Strict-zee Come Dancing?

Could Hollywood legend Liza (with a zee) Minnelli be joining the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel?

According to The Mirror, the BBC are holding talks with Liza about the possibility of replacing Alesha Dixon for paddle-raising duties.

Replacing Alesha isn't the BBC's only idea. A source told the paper: "Another option is to create a five-person panel or even get Liza involved in an advisory role, like Brian Friedman on The X Factor."

The whole article reads like a lot of speculation to me, and is probably way off base. But I've been wrong before...

Behind The Scenes Of The Tour

ThisIsNottingham went behind the scenes of the Strictly Come Dancing tour when it visited the Trent FM Arena.

There is a video interview with Zoe & James and Austin. Check it out.

And you can read their review of the show here.

Lineker Nominates Mrs L

Gary Lineker has said he would never do a reality TV show, but would nominate his wife to be a part of Strictly Come Dancing.

Gary, whose wife Danielle is a model and presenter who has already appeared on Hell's Kitchen, told the Press Association: "I can't dance at all! I'm completely useless, so I wouldn't go on that show. I could possibly see Danielle wanting to do Strictly. I'm sure if she had a go at the dancing, she'd like it - it's nice and glam. And she looks like she moves all right to me...".

Chris: Strictly "Was A No-Brainer"

Chris is chuffed with the overwhelming support he has had from the public, and is loving bieng on tour.

He told ThisIsNottingham: "We had so much support from people who kept us in the competition. All the e-mails were lovely – especially from children. Doing the tour is about going back and seeing them to say thank-you."

Although he had other motives too: "It gave me another two months to dance with the lovely Ola. I love her to bits, but not in a naughty way. I think James would have something to say if I did! She's a really good mate. And she's so patient. I would have killed me!"

Seeing his colleagues on the show inspired him to do it too: "I was always a fan of the show. A lot of my work colleagues were in it, like Bill Turnbull and Natasha Kaplinsky. I was really looking forward to doing it. Everybody said how much fun it was. In life, it's very easy to say no to things. My philosophy is you have to give something a go. It was a no-brainer."

There's bit more to the interview, so I recommend reading it, especially if you're a Chris fan.

Tour Reviews

There are a few tour reviews being published now.

Here's one from the Worcester News.

And the Birmingham Mail.

I'm seeing the tour in Birmingham tomorrow, and will post my own review here as soon as I can.

Natalie And Ian Reveal Their Fantasy Dance Partners

Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite have revealed their fantasy dance partners, and the answers may surprise you.

Ian admitted to ClickLiverpool.com that he'd like to dance with Tess' husband Vernon Kay: "He's got a really lovely body and he's about the same height as me, so he'd be absolutely perfect to spin around the dance floor. I've had some amazing girls on Strictly but it would be fantastic to have a dance with Vernon. I'd absolutely love to teach that man to tango. I've always liked his cheeky northern charm too, and a great personality is essential in finding the perfect partner."

Ian also revealed how much he likes working with his fellow pros: "No disrespect to the celebs, but they aren't quite as good as we are!"

Natalie told ClickLiverpool that she'd like to dance with Brucie: "I've been so lucky to dance with some gorgeous men, but I'd turn any of them down for a quick foxtrot with Bruce. He's definitely still got it, but next on the list would have to be Matthew McConaughey, he's absolutely gorgeous!"

She'd like to dance with Bruno, too, but not that one: "I'd also love to dance with Sacha Baron Cohen's character Brüno, he's hilarious, and I love to laugh when I'm dancing."

And will we see her dancing with Ricky anymore?: "He wants to keep dancing so we might do some shows together later this year, to spend five months with someone and then not to see them is really hard."

Arlene Thinks She Can Dance

Arlene has vowed to put on her dancing shoes tomorrow night at the National Television Awards.

Taylor Herring, who are doing the PR for the awards, have stated on their blog that Arlene will dance alongside the So You Think You Can Dance finalists at tomorrow's awards at London's O2 Arena.

She will join the dancers in a McQueen frock and dance to Ain't No Other Man.

And don't forget to vote for Strictly if you have not done so already. You have until noon tomorrow!

Introducting Luca Simone...

The Daily Mail has a preview of some lovely photos from Hello! magazine, taken at Vincent's son's christening.

Vincent's Strictly partners Louisa and Rachel attended the ceremony, along with Len, Erin, Flavia, Darren, Lilia and Jo Wood.

