already in training. A source said: "Phil is as fit as a fiddle so he's a perfect signing. He's also a massive Strictly fan and has been to watch the show several times in previous series."

I love it when fans of the show get a chance to take part, and Phil is great to watch. I think he'd be a brilliant selection. Phil would have some big shoes to fill - ex-cricketers Darren Gough and Mark Ramprakash both walked away champions.

Only a couple more days of rumours left. The official launch takes place on Tuesday in a secret location. It's the hottest event in town - the sort of thing I could only dream of attending.

Widde Waltz?

Ann Widdecombe has admitted that if she was aproached to do Strictly, she'd sign up.

She told the that seeing John Sergeant on the floor made her realise that she could do it: "I won't deny that John Sergeant gave me quite a lot of reassurance because if he can galumph around the floor, well I can galumph around the floor. I've always thought that cavorting around with those frightfully elegant mortals, I'd look a complete idiot. But what I've realised from John's performance is they do let you go at your own pace. If I'm allowed to go at my own pace, it's not such a horrible thought."

Ann Widdecombe is very sharp witted and fun to watch. I loved her with Louis Theroux, and when she hosted Have I Got News For You. I'm not sure how she'd fare on the floor, but it would be worth having her on for the training footage.

Sign her up, Beeb!

Congrats, Papa Simone!

Congratulations to Vincent Simone and Susan Duddy who are celebrating the birth of their baby.
Vincent said in an email to fans: "Hello everyone. My little bambino was born today [Thursday 20th August]. His name is Luca William Simone and he is gorgeous and perfect just like his dad and thanks to my Susan to have made this dream come true, she is amazing. It has been very emotional, even til now writing this message. It's the best thing I have done in my life so thank you for all the support X X X "

Wishing you all the happiness in the world, Vincent. I'm so thrilled for you.

Lunchboxes Ahoy!

Another day, another rumour.

The Mirror reports this morning that sportsman Linford Christie has signed up for Strictly Come Dancing.

Just wait until he dons those skimpy latin outfits!

A source told the paper: “Producers reckon Linford will prove to be quite a talent and a big hit on the ballroom floor.”

The paper also reports that Ali Bastian will also be dancing on a Saturday night. Ali plays Sally Armstrong in The Bill. A source said: “In terms of the females, Ali will be one of the younger contestants if she takes part and she will be dazzling in sequins.”

Yet Another Celebrity Rumour

The Mirror has added another celebrity to their list of rumoured participants - although they seem to be getting rather confuzzled.

The claim that EastEnders actor Ricky Grover is being lined up. You know, the one who plays Gary Hobbs.

Except that's Ricky Groves.

Ricky Grover is a stand-up comedian. Pretty funny he is too. I saw him at the Comedy Store once.

I presume they do mean Groves. Clearly, they've spouted so many rumours in the past few weeks, they've confused themselves. Bless. They really need to start checking their facts a bit more closely if they want people to take them seriously...

Going back to the story, it's highly unlikely that 'StEnders producers would let Ricky take part. They are notoriously picky about what their actors do outside of the soap, and supposedly vowed never to let an actor currently in the cast to participate again.

Strictly Website Relaunched

The BBC have relaunched the Strictly Come Dancing website for the upcoming series.

There's not much to see at the moment, except a little intro from Uncle Len, and the relaunched message boards. The site will come into its own once the series is up and running.

But sadly my link has gone, so if you're reading this, thanks for making it to my page under your own steam. Make sure you bookmark it!

From This Morning To Saturday Night?

The rumour mill continues to turn, implying that there may still be some Strictly slots up for grabs.

The Mirror reports that the BBC are courting Fern Britton to appear on the upcoming series, and have used Brendan Cole as a carrot to lure her in.

A source told the paper: "Producers have been wooing her for some time but it is only in the last few days talks have really progressed. Brendan was lined-up to dance with Jo Wood but now bosses have offered him to Fern as bait. Fern is bound to get lots of attention and they believe he’s the guy most equipped to handle it."

I like Fern and I think she'd be a pleasure to watch. But she does have some dance experience, having learned to dance as a youngster. And the public hate that.

A partnership with Brendan would be interesting. It would be a challenge for him, but at least Fern can dance, which would please him.

