Strictly Christmas Special

The Christmas special is being recorded on Monday, so all the participants will be going through their final preparations. The line-up is:

Rochelle Humes & Ian Waite

Sara Cox & Robin Windsor

Elaine Page & Pasha Kovalev

Matt Goss & Aliona Vilani

Ricky Norwood & Janette Manrara

Rufus Hound & Flavia Cacace

Is Strictly running out of people who are wanting to take part? Two of this list have been in Strictly specials already.

Rochelle did the Children In Need special in 2010 with Ian, losing out to Harry Judd.

And Elaine took part in the 2008 Sport Relief special, partnering Strictly veteran Matt Dawson.

Rufus Hound has to be a favourite here, though. He won Let's Dance For Sport Relief in 2010, with his Cheryl Cole routine.



I know nothing about Ricky Norwood, as I don't watch EastEnders. Although I did find this clip of him teaching some moves, so he could be a bit good...



And apparently he was in the Boney M musical Daddy Cool in the West End.

With his musical background, Matt Goss should be good. He's used to glitz and glamour, having been performing in Las Vegas for the last few years. 

I don't hold out much hope for Sara Cox, though.

Tour Line-up Finalised

The line-up for the 2014 Strictly Come Dancing live tour has been finalised.

Stepping out in the new year are:

Abbey & Aljaž

Ben & Kristina

Deborah & Robin

Mark & Iveta

Natalie & Artem

Susanna & Kevin

And from the 2013 series:

Nicky Byrne & Karen Hauer

Natalie Lowe is also appearing.

The show will be hosted by Lisa Riley, and Len, Bruno and Craig return to judge.

The tour begins in Birmingham on 17th January, and visits London, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow, Nottingham and Manchester.

Book Review: Strictly Come Dancing Annual 2014

When you have to produce a book every year, it must be hard to decide what to focus on above and beyond the profiles of the current participants.

This year, the book focuses on last year's final. There is a minute-by-minute behind the scenes look at final day. There are also interesting articles about the unsung heroes of Strictly Come Dancing - costume, hair, make-up, set design and lighting. Costume we know quite a lot about already through Vicky Gill's appearances on It Takes Two, but the other areas were really interesting to learn about. The judges were also able to give their perspectives on last year's participants and the eventual winner, Louis Smith.

There are the usual profiles of this year's celebrities and pros. As a Strictly fan, I actually found the pro profiles the most interesting. You get the different perspectives of veterans like Brendan and Anton, and newbies like Kevin and Janette.

There are also a few games such as trivia, and a Which Judge Are You game (I'm Darcey!). In the middle, there is a pull-out card game. The game is very much like Top Trumps, featuring past celebrities.

The book, as always, has gorgeous pictures and is very well put together. A great read, and a good Christmas present for any Strictly fan.

The Strictly Come Dancing Annual 2014 is available now in all good bookshops and online retailers (big thanks to the nice folks at Ebury Publishing).

Sunday Service: Week 9

With only eight couples left, everyone needs to be amazing, or we'll all be underwhelmed.

One thing I have to say off the bat, though. Can someone please tell Sir Bruce that he is not a) a judge or b) a parrot? All he does is give his comments in between the judges, or repeat what the judges say. It's really irritating!

For a dance Susanna had said in the week she hadn't connected with, she did a fantastic job. Her performance and facial expressions were brilliant. I loved Kevin's choreography. Her cha cha walks have improved over the course of the week, but they still weren't perfect. She lacked hip action. With a performance level like that, I almost didn't care.

I thought Ashley & Ola did a solid job with the waltz. It was very romantic. Ashley's top line was improved. Bruno was right about the music, it was difficult to dance to, and Ashley coped well with that. He made it look effortless.

Natalie & Artem's tango had drive and attitude. She did a few odd things with her head, which meant it wasn't perfect for me. There was an error in the middle. It was a good tango, but it wasn't the best I have ever seen.

I like the parts of Mark & Iveta's foxtrot which were out of hold better than in hold. Mark didn't stride out enough in hold. He needed longer steps. I loved the feel of the dance, but it lacked flow and flair. Fun to watch, but I think Mark is coming near the end of the road.

