Louise. Lou. Loulabelle. Loulabelle44. Louby. loulabelle44@outlook.com.
Proudly blogging about Strictly Come Dancing ALL YEAR ROUND since 2006. Always spoiler-free.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Life On The Strictly Set
Ever wonder what it's like to work as a runner on Strictly Come Dancing?
Well, now you can read what it's like from the horse's mouth.
Alison Johnson got the chance to be a runner last weekend. She was a stand-in for Brucie, bring Louis chips, fetch Lisa's hair pieces, take audience coats and look after Flawless.
Sounds like fun! I'd like a turn next! I've worked on Most Haunted Live, don't you know!
If, like me, an interest in Strictly has also lead to an interest in the competitive circuit, you may be interested to hear about a new documentary film which will be released in the new year.
Ballroom Dancer follows Slavik Kryklyvyy, a former World Champion in Latin, who was out of dancing for 10 years with a hip injury. Slavik was the former partner of Joanna Leunis, who went on to capture all of the world's highest professional accolades without him. He now has to get new partner, and lover, Anna Melnikova up to his expected standards to try and recapture his past success. Slavik is willing to sacrifice everything to get back to the top. The couple have to battle anxiety, injury and envy below the glittery surface of the ballroom world.
Ballroom Dancer has won awards at the Raindance and Tribeca Film Festivals in 2012.
The film, directed by Andreas Koefoed and Christian Bonke, will be released in cinemas on 18th January 2013 and on DVD and download on from 4th February.
Natalie appearently tried 'desperately' tried to convince producers to let her and Michael do ballroom again this week, but to no avail.
A source told The Sun: “Natalie hit the roof because she knows Michael is pretty useless at Latin. He’s been one of the show’s stand-out stars — but mainly because he has avoided doing anything that has caused him too much concern. Now that the L bomb has been dropped in his lap, Natalie is panicking that the game is finally up. She’s been desperately trying to convince the producers to let them just perform a ballroom dance. But they’re having none of it and have told her it’s a no go.”
Michael & Natalie will perform a samba to Tequilla on Saturday. They are the bookies' favourite to leave the competition.
The line-up for the Strictly Christmas special has been revealed, and it's set to be a cracker!
There are six new celebrities and their partners set to take on the challenge. They are:
Bobby Ball & Katya Virshilas Katy Brand & Anton du Beke JB Gill & Ola Jordan Sheila Hancock & Ian Waite Fabrice Muamba & Aliona Vilani Helen Skelton & Artem Chigvintsev
In addition, there will be a 'Strictly All-Stars' group - past participants who will be returning to the floor for a special group number. They are:
Kelly Brook & Brendan Cole Tom Chambers & Kristina Rihanoff Chelsee Healey & Pasha Kovalev Chris Hollins & Ola Jordan Colin Jackson & Erin Boag Natasha Kaplinsky & Ian Waite Rachel Stevens & Vincent Simone
There's lots to be excited about here. I can't wait to see Katy Brand. She was awesome doing Beyonce's Single Ladies on Let's Dance For Sport Relief in 2010, and I can't wait to see how she gets on.
I'm very excited to see Kelly & Brendan reunited. They are one of my favourite couples of all time.
I have often wondered how Kaplinsky would fare in Strictly now. Strictly's first winner would probably struggle. So now we'll be able to see how she stacks up against the likes of Rachel and Chelsee. I think dancing with Ian will be good for her. Tom is the only other celebrity to have a new partner, but as he's now a West End star, I'm sure he'll manage.
The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special will be broadcast on Christmas Day on BBC One and BBC One HD.
TV presenter Melinda Messenger has admitted that she can't get enough of Strictly.
She told the Metro: "I am hooked on Strictly Come Dancing this year. The dresses are absolutely gorgeous, I want to wear them all. I really enjoy the competition element of it too and would love to learn how to dance myself."
The competition is starting to get very close now, with one or two starting to fall behind...
I have to admit I was not too fussed with the choreography of Dani &Vincent's samba, but Dani did a decent job with a difficult style. She had nice hip action and bounce, but the performance just didn't blow me away. It was lovely and clean as always.
