Book Review: Strictly Come Dancing Annual 2016

While I enjoy the profiles of the participants, and hearing what Tess and Claudia have to say, the nicest thing about the Strictly Come Dancing annual each year is the peek behind the scenes of our favourite show.

This year, the focus is the Strictly 'look' - hair, make-up and costumes.

Vicky Gill gives away some wardrobe secrets. My favourite was the fact that Mark Wright would try on about eight shirts for a number, and then choose the one he tried on first!

There is a great feature on how the team manages the Halloween show. Frankie's green body paint, Steve's costume and Janette's 'horn' hair are all problems which the team have to resolve in the short hours between rehearsal and live show. How they do they get everything done? You have to see the show's epic spreadsheet! The book also shows you how to re-create Janette's Halloween look yourself, and how to make a wrap-around skirt worn by Flavia Cacace.

Other features include a look at Strictly's footwear, diet and fitness (Kevin's roasted salmon with avocado & quinoa salad, anyone?), Craig's dressing room and the infamous tanning booth!

The Strictly annual always makes a great gift. I was given a copy of last year's as a secret santa present!

With such a focus on hair in this edition, it is only fitting that the book is dedicated to Strictly's hair supervisor Neale Pirie, who passed away suddenly in August.

Ola Confirms Strictly Exit

Ola Jordan confirmed last night that she will be leaving Strictly Come Dancing at the end of the series.

Having given an interview to yesterday's Sun, she then confirmed the news in a series of tweets just before the start of last night's Blackpool show:

Hi tweeps.... So, yes it's true. I will be leaving Strictly at the end of this series. I have had an amazing 10 years on the show, but...

— Ola Jordan (@The_OlaJordan) November 21, 2015

..things change and I feel it's time for me to move onto other things I love Strictly and have met some amazing people and made some great..

— Ola Jordan (@The_OlaJordan) November 21, 2015

..friends who I will miss massively I am so grateful to the show for what it has given me...

— Ola Jordan (@The_OlaJordan) November 21, 2015

I also want to thank all of you for your continuous support throughout the show. You will never know how much it means to me I love you all😘

— Ola Jordan (@The_OlaJordan) November 21, 2015

I wanted to finally say how amazing all the pro dancers are. The show is a massive success is because you are all brilliant at what you do 😊

— Ola Jordan (@The_OlaJordan) November 21, 2015

Sunday Service: Week 9

Blackpool week. Can the Tower Ballroom live up to the hype it gets?

Jay & Aliona were up first with their salsa. I thought this was their best routine for a few weeks. Jay looked really relaxed on the floor. He was cool and suave, exactly what the salsa needs. The lifts were lovely, and Jay and Aliona had great chemistry. I really enjoyed the performance.

I felt that Jamelia couldn't keep up with the quickstep. She and Tristan flew around the floor, but it was a little messy, and there was a little gapping. Jamelia needs to point her toes more too. They were ugly hooks on the end of her legs. Something else, that wasn't Jamelia's fault, was the dress and hair. The skirt had so much material that it made the whole thing heavy, and likewise her hair was too long and had the same effect.

Anita did really well with the paso. Her flamenco styling was excellent, her arms were beautiful. She delivered lots of drama. But I didn't really like Gleb's choreography. There was too much posing, and way too much floor work. Gleb seemed to spend half the dance picking Anita up from the floor. I hadn't seen anyone swept around the floor that much since Ann Widdecombe.

The first half of Katie & Anton's American smooth was glorious. Katie looked beautiful, and her foxtrot was beautiful. It could only have been improved by releasing her toes. And there were move pivots, because we know she's good at those. If in doubt, pivot. But then there were a couple of small errors. Something happened getting into the first lift. Something looked odd in the running promenades. And she lost her balance just before the end. If she had nailed everything, it would have been a show-stopper. Instead, it was just very good.

I thought Peter & Janette's jive was pretty inoffensive, but not very interesting. His technique wasn't very good. His timing was off in places. Bruno was right on the money with his comment that the style of the dance was lost. You couldn't tell what it was supposed to be at times. Everything is just Peter style.

I loved Georgia & Giovanni's American smooth. The choreography was fantastic. They covered the floor well and made the Viennese waltz element look easy. The only thing which spoil the routine was the backing dancers. Yes, the backing dancer controversy continues. They almost didn't get Georgia up into the lift. So why do we even need them? I celebrity like Georgia lights up the room, and is a stunning dancer. She doesn't need backing dancers to detract form her.

