Lisa - First Steps

Here is a peak at Lisa & Robin's training...

Sid: I'd Get Out Tanned Pecs

Sid Owen says he would be happy to show the nation's females his chest, if he tones up a bit first.

The Metro reports that he told TV Guide: "If all goes well and I lose a bit of weight, I might get my pecs out and try to appeal to the ladies – or will that put them off? I can’t wait to get spray tanned. Come December, it would be brilliant to be a dark mahogany."

Nicky - First Steps

See how Nicky & Karen are getting on in training...

Vote SCD In The NTAs

The first round of voting in the National Television Awards is now open.

The votes cast in this round will determine the short-list which will be announced in the new year, and we want Strictly to be on it!

As always, Strictly Come Dancing is in the Talent Show category.

You can also vote for Titanic with Len Goodman for Documentary Series and either Sir Bruce Forsyth or Tess Daly for Entertainment Presenter

You can cast your vote here.

Dani Can't Wait To Be Covered In Glitter

Dani Harmer is really excited about being covered in glitter for Strictly.

Watch a short interview she gave to The Sun at the Inside Soap Awards here.

Victoria's Shoe Ban

After Louis Smith revealed that he's finding training tough, his fellow Olympian Victoria Pendleton is also finding training physically demanding, and has been banned from wearing heeled shoes for training.

The Daily Mail reports that Victoria told the Radio Times: "My feet are already killing me. Honestly. I have spent the last couple of weeks hobbling around trying not to get cramp,.I’ve been banned from wearing heels for the last ten years and wearing them all day is agony. The flexibility in my feet is also very limited, which has always been an advantage in cycling. When you are pedalling, you need to keep your foot in the same position throughout the revolution otherwise you don’t get 100 per cent power transfer to the pedals. Now my stiff ankles are a disadvantage and I’m struggling to change."

Despite these woes, I'm sure Victoria will be just fine.

Fern: Hubby Can't S-tan-d It

Fern Britton has reveled that her husband cannot stand fake tan, so she'll in the spare room during Strictly.

The Press Association reports that Fern told the Radio Times: "The biggest row my husband Phil and I had was when I first put fake tan on. Being a chef he is very sensitive to smells and he can't stand it. We didn't speak for four days. I have convinced him it's an essential part of the Strictly experience and he will be sleeping in the spare room on spray-tan days."

First Steps

The BBC have been posting the first training clips of this year's couples. Here are a few sneak peaks...

Kimberley & Pasha



Richard & Erin



Fern & Artem



Louis & Flavia

Louis: "I’m Stiff Like An Old Man"

Even super-fit Olympians find Strictly training tough. Louis Smith is no stranger to training, but even he finds the rehearsals physically challenging.

Louis told the Daily Telegraph: “I’ll have a break for five minutes, then when I get up to start dancing again I’m stiff like an old man. My back hurts. My bum. Heels. Calves. Hips. Quads. Hamstrings. And my brain. It’s exhausting, there is so much to take in.”


And with Flavia as a partner, his nose is always to the grindstone: “Flavia is relentless. Preparing for Strictly is as hard as training for the Olympics. I’m not putting my life at risk doing somersaults and stuff, but I would be used to that. This is using muscles I have not used before.”

Strictly Brucie Only

Anton Du Beke believes that Strictly would only continue with Sir Bruce Forsyth. Once he retires, the show should end.

He told the Daily Telegraph: “I think that if Bruce stopped, Strictly would stop. Nobody could replace him. He’s our leader – we all love him.”

One presumes Anton would change his mind if the producers knocked on his door.

Westlife Will Be In The Front Row

Nicky's Westlife bandmates will be in the front row to support him, and he's making sure seats are saved for them.

He told the Irish Independent: "I have spoken to Shane [Filan] and he has his name down to come and watch us. Kian [Egan] has texted me too. Their support is good to have, and if they come along, it will be a big positive for me. I'm super-exposed because the boys are not around me. At the same time, it feels like I have joined a new family. I'm excited and that's a good sign."

Johnny Welcomes Dance-Off

Johnny Ball is in favour of the return of the Strictly dance-off.

He told the Daily Star: "In the past viewers have had sympathy for someone and voted to keep them in and a better dancer has ended up leaving the contest. Having the dance-off may be cruel but it is fairer. Heartbreak will come for everyone in the contest at some time - apart from the champ."

Hmm... Let's see if he feels the same way when he finds himself in the bottom two.

Julian: "I Wouldn't Have Lasted Five Minutes" Now

Julian Clary still enjoys watching Strictly, but doesn't think he'd last five minutes in this year's line-up.