I liked the second half of Sophie & Brendan's rumba better than the first. About halfway though, she suddenly connected with Brendan. A bashful smile apppeared on her face, and it was very sweet. She made some lovely lines, although her arms were a bit forgotton on the transitions. Rumbas can be romantic rather than passionate - remember Cherie & James?

Despite all the acting lessons, Ben looked the same as every week to me. Not enough personality for a Charleston. It's a good thing Ben is stong enough to chuck Kristina about, because the tricks saved an otherwise uneventful dance. It's like he's going through the motions, but he doesn't perform for the audience enough. Competent, but not great.

I really enjoyed Abbey & Aljaž's paso. She made some lovely lines, and coped well some difficult choreography. I don't like You Got The Love as a paso song. I didn't like it last time it was used either. A solid paso, but it didn't set the world on fire.

Patrick & Anya's Viennese waltz was nice, but felt more like an American smooth. Too much out of hold for my liking. I agreed with the judge's comments about the standing spins. No fleckurl either, which Patrick would have been capable of attempting.

This week was a lot of competent performances, but lacked wow factor. It's getting very difficult to pick a bottom two. I think the bottom two on the judges leaderboard were right. Ben is competent, but lacks wow factor. Mark isn't technically as strong as the others, but has more performance than Ben. I would rather see Mark stay than Ben, but I think it might have been Mark's last dance. I guess it depends who ends up in the dance-off.

Here are the videos...

Susanna & Kevin



Ashley & Ola



Natalie & Artem



Mark & Iveta



Sophie & Brendan



Ben & Kristina



Abbey & Aljaž



Patrick & Anya

I'm A Dancer... Get Me Out Of Here!

It seems that the recent rumours were true. Former Strictly pro Vincent Simone is set to join the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! camp immininatly.

Vincent told ITV: “I love dancing so much, but when I got asked to take part in this show, I really wanted to do it. I am scared of anything. I am realising this more and more…"

You can follow Vincent's progress every night at 9pm on ITV and ITV HD.

Ashley's Workload Worries

Ashley Taylor Dawson has admitted that he is worries about the workload of working on both Hollyoaks and Strictly at the same time.

He told FemaleFirst: "I'm worried, I don't know how I'm going to cope. It's been mental. We know storylines six months ahead and mine was always going to be pretty strong this year. My producer's biggest worry was taking me out of things, especially when my storyline has been going on for a while. He was at EastEnders last year when Scott Maslen did it. He said, 'You're going to come to me in two months' time, your eyes will be bleeding, you'll be crying and asking for time off. You won't get it.' I was like, 'OK, then.'"

It's almost a tradition for soap actors to have difficult storylines at the same time as being on the show. As well as Scott, it happened to Matt Di Angelo and Sarah Manners. Of course, Ashley has the added pressure of a new baby, too.

Chin up, Ashley. It's character building!

Len To Quit DWTS?

Could Len be getting ready to quit Dancing With The Stars?

According to the Daily Star, Len is finding it difficult travelling backwards and forwards across the Atlantic to do both shows, and health concerns could see him leaving the US show.

Len told the paper: “Sitting on the plane is boring – it’s just sitting there for 11 hours. It’s not hard but it’s tiring because of the time difference. But once you say you’ll do it, you get on with it.”

A source added: “He wants to quit Dancing With The Stars because he finds the ­travelling so tough. His time zones change dramatically every few days and when he does want to spend time off with his ­family he’s too tired to really enjoy it.”

But Len would not consider leaving Strictly: “I would never retire from the BBC or Strictly by choice. If I got ill and couldn’t go on it, of course I would have to retire – but I’d have to be pretty ill. They will have to drag me off kicking and ­screaming.”

Strictly Dressing Room Break-In

Thieves targeted the dressing rooms at the Tower Ballroom, while Saturday night's show was in progress.

The dressing room used by several of the female contestants was targeted, with thieves taking phones, tablets and jewellery.

Speaking on Daybreak today, Sophie said: "It was just an opportunistic thing. The police are looking into it. There's no one to blame for it."
Police told the Daily Mirror: "It was reported to us at around 9:45pm that some items had been taken from a dressing room within the building. Officers are investigating the theft and are making a number of inquiries to trace the person or people responsible and we would appeal to anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the area to contact police."

Sunday Service: Week 8

Blackpool. Always a special show. It's great to see everyone dancing on the big floor.