The full interview is in this week's Hello! magazine.

Behind The Scenes Of The Tour

Here is a sneak peak behind the scenes of the Strictly Come Dancing tour in Manchester.

Congratulations Zoe & Norman!

Congratulations to former Strictly finalist Zoe Ball and her husband Norman Cook, who are celebrating the birth of their baby daughter Nelly May Lois Cook.

According to the Daily Mail, she was born on Tuesday by Caesarean and weighed 8lbs.

Zoe's Family Join Her On Tour

Zoe Lucker was a little gutted to be voted out of Strictly so early, but found that her daughter helped fill the void.

She told The Mirror: "It was really sad to be out and to suddenly have that gap where before I was rehearsing non-stop. But it also meant I'd get to spend more time with [my daughter] Lilly which I was excited about. Earlier in my career leaving something so soon would have felt like a bigger knock, but I coped with it fine. And in the couple of days after I was voted out, lots of exciting things started happening with Lilly. She took her first proper, strong steps and she suddenly grew teeth. She had toddled about for one or two steps before, but this was proper walking. And she'd had these two little rabbit teeth for ages but we were so happy she suddenly got more! It really cheered me up so I couldn't get too worried about Strictly."

And she's pleased that her husband and daughter are joining her on tour: "It wouldn't have been an option otherwise. I couldn't have spent that much time away from Lilly or Jim. He is selfemployed so luckily he was able to take a bit of time off."

And They're Off...

The Strictly tour kicked off on Friday, and the Daily Mail has published a few pics (mostly of Kelly Brook) to whet your appetitie if you haven't been yet.

I can't wait to see it. I'll be there in Birmingham next Saturday. Can't wait.

Ricky Dances Through The Pain

Ricky Groves is focusing on the Strictly tour, to keep him mind off his split from wife Hannah Waterman.

He told the Sunday Express: “The Strictly tour ­provides me with the perfect way of focusing on something other than what’s going on in my private life. It’s a gruelling schedule and it’s a lot of hard work but it’s really fun and takes my mind off things. Hannah and I are still friends but I just have to dust myself down and put all my efforts into my dancing.”

Ricky's not ready to hook up with anyone else just yet: “There are a lot of nice young ladies on the show but I’ve not got my eye on anyone at the moment. I’ve got enough to do with remembering all the steps.”

I hope everyone gives Ricky a lot of love during the tour.

Arlene: "A Thank-you, A Farewell And A Finale For Me"

Arlene Phillips is looking forward to being a part of the Strictly tour, viewing is as a way to thank the fans who supported her after her axe from the programme.

The Daily Mail has a lenthy interview with her which is well worth a read. Below are just the highlights.

She told the Daily Mail that when she was dropped from the show, she decided she would not do the tour: "I directed the very first Strictly tour and there's so much of me in the show. So when Paul Roberts of Phil McIntyre/StageEntertainment asked me this time last year to do it, I agreed - without thinking what may happen in the interim. After the events of last summer, I'd decided not to do it. I really felt that I'd moved on from Strictly and that that part of my life was behind me. However, Paul never let up - he rang me every day to persuade me to do it. I absolutely adore Paul, as we have an extremely good working relationship that goes back a long way, so I felt a personal responsibility to him and to the tour."

It wasn't just Paul, but the public that demonstrated she should do it: "I got a measure of the public response only after all the hugs I started to get wherever I went. I was astonished when I got on a BA flight to the south of France and the whole plane cheered. Everyone kept coming up to me to make a fuss - it was the best flight I've ever had. I've found this support so overwhelming that I changed my mind and decided to do the Strictly tour after all, as a way of saying thank you to everyone - the fans, the public and the media. I feel like I want to give something back and the tour is my way of doing that."

Arlene's experience of this series was very different than the past: "I watched every single episode, as I was contracted to write two columns about it. But I turned the sound down when the judges were talking so I could write my own comments. I was completely emotionally detached from my old role and treated it as a job."

And who is Arlene backing on tour?: "Ali Bastian, I want to see her win this tour. She just needs to be told how to let the drama shine through. We have some fantastic couples and this tour is going to be really fiery."

Chris: "It's Still Not Real"

Chris Hollins still cannot believe he won Strictly Come Dancing, almost a month later.

