Tina's Training Video

With only one sleep to go until the start of Strictly Come Dancing 2010, here is Tina & Jared's training video.

Peter's Training Video

Here's a look at Peter & Erin in training.

Tan Terrors

We all know that Strictly celebs love a bit of fake tan. It's part of the outfit.

However, this could cause the EastEnders writers a few problems, as they might have to explain away why Jack Branning has a tan.

Scott Maslen made a couple of suggestions to The Sun: "Jack's daughter Penny is in France, so he might go and visit her. Yeah, he might go to France or Spain for a quick top-up. Or there could be a new storyline, Jack loves fake tan."

Multi-Tasking Tweeters

Recent research from Intel reveals that many fans of Strictly, alongside fans of other reality shows, sports and news events, now use social networking sites while watching the event on TV.

According to a report from Sys-Con Media, last year's Strictly Come Dancing generated 6.67 TPS (Tweets per second) while on air.

David McKeown, Sales & Marketing at Intel UK & Ireland, said: "It seems we are becoming a nation of armchair pundits, sitting watching TV with laptops at the ready so we can share our own commentary and opinions with friends and family whilst watching popular TV through social networks like Twitter and Facebook. The rise of event TV is really fuelling this trend, especially for women who are talking about shows like X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing."

I must admit that while I Tweeted through this year's launch show and last year's opening programme, I actually find it distracting, and miss too much of the action. I think I may save Tweeting for after the show this time around. I can see how it would work better for less visual shows (such as the singing corner where you only need to listen and not watch).

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter!: http://twitter.com/StrictlyTweeter

Ann: Anton Is "The Perfect Partner"

Ann Widdecombe has been singing Anton's praises while visiting her former Kent consituancy.

BBC News reports that while Ann was opening a shop in Headcorn, shoppers were dying to know all about Strictly. She told them: "[Anton] is absolutely wonderful, because he is very patient and he has the ability to gear the routines to the person's strength. He tells this wonderful story about how he once had a student who simply could not move backwards for some reason. He devised an entire foxtrot coming forwards and apparently the judges never even noticed."

She also said that she didn't know all of the participants when she found out who she'd be up against: "Some of them I knew very well, but others I'd never heard of and I'm not going to say which was which."

Don't worry, Ann. I had to use Google for three of the participants, and I'm not saying who either...

Scott: Training Can Be "Painful"

Scott Maslen already admits that Strictly training is hard work.

The Press Association reports that he told Inside Soap magazine: "It's extremely hard work. It's all the cliches. You see the shows and think 'yeah right'. But when you're in there doing six hours a day with a world champion and you haven't got an idea what you're doing and it's a whole new skill set... I'm having ups and downs but we're getting there and I'm enjoying the process, as painful as it can be."

All the cliches, eh? He'll be talking about his 'journey' before you can say 'J-word'!

Kara's Training Video

Check out Kara & Artem in training.

Vote Strictly! Again!

Strictly Come Dancing has been nominated for another award, and you can vote!

The Variety Club awards take place on 21st November, and Strictly is nominated for Best Entertainment Show. It's up against eight other shows; Dancing On Ice, The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, The Apprentice, MasterChef, The Gadget Show, Pineapple Dance Studios and Come Dine With Me.

Visit the OK! magazine website to cast your vote.

And don't forget to vote for Strictly in the NTAs too!

Brucie Looking Forward To 'Match Of The Day'

Bruce Forstyth is relieved to be stepping back from the results show. It means he'll be home in time for Match Of The Day.

STV reports that he is happy with the new arrangement: "It's a long day. It's 12 hours and I don't know any other presenters who do a show like Strictly where it stops, and then straight after you have to do another two-hour programme. The BBC came forward with this idea and asked if it would make a difference if I didn't do the results. Well, one difference is that I'll get to finish by 9pm and be home in time for Match Of The Day!"

The same report says that Tess is excited to be working with Claudia on the results show: "I'm over the moon! I adore Claudia and have told her before that I'm her number one fan. She lives and breathes the show like I do. We're always texting each other about who's going to stay, go or win, and our favourites. I'm thrilled she's doing it, as I just love her to bits!"

I'm excited that Claudia will be a part of the main show. ITT has always felt like a seperate production with little to do it it's big sister. Having Claudia on both will bring continunity. I just hope she doesn't tire herself out. Still, I'm sure she can manage. She is less than half Bruce's age, after all.