Sophie & Brendan's quickstep was very fast, and covered the big floor very well. Sophie looked like a show pony galloping around the floor. There was lots of choreography packed into 90 seconds. She coped very well with the change of tempo. There was a bit of gapping at times, but otherwise it was pretty good. And I loved the ending.

Patrick & Anya's samba had great rhythm. It was spectacular. Since being in the dance off, Patrick has found his mojo. He gave it so much performance. I loved the lay-out ending. It's such a shame Anya got her heel caught in her dress, because they didn't seem to recover until the side-by-side section.

It's a shame it was about 20 minutes before Ben actually started dancing in the American smooth. The dance was very good, but it just didn't do it for me. Ben is confident, and lifts Kristina with ease, but he needs more style. The performance is lacking a bit. Ben is competent, but a bit insular. He's not bringing us into the dance. He seems to be dancing for himself and Kristina, but not for us.

When I heard that Ashley & Ola would have a cowboy theme for the paso doble, I didn't really know what to think. But I really liked it. Ashley had great shaping. He had lovely arm lines and hip position, great passion and control. I think Bruno was right. Ashley really held his own beside the other pros. It was one of my favourite Ashley performances so far.

Fiona & Anton's American smooth was pleasant enough, but not very interesting. I liked Fiona's performance. She lit up the room with her smile. It was classy, but a bit flat. The last lift was very laboured, and it was clear that she didn't really fancy it. I agree with Bruno that Fiona lost focus a couple of times. She needed to bring her A-game to Blackpool, but I think it got left on the baggage carousel.

I really enjoyed Abbey & Aljaž's quickstep. The covered the floor very well. Abbey gave it lots of personality. There was lots of choreography, and Abbey coped well with all of it. The pair of them look gorgeous together. Totally deserving of tens.

Mark & Iveta's jive was as good as it was going to be. Mark's performance level was awesome, but the dance did not have very much technique. It needed more bounce. It was more rock 'n' roll than jive. It was a lovely performance to watch, though.

You just knew as soon as Susanna took her place on the stage that it was going to be good. She showed power and confidence. It was so emotional and magical. She and Kevin connected with the dance and each other. Brilliant performance.

Natalie & Artem came back with a Bang Bang. Their Charleston was packed with steps. Natalie was cheeky and sophisticated at the same time. The side-by-side steps were beautifully mirrored. The audience didn't seem that impressed, but I loved it.

I think the leaderboard reflected the competition perfectly. I think Mark and Fiona were genuinely the bottom two. It's difficult to choose someone to go home between them. Fiona and Mark both performed well, even if their dancing wasn't that great. I think perhaps Fiona should go home. She's a little more flaky than Mark.

Here are the videos...

Sophie & Brendan



Patrick & Anya



Ben & Kritsina



Ashley & Ola



Fiona & Anton



Abbey & Aljaž



Mark & Iveta



Susanna & Kevin



Natalie & Artem

Strictlyfied Miranda

Many people would love to see Miranda Hart take to the Strictly dancefloor. Maybe her latest project might spur her on.

This week Miranda was filming Gangsta Granny, a comedy for the BBC this Christmas, written by and starring David Walliams. The pair play a couple obsessed by Strictly Come Dancing - so not too much of a stretch for Miranda.

Check out Miranda's costume...

Tess: Strictly In Blackpool Is "Fun And Frolics"

Tess Daly loves taking Strictly on its Blackpool road trip, admitting that there is fun as long as hard work.

She told the Daily Mirror: "Nothing beats the feeling of taking Strictly back to its spiritual home. It is good to see a show taken out of London. I am northern and a lot of people up there won't get to come to London so they can see it. It is nice for the town to have it up there and I get to see a lot of my family while we are there. There is nothing like the tower ballroom as a location, it is vast and epic."

But things are not always smooth sailing when the show travels the 230 miles north from its usual base in Elstree: "Things do go wrong, we did try to get the glitter ball in and couldn't get it through the doors! It is pretty wild considering there is a circus downstairs. But overall it is a blast, it is like Strictly on tour and we all stay in the same hotel. Lots of fun and frolics."

Book Review: Tales From The Dance Floor

Tales From The Dance Floor picks up where Craig Revel Horwood’s last book, All Balls And Glitter, left off. Craig tells the tale of all his major projects since 2009, which is quite a lot.