The tango was my favourite of Kimberley &Pasha's performances so far. It was passionate and they seemed to have a real fight and resistance between them. It had a great mood. I agreed with the judges that her posture was a bit loose, but otherwise it was good. And I just loved the ending with Kimberley being thrown to the floor. Very nice! A great song choice.
Victoria &Brendan's salsa was just cringey. The lifts were good, but maybe that's because Victoria isn't actually dancing when she's got her feet off the floor! Victoria just doesn't seem to have dance in her heart or in her blood - odd for someone who made no secret of how desperate she was to do the programme. Her reluctance is reminiscent of Natasha Kaplinsky, and equally frustrating.
I loved Louis &Flavia's American smooth, but the paso doble didn't do it for me. Louis had the same expression on his face as every week. I agreed with Darcey - that everything was there, but it was just a little flat. Louis is a very capable dancer, but he is not an actor and could really do with some assistance in that area. If they bring a coach in, it could be the thing that just makes Louis' performances pop.
Despite being an actress, Lisa seems to come unstuck with the more serious dances, and the rumba was disappointing. Maybe because she and Robin are like siblings, the performance lacked romance. Lisa also struggled with the strength needed, and often stumbled or took extra steps to keep her balance. She also lacks hip action and really needs to feel and use the floor. Her heels looked low, perhaps a higher heel would have helped. On the plus side, it didn't have any side-by-side work...
Michael &Natalie's Argentine tango had too many lifts and not enough steps. The lifts were good, but you could see the concentration on Michael's face. I had to agree with Craig, that Michael did not seem to be leading Natalie - obvious when you could see her blocking him from moving on the wrong count. I preferred Chris & Ola's dance to Bust The Windows I'm afraid.
Nicky &Karen's Charleston was lovely. It was fun, clean and had great timing. Nicky's timing was iffy in the early routines, so it was great to see him nail it. The routine was really good and very entertaining. I think Nicky has bounced back well after being in the bottom two last week.
Denise & James make everything look so easy and their rumba-esque foxtrot American smooth was no exception. I never tire of watching Denise's turns - they are so clean and she spots like a natural.
There is no question for me that Victoria should be in the bottom two and be heading for home. If she doesn't want to be there (and that's how it is now coming across) then I don't want to be either. I am tried of her whining and self-deprecating, and I'm sure Brendan is too. I much prefer someone who's not so good but loves every minute - like Fern. It's getting harder to decide who else should be in the bottom two. Michael wasn't as strong this week, but I'm not sure he should leave yet. But who else do you put there? Louis? Lisa? Nicky? That wouldn't be fair. I can't wait for tonight's results!
Victoria Pendleton thinks that her days in the competition are numbered, as she's falling behind her competition.
Writing in her Radio Times diary, she admitted: "I don’t think I will last much longer, especially when I look at the likes of Louis and Denise. I don’t know how much more I can actually improve. In short, it would take a miracle for me to pick up that glitterball trophy, so I’m starting to look forward to what I’m going to do once Strictly is all over for me."
Nicky Byrne's children get upset at seeing their daddy criticised on TV.
The Metro quotes an interview Nicky gave to New! magazine in which he explained: "The babysitter told me one of the lads had tears in his eyes while daddy was on screen getting criticised by the judges. They’re at that age when daddies and mummies are the best thing in the world.... They’ve got great Bruno impressions and they’ve got Len’s “Seven!” down to a tee! They want daddy to do well."
Darcey Bussell will be back on the Strictly panel in 2013.
According to The Sun, Darcey brokered a two-year deal, meaning producers would have had to have paid her even if they didn't invite her back.
But a source close to the producers reveal that they are very happy with what Darcey brings to the panel: “Her first outing divided people but she has grown into the role tremendously. The other judges love her as she knows her onions. And producers actually think she is better than Alesha.”
Of course she's better than Alesha! She is a world-class dancer, and has studied all kinds of movement. When she doesn't know about a dance, she does her research - as anyone who saw Darcey Bussell Dances Hollywood last Christmas can attest (Dear BBC, Please repeat that. Thanks. Love Lou.)
Personally, I love what Darcey brings. She is first class and adds balance. Not only is she better than Alesha (by a country mile), but I think I could go as far as to say she is better than Arlene. Yes. I just went there.