Radio Times Shoot

If you've swung by your newsagent this week, you'll have seen our Strictly stars looking very hot on a special gatefold cover.



The Radio Times website has some lovely backstage videos of how things went. Make sure you have a look. Looks like they all had a fabulous time!

Michelle's Video Blog

Here is a video of Michelle, as she answers fans' questions. She talks about being approached to do Strictly, training, as well as other things that pop into her mind as she goes along.

Latest Training Video: Felicity & Vincent

Felicity's looking pretty good...

Strip-ly Come Dancing

Cameras at the ready, ladies! If Goldie goes all the way, he'll be shaking his naked moneymaker for all to see.

He told the News Of The World: "If I win Strictly I'll run across London Bridge completely naked. I'll stand in the middle and Cha Cha Cha."

Make a note of that voteline number...

Caring Tess

Tess Daly has given an interview to The Guardian, but there were only a couple of Strictly snippets.

She told that she cares about the participants after spending so much time with them on-set: "I do genuinely give a damn about how the contestants do. Without sounding twee, I do care about them because I see them petrified in the morning, sitting in make-up, mute and waiting to get it over with. They've slogged their guts out most of the time. You get to know them and their families and you see pictures of their kids and they meet your kids. Yeah, you end up rooting for them."

She also says that life is easlier for everyone if all the cast get along: "Well, there have been a few egos," she concedes, "a few door-slammings in the producers' faces and that just doesn't work – it upsets the balance, because at the end of the day the more the group of celebrities get along, the better time they have of it. A lot of them make friendships that endure years later."

Matt: "I’m Not Frightened Of Throwing Aliona About"

Matt Baker believed his time growing up on a farm prepared him well for Strictly Come Dancing.

He told Daily Record: “As a farmer’s son you will grab a sheep and throw it from one side to another so I’m not frightened of throwing Aliona about. If she says, ‘Pick me up and carry me over there’ I’m fine with that. I’m not frightened of a bit of hands on.”

If that's true, he could go far. One of the biggest problems for participants, especially the men, is the need to be intimate with someone you've only just met. If Matt comes free from personal space issues, he's halfway there already.

Aliona has been following Matt around the country and grabbing time between his Countryfile shoots: “I pack my Cuban heels alongside my wellies and my waterproofs with my leg warmers and lycra.”

The full interview is worth a read.

Jimi's James Jordan Nightmare

Jimi Mistry has revealed that he was delighted to be partnered with Flavia, after having a dream that he had ended up with James.

He told the Sunday Mercury: “I woke up in a cold sweat after dreaming I had to dance with James Jordan! It was the night before the show where we met our partners. It was so lucid, it was frightening. I was in the studio and they said: ‘Your partner will be James Jordan’. He said to me: ‘We’re going to be great’, while I said: ‘That’s not really supposed to happen, is it?’. Meanwhile the voiceover was going: ‘This is a surprise twist this year, Jimi is dancing with a man’. I was horrified! James is a great guy but I really don’t want to dance with him.”

His actual partner, Flavia, is working him hard: “Flavia is very good at cracking the whip and I don’t think I’ve ever worked quite so hard.”

Arlene's Thoughts

Where Strictly is, Alrene Phillips is never far behind. There's always a publication waiting to print her thoughts on the latest crop. The Mirror quotes an interview she has given to Hello! magazine.

On Ann: "I don't know whether she'll be as interesting as John Sergeant or last as long. She could be somebody who people get bored with very quickly, a joke too far."

On Gavin: "I think he's going to regret this big time. When I saw him on the launch show, 'unhappy' was the word that sprang to mind. He looks frozen."

On Tina: "What I saw of her dancing wasn't very pleasant to the eye. She looked like she was all over the place."

On Pamela: "She's got timing and rhythm. I think she'll be a knockout."

Jared's Fans Threaten Tina

Jared Murillo's young fans have been getting a bit jealous and over-zealous.

According to the Daily Star, fans threatened Tina, saying things like "If you lay so much as a finger on him, I’ll fly over there and tear your hair and everything else out."

A source told the paper: “I spoke to him by phone after his first rehearsals with Tina in England and he couldn’t stop talking about how professional and willing to learn she is. But what worries him most though is that Tina might be thrown off her stride by the threats and nasty jibes. He believes they can go all the way in the competition and it would be a tragedy if Tina’s focus is unsettled by angry and jealous fans. He plans to appeal to them all to tone it down on his own website.”