He told the Liverpool Daily Post: “It’s still not real. I still think they’re going to say ‘No, it’s all just a big joke – as if you’d win this!’ But, in the meantime, I’ve got to keep training. I can’t let Ola down.”

Chris is part of the Strictly tour, which starts tonight in Manchester.

What's he dancing on tour?: "We’re doing a rumba and a foxtrot, and there’s a little surprise, too.”

Could it be some Charleston action?

“Taxi drivers used to talk to me about the football. I’d get in a cab and they’d say ‘What did you think of Gerrard on Saturday?’ Now they’re asking me about the Charleston."

Ah yes. The problem faced by many a Strictly participant.

He was thrilled to win, if only for Ola: “Obviously I was thrilled for little Ola Chops. She’s been an absolute belter and I was so pleased that she got to win the trophy. But that was it, I may have been entertaining, but it was her who won the thing. There’s a lot of determination in that little package, and I’m immensely proud of her.”

Strictly "Burnout"?

So You Think You Can Dance? judge Nigel Lythgoe thinks it might be time for the BBC to 'rest' Strictly, fearing the public might be suffering burnout.

He told The Guardian: "I think that in the UK once something's successful it's wrung out like a sponge and gets overdone. There were too many episodes of Strictly … there's burnout. I imagine Strictly will go off air, and come back in 10 or 12 years."

I think this is a very simplistic view, and doesn't always ring true. Yes, we've seen shows like Big Brother dwindle down to a small number of viewers over the years. But Strictly has maintianed audiences of around the 6-7 million mark for many years. Just becuase The X Factor is bigger doesn't mean Strictly is dead.

And in the US, they have 2 seasons of Dancing With The Stars per year. We only have one (albeit a bit of a longer run with more celebrities). No burnout there.

My cynical side thinks that perhaps with Strictly out of the way, Mr Lythgoe sees the path clearing for SYTYCD to become the UK's premier dance format...

No Autumn Wars?

Come autumn, the press are full of Strictly vs X Factor articles. Very boring, I'm sure you'll agree.

Yesterday in California, Simon Cowell announced that he'll be leaving American Idol after the upcoming season to launch The X Factor in the US. Boring, also.

However, what is interesting is the potential that The X Factor could move in the UK.

American Idol is a spring series on Fox, which means The X Factor US (which will be comissioned by Fox) would likely be schedulled in the autumn.

The Guardian suggests that ITV could move The X Factor UK out of the autumn to allow Cowell to appear on both sides of the Atlantic. Which means no more clashing.

Of course, Cowell could do a 'Len & Bruno' and appear on both shows at the same time. But I'd prefer to see the end of the clash, and let both shows attract bigger audiences instead of forcing viewers to choose (although in my mind there is no choice to be made when Strictly is on!).

Of course, none of this matters until 2011, but certainly something to think about.

(Belated) Congratulations Nicole!

Congratulations to Nicole Cutler, who got engaged to her cricketer boyfriend Jonathan Batty just before Christmas.

Nicole actually posted it on her Twitter page on 16th December, but for some reason I missed it. She said: "JB asked me to marry him and I said...'YES!' xx"

The couple have been dating since 2007.

Dancing On Wheels

Dancing On Wheels comes to BBC Three later on this month.

The show features six celebrities partnered with six wheelchair users who have never danced before.

The celebrities are former Strictly participants Heather Small, Mark Foster and Martin Offiah, presenter Caroline Flack, singer Michelle Gayle and actor Kevin Sacre (who is Camilla Dallerup's fiance).

I have no idea what Caroline's dance credentials are. Obviously, Michelle is a singer so should be quite rhythmic, and perhaps Kevin can get extra coaching from his Mrs-to-be.

Brian Fortuna is heavily involved with the show, and Kristina, James and Ola will be seen lending a hand.

Here's a preview.

Got To Dance

I have been enjoying Got To Dance on Sky One. I love that it's open to all age groups, and troupes too. I'm loving the mixed abilities of the groups that make it through.

I actually find it a refreshing change to the well-drilled dance students of So You Think You Can Dance? and it's predecessors. Not that I don't enjoy SYTYCD because I do.

I have to give a special mention to Spandexx, who were sadly not put through to the next round on this week's show. I saw them perform this very routine at the Guilty Pleasures nightclub at Koko, and thought they were brilliant there. OK, so they appealed to be me because I love camp and glitter. I don't care!

Check them out.