Yes, OK. I do have a bit of a girl crush on Darcey, but still...
David Haye's mum has the right idea. She has admitted that she would have rather her son was on the dancefloor shaking his booty than in the jungle bearing his bottom.
Jane Haye told the Daily Star: “When he said he was doing this I said to him: “Why don’t you do the dancing show instead?”
Louis Smith has joined the line-up for the Strictly Come Dancing Live! tour.
In a press release, Louis said: “The support I’ve had on the TV show has been incredible. I can’t believe how much I’ve enjoyed dancing every week. I love the pressure of performing in front of a live crowd, and I can’t wait to do that in some of the biggest arenas across the UK.”
I like to torture myself with autobiographies. I like to read about other people's journeys to the top, and ponder how my life could have been different if only I had the drive, and luck, that these people had.
Bruno knew he couldn't stay in the small town in Italy where he grew up, and was keen to escape. A chance visit backstage at a show of an aquantaince started the journey of a lifetime which ended on prime time TV.
Bruno talks candidly about his relationship with his family, especially his parents, his passion to perform, meeting Arlene Phillips in London, his time dancing and choreographing and that famous Elton John video.
The interesting thing is Bruno's description of how he found snd developed his on-screen persona, implying that perhaps the Bruno we see each Saturday night is a bigger version of the real man. An exaggeration.
The book is a really easy read - I read it in about three days on my commute to work. If you are interested in the lifestyle of a jobbing dancer and choreographer, you will love it. There are a few Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing With The Stars snippets, but the book is about Bruno's whole life, the last nine years of which is just a small part.
This book is an interesting read, and will make a great stocking filler for any Strictly fan.
If you're still not convinced, here is Bruno to entice you himself!
To win a signed copy of the book, visit the Headline website by 30th November. They have 20 copies to give away!
Bruno Tonioli: My Story is available now in all good bookshops and online retailers (big thanks to the nice folks at Headline).
Nicky may have danced to Jailhouse Rock on Saturday night, but it is Louis who feels like training is like being in prison.
According to The Sun, he upset quite a few people by tweeting: “The last time I didn’t want to be somewhere so bad as this I was dreaming I was in prison.”
The paper claims that producers are tired of Louis being late for rehearsals. A source told the paper: “Flavia has been sweating blood to make sure they get to the final and it sometimes feels Louis doesn’t have the same determination.”
Week 7 is Wembley Week once again. I had the privilege of being at Wembley Arena last night. I hope everyone watching at home enjoyed the programme as much as we did. The atmosphere was amazing.
Lisa & Robin kicked things off with their samba. They got the biggest and best reception of the whole night. At first I was wondering where the samba content was - it was their usual side-by-side stuff, but then they went into some lovely voltres. Lisa is a brilliant performer, but she still needs more technique. She definitely could have done with some more hip action. The split at the end certainly woke the crowd up!
Nicky & Karen were next with the jive. The dance had loads of energy, which Nicky sustained all the way through. He could have pointed his toes on the kicks, and it was all a bit flat-footed, but I think it was one of Nicky's better dances.
Denise &James' Charleston was brilliant, and well worthy of its three tens. They were so together throughout the routine. Denise handled all the lifts like a complete professional without losing a single arm line. It was a top quality performance.
I have not really been a Louis & Flavia fan, but I thought they were just amazing last night. Their routine was wonderful, and I totally disagreed with the judges. I thought they were grossly undermarked. The move where Louis swing Flavia around and stepped over her legs was brilliantly executed. I loved the Golddigger mashup in the music. OK, so perhaps it was a bit of a quickstep with lifts rather than an American smooth, but I think the judges were all wrong.
Richard &Erin's salsa was a bit flat. He just looked really camp, and not very fluid or sexy. I liked the story of the dance, but I didn't enjoy Richard's performance that much. It was a bit 'dad' like. I actually think the routine played better on television than it did in the arena.
I thought the paso was one of Victoria's most confident performances - certainly for latin. She seemed in control of herself. She needs to make sure she keeps the performance level up throughout the dance. It wasn't as good as her ballroom, but it was a good stab at latin. And it was funny to see Brendan nearly garrote himself with his cape. Victoria's costume was one of the best ever!