I'm sure Tina is not going to be put off by a couple of fangurls, who probably don't even pay for their own internet access, let alone a flight to the UK to 'get' her. I'm sure Tina can sleep easy.

Len Goodman Meets Foxy

Foxy Bingo has been interviewing Len Goodman about his dream contestants and the Strictly judging panel. Well, it makes a change from Claudia asking the questions...

Peter Pleased With His Odds

Peter Shilton says he's pleased with his 66-1 odds.

He told Docklands24: “I can’t believe we’re such a high price - it’s definitely good value. I think it’s fair to say I’m one of the more ‘experienced’ competitors, but I’m fit and picking things up really quickly. I’m not saying I’m going to win it, but we’ve seen in the competition before the outsider doing well and we may just surprise people. I’ve been training for four or five hours a day for nine days straight and the hard work starts again tomorrow. I’m up to it physically, it’s just a case of learning the steps.”

More Training Videos

More training videos, including the one everyone has been waiting for!

Pamela & James



Ann & Anton

Bruno Will Be Watching Gavin

Bruno Tonioli thinks everyone should keep an eye on Gavin Henson.

STV reports that Bruno thinks Gavin will do well: "I think Gavin will be great, but you can't tell who the public will like and who the judges will like. People expected boxer Joe Calzaghe to do well but he was actually terrible. The public like to identify with contestants. I think that's what happened with winner Chris Hollins last year - he wasn't the best technical dancer but people really liked him."

Camilla's View

The Daily Record caught up with Camilla Dallerup to talk about this and that.

She gave her view on some of this year's crop. She thinks Patsy might be the 'dark horse' and that Matt Baker may win.

Camilla made the decision to leave, and was not forced out, but she does miss Strictly a bit: "I love Bruce. He called me before the wedding and we had a lovely chat. I also miss the camaraderie and performing with Ian Waite, my professional partner."

Jimi Encouraged By Local Support

Jimi Mistry has been feeling the love in his home city of Crouch End this week as he prepares for next weeks opening show.

He told the Hornsey Journal: "It's been amazing. I've noticed walking through Crouch End. I walk from here to my home and I know a lot of the shopkeepers and they all wave. But when Strictly came out, I felt like I was Rocky Balboa! I was walking down the street and they were all coming out going 'Go Jimi, we love you Jimi, go for it man'. I was like, here we go - let's get Crouch End behind us, that's a good thing. They'll be chucking oranges to me soon, apples, bottles of water!"

He's also got the support of his nine year-old daughter Elin: "On one hand she thinks it's a great thing, on the second hand she's absolutely petrified that I'm going to embarrass her and be like old dancing dad. I'm sure I won't be."

Ann Might Need Help From 'Upstairs'

Ann Widdecombe might be hoping for a little hope from Heaven, as the Pope's visit cut into her training time.

She told The Sun: "I took five days which put me behind. I was on Sky News while the rest practised. I don't expect to go very far."

Latest Training Video

Patsy & Robin in training...

Ann: "Technically, It’s Absolute Murder"

Ann Widdecombe has been talking to the Daily Mail about training this week.

She explained that she's finding the training OK, but getting the technique right is difficult: "It is very hard work. But I am fit - I haven’t found it physically draining. I’m enjoying it. But technically, it’s absolute murder. In those first two hours at the Royal Academy of Dance I came as close to walking away from a contract as I have ever come. The noise and confusion were abominable and I’m one of those people who like peace and quiet to learn in."

She's happier now they have begun training alone in a studio: "Now is the time that I’m really looking forward to, when I can learn at my own pace. Whether Anton is also looking forward to it is another matter."

Shilton: Sparkly Tops Aren't "Too Bad"

Peter Shilton has admitted that despite early trepidation, he is actually growing to like the idea of wearing a few glitzy outfits on Strictly.

He told the Barnet & Potters Bar Times: “I wasn't sure about the sparkling tops. But I've had a chance to try them on and they weren't too bad actually. Maybe I could have had a few more sequins on my goalkeeper's top when I was playing.”

He says it's early days for training, but thinks are going OK: "It's early days and I'm just getting into it. I've been training every day. It's quite hard work, but enjoyable, I'm just giving it my best shot really. We're just building into it. There's a lot to learn, but with the long sessions you have got to put the work in because I'm starting from scratch."

Vote Strictly!