UnrealityTV reports that Julian, who is in panto this year with Denise Van Outen's husband Lee Mead, told Voice FM: "I wasn’t very good although I got through to the final I don’t think I can offer any tips [to Denise]. It seems to be it’s changed, hasn’t it? In my day they got people like me who really couldn’t dance. I’d never danced anything and you did actually learn a lot from your world class dancer. So I did actually learn how to dance after a fashion and I appreciate music in a different way from doing that show. Now it seems as if it’s a lot more cut-throat, so it’s still just as entertaining but I wouldn’t have lasted five minutes if I had been in this years lot I don’t think.”

Julian reached the final of Series 2 with Erin Boag.

Simon Cowell Gets Strictly Gossip From Tess

Tess Daly has revealed that Simon Cowell is a closet Strictly fan, and comes to her for all the gossip.

She told the Daily Record: “Every time I see Simon, he asks me about it and he’s secretly a fan. He always asks me how it’s going and all about the line-up – he really enjoys it. Simon knows TV, he’s a clever bloke and he understandably thinks Strictly’s a great show. He’s the first to say when credit’s due.”

Tess loves Strictly, and no amount of money could lure her away from the glam and glitter of Saturday nights: “It’s genuinely never about the money for me. To have money is a bonus in life and affords you luxuries. But Strictly is a job that I love and could never leave. It’s a part of my life.”

Kimberley's Boyfriend Is Jealous

Kimberley Walsh's boyfriend is a bit jealous of her training schedule.

TellyMix reports that Kimberley told Reveal magazine: “Justin hates the idea of another man with his hands all over Kimberley every day. He’s suddenly come over all protective wand wants to be there at rehearsals ‘to make sure she’s OK’. It’s only natural that he’s a bit jealous.”

Don't worry, Justin. You're not the first to feel like that, and I'm sure you won't be the last.

Nicky: I'm "Out Of My Comfort Zone"

Nicky Byrne has admitted that he feels exposed opening himself to Strictly.

He told the Metro: "This is something with such media interest and out of my comfort zone, it's the toughest thing I could have picked... It's actually a long while since I've done something like this where I'm genuinely excited about what I've got in store during the day. All the celebrities are riding a crest of the wave at the moment."

I don't think Nicky has anything to worry about. All the celebrities will be feeling this way at the moment. He'll be just fine come showtime. They're all in the same boat.

Dappy On The Dancefloor

N-Dubz star Dappy has revealed that he wouldn't mind giving Strictly a go.

The Irish Examiner reports that Dappy told We Love Pop magazine: "I would love to go on Strictly Come Dancing. I've got good rhythm, of course."

I think Dappy would be an interesting addition to any Strictly lineup. He's got lots of personality, and I think he might have a thing or two to say to the judges. Any female pro would have their hands full, though.

Victoria Concerned About Injury

Victoria Pendleton is concerned about agrorovating previous injuries while taking part in Strictly.

A source told The Sun: “Victoria is a very driven competitor but she also has to be careful. She doesn’t want to do herself any more damage. After they were paired, she sat Brendan down and told him about her back problems. He promised to take them into consideration. But going easy on her doesn’t worry him because he knows she demands so much of herself.”

Former Strictly participant Jade Johnson recently told the Daily Mirror how the injury she sustained on the show cost her a place in the 2012 Olympics.

The Dance Off!

The Strictly dance off is officially back.

I'm not a fan of it myself, but I know a lot of people are. This calls for a poll!

Are you excited about the return of the Strictly dance off?
	Totally. Let the judges decide.
	No. It should be all down to the public.
	Who cares?
pollcode.com free polls

Strictly Peaks At 9.8m

The Strictly Come Dancing launch show managed a peak of 9.8m viewers on Saturday night, and averaged 8m for the hour.

According to the Daily Telegraph, it is the biggest Strictly debut since 2009, when the show managed 8.4m.

Johnny: Zoe Will "Tear Me Apart"

Johnny Ball doesn't think daughter Zoe will cut him any slack on It Takes Two.

He told the Daily Express: "She's going to tear me apart. Whatever the dancer says she'll disagree because that's what daughters do. So they'll tear me apart between them."

I can't wait for the first Waite's Wednesday Warm up! It's going to be fab-u-lous.

Artem And Anton Unhappy With Pairings

Artem and Anton are reported to be unhappy with their Strictly pairings.

According to the Daily Star, Artem doesn't have high hopes for Fern Britton. A source told the paper: “He feels stitched up. He knows he won’t be in for long.”

Meanwhile, Anton is concerned about training Jerry Hall. A source said: “He thinks she’ll be a handful. At rehearsals she stood there posing. She must think it’s a catwalk and not a dance floor.”

After winning with Kara Tointon and doing pretty well with Holly Valance, it was obvious that Artem would not get another pretty young thing. Every pro has to pay their dues now and again, and this year it is Artem's turn.