 

He’s not afraid to tackle controversy, and gives his take on various topics.

On Arlene’s dismissal: "It was a bitter blow and she still hasn't fully got over it".

On Alesha’s departure: "I was just upset that she didn't call or text me... I was really upset because for three years I'd been tirelessly defending her, which wasn't always easy".

On ‘Sausagegate’: "In the aftermath of the comment, though, Paul [Daniels] kept digging himself into a hole as he tried to defend himself with the old favourite line, 'I've got a lot of gay friends'"

On the Anton/Laila race row: "It was an off-the-cuff remark backstage, allegedly, so I thought he needed to apologise to Laila, but not the world".

On Ricky Whittle hitting a photographer with his car: "The incident clouded his brilliant run on Strictly".

 

He talks about four years of panto (should I be embarrassed that I’ve seen it three of those years?), and working with Ann Widdecombe for two of those. He talks about the strain it has put on his body (not just his hips), and how self-conscious he felt the first year when he was a bit overweight. He even talks frankly about the ‘moob’ surgery which gave him so much more confidence in life.

 

It’s clear to hear his joy when he describes projects he’s directed, like the Strictly tour and Strictly Confidential. He was pleased to be able to bring Ian Waite back to the floor, and couldn't have done it without the right host - Lisa Riley.

 

If you are a fan of Craig, as I am, you will enjoy this book. Craig is a very talented man, and is more than qualified to talk about dance performance on Strictly (go and see him in panto if you don’t believe me!). Craig gets a lot of stick online and in the papers, and this book has certainly given him a platform to put his side across. If you want to hear Craig’s side of the story, go and read this book.

 

Tales From The Dance Floor is available now in all good bookshops and online retailers (big thanks to the nice folks at Michael O'Mara Books).

Sunday Service: Week 7

The biggest surprise last night was the fact that Natalie was unable to perform. It reminded me of when Pasha had to go to the hospital with his dance partner on So You Think You Can Dance. Don't know what I'm talking about? Click here to win a copy of Pasha's book and learn more...

I didn't think that the jive was really Ben's dance. His timing was very good, but the tricks saved what was otherwise a bit of a boring routine. I loved the neck-drop, and the back flip, but otherwise there just wasn't much going on. Not Ben & Kristina's best work.

Fiona & Anton's paso wasn't very interesting either. Fiona did a decent job, and had pretty good timing. But the whole thing was a bit uninspiring. Not surprising when Anton is doing the choreography. Fiona is always going to have a tough time with latin dances.

Abbey & Aljaž did a god job with the Charleston. Abbey could have smiled a bit more. It wasn't really cheeky enough. She didn't quite capture the spirit of the dance. But her dancing was great. As usual, Abbey showed fantastic timing and musicality.

I found Mark & Iveta's rumba a bit posey. Stand here, stick arm up there. It lacked the intimacy and passion that the rumba demands. It had a good story, but atmospherically it was more like a tango than a rumba. Mark did not have enough hip action, but he was in control.

Susanna's waltz was gorgeous. Easily her and Kevin's best dance so far. Lovely posture and top line. The pair of them were so in sync. Great musicality, and lovely lingering pauses. Susanna seemed to really understand the dance. I'm just not sure why Susanna picked 'Umpa Lumpa' on the spray tan colour chart this week. Her colour did not suit a ballroom dance. I'm not sure why Susanna ended up with the same score as Abbey. She was clearly better.

Dave & Karen's tango was a walking tour of the Strictly dance floor. Dave lacked the hip swivels that should have been present. His timing was probably a little better, possibly because he was in hold and Karen could control him. And that drag move was reminiscent of Christopher Parker's paso. Besides, no self-respecting Englishman should wear a kilt. Scots only, please.

Aside from Ashey's topline, which he has worked on but is still right, the quickstep was very good. Ola packed it with steps, and he coped well. He had heaps of energy, which he maintained throughout. A good effort.

Sophie & Brendan's Argentine tango was their best performance for a few weeks. It was good to see Sophie get some form back. It had great intensity and mood, and the lifts were solid. Sophie's knees were possibly still a bit on the bent side. I didn't agree with Len, I thought Sophie was 'involved' in the dance. It was a lot less 'cool' than we've seen in the past.