Once again, it's time for the National Television Awards. Strictly Come Dancing has been shortlisted in the Talent Show category, up against Britain's Got Talent, Dancing On Ice, Don't Stop Believing, Let's Dance For Sport Relief, Over The Rainbow, So You Think You Can Dance and The X Factor.

Please, please vote for Strictly!! You can make your selections here.

You can also vote for Sky One's Got To Dance (Digital Choice), Anton's Hole In The Wall (Entertainment Programme) and Bruce Forsyth, Tess Daly or Claudia Winkleman (Entertainment Presenter).

Kristina's Blog

Kristina has signed up to blog about her experience on Strictly Come Dancing for iVillage. Each week she'll be posting her thoughts on the site.

Kristina is pleased with the progress they are making: "We have been rehearsing for about four hours every day and my favourite moment so far was when Goldie did his first routine all the way through and he said 'I'm enjoying this now!' I was really pleased. This is the beauty of being a dance teacher. It's really special to see the happiness in his face and the progression he is making."

Felicity Traning Pics

The Daily Mail papped Felicty & Vincent, publishing pics of the pair in traning.



Meanwhile, Ann & Anton's training ground to a halt during the Pope's visit to Britain. A source told the paper: "I don't think Anton would dare argue with her about this, so they are just going to have try and squeeze in more hours once she is back. This is a personal thing for Ann and she made it very clear that she would not be able to do much while the Pope was here. I think she is also covering elements of the trip for the BBC."

Anton Charms Another Journo

Every so often, some female journalist or another gets sent off to have a dance lesson with Anton Du Beke.

The latest candidate is Bryony Gordon of the Daily Telegraph.

There's nothing new in the interview, just the usual gentle flirting, but worth a read if you're an Anton fan.

Training Videos

Training videos have slowly been posted on the Strictly website. Here is what has been posted so far...

Gavin & Katya



Paul & Ola



Scott & Natalie



Matt & Aliona



Goldie & Kristina



Michelle & Brendan

Strictly Helps Ease Goldie's Family Pain

Goldie says that Strictly Come Dancing is helping his family deal with the pain of seeing his son jailed for murder.

The Sun reports that Strictly is especially helping Goldie's mum. He said: "[Strictly] couldn't have come at a better time. The show gives her an escape from reality for a couple of hours at the weekend. It has been really hard on her, she is really struggling with everything that has happened. She loves this show though, and I'm proud that she is so happy about seeing me on it. It's good for her to know that something is going right."

But how long can Goldie keep mum happy? He's not convinced it'll be that long: "I'll be lucky if I make it through the first few weeks. "I'm in the best shape of my life right now, so the fitness side of things isn't bothering me. It's the fact that I can't really dance. I'm loving it though, I'll just enjoy it for as long as I can. I'm not bothered what people think of my tough guy image or me. I'm doing it because I used to watch shows like this when I was growing up and because I want to. You can't get better than the BBC."

No Romance For Tina & Jared

There will be no romance for partners Tina O'Brien and Jared Murillo. She's happily in love with her boyfriend, and he's a Mormon who's saving himself for marriage.

Jared told the News of The World: "I follow Mormon beliefs - so, while I have a girlfriend and I love being with women, I am still a virgin. I can have fun, I just won't have sex until I'm married."

Tina said: "I don't see that happening. It's a form of acting, but through dance. We'll have fun, but not that kind of fun!"

Alesha: Strictly "Is Just Once A Week"

Alesha Dixon has admitted that she is not that committed to Strictly, as her music is the most important thing to her.

She told News Of The World: "My whole 100 per cent energy has gone into this record so when Strictly does start, that really is just once a week. Even though it's a massive show, in reality in my diary it's only one day. We're dealing with dancing and we're dealing with entertainment, so it's not really to be taken too seriously."

Oh dear, Alesha. You really can't say things like that, even if that is the way you feel.

As if she doesn't have a hard enough time convincing people she's earned her place on the panel, implying that she doesn't care about it that much is not going to win her any fans. In our PVR-controlled world, it might not only be Brucie's bits people decide to skip...

Kara Will Be Happy To Get Past Week 1

Kata Tointon hasn't set her sights too high. She just doesn't want to be first off.