Anton should be used to dealing with a 'handful' by now, as he's had a few challenging partners over the years. Patsy and he didn't exactly get on like a house on fire, Ann was very particular about what she was willing to do, and Nancy was deluded when it came to her abilities. Jerry can't possibly be any worse. Surely.

Theme Tune Updated

Back in 2007, a version of the Strictly Come Dancing theme tune was released in a bid for Christmas No. 1, and in order to raise money for Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy.

It now seems that the BBC has decided to adopt this version for the actual TV show, as this has appeared on the BBC's YouTube channel...



I think it's a real shame, as I found the lyriced version a bit naff. I cringe when it comes on my mp3 player.

And it destroys the thing we all love to domost on a Saturday night. All together now. "Da da da da da da daaaaaaa da da da da da."

The Trailer!

If you weren't watching The One Show tonight, you may have missed the Strictly trailer which followed. So here it is:

Strictly 2012: The Rest Of The Lineup

In addition to Dani Harmer, Richard Arnold, Kimberley Walsh and Nicky Byrne, the rest of the Strictly 2012 line-up has finally, officially, been revealed by the BBC.

Colin Salmon is probably the one I know least about. I've never seen a Bond film, or any of the other things he's been in.

Here is his intro video:



Denise Van Outen has a long history of performing, starting in her teens. She's been on the west end stage in Chicago, Tell Me On A Sunday and Legally Blonde. She should be a bit good.

Here is her video:



Fern Britton has already appeared on the 2010 Strictly Christmas special, dancing a jive with Matthew Culter. So she'll have had a little taste of what to expect.

She's danced a fair bit over the years, although she wasn't as good on the Christmas special as I expected. I think she'll be a ballroom babe.

Here is her intro:

Jerry Hall is an unknown quantity. She's only really known as a model, so her performance skills are a mystery. I would guess that she won't be that strong, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

Here is her intro:

Sid Owen has been in show business for a long time, but he not known as a dancer. He's tried his hand at singing, and is best known as Ricky Butcher in EastEnders. He'll probably be wanting to do better than his screen wife Patsy Palmer, who came 5th (of 12) in 2005.

Here is his intro:

The pressure is really on cricketer Michael Vaughan. Both Darren Gough and Mark Ramprakash won the series, and Phil Tuffnell came 8th (of 14). With the right partner, Michael could easily go as far as them.

Here is his intro:

Lisa Riley's weight (and the loss thereof) is likely to be one of Strictly's big stories this year. If she does well and goes far, she could end up being half the woman she us now. Personally, I don't think she'll do that well. But that might just be because I've never really liked him all that much.

Here is her intro:

All the signs would point to Louis Smith being a contender. He's competitive. He's used to training. He's a gymnast. He's young. He can get votes for abs, no doubt. Expect him to be around in the closing stages.

Meet Louis:

I would also expect Victoria Pendleton to do well. She's also no stranger to training, and will have the competitive to succeed. She made no secret of the fact that she'd love to do Strictly, so no-one will want to raise the glitterball more than her.

Here is her vid:

Finally, there is Strictly's oldest ever participant, Johnny Ball. I grew up watching Johnny Ball as a kid, and then watched Zoe Ball as a teenager. I spoke to Johnny on the night Zoe did her first dance on Strictly - the waltz - an he was so proud of her. I know that he will do his daughter proud. And he'll make for some brilliant interviews on It Takes Two. I think the public will just adore him. I already wish he was my dad.

Meet Johnny:

So there you have it. One of the best line-ups we've had, in my opinion. Olympic medallists, west end stars, pop stars, actors, presenters. There's something for everyone. And no Madeley.

Bruno's Pan-go

Forget dancing. Bruno Tonioli is now moving into cookware. Which is, of course, a natual progression for a dancer/choreographer (!?).

He has launched a range of cookware on home shopping TV channel QVC. The told the Daily Express: “I’ve cooked at home all my life. I don’t need a recipe book, I know it by eye. I wanted to create a range of cookware that is multi-tasking. It took me two years to develop it.”

The range is launched on 8th November.

Richard Can't Wait For A Tan

Richard Arnold is itching to get into the Strictly tanning booth.

He told the Daily Star: "Never mind 50 Shades Of Grey. Strictly's going to be 50 Shades Of Orange. I've asked for Colorado Sunset for the first show and then we'll take it from there."

Brucie, Brucie & Brucie In Strictly Lineup

Fourteen eager Sir Bruces turned up to Strictly training on Saturday, as the celebrity participants hid their faces behind Brucie masks.

The Sun's photographers were at the Royal Academy of Dance in London to see all of the Bruces arrive.