The ending of Patrick & Anya's American smooth was sadly a bit ropey, but otherwise it was a great routine. We finally got to see the Patrick that I had been hoping to see since the start. The whole thing was very classy. Occasionally, Patrick has the eyes of a cereal killer (!), but he is great in hold. Not sure why Darcey gave it a 10, when Patrick made a huge error at the end!

It has to be the end of the road for Dave. There always comes a point where the public decide to keep in the dancers and let the comedy act go, and I think we're close to that point. If he doesn't go today, he will soon. And I don't think Dave deserves to go to Blackpool. Mark and Fiona are likely bottom two candidates.

Here are the videos...

Ben & Kristina



Fiona & Anton



Abbey & Aljaž



Mark & Iveta



Susanna & Kevin



Dave & Karen



Ashley & Ola



Sophie & Brendan



Patrick & Anya

Sunday Service: Week 6

Halloween week is upon us again. I usually enjoy Halloween week. The make-up and costumes are usually extra special. And the dances are usually a bit different.

Patrick & Anya started things off with a quickstep. Patrick needs to watch his right shoulder, which seemed to be raising up, although I wonder if this was because they spent half the week in a semi-hold because of his wrist. He had plenty of energy. It started slow, but seemed to improve as it went on.

Fiona & Anton's Charleston was very cute. Fiona had brilliant facial expressions. I think the judges' comments about her timing were unfair. I thought her timing was pretty good throughout. And of course, the Charleston was made for Anton.

I thought Ben & Kristina did a reasonable job with the paso. Ben is a good lead and his cape work was pretty good. However, in my opinion he was totally disengaged and disconnected emotionally from the dance. It lacked passion. Ben's pecs showed more emotion than he did. Decent dancing, but it lacked something for me.

Sophie & Brendan's jive looked under-rehearsed. Technically, it was OK, but not amazing. Sophie needs to straighten her knees more. There were a few errors. Sophie seemed to be looking for Brendan for cues this week. It didn't have the confidence that some of her earlier routines did. I hope Sophie hasn't peaked already.

Natalie & Artem were gorgeous. OK, so perhaps their Viennese waltz was a bit closer to an American smooth than a VW, but that's typical Artem. All style over content. What I didn't agree with was Len's criticism of the choreography affecting the marking. Natalie can only perform the choreography she is given, and should not be penalised if the judge doesn't like it. I liked their routine, myself. Great costume. Great movement. Atmospheric. Lovely musicality. Loved it.

I liked the paso content of Mark & Iveta's routine. Lots of recognisable basic steps. It was bonkers, but entertaining. I loved Iveta's costume! But I did not like the disco break at the end. I don't understand the judges, though. When Jason & Kristina stuck a disco break in their tango, the judges lapped it up. But they hated it in Mark & Iveta's routine. What's the difference? Double standard.

Rachel & Pasha's American smooth had some nice lifts, but I found their routine really dull. It was a better performance than last week, but it just wasn't very interesting. I don't think the dreary musical arrangement helped much either.

Ashley & Ola's tango was excellent. It had great attack and passion. Ashley's frame was still dodgy on the turns, but otherwise he did a fab job.

Abbey & Aljaž's rumba was mostly brilliant. There were a few stiff moments, but they have such great chemistry. Their routine could have had a better story, and they could have made more of the change of mood in the song (I love the two sides of Stay), but it should be good enough to keep them in.

Dave & Karen's routine was barely even rock 'n' roll, let alone jive. It had probably about the best timing Dave has shown. At least four chassés were in time. I think the novelty of Dave is starting to wear off now. Probably time to go.

Susanna & Kevin's Charleston was fun. It was a good performance. Susanna had lovely facial expressions and looked very confident.

Surely Dave has to be in the bottom two this week. He really can't carry on much longer. Difficult to say who could be there with him. Patrick was at the beginning and could be forgotten. Rachel didn't smash it. Sophie didn't have a great week. Mark might get forgotten too. I have no idea who is going home tonight!

Here are the videos...

Patrick & Anya



Fiona & Anton



Ben & Kristina



Sophie & Brendan



Natalie & Artem



Mark & Iveta



Rachel & Pasha



Ashley & Ola



Abbey & Aljaž



Dave & Karen



Susanna & Kevin