I thought she was robbed of a place in the final of Let's Dance For Comic Relief back in the spring. But the jury's out for me as to whether I'd want to see her as a participant.

Here she is on Let's Dance.



And click here for that famous tap dancing clip from 1982.

Kara Denies Strictly Rumours

Rumours have been circulating for a while that Kara Tointon would be a participant in this year's series.

However, The Mirror reports that this is not the case. Kara told Closer magazine: "Strictly Come Dancing is one of my favourite shows and I'll definitely be watching it this year, but I want to be a serious actress. I don't have time for dancing as I'm spending my time going to auditions."

To be fair, Kara had her turn on Sport Relief, so we have already seen what she can do. And that could be a disadvantage, as the public would have pre-conceptions.

Strictly Boo-Hiss-Gasp-Along

It sounds like the new Strictly website will have some nifty new features.

Design Week reports that the new wesbite will go live next month.

James Bruce, creative director of Pancentric, the new site's web designers said: "[The brief was] to create a two-screen experience in which you can watch the show on TV and have a laptop on your knee at the same time. [The site will allow users to] boo, gasp and wow at a precise moment and predict what Len Goodman and the other judges are going to vote".

I presume the new site will attempt to echo the success of The Apprentice's play-along feature, where viewers could vote along during the programme for which contestant they thought would get fired.

I just hope that the new site continues to link my blog, as it does now...

Heptathelete Ennis Would Love To Do Strictly

What is the first thing you ask someone who has just rocketed to fame as a gold medal winner? Ask if they'd like to do Strictly!

The Strictly-obessives at The Mirror did just that, and she told them: “Those gorgeous little sequinned costumes! I’d absolutely love to go on Strictly Come Dancing one day. I adore that show and athletes seem to do very well at it.”

Dancers Start Meeting Celebs

The professional dancers are due to start meeting their celebs this week.

Kristina Rihanoff said on her Twitter page last night: "Back to London and I am meeting my celebrity tomorrow!!!!"

Loose Talk

The latest Loose talk on the subject of Strictly came out this morning, with The Mirror claiming that Loose Woman Lynda Bellingham has been signed up.

A source told the paper: "Lynda is a great signing and hopefully her appearance helps to illustrate that there is no age bias. We want a fresh and varied line-up and we know Lynda would be a handful. Having seen her on Loose Women, she will give as good as she gets if things get heated in training or in front of the judges."

Having Lynda on the show would be great exposure for Strictly on ITV1. That skating show was talked about almost daily when Colleen Nolan was a participant, so hopefully Strictly would be talked about just as much. But let's hope that she's not partnered with Anton. Let him have someone younger for a change.

You Ain't Seen Me, Right?

The stars of Strictly have been given codenames by the BBC in order to protect their identities.

According to Daily Star, each celebrity also has their own driver, so they don't have to use taxis (we all know what loose lips cab drivers have).

A source told the paper: “We have tried to keep the show really secret this year. There has been enough negative publicity already. Everyone has a codename and this year we do not book taxis or use different drivers for the stars. They each have an individual driver who has been sworn to secrecy."

The paper claims that Zoe Lucker has signed up, and her code name is Miss Penny.

As three papers have now claimed that Zoe is taking part, I think it's time to move her from the rumour column to probable.

Latest Strictly Rumours

As we get nearer to the big announcement, I start to wonder if the rumours might be nearer to the truth than they are earlier in the year.

If you don't want to hear the latest rumours, I suggest you look away now...






RUMOUR SPOILER SPACE





The News Of The World reports that Jo Wood, ex-wife of Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood has signed up.

The paper also claims that as well as Zoe Lucker, her Footballers' Wives co-star Laila Rouass will also take part. And batting for the boys will be Crimewatch presenter Rav Wilding.

I have to say that Rav actually sounds the most likely candidate to me. I guess we'll find out soon.

More Twitter Stuff

OK, I know I'm getting a little Twittertastic at the moment, but I now finally feel that I have a place for Twitter in my life.