I thought Helen & Aljaž's Charleston got off to a great start. Helen was made for that 1930s styling. She's so elegant. But I started to get bored about halfway through. And Helen started to lose it a little. Her timing was a bit iffy on one on the kick sections. She nearly fell up the starts, and there was another little error before the final lift. And the ending was very anti-climactic. She just didn't do it for me this week.

I really liked Kellie & Kevin's quickstep. It was so effortless. The covered the large floor so well. They were so together. One of the best moments was the Charleston section. She was so in sync with all of the backing dancers, it was amazing. They should Len's Lens that for all to see and appreciate. I loved the Dolly styling of her hair and dress too. This was possibly the only dance of the night where the backing dancers enhanced the routine. I really enjoyed it.

My favourite of the night was Kellie, but I enjoyed Georgia and Jay too, and Katie to an extent, and Anita couldn't be faulted on performance. The bottom two were easily Peter and Jamelia. And based on last night's performance, there could be a chance that Jamelia might survive another dance-0ff. There was less wrong technically with Jamelia's performance last night than Peter's. It might actually come down to Len's vote for once. I can't wait to find out!

Here are the videos...

Jay & Aliona



Jamelia & Tristan



Anita & Gleb



Katie & Anton



Peter & Janette



Georgia & Giovanni



Helen & Aljaž



Kellie & Kevin

Three More Celebrities Confirmed For Tour

Following the announcement that Frankie Bridge would be taking part in the 2016 Strictly live tour, three more celebrities have been added to the line-up; Anita Rani, Ainsley Hariott and Georgia May Foote.

I am loving Anita and Georgia, so I am pleased about this. Here's hoping that Gleb will be signed up - we all want to see the Gleb Special live and in person - and I would love to see Georgia's amazing Charleston live.

Book Review: Dancing Out Of Darkness By Kristina Rihanoff

Like most people, I have read a lot about Kristina Rihanoff in the papers, mostly negative, mostly about her personal life. So it's hard not to skip straight to those pages and get the inside scoop from the woman herself.

However, like all autobiographies, you have to start at the beginning. I didn't know very much about Kristina's pre-Strictly life, other than she had been in the cast of the Dancing With The Stars live tour in the US (the programme for which I should really dig out and see if she's in it - I saw the show in Fresno). Kristina had a difficult time as a kid. Her father and mother argued constantly, until he left, and was generally absent after that. Her mother later became an alcoholic, so Kristina was pretty much alone, and found solace in dancing and teaching.

Dancing lead her to the US, aged 19, not speaking a word of English. She partnered a man named Brian and depended on him and his family for everything. The two later become a couple, and married, until their careers started to take them in different directions.

Fast forward a few years, and following a whirlwind audition, Kristina is a household name on Strictly, partnering John Seargent. You'll know most of the story from there, expect that you probably haven't heard Kristina's side.

Kristina speaks honestly about the difficulties the press have presented, with their constant intrusion, but seems baffled by their interest. Unfortunatly for Kristina, the facination with the celebrities and their partners started long before she joined the show. If you are attractive and single (and now it seems even if you are not), the press will make up everything in between becuase it sells papers, or makes people click.

Those looking for the intimate details about Kristina's relationships will be disappointed. She talks mostly about how the stories were wrong, how she was persecuted by others selling their stories. She refused to do that herself, and felt she had to take the press abuse with no outlet. This book is now that outlet.

The thing I loved was how warmly she speaks about Joe Calzaghe. They were a couple for four years, and clearly they parted on good terms.

Sometimes, people suggest that Kristina is cold. Last year in Blackpool, while others were happy to chat to fans and pose for pictures, Kristina clearly did not want to be stopped. But having read the book, I now understand what a difficult time she was having. There were paps everywhere outside the venue, and I think Kristina wanted to protect herself. It was a totally different story just a couple of years ealier when the Dance To The Music tour was in Cardiff, and she was charming and happy, and was about to head off for dinner with Joe and his family.

The press are now suggesting that Kristina's time with the show could be coming to an end, and while the book concludes at the end of the 2015 Strictly tour, it certainly sounds as though she could be making her peace with the end of an era.

I had lost some affection for Kristina in recent times, but the book has reminded me what I loved about her when she joined Strictly, and that she is still that person. It was the press and social media which had persuded me otherwise.

Big thanks to the nice people at Midas PR.