The BBC has already confirmed that Richard Arnold, Nicky Byrne, Kimberley Walsh and Dani Harmer will be taking part. The rest of the participants will be officially announced on The One Show, BBC1, 7pm tonight.

CONFIRMED 2012: Kimberley Walsh

Kimberley Walsh has been confirmed as the latest celebrity to be taking part in Strictly Come Dancing this year.

I would expect Kimberley to be quite good. She went to stage school, spent many years in Girls Aloud and has appeared on the west end stage in Shrek: The Musical. As we've seen in the past, that doesn't necessarily make you a great Strictly candidate, but I think in Kimberley's case, it will.

Here is her intro video.



Clue to Celebrity 7:
This guy is onto a good thing going into Strictly Come Dancing in 2012.

Clue to Celebrity 11:
This fellow's steely determination might just help him to win.

CONFIRMED 2012: Nicky Byrne

Westloife’s Nicky Byrne is the next confirmed celebrity. The band have performed on Strictly virtually every series, so let’s hope he was paying attention. Perhaps he’s already been getting insider tips.

One would think that with his musical background, he’d be a bit good. But I don’t know how much getting up off of a stool is required in the foxtrot.

Here's his intro vid.


The rest of the participants will be announced on The One Show on Monday.

CONFIRMED 2012: Dani Harmer

Yeah, yeah. Dani Harmer's in. No shocking reveal here.

Here is her intro video:


Clue to Celebrity 3:
This chap is great at taking direction, a few dance moves shouldn’t be a problem.

Clue to Celebrity 6:
Now she’s in the Strictly frame. Can this lady stand out from the pack?

Clue to Celebrity 10:
One star that can’t wait to join the Strictly line up.

Bruce Is A Record Breaker

Strictly host Sir Bruce Forsyth has presented his way into the Guiness Book Of Records.

He will be included in the 2013 edition of the famous book as the male presenter with the longest career in television - 72 years.

Sir Bruce told the Belfast Telegraph: "What a wonderful surprise, but what a shock - and it's all true."

CONFIRMED 2012: Richard Arnold

It looks like the BBC are going to be trickling out clues and reveals to the 2012 line-up on the Strictly website throughout the day.

Confirmed this morning is Daybreak's showbiz presenter Richard Arnold. Richard is one of the few remaining GMTV/Daybreak presenters to take to the floor (you're next, Lorraine Kelly!).

Here is Richard's intro video:Richard, alongside former Strictly participant Kate Garraway, made it to the final of Let's Dance For Sport Relief in 2010.



Richard is friends with Nancy Dell'Olio, who no doubt will be only too happy to give him advice.

I like Richard a lot. I used to listen to him on Liberty Radio many moons ago. He's very natural, and he won't be afraid of the odd sequin!

There is also a clue to Celebrity 4 on the website:

No stranger to dancing, this star shouldn't have a problem tracing her steps.

I think it's fairly obvious that this is Dani Harmer, and to be honest, I'd have thought they'd have revealed her first, since it was all but confirmed already.

Dani Harmer For Strictly

The Radio Times reports that Tracy Beaker actress Dani Harmer will participate in Strictly Come Dancing 2012.

Dani was supposed to be touring with a new musical - Disco Inferno - but investors pulled the plug on the funding.

Dani tweeter earlier: "Hope everyone understands that it wasn't because of strictly that disco inferno got cancelled! The producer is looking for a scapegoat xxx"

Dani is a panto veteran, and got to the final of Let's Dance For Sport Relief earlier this here. Here's a reminder...

The Return Of The Dance Off?

Will the Strictly dance off be revived in 2012?

DigitalSpy reports that it is rumoured to be returning this series, after an absense of two years.

Personally, I'd be happy to not have it back. It made people vote even harder to keep their favourites out of the bottom two, and meant we had unworthy couples outstaying their welcome much longer than in recent times.

I presume it's a way of holding ratings for more of the programme.

But for me, it totally destroys the 'moment of truth'. Perhaps the judges' votes could be recorded electronically, with Tess revealing the loser in the usual way (with Len's vote automatically overriding a tied score) - and then the judges could explain who they picked and why. This would keep the moment of truth in tact, but also keep the dance-off.

Kara In No Rush To Marry

Kara Tointon is still happy with Artem Chigvintsev, but is in no rush to tie the knot. The pair met on the show two years ago.

She told The Sun: “All relationships are different and you have to see what happens. It’s nice to meet someone and wait. What’s the rush? If you are together, you are together. I hate talking about it because I find it cheesy but everything is great. He is working and I am working and everything is going well."

Teaser Trailer 2012

The judges are ready. Are you?



You can also go behind the scenes of the trailer with another video on the BBC Strictly Come Dancing website.