Dani & Vincent were lovely. The quickstep was light and bright, and as neat as always. They covered the floor really well with their little legs and her footwork was pretty good too. Pretty in pink! Four nines was a great score, but I wonder why none of the judges gave a ten...
The samba suited Kimberley quite well. She seemed very confident after last week's bottom two knock. The natural rolls were nice, although Pasha could have put some more basic samba content in. It was getting close to a salsa. I must admit that I did not participate in the standing ovation for it, though... And Pasha's chest is just not quite the same as Atrem's.
Michael & Natalie are bloody lucky they had American smooth at Wembley and not latin. How can someone have to little rhythm in latin, but have almost perfect timing in ballroom. I can't work it out. The trouble with Strictly is that you have to be an all-rounder, and Michael isn't. People are saving him in the latin weeks, and he scores well on the ballroom weeks. There's no denying that he did very well last night, but I think he might be coming close to overstaying his welcome. If he is going to do kicks, he needs to point his toes, though. Look out for Michael on Len's Lens tonight.
I am not going to talk about the bottom two, since I already know who was there. Denise, Louis and Lisa were my favourites of the night.
Victoria Pendleton has reveled that she finds the whole marking/voting system on Strictly really hard, because she doesn't know where she is in the competition.
Writing in her Radio Times diary column, she said: "When I was cycling I would go out and do the best I could – I succeeded or failed on that. Now I have no control over my fate once the dance is over. It all rests in the hands of the judges and the public. All I can do is my best and hope that people vote for me. To be honest, it makes me feel vulnerable."
She also admits how much she's enjoyed being pampered on the show, after years of unglamourous, male-dominated cycling: "Every girl should have the chance to be on Strictly for the day – have their hair and makeup done, try on the amazing dresses, learn to dance with a gorgeous man like Brendan! Someone should organise a Strictly experience for all of the girls out there so that everyone can feel like a princess for the day. Maybe that’s what I’ll do when I leave the show!"
Please do, Victoria. I'll be first in the queue to sign up for that. In fact, if there are any TV producers or publishers reading who want to give me a Strictly makeover - please get in touch! Email address is at the top of the page...
Lisa Riley's weight loss is causing headaches for the Strictly wardrobe department, as they have to keep altering her costumes.
Lisa, who has gone down four dress sizes since the competition began, told The Sun: “I’ve not done Strictly to lose weight, but with all the training it just falls off you. I was rehearsing the Viennese waltz and my trousers fell down.... I wanted to show it was OK for someone like me to do a competition like this – to dress in sexy clothes and have fun.”
We're only halfway through the series, there have been no Christmas special rumours, but the Daily Mail is already wading in with rumours for the next series of Strictly.
The paper reports that cricketer Shane Warne and his fiancee model Elizabeth Hurley are fans of the show, and would like to participate together.
A source told the paper: "Michael [Vaughan] wants to arrange a chat with Shane and the producers. Shane and Liz have a competitive side to their relationship so they are already joking about who would win."
We're now down to the Top 10, and with a place at Wembley up for grabs the celebrities had to bring on their A-game. Sadly, not everyone did...
Denise & James were amazing, as always. Their paso had strength and attack. Denise has such wonderful turns. She coped very well, considering that Denise had to switch from dancing with Ian Waite back to James again. She has a lovely, hips forward and strong. Brilliant.
Richard & Erin had a couple of little timing incidents, but otherwise their Charleston was a cheeky, cute routine. It had lots of energy, although Richard needs to make sure he sustains that throughout the dance and not tail off toward the end.
Louis & Flavia's waltz routine was lovely and well-performed. There was perhaps a tiny timing issue when they first got into hold, but otherwise it was excellent. I know Louis is great, but I just can't get excited about him.
I thought Fern was totally out of her depth with the salsa. I just didn't see what the judges saw in her and Artem's routine. I think they may have been watching a different dance to me. I thought it was frantic and messy. It was like she'd had one too many at a party. I didn't like it at all.
Back to ballroom and a much better performance from Victoria & Brendan. Victoria does lose posture from time to time. The foxtrot was pretty good, but Victoria will be left behind the others if she doesn't take a confidence pill soon.