And check out 10 year-old Akai, who is just breathtaking. Needless to say, he did go through.



I can't wait to see who makes the final 18.

Could Results Return To Sunday?

The Sun reports that the BBC is thinking of switching Strictly's results show back to Sunday, because the all-in-one Saturday night show was too long.

Producers have suggested that schedulling it on a Sunday suits them better, but they would hope to do it live, nor pre-recorded as before.

A source told the paper: "We really want to take Strictly back to a Sunday night, but we would have to do it live and that takes more money, which is pretty tight at the moment."

I agree that having it all in one Satuday show is too much. My prerfecnce would be to return to having the results show later in the same evening, as they used to. It always seemed to work before. And it's fine for So You Think You Can Dance?, so why they feel Strictly should be different I don't know.

Ali & Brian Holiday In The Caribbean

Ali & Brian have escaped the cold British weather by taking a break in the Caribbean.

The couple were snapped sunning themselves in Grenada over the weekend.

The Daily Mail reports than an onlooker told The People: "You've never seen a couple so totally in love."

The pair will soon have to brave the cold once again, as they will be a part of the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour which begins on Friday.

Jarvis Cocker Fancies Dancing

Jarvis Cocker fancies having a go at Strictly Come Dancing.

The Mirror reports that Jarvis told Uncut magazine: "I would definitely consider it. I've always found it really moving, especially going to the ballroom below Blackpool Tower - watching all these old couples dancing while a guy played the organ."

I think Jarvis would be great. I think he'd really put his heart into it. And being a musician, at least he should have the ability to count and dance in time.

The New Mellow Brendan

It's impossible not to have noticed how much Brendan Cole has mellowed in recent years.

Yes, he still had a good go at Craig Revel Horwood from time to time, but he is a lot more relaxed with his partners. The love of his fiancée Zoe has had a calming influence on him.

He told Portsmouth's The News: "I'm very happy and that puts you in a different place. And I'm getting older and a bit more intelligent as I go. Now I try to think first and speak second rather than the other way round."

He says he was vey fond of Jo Wood: "Jo's a lovely girl to work with. I got lucky getting partnered with her. When I like someone, I take care of them. It's nice that people could see the other side of me on the show for a change. They didn't see my softer side before because I didn't have to protect my partners from the judges."

I have to wonder what kind of relationship Brendan would have had with Fiona if he'd been partnered with her now, and not a few years ago. Would he have the same affection for her as Jo, or would she be just as frustrating to him now?

Brendan is touring with his Live & Unjudged tour at the moment. He gets the audeince up and dancing along: "People are always a little reluctant at first, but once everyone's up it's a lovely feeling to see people smiling and enjoying it. I'm waiting for an audience that just doesn't want to do it and then I'll have a 10-minute gap to fill. But I think people appreciate the chance to get up and get involved. It's probably the audience's favourite part of the show judging by the e-mails I get."

And what will he do when the tour's over?: "I've been working on the show night and day for months and months and I'm looking forward to getting back to normality, planning our wedding and our honeymoon and perhaps teaching Zoe a few moves for our wedding dance."

Mark Returns To The Floor

Mark Ramprakash has been talking to Nottingham's Evening Post about his return to the dancefloor, as he is about to embark upon the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour.

He says he'll miss Karen who is not a part of the tour: "I'm really disappointed [Karen's not doing it]! I built up such a great relationship with Karen. She became such a good friend."

Most of the article is actually about Mark's time on Strictly, rather than how he feels about getting back to it on tour, so it doesn't make hugely interesting reading for anyone who watched the show at the time.

As I said when the couples were announced, I am interested to see how Mark gets on during the tour, as he found it so hard to open up and build a relationship with Karen. Can he forge a similar partnership with Kristina?

Ben Price Won't Be Doing Strictly

Actor Ben Price has said that he has no desire to follow his Footballers' Wives co-stars onto the dance floor.

He told the Press Association: "I don't think I could do it, my paso doble just wouldn't do it, I don't think. My cha cha cha would be all over the place. I've never been any good at it. I'd be terrible. I'd be John Sergeant!"

He applauded his former co-stars though: "I never thought Zoe would do it. She's so lovely, and gets so nervous in real life but she was so good at putting the acting into the dancing. And Laila's been fantastic and they're good fun, don't take it too seriously. I was really proud of them."