She told DigitalSpy: "I just want to get past the first week, to be honest. I'd like to stay for at least a week, but as it's all down to the public vote now - anything can happen. Getting past that first elimination is my aim at the moment. I did all the modern, tap, jazz, ballet and modern early on when I was growing up, but I've never done any ballroom apart from the samba I did in Sport Relief where I looked like a chicken. I love dancing, but this is much more difficult because you are being thrown around and stuff."

Many viewers criticised Jill for having a bit of childhood dance experience. It will be interesting to see how they feel about Kara.

Natalie Wants To Win

Natalie wants to improve on last year's second place by taking Scott Maslan all the way to the final.

She told DigitalSpy: "I'm planning on [lifting the trophy]. Last year was quite tense as it was my first Strictly. But I just really want to enjoy it this year. Ricky was a lot of fun, but I think Scott could be an equally great dancer. I can be a hard taskmaster and I hope Scott can get used to that."

EastEnders To Go Easy On Maslan

The producers of EastEnders are notoriously unsupportive of any cast members doing something outside of the show. But Scott Maslan may have finally got them on side.

Scott told DigitalSpy: "[The producers] are going to truncate my work on EastEnders. So I'll be doing all the scenes for one week in one or two days. It will be early starts and late finishes."

Matt Di Angelo had to balance his final scenes in EastEnders with demanding Strictly traning, and found it pretty challenging. Perhaps Scott will have an easier time.

Bruno Excited About New Series

Bruno Tonioli is excited about the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.

He told the Daily Record: "I am always looking forward to the show because the good thing about it is that you can never predict what is going to happen. It's a pretty good cast - that itself is reason for excitement. But anything can happen. You can't predict a winner. You may have a favourite but one week they'll be good and the next they'll be awful. I don't always assume I am right every time but I like to engage the public in a conversation. When it comes to the final, the judges can only direct. It's still very much up to the public. They can change everything."

There's more to the interview, but frankly there is only so much re-hashing of the Arlene situation that I can tolerate.

Strictly For Commitment-Phobes

A Strictly mini-tournament with celebrities who cannot commit to a full Autumn could be on the cards for this Christmas.

According to The Mirror, plans are afoot to revamp the Christmas special into a condensed version of the show filmed over two weeks, designed to attract a high calibre of celebrity who are unwilling or unable to take part in the main show.

A source told the paper: "A one-off Christmas tournament gives celebs the chance to taste a bit of Strictly glamour without committing to the full run. We're hopeful that big names who don't have the time or the energy to work on a series might have two weeks. Their families can see them strutting their stuff on Christmas Day."

Sounds like a fabulous idea. I'm sure Madeley is beside himself and already telling producers how much he'd like to take part. I really hope he doesn't appear. He's had to turn down Strictly sooooo many times, because he's soooooo busy doing other things, blah, blah, blah, don't you know.

I do like this idea, but I would like it only to be offered to celebrities whose other work genuinely stops them from doing the main series.

Pamela Reveals Strictly's Dark Secret

Pamela Stephenson has written a column for The Guardian in which she reveals a long-kept Strictly secret - the glitterball is made from polystyrene!

She speaks openly of her recently acquired love of fake tan: "My initial resistance (my children have begged me to avoid turning orange) lasted a mere 10 days, before I entered the backstage misting booth like a lamb to the slaughter. I awoke next morning with the smell of baked vinyl emanating from my skin."

She goes on to speak, in intimate detail, about the beauty regime Strictly requires. He husband has nicknamed her whitened teeth the "fridge doors".

The column is quite long, but very entertaining, so go and have a read if you can.

First Impressions...

Well, given that everyone is now coupled-up, I felt that I should look at the pairings, and a few of the new bits...

The new set looks great. I love the lighting, I love the bridge across the top, it's all really fresh. And it all feels bigger. The only think I'm not sure about is the decision to move the 'Red Room' (or 'Tesspit') to a balcony above the floor. The whole point about the Red Room was that it was away from the judges. It's a bit strange having it 'upstairs' and seemingly within earshot.

On to the couples. It's quite difficult to tell anything from what we saw on Friday, especially in a chaotic group number, but here are a few thoughts...

Ann & Anton is a match-up that we were all expecting pretty much from the moment she was rumoured to be a part of the show. Ann looked so uncomfortable throughout the whole group number and was frequently out of step.

Felicity & Vincent should have lots of fun. Felicity looked pretty good in the group number, and looked to be having a blast.