Anyway, I've just discovered that there are so many people with Strictly connections you can follow - no doubt there will be more once we know who the celebs are.

http://twitter.com/Karen_Hardy
http://twitter.com/CamillaDallerup
http://twitter.com/KatyaVirshilas
http://twitter.com/ianwaite
http://twitter.com/KRihanoff
http://twitter.com/tessdaly (although she's been quite quiet of late)
http://twitter.com/ClaudiaWinkle

I expect there are more out there. Please comment if you're following someone else Strictly related.

And follow me!

http://twitter.com/StrictlyTweeter

Strictly's Official Twitter Site

It looks like Twitter will be buzzing come the autumn.

The BBC has launched an Official Twitter Page. Make sure you follow them.

And follow me while you're at it!

Strictly Come Tweeting

I've been pondering using Twitter during the competition and tweating my thoughts during the programme, especially if all of Strictly is going to be in one long show this year.

It will, of course, depend on what I'm doing and if I'm at home. It's just an idea at the moment.

I'll still be doing the Sunday Service to give a detailled review, but it might be nice to do some tweeting.

So follow me at http://twitter.com/StrictlyTweeter.

I actually wanted the username @StrictlyComeTweeting (to match Strictly Come Blogging, of course), but there is a stupidly low username character limit on Twiter. Rubbish!

Zoe Hopes Her Luck-er Is In

Footballers' Wives actress Zoe Lucker is hoping to take to the floor.

According to The Sun, Zoe is in talks to take part in Strictly, and is peachy keen. A source told the paper: "Zoe's really keen to sign up for Strictly. Over the years she's seen how being on the show has raised profiles of the celebrities who've taken part, such as Alesha Dixon and Rachel Stevens. She feels that she's still only really known for her part in Footballers' Wives, which ended more than three years ago. Zoe's looking for new challenges and thinks this could be her big break."

Of course participating in Stricly Come Dancing will raise one's profile, but it's a bit cynical if that is your primary reason for wanting to do it.

Alesha and Rachel were very successful in the competition, and therefore further success followed. But if you're eliminated in the early stages, people barely even remember you participated. Gillian Taylforth, Jelly - sorry - Jessie Wallace, Jaye Jacobs and Siobhan Hayes did not enjoy the same levels of exposure following their early exits.

Saturday Is The New Sunday

At last, Bruce is now once again Mr. Saturday Night, and nothing else, as the BBC has abandoned the Sunday night results show in favour of one extended Saturday night extravaganza.

A source told The Mirror about the plans: “We wanted to make Strictly Come Dancing an unmissable TV event so we are packing all the action into one dramatic show. Audiences will be watching, voting and seeing who is in and who is out on Saturday night.”

No official announcement has been made yet.

I love the fact that the Sunday night show is being axed. It will mean that there will be no more leaked results on the forums and an end to the pretense that the Sunday show is filmed the next day. However, I have reservations about it all being over in one show. I actually liked having a break for Casulty or whatever. As a viewer, it gave you the opportunity to really discuss the show with those around you during the break. But one show on Saturday is still better than having it split over two nights.

Music Suggestions

The Strictly rumour mill seems to have gone a bit quiet in the last few days, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to post a few music suggestions that I would like to see used on the programme. I haven't got one for each dance. These are just a few songs that I think would be great. I have posted YouTube links to the music where possible.

Samba: Loveboat by Kylie Minogue. This is a fairly unknown album track, so the producers would probably turn it down, but it has a brilliant samba bounce to it, and the tempo feels about right to my untrained ear.



Tango: Oelle Como Espíritu Adolescente by the Mandrágora Tango Orchestra. A brilliant tango version of Smells Like Teen Spirit. Need I say more?



Viennese waltz: Theme From 'A Summer Place' by Percy Faith. A pacey waltz with a floaty tune. Perfect for VW.



Paso doble: Poison by Alice Cooper. Pasos are difficult. There's always a conflict on Strictly between the traditional paso music like España Cañí and the pop tunes. Poison would make a paso similar to Brendan & Sarah's Bring Me To Life. A little 'out there'.

Click here for Poison video.

Cha cha: Ride Like The Wind by Christopher Cross. This song screams cha cha to me, and has done for a long while. I think it would be a great choice.



If I think of more, I'll post them later.

_________________________________________________

Update Wednesday 12th August.