A Chat With Matt

It seems like only yesterday that Matt Di Angelo was spinning around the Strictly floor, but it's been two years.

The Daily Mail caught up with him and asked if he is still dancing: "I don’t really dance any more, though I did have one with Flavia for fun the other day – until my back started hurting again."

Speaking about Flavia, he's still a little guarded: "We don’t say yea or nay because then people try to get pictures of us, but we’re both very happy. So I won’t deny it, but at the same time I don’t want to say yes and talk about it. Let’s just say I’m in a very happy place in my career and my personal life."

Although he also says: "You could tee a golf ball off those dimples of hers." Bless.

And he says that he and Vincent get on just fine these days: "Despite what you read in the papers, I do get on with him. He’s an absolutely lovely guy and so funny, especially when he calls himself Vitamin V. I don’t feel jealous when he and Flavia are on tour together – it’s work, isn’t it?" Hmm... Isn't that what Vincent thought not that long ago?

Arlene 'Never Entertains' Strictly Return

Arlene has stated that she never even thinks about a return to Strictly Come Dancing, because she doesn't think it will happen.

The Daily Mail reports that Arlene told Hello! magazine: "I never even entertain that question. It’s something that’ll never happen. I don’t even think about it."

But she's looking forward to being a part of the Strictly tour: "It’s the perfect way to say, ‘Hi, I’m here and thank you for your support'. I’ve always been passionate about Strictly."

Arlene will miss the weekend dates of the tour due to her So You Think You Can Dance commitments. Len will cover those dates.

Jessie Wallace: "I Was Like A Whale"

Jessie Wallace has recently lost 2 stone, and thinks so looked like a whale during her time on Strictly.

STV reports that Jessie told New! magazine: "When I look back at myself on Strictly Come Dancing I think how massive I looked! I was like a whale - it was horrible! When I think back to how I was on the show, I had no energy and was so sluggish. I'm not like that at all now."

I don't think she looked like a whale at all, but clearly Jessie is happier now she has lost some weight.

However, she did have a really appalling haircut when she was on the show and looked much better when she had it slicked back for her quickstep. It really did nothing for her. Anyone know if she's changed it lately?

Here's a reminder of how she looked then...

Vote For Strictly

It's time for the National Television Awards again, so make sure you get voting!

Strictly Come Dancing is nominated in the Talent Show category, and is up against Britain's Got Talent, The X Factor and Dancing On Ice. Strictly won last time, so we can do it again.

Keeeeeeeeep voting.

You can vote here until noon on 20th January, and winners will be announced later that evening.

Ricky Groves Reflects

Ricky Groves has been reflecting upon his time on Strictly Come Dancing, ahead of the upcoming Live tour.

He told the Sunday Sun: “It’s been a really emotional experience. You’re working so close together for that length of time. It was also a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. However, I’m a realist and I’m a great believer in making your own luck in life. I still kick myself about leaving the competition in week 10, though. I can’t help but think I could have stayed another week.”

He also says he's looking forward to the different nature of the tour: “In the TV programme there’s a real competitive edge. However, for the tour the pressure is off a bit. I still think there will be a bit of healthy competition, though."

Anton & Erin Clip

I just stumbled across this lovely clip of Anton & Erin doing the quickstep. It was posted by Bradford Theatres to promote the Steppin' Out tour which starts on 15th January.

The Jordans On Total Wipeout

I had a dream about candidly chatting with James Jordan last night. Very strange. But it reminded me about the celebrity version of Total Wipeout, which he and Ola appeared on over Christmas.

If you missed it, you can watch it here...

Craig Dazzles In Panto. Oh Yes He Does!

When I first heard that Craig Revel Horwood was appearing in panto as the evil Queen Lucretia in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs I had two thoughts...

1) I have to see this!
2) Where exactly is Llandudno and how do I get there?

On Tuesday, I made the long train journey from home in south Buckinghamshire to the north Wales coastal town to see Craig in panto.

I was not disappointed.

Craig's part was a lot bigger than I was expecting, which was brilliant. He had several song and dance numbers, including a corseted re-working of Venus which alone made the trip worth it. Craig's costumes are extravagant, and he really commands the stage. He did more spins and chanie turns than was probably necessary, but all were perfectly executed.

Whenever Craig has sung on TV in the past, he's always come across as very nervous, and even trying too hard. Not so in the panto. His singing was fantastic and if he was nervous, it didn't show one bit.