Katya should be pleased to have the much-coveted Gavin. Gavin didn't look as good in the group number as many thought he might, but it's early days. She made a dancer of Phil Tuffnell, so I'm sure she can do the same for Gavin.

Goldie looked to be quite a mover, and appeared to be a good lead. Hopefully Kristina will now be able to showcase what she can do with a partner who should be able to keep up.

Jimi also looked pretty good. Flavia might get beyond Blackpool this year.

Kara looked stunning, and her moves were pretty stunning too. She looked totally in control and knew exactly where she should be and when. New boy Artem should have plenty of time to make his mark on Strictly, as they won't be out early.

We didn't see much of Matt in the group number. The tiny glimpses we got looked OK, but I think I'll have to reserve judgement until he and Aliona take to the floor. Hopefully Aliona will get a chance to win over the public this year.

We didn't see too much of Michelle either, but she looked comfortable with a couple of lifts at the beginning, and we know how Brendan loves a lift!

I thought Pamela did a brilliant job when she was front and centre. She could do quite well, and I think she and James will be great as long as she works hard.

Patsy didn't get too much screen time either, but looked pretty good when we saw her. It'll be better when we can see her and Robin on the floor by themselves.

Paul actually looked better than I was expecting. I don't think Ola will be getting back to the final, but they could last a couple of weeks. I suspect Paul will need to watch his shoulders.

Peter also looked better than perhaps I gave him credit for. Erin is used to sportsmen having danced with more of them than anyone else on Strictly. They should have a good time.

Scott was difficult to pick out in the group number (they should have put the celebrity men in brighter shirts), but when I caught sight of him he looked good. Could Natalie be final-bound again?

Tina looked good during the group number, and will be nipping at Kara's heels this year I think. Like Artem, Jared should get the chance to show what he can do with a capable partner.

Roll on 1st October, so that we can see what these couples can really do. I cannot wait!!

Brendan's Honeymoon

Brendan spoke to the Daily Mail about his honeymoon, including the tub filled with rose petals, the pounding rain and animal towel modelling.

Actually, it sounds idyllic. I doubt I'll ever have a holiday like that, but it's nice to dream...

Backstage Clips

Here are a few snippets backstage after the Strictly Come Dancing launch show from ITN.

Pamela: Billy Has "Mixed Feelings"

Pamela Stephenson has revealed that her husband, comedian Billy Connolly, had reservations about her paticipation in Strictly Come Dancing, because it's too sexy.

Pamela told the Daily Mail: "Billy turned up for the first show. I wasn’t expecting him to. He had mixed feelings about it. He likes the dancing, but not the rest of it. When I told him I had been offered Strictly, he said something unprintable. It was along the lines of “Are you out of your mind?” My husband did his courting in dance halls and so he completely associates dancing with sex. He had a few words to say to my partner, James."

Has Billy ever seen Ola Jordan? He really shouldn't worry about James being anything other than professional.

Lilia: "I Would Have Loved To Carry On"

Lilia has spoken to the Daily Mail about her anger and disappointment at being offered only a spot in the Strictly's dance troupe.

She told the paper: "It was a huge surprise and very upsetting. I've never been complacent, as we are all on contracts that are negotiated every year, but I didn't see it coming. I absolutely love the programme. When you're so passionate about something you want to keep doing it. It's a bit weird for me at the moment. I don't know exactly how I'm going to feel when Strictly is back on our screens, but it's going to be emotional."

She also says that Darren came to his own decision, having decided to take up the offer to be in the troupe: "Darren's only ever had two dance partners in his career, and one was me. It may even be stranger for him than it is for me, but it will be very odd for us both. Luckily, I'm not the jealous type. Darren and I are together all the time, and it was important for us to make our own decisions. I had to go with my own feeling about what's right for me and try to keep my emotions about Darren separate, but it wasn't easy. But he didn't try to persuade me otherwise."

Many have speculated that Lilia has left to start a family, but she says it's not time at the moment: "It's so funny, everyone has said that - after saying no to Strictly, people think that I must have other plans. But no, not at the moment. I'm still dancing every day, but as long as Strictly is there, I would have loved to carry on. It's a bubble. A lovely glittery bubble. But I've had an amazing six years, and I'm grateful for that."

Colin Backs Gavin

Former Strictly finalist Colin Jackson reckons that Gavin Henson might be able to follow in his footsteps.

He told the Metro: "The best thing Gavin can do is to not be too self conscious and not think of the stick he might get on the rugby pitch ... I think he'll do well."