Foxtrot: I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do by ABBA. Think of the fun wedding themed routine you could do!

Click here for I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do video.

Show Pros The Money!

The Strictly pros will not be subjected to the reported wage slashing at the BBC, with The Sun reporting that they will get a small increase.

The most interesting thing about the article, is the news that two shows at the start of Strictly's 16-episode run will be broadcast on Fridays. Although the content of these shows is not indicated.

The BBC have stated that no further changes are expected to the line-up of pros, following the departure of Camilla, Karen and Hayley. A source told the paper: "We don't think there will be any more changes but we're not making an official announcement until nearer the launch."

It's great news that the pros won't have their wages cut. They work darned hard, especially those with dedicated celebrities who have no day jobs. The deserve every penny they get.

Hayley Left Wondering

Hayley Holt claims the BBC did not give her a reason for not asking her back to Strictly this year.

She told The Mirror: “I’m not too sure why I wasn’t asked back. They didn’t really give me a reason. My agent had to ring them up to find out what was going on. It leaves me wondering why. It is frustrating.”

A BBC Spokesman responded: “We contract dancers for one series at a time and the line-up is always subject to change. We thank Hayley for her fantastic contribution to the show. It is an amicable decision.”

Tess Is Ready

Tess Daly is excited about the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.

She wrote in her Mirror column that she has to keep tight-lipped about the stars taking part, but says there are some "dynamite pairings".

It's almost time for the big photoshoot. She writes: "I'm looking forward to catching up with my mate Brucie this week for a photoshoot and I'm hoping to bring [my baby daughter] Amber along to meet her uncle Bruce for the first time."

She's also excited about her dresses: "I've been discussing outfits with my Strictly stylist to come up with a look for this year's show. This season's trends are all high-octane glamour - even diamante is making a comeback! So I'm not short of inspiration. Last year, my dresses were all about body con until my pregnant silhouette meant they were no longer an option. From now till the series begins I'm planning on getting fit - a few sit-ups at the very least. Failing that, there's always control pants."

She and her Strictly stylist must have made up last year, as Tess was in some of the best dresses she had worn in five series the show. Let's hope it continues.

New Role For Karen?

Thankfully, it doesn't look like we've seen the last of Karen Hardy on Strictly Come Dancing.

According to the ageism-obsessed Mirror, Karen is likely to be given another part to play.

Karen told the paper: "I'm discussing new ways I can be involved in the show this year and pursue a number of other exciting opportunities."

A BBC spokesperson confirmed this: "The decision to change Karen's role has nothing to do with age. We are in discussions with her as to what her new role will be."

Horrocks Supports Team Arlene

Jane Horrocks has expressed her displeasure at the loss of Arlene Phillips from Strictly Come Dancing.

She told the Press Association: "She's sort of part of it, it's a bit like Blind Date without Cilla Black. It's sort of weird because she is so much part of that show, and so I think when you take any element out of a show it will change inevitably."

Of course, producers never tried to do Blind Date without Cilla...

Horrocks has no interest in participating in Strictly herself, though: "I like watching. I think ballroom dancing is fascinating to watch and they do actually progress massively when they're on that show."

Karen & Hayley Leave Strictly

Karen Hardy is not returning to Strictly Come Dancing this autumn.

A report in today's The Mirror implies that Karen was not being invited back, although the 'source' talking to the paper acknowledges that Karen wants to pursue other areas.

Of course, the paper dwells on Karen's age, being the oldest female pro on the show.

The source told the paper: "Karen wants to branch out with work, but the BBC were happy for her to leave. They made the decision. Despite Karen being one of the best dancers she is gone, and it seems to be another sign that bosses want to make the series younger to try to take some of the X Factor audience."

The article also quietly states that 28 year-old Hayley Holt is also not returning. Although that is nowhere near as good a story...

The BBC has not commented.

With Camilla not returning, this means there is still one new female pro to be unveiled/leaked.

Alesha Wants To Dance On Tour

Alesha Dixon would love for Matthew Cutler to be a part of her tour, and do some dancing.

She told OK! magazine: “I’d really like to bring in a Strictly element to my concert. I’ve thought about getting Matt on stage and dancing together.”