Of course, there were a few Strictly jokes, including a Bruno impression and brilliant jibe about Alesha Dixon's grammar!

I was really excited to see the panto, and after a long journey I was rewarded by a fantastic show.

The supporting cast of Gemma James (Snow White) and John Evans (Muddles) were also excellent. Although Mark Evans (Prince Charming), who was a finalist on Eurovision: Your Country Needs You, was surprisingly bland, and was totally outshone by his fellow cast members. For a panto veteran who seemed so talented on EYCNY, he was simply wallpaper behind an otherwise brilliant company.

The panto runs at the Venue Cymru until Sunday. Go and see it if you possibly can.

Craig's Panto Agony

Craig Revel Horwood has admitted that playing the part of the wicked queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has played havoc with his feet.

He told the Daily Mail: "My feet are absolutely killing me. They are covered in corns and calluses and the balls of my feet are completely bruised. It’s agony. The heels are three inches high but I have some dance numbers in the show and I just have to grin and bear it. There’s a comedy tango, a dance to seduce the Prince, finishing off with an ‘all-girl’ line-up. I just about manage to keep up with them but it’s part of the fun."

The panto at the Venue Cymru in Llandudno ends on Sunday. Go see it if you get the chance. It's FAB-U-LOUS!

Strictly Tour Pairings Announced

We now move full throttle towards the tour, and the promotors have finally announced the pairings for 2010. Very few of the celebrities have their partners touring with them, so it makes for some intereting couples...

Ali & Brian
Kelly & Matthew
Natalie & Darren
Ricky & Aliona
Austin & Lilia
Chris & Ola
Zoe & James
Mark & Kristina

And Ian and Natalie will also appear, but only in the pro numbers (making way for Matthew and Kristina to compete, as they did only the pro numbers last year).

Kelly & Matthew will be dynamite.

Mark & Kristina is an interesting pairing. It took Karen a long time to get Mark to open up and perform. How will be get on with a new partner?

I hope that different couples win different performances, as last year Rachel & Vincent dominated and won most of the shows. Surprising when Tom & Camilla were the winners of the series.

It will be interesting to see who audiences vote for. Will Chris be allowed to dance the Charleston in the 'latin' round? If so, he could steal it. Ali & Brian should pick up some votes. But Mark and Austin were also very popular in their series. It should be really interesting.

Next! Davina McCall...

Davina McCall, presenter of Sky One's upcoming dance show Got To Dance, has said that, regretfully, she had to turn down Strictly Come Dancing.

She told the Daily Mail: "They've asked me and if I didn't have children I'd jump at the chance. But it's so much time away from the family and I don't think I could do it. And it would also bring out my super-competitive side, which is always embarrassing."

I think it's a real shame Davina couldn't do it. She would have been fabulous, I'm sure.

Got To Dance begins on Sky One on Sunday.

Austin: Ricky Was Best Ever On Strictly

Over the coming weeks, there will be a lot of local newspapers publishing titbits about the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour.

The first is the Formby Times which caught up with Austin Healey.

Austin says of the tour: “It should be a really good night out. There are eight different couples dancing, including five from this series."

He also had some kind words about this year's Strictly finalists: “Chris was a worthy winner but I would have to say I think Ricky Whittle was probably the best dancer Strictly has ever had. In a way they were both winners.”

High praise indeed. Is Ricky Strictly's best ever dancer? Difficult. I thought Ricky was excellent. But was he better than Mark or Jill? I don't know...

Brendan's Jitters

Brendan is currently travelling the country on his very first tour, Brendan Cole: Live & Unjudged (which sadly I can't get to see).

He admitted to the Liverpool Echo that he was nervous when he first walked out on stage at the start of the tour: “I walked out on stage and thought 'Oh my goodness'. As much as it’s a big audience, they’re still right there in front of you, and you can pretty much see everybody within their own seat. It really brought it home how exciting it was, and how much I wanted them to be part of the experience and not just sit and watch. Because I get thoroughly bored if I have to sit and watch something for too long.”

Brendan also does a spot of singing on the tour: “I’m not the best singer in the world, I’d never claim to be, I’m not going out there to give people ‘Wow, that’s the most amazing performance I’ve ever seen’, but it’s something I love and something that’s very much part of me. That’s where the unjudged bit comes in actually – you’re not allowed to judge my singing!”