Rugby players have had a good run on Strictly. It will be interesting to see how Gavin gets on.

Kara's Training Delayed

Kara & Artem have been banned from training for a week by producers so that Kara does not have an unfair advantage.

Kara trained for 21 hours when she appeared on the Sport Relief special with Mark Ramprakash in 1998.

A source told the Daily Star: “Everyone working on the show recognised that Kara had an unfair advantage. Even for those who have danced before, ballroom is a completely different discipline, so the fact that she’s got a week’s training under her belt might well have outraged some viewers.”

Funnily enough, the same ban has not been given to Peter Shilton following his appearance on Let's Dance For Sport Relief...

Bruce In Trouble With Tess

Tess Daly was not impressed by one of Brucie's quips during the recording of the launch show.

When spotting a man texting in the audience, Bruce joked: “All this texting. It’s just like being at home with Vernon.”

Tess, who was backstage at the time, was upset by the remark. A source told the Daily Star: “It would have been a lot worse if he’d said it in front of her. But it was still pretty bad that he decided to make a joke about it all.”

A Dancer's Diet

Want to know what a dancer eats? The Daily Mail asked Camilla Dallerup what she eats, and she reveals that she's partial to a prune Activia and an antipasti, and will scoff free sweets!

The Mail's dietition is not too impressed with some of Camilla's choices - refined carbs, sugar. I guess you can eat what you fancy when you're going to dance it off, even if it's not the most healthy. That's what I tell myself after some Ben & Jerry's!

Ann: "I Am The Pantomime Act"

Ann Widdecombe think's the figure of fun amoungst this year's crop of celebrities, but it looking forward to the experience.

She told the Daily Mail: "I am the pantomime act [this year] but is there any reason why one shouldn't try dancing. Is there any reason why someone shouldn't try something that they have no hope of winning. I have no raunchy side. I told producers 'what I wouldn't show the pope, I won't show the audience'. And I would show the pope very little."

The Lineup: First Thoughts

Now I've had time to sleep on it (well, lie awake thinking about it), here are my thoughts on this year's crop of celebrities:

I have to admit that I've been excited about Ann Widdecombe since the start. I've always had a soft spot for her. I don't always agree with her politics, but you cannot deny that she's a very charismatic and engaging woman. I'm not sure how she'll be on the floor, though. I just can't (or don't want to) picture her having a go at rumba, but I think she might be a wizz with the ballroom.

Kara Tointon has already shown that she can dance, when she won a Sport Relief special a couple of years back (watch it here). I would expect her to be an all-rounder, but I wonder if she'll be able to tear up with floor. I think she'll definiatly be competent.

Felicity Kendal was a bit of a sex symbol in her Good Life days, and I think probably is among the Saga set. I hope she'll be a Longhi, but hopefully with more of a flair for the latin.

Patsy Kensit has famously been married to four musicians, so perhaps she has a ear for music... I see her as a younger felicity Kendal. She'll have a big soap vote too, having been in Emmerdale and Holby City.

Tina O'Brien will be fighting Patsy for the soap vote, having been in Coronation Street. At 27, Tina is the youngest participant this year (2 days younger than Kara). She should have lots of enthusiasm and energy. I would expect her to go quite far.

Michelle Williams should be a favourite to win at this stage (before anyone has danced). As a member of one of the most successful girl groups of all time, she won't be afraid of learning choreography or spending long periods in a dance studio. But will the British public warm to an American import?

Pamela Stephenson is a bit of a wild card in my eyes. She hasn't really been on TV since Not The Nine O'Clock News in the early '80s, which even I'm a bit young to remember. She's kind of a Jo Wood - only really famous for being someone's wife.

I quite fancy Goldie's chances. He proved he has perfect timing by only narrowly missing out on the Maestro conducting title. I can't wait to see who he is partnered with.

For Gavin Henson it's a case of spouting all the usual sportsmen cliches - used to training and hard work, used to competition, focused, etc etc. Gavin is this year's male eye candy, and will give Austin Healey a run for his money in the tanning booth. It's times like this that I miss Arlene...

And the same sporting cliches also apply to Peter Shilton. Except I saw him on Let's Dance For Sport Relief earlier in the year. Oh dear... (watch it here). I think the public will love him (he's an England legend), but I don't think it will get him all the way.