Dani &Vincent's tango was fantastic. It was strong and passionate. The routine was packed with steps, which were all well-performed. It was very crisp and sharp. A good job.
I lived the open and close of Nicky &Karen's foxtrot with the mic. It was really dynamic. But I thought everything went a bit flat when they got into hold. It was pleasent enough, but lacked the dynamism of the beginning and end. We need more of Nicky's personality during the dance. It was a bit careful.
Kimberley &Pasha's Viennese waltz was lovely. There were a few hops in the attitude turn, but that was the only bad point. It was floaty and romantic.
The lifts in Michael & Natalie's salsa were exciting, especially the second one. But that was the only nice part. Michael's timing issues persist. There was a major mistake which even seemed to throw Natalie. I really didn't like it, and I thought the judges were very kind to him. It was tragic.
Lisa &Robin's foxtrot was full-on glam. If I'm honest, while I loved the opening side-by-side sequence, I really felt that it didn't need to be there. We've seen it all before. But the whole routine was fun and jolly. Lisa did a really nice job, and her had work is paying off. I hope she continues to work this hard.
James Jordan will dance with Denise van Outen this weekend, despite his ankle injury.
Yesterday, he tweeted:"On my way to see Denise and Ian [Waite] after seeing an ankle specialist all day. MRI shows damage in 3 different places but foot structure good.. Ligament and stretch tendon.. So I will just take the pain and carry on. Also @denise_vanouten he said he can help with your CANKLES...!"
Earlier in the week, Denise was reportedly very worried. A source told The Sun: “Ian is a great dancer and James is directing them — but it’s not the same. Denise is really worried about him, she can’t believe how much pain he’s in – and how much groaning he’s doing.”
The BBC have no plans for a successor for Sir Bruce Forsyth, according to Tess Daly.
Tess told the Daily Mail: "The BBC knows he’s an asset. You’ve got to respect someone who’s been in our living rooms for most of our lifetimes. They accept that and treat him accordingly. Sure, he’s 84 but, boy, he doesn’t act it. If you have a conversation with Bruce, age isn’t even an issue because he is so fully present. He has that mischievous, wicked glint in his eye. He’s always looking for the gag, he’s always dancing, he won’t stay still. I just think he’s phenomenal really."
The first celebrities taking part in the 2013 Strictly Come Dancing Live! tour have been announced.
Lisa Riley, Dani Harmer and Michael Vaughan will be foxtrotting around the country on the Strictly tour bus.
In a statement on the tour website, Lisa said: "I’ve had an absolute ball on the show and the chance to carry on dancing, and in front of thousands of people, is too good to miss. Roll on January!”
Dani said: "I’m really thrilled to be part of the Strictly Tour. I’m looking forward to bringing some of the glitz and glamour to the fans all over the country. The competition on tour will be just as tough as it is on TV, so I hope to win plenty of votes from the arena audiences.”
And Michael said: “Learning so many different dances has been a huge challenge for me, but an amazing experience. I’m really looking forward to testing myself with the new routines we’ll be performing on the tour.”
It's unlikely that Vincent will do the tour, especially with another Midnight Tango tour on the horizon, so it looks like Dani will be getting a new partner. Maybe Pasha will oblige. Or perhaps someone could phone Jared (joke!).
You would think the glamourous Strictly costumes would be enough for any woman, but not Dani Harmer, who has done a very glam photo shoot for Closer magazine.
Dani spoke about the criticism she has recieved about her figure, and how Lisa is someone she confides in: “It makes me so angry. I try to put it down to jealousy, but some of the nastier comments have made me doubt myself. I started to think, ‘What are they seeing that I’m not?’ It got to the point where I thought about taking a photo of my top with the [size 6] label showing! You feel you have to prove yourself. Lisa’s my best pal on the show and I’ve talked to her a lot about it as she gets crap on Twitter over her weight as well. She’s great, she loves her body just the way it is and she’s getting out there every Saturday night, enjoying it and ignoring the haters. Her positivity really rubs off on me.”
I was in the audience on Saturday night, within touching distance of Dani. She is a gorgeous girl, and she's not 'fat' at all. She looks great, and she's having fun. Why can't people leave her alone?