Christmas Special Line-Up Revealed

The line-up for the Strictly Christmas special was revealed today. This year, all the participants are people who are no strangers to the dancefloor.

Series 11 winner Abbey Clancy with Brendan Cole

Alison Hammond (Series 12) with Robin Windsor

People's Strictly winner Cassidy Little with Natalie Lowe

Series 9 winner Harry Judd with Joanne Clifton

Series 6 finalist Lisa Snowdon with Pasha Kovalev

Series 6 winner Tom Chambers with Oti Mabuse

I am very excited by much of this. It's interesting that only Cassidy is dancing with his original partner. I would have loved to have seen Lisa back with Brendan.

I like the combination of Alison & Robin. It's great to have Robin back, and I think he and Alison will be heaps of fun.

I really loved what Oti did this year, and it'll be great to see what she can do with musical theatre star Tom.

Sit Bruce will be joining Tess for what has become a Christmas Day tradition. At least in my house.

Panto Round-Up

With the Strictly Christmas special cast just announced (more on that story later), it's time for my annual panto round-up. Want to see participants past and present in panto? Here is where they'll be...

Craig Revel Horwood (judge), Peter Pan - Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe

Robin Windsor (pro), Snow White  - Venue Cymru, Llandudno

Camilla Dallerup (ex-pro), Cinderella - The Pavilion, Worthing

Jessie Wallace (Series 6), Cinderella - White Rock Theatre, Hastings

Ricky Groves (Series 7), Peter Pan - Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone

Paul Daniels (Series 8), Aladdin - Regent Theatre, Ipswich

Scott Maslen (Series 8), Aladdin - Churchill Theatre, Bromley

Anita Dobson (Series 9), Sleeping Beauty - New Victoria Theatre, Woking

Edwina Currie (Series 9), Snow White - Northwich Memorial Court, Northwich

Dani Harmer (Series 10), Cinderella - Assembley Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells

Lisa Riley (Series 10), Jack & The Beanstalk - Alhambra, Bradford

Alison Hammond (Series 12), Aladdin - Sunderland Empire, Sunderland

Simon Webbe (Series 12), Aladdin - Theatre Royal, Nottingham

Jake Wood (Series 12), Peter Pan - Albans Arena, St Albans

Su Pollard (Christmas 2011), Snow White - Grand Theatre, Blackpool

Bobby Ball (Christmas 2012), Snow White - New Theatre, Hull

I'll be seeing Craig in Peter Pan. Oh yes I will.

Rest Up, Sir Bruce

Sir Bruce Forsyth is recuperating at home, following keyhole surgery last week.

He had a procedure on an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which was successful, and Sir Bruce is expected to make a full recovery in time for the Strictly Christmas special, which is being recorded on 7th December.

His manager told TV3: ''The procedure was a complete success and while Sir Bruce needs to rest and recuperate, it is anticipated, given the minimally invasive nature of this operation, he will make a speedy recovery.''

Rest up, Sir Bruce. The Christmas special is the highlight of Christmas day for me.

Sunday Service: Week 8

With places in the Blackpool show at stake, everyone wanted to show that they deserve to perform at one of Britain's most famous and iconic ballrooms.

Anita & Gleb started the show with their quickstep. Once again, it was a lovely performance from Anita. I loved the whole section in the middle of the dance which was out of hold, great choreography. They were pretty together throughout. The only thing I didn't like was the 'through the legs' moment. It doesn't really have a place in the quickstep. Anita continues to be a pleasure to watch.

Jay & Aliona's foxtrot was a nice enough routine, but Jay still lacks emotion. It was a little mechanical. I liked the opening and ending. Aliona's turns were stunning, and Jay supported her well. In hold he was less inspiring, but still solid. Such a shame about the little stumble.

Jamelia & Tristan spent too much of the samba out of hold for me. But then I am not really sure how anyone can be expected to choreograph a samba to A Little Respect. A cha cha if you have to. Maybe a foxtrot. But not a samba. Anyway, Jamelia's technique has improved a little. She did straighten her knees properly in places, although the technique seemed to wane as the dance wore on. There was too much wiggling, and not enough attempt at proper samba hip action. And I had to agree with Craig about her hands on the running promenades. Ugly.

Helen & Aljaž's tango was lovely. The routine was excellent. Helen was really sharp, and it had great drive. In fact, my only criticisms are nothing to do with Helen's performance. It would've been off the chart to a better piece of music, though. The song, Hold Back The River, totally killed the drama of the dance. I would love to see the dance set to another piece of music, or with a tango-style arrangement. Also, can someone tell Gilkison that those billowing metres of fabric that he is so fond of are really annoying in group numbers, and even more so in front of a single couple. Still, it's better than props or backing dancers I suppose.

