New Kid In Town

The BBC has announced that there will be only one change to the Strictly Come Dancing's pro roster in 2011.

New male pro Pasha Kovalev will be joining the team, replacing Jared Murillo.


Photo: BBC

Pasha is a graduate of So You Think You Can Dance? in the United States, and has toured with Burn The Floor. In fact, Pasha was in BTF in London last summer, with Ali & Brian, Artem and Robin. Maybe the boys put in a good word for him.

The much-maligned dance troupe, which included Ian Waite and Darren Bennett will not return.

It's exciting to have another male pro, although I am disappointed that room could not be found for Ian. I never warmed to Jared, and I don't think many other people did either, so it's not that shocking to see that he has gone.

Arise, Sir Bruce

Bruce Forsyth has finally been knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Sir Bruce told The Mirror: “I’m over the moon. I have known about the knighthood for four weeks but now that it’s ­actually happened, it’s a real honour.”

Tess Daly said: “I got tears in my eyes when I heard, and I know how proud and happy this will make him. This honour is fantastic news and I’m so proud of him. Go, Brucie, I can’t wait to have a glass of bubbly with you. I’m so ridiculously happy, I’ve been ringing round everyone since I heard.”

Pamela Had To Be 'Reined In'

Pamela Stephenson has admitted that she needed to be kept in check as she lost weight on Strictly. She was desperate to show off her new figure in skimpy costumes.

She told the Daily Mail: "Apparently, people of my age on the show normally ask the wardrobe people: "Can I cover this or that part of my body?" But I was asking if I could show a bit more flesh because I’d lost another five pounds. They were having to rein me in. Sometimes I’d pass the mirror and do a double-take. I wasn’t used to seeing myself like that. It was lovely no longer having to think: 'Oh gosh, I wish I wasn’t so flabby'. Now I can get on a treadmill in the mornings and run 6km. I haven’t been able to do that for years."

She also admits that her slim new looks reignited her relationship with husband Billy: "I was dancing locked loins with this young man. It was very arousing. I told Billy I was getting aroused. When he couldn’t make it to see me, he’d watch Strictly on YouTube on the Monday morning and say: “Oh, that was such a turn-on seeing you like that”. While on the one hand my husband lets me know he loves me no matter what size I am, on the other I do know he likes thin women. I loved it that after all these years he’d be saying, “wow” and was especially excited."

Rear Of The Year

Strictly pro Anton du Beke has been voted male 'Rear of the Year' 2011.

On being given the honour, he said: "Sadly, it has often been said that my rear is better than my front, so thank you very much indeed."

I have been adminiring Anton's rear personally since I first noticed him in a pair of jeans that highlighted it. The pick below shows why.



Female winner was former Strictly participant Carol Vorderman.

Other Strictly participants who have also won the accolade are Felicity Kendal (1981), Carol Smillie (1998), Claire Sweeney (2001), Rachel Stevens (2009) and Ricky Whittle (2010).

Craig: “I Wouldn’t Mind Taking A Year Off"

Craig Revel Horwood has stated that he'd quite like a year off Strictly, to concentrate on other projects.

He told the Daily Star Sunday: “I wouldn’t mind taking a year off. Strictly is only my girly Saturday job and I always have loads to do in between series. They can get rid of me if they want – I don’t mind. I wouldn’t want to leave for good but it would be nice to take a year out. I have my day job of directing and choreographing to think about.”

But a source said that it is unlikely that the producers would want to lose him: “They will be petrified of Craig walking out. He’s the judge everyone wants to hear from most.”

Losing Craig would upset the balance of the panel, as the other three play 'good cop' to his 'bad cop'. I would hate to see Craig replaced. A panel with no Arlene and no Craig doesn't bear thinking about.

Three Lions On A Shirt, Glitterball Still Gleaming

The BBC reportedly want 1966 hero Sir Geoff Hurst to take part in this year's Strictly Come Dancing series.

A source told The Mirror: ­“Geoff is one of the ­country’s most legendary sporting heroes and the BBC are keen to sign him up. Strictly bosses think he’d be hugely popular, especially with the show’s older viewers. Geoff is still very fit so the gruelling schedule on Strictly wouldn’t be a problem. The BBC are just hoping he will agree to take part.”