Strictly Come Dancing is now pulling in it's best ever ratings.
According to the Daily Express, Strictly had an average of 10.2 million viewers on Saturday night, the highest to date. The show averaged 9.7 million viewers in 2011 and 9.5 million in 2010.
During the overlap with The X Factor, Strictly had 2 million more viewers (9.8m, compared to ITV1's 7.8m).
Craig Revel Horwood has admitted that he doesn't really miss Alesha Dixon on the Strictly judging panel.
He told DigitalSpy: "I loved working with her for three years, but I think she's far more suited for Britain's Got Talent. She was qualified to be on our panel, she won the show and great respect and all of that. But Darcey has spent her life in dance, solely, and that adds an enormous amount of weight behind the comments that she makes."
I had a different perspective this week, since I was in the studio! The atomsphere in the studio is amazing, and it means you can look at whatever you want, not just what the camera shows. I'm sorry to say that no-one blew me away...
Kimberley &PastaPasha kicked things off with the salsa. It was competent and sexy, but not amazing. There was some nice armography, and there was pleanty of routine to look at. But no x-factor. The lift was very good, though, and shows the trust between the pair.
I didn't like the music choice for Lisa &Robin's tango. The interesting thing was that during the VT, you could see Lisa trying to focus, and she did a good job considering how much she was laughing in the video. The routine was very good, and Lisa executed it pretty well. She needs more attack and her head needs to be sharper. It was also a shame she lost character right at the end when Robin sat back on the chair.
The majority of Richard &Erin's foxtrot was good, but when Richard lost it, he properly went to bits. It was such a shame because it was going so well. Richard has been steadily improving, and it was a shame to see it all undone in an instant.
I think Denise & James were one of the best of the night for me. Denise delivers time and again and the Viennese waltz was no exception. The thing I noticed (actually on a Len's Lens clip) is how amazing she is at spotting on her turns. It's pro-like. And any couple which does a fleckerl should get extra marks.
I can completely understand why Brendan is getting so frustrated with Victoria, I am too. She needs to accept that perhaps she is not perfect at dancing, and she has to live with it. I want to see her stop worry, let go and actually enjoy herself. I loved Brendan's choreography. It's so nice to see samba rolls! Victoria got through the routine, as she has all the others, but she needs to start performing. She needs to take some tips from Lisa and lose her inhibitions. It's like watching Natasha all over again...
Louis is still a bit too cool for school for me. The samba with Flavia was well-executed and clean, but it didn't make me want to party. Nice natural rolls, though. Louis still makes weird undulations with his hands. I'm with Darcey on this one. You cannot deny that he has lots of dance talent, but like Victoria, I think he needs to let go a bit more. He is not inhibited like she is, but he clearly wants to maintain his image. He's The Fonz of Strictly. Those who know me, may have noticed me being a sheep and joining the standing ovation. I succumbed to peer pressure, and I still feel dirty now.
Colin &Kristina's foxtrot was clean and competent. I liked that Kristina incorporated Colin's strong kicks. Who knew he could do that? I agree with Len that perhaps he could have glided more, but it was a good performance.
I had to agree with Craig about Nicky &Karen's rumba. It was pose, pose, pose and not much else. I thought the chemistry was quite nice, and Nicky tried really hard. Nicky is in danger of being left behind the rest of the field.
Was Fern dancing? I only noticed Artem... I didn't like the way Fern lifted her skirt up and down - it was a bit Knees Up Mother Brown as my former dance teacher would say. Fern had the attitude of the paso in her mind, but it didn't transfer to the floor. I would like more strength and attack. It was a bit soft and ploddy.
I can't help thinking that Michael &Natalie's ballroom is being overmarked. Their foxtrot was pleasent, but I can't help thinking that it is Natalie who is keeping him on time. Take her away and I'm not sure how he'd get on. Salsa next week? That could be interesting.
Dani &Vincent's jive was brilliant. It was clean, preceise and neat. Dani totally captured the style of the jive perfectly. A totally a deserved 9 from Len. The most impressive thing was that none of the judges mentioned how much it suits smaller people!
I am not going to talk about the bottom two, as I already know the result.