Will Paul Daniels be magic on the floor (sorry!)? I somehow doubt it. I do not have high hopes, and suspect he could be out pretty quickly. But it's a fantastic opportunity for him to shift the public's perception about him. The popularity of his pro partner could be a key to success.

Like Tina, Kara and Patsy, Scott Maslen will be looking for the soap vote. Having so many soap stars might be good to split the voters a bit. He could be the victor on that though, having been a frontrunner for several sexiest actor awards. Will he be any good? No idea...

I don't know much about Jimi Mistry as I have not watched anything he has been in, but maybe his early career in EastEnders will give him a boost.

You have to believe that Matt Baker will be pretty good. As a former Blue Peter presenter, he is used to having a go at anything that is thrown at him. And look at how well Gethin Jones did. Can Matt follow in Gethin's footsteps?

There you have it. We should find out the pairings shortly, as they are all filming Saturday's special tonight. So watch this space for my thoughts.

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter for daily musings on all things Strictly.

The Lineup Is Out!

Are you ready for Strictly Come Dancing 2010? These 14 celebrities are:

Actress Kara Tointon
Former MP Ann Widdecombe
Actress Felicity Kendal
Actress Patsy Kensit
Actress Tina O'Brien
Singer Michelle Williams
Comedy actress Pamela Stephenson
Drum 'n' Bass star Goldie
Rugby player Gavin Henson
Former England goalie Peter Shilton
Magician Paul Daniels
Actor Scott Maslen
Actor Jimi Mistry
Presenter Matt Baker

No word on who is with whom yet. And I only had to Google two of the participants. Possibly a record!

Judges Question Alesha's Motives

The Mirror suggests that Craig, Len and Bruno are questioning Alesha's motives for wanting to be a judge on Strictly, and would have preferred her not to return. They also don't like the way she had not signed until the last minute.

A source told the paper: "Len and the boys are less than delighted. They don't believe she's doing it for the right reasons. and aren't happy about how she kept everyone on tenterhooks. They're saying the main reason she's doing it is to promote her music. Len is very unhappy. He likes Alesha - but he knows she's not doing the show because of her love of dance."

On a totally unrelated note, Alesha's new dsingle is out today.

Kara For Strictly?

Not for the first time, Kara Tointon is being rumoured to be taking part in the show

According to The Mirror, Kara, who won a Sport Relief special with Mark Ramprakash, has signed on the dotted line.

A source told the paper: “Kara and Tina [O'Brien] will make sure the show has plenty of sex appeal. And with both soaps so popular it won’t do our ratings any harm either.”

Dance-Off Axed

The BBC has decided to remove the dance-off from the Strictly format, meaning more of the power is back with the viewers.

According to the BBC's Strictly blog, the first week will be split into two shows (Fri 1st & Sat 2nd October), with no elimination. The week 1 judges leaderboard will be carried over to week 2.

This should mean that the couples will perform both a ballroom and latin dance before the first elimination, which is a good thing.

The removal of the dance-off, should add more drama back to 'the moment of truth', which is also a good thing. The dance-off didn't work out the way the producers had planned, since fans of those in dancer voted even harder to make sure they stayed out of the dance off.

I think these changes are a positive thing, taking the show back to how it was in the beginning. I just wish the results were live on a Saturday, and not pre-precorded for Sundays.

Matt Baker For Strictly?

The Daily Mail reports today that BBC presenter Matt Baker will be joining the Strictly line-up.

The article does not mention any source or have any quotes.

Matt should be a good choice. As a former Blue Peter presenter, he'll be used to being chucked in at the deep end and turning his hand to anything. I think he could be a bit good...

Kristina Wants Gavin

Kristina Rhianoff has reportedly been hassling the BBC to let her dance with rugby star Gavin Henson.

A source told the Daily Star: "As soon as Kristina found out Gavin was taking part she was straight on to the show’s ­producers. She’s desperate to land the ­hottest hunk and believes if she were to get Gavin they could ­actually win the series. She’s been making a real nuisance of herself over it and has a way of getting what she wants."

I can understand Kristina's position. While she loved John and Joe, neither were especially gifted in the dance department. I'm sure she's dying to show what she can do with a capable partner.

Erin's New Website

Erin Boag has a glossy new website, which includes galleries, a blog, news, all the usual stuff a website should have. And it looks very glam.

Visit ErinBoag.com.

Erin says on her blog that she'd like to dance with Pierce Brosnan. I hope she doesn't disappoint easily...