Katie & Anton's 'grown-up' rumba was so old school, I thought I was watching an episode from 2006. I haven't seen such 'classic' choreography since the early days of Strictly. We all know Anton can't choreograph latin. He can't do sexy rumba. He can't do romantic rumba. He can't to that modern, lyrical rumba that the new pros are so fond of. So he went for basic, basic rumba. And pivots. Lots of pivots. Katie needs to finish her lines properly - she had very odd hands at times. She also needs to perform out to the audience more. Throughout the dance, she seemed to be looking to Anton for reassurance, and not performing for the audience. 

I really enjoyed Kellie & Kevin's weird hip-hop/samba fusion. It totally worked for me. I think Kevin did a good job mashing up the two styles. And Kellie's samba technique was very good. It was heaps of fun, and I loved it.

Peter & Janette's Viennese waltz was a bit too aggressive for me. There was too much attack for a dance that should be smooth and should glide across the floor. It was pleasant enough, but nothing special. The music was too fast.

Georgia & Giovanni. OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! I LOVED THEIR CHARLESTON! The beautiful swivels. That freakishly amazing lift. The nod to the choreography from the Chicago stage show. It was almost flawless. Just a teeny tiny stumble from Georgia.

If only Jeremy & Karen hadn't had to go right after Georgia & Giovanni. It made their quickstep look a bit boring. It was pleasant enough. Jeremy picks up his knees too much, which makes the whole thing looks odd. On the Charleston sections, he was lifting his knees up, rather than kicking his legs up sideways. He doesn't drive enough, although I wonder if that is because of the height difference between him and Karen. He could have stretched out so much more with a taller partner. I liked the routine, though. Great musicality.

Georgia totally smashed it this week. I also really enjoyed Helen and Kellie. I would be hugely surprised not to see Jamelia in the dance-off this week. She had a stay of execution last week, but her days are numbered. The only person she might be able to beat in the dance-off is Jeremy, and I really think the viewers will save him. They want to see what happens in Blackpool. But who will be against Jamelia? I think Peter might find himself in the bottom two tonight. Or possibly Katie.

Here are the videos...

Anita & Gleb



Jay & Aliona



Jamelia & Tristan



Helen & Aljaž



Katie & Anton



Kellie & Kevin



Peter & Janette



Georgia & Giovanni



Jeremy & Karen

Saturday Service: Week 7

After a theme week, especially one like Halloween, it's actually nice to get back to a normal show.

Peter & Janette kicked things off with the Charleston, which was awesome. It was high-energy, and brilliantly in sync. The one-armed lift was confident and the last lift was very clever. It was great to see Peter finally recapture what he had in Week 1.

Jamelia & Tristan's Viennese waltz was not very inspiring. There was so much gapping you could drive a bus between them. They almost tripped over the props, which is a little poor on Tristan's part, although Jamelia actually handled it very professionally. She looked lovely in her red dress, too. 

Carol & Pasha's American smooth was really not good. The whole thing was stumbly (hey, if the judges can make up words, so can I!) and woolly. The first lift was very clumsy. Carol has shown improvement in the past few weeks, but this was a step back. I did not enjoy the performance at all.

I had high hopes for Helen & Aljaž's rumba, but sadly my hopes were not realised. I had really hoped for more from them. The dance just seemed to be a series of poses. Rumba paint by numbers. They lacked an emotional connection. It was all a bit dead behind the eyes. Maybe they are still stuck in Halloween week...

I had also hoped for big things from Jay & Aliona's Argentine tango. When it's done well, Argentine tango can be one of the best dances on Strictly. Sadly, Jay was simply competent. Like Helen, Jay lacked an emotional connection with his partner. Jay needs to get his Frozen on and Let It Go. It's still too controlled. If anyone still thinks that Jay & Aliona's relationship was more than professional, that Argentine tango should reassure them that it's not.

Katie & Anton's quickstep could have been top of the leaderboard if they'd nailed it. Instead, it was littered with mistakes. There was too much gapping. It was all there, but Katie seemed to not be concentrating. There have been a few little 'incidents' in Katie's dances, where she seems to go to pieces, and forget parts. I'm not sure why this is happening, but she really needs to focus if she wants to go much further.

There were a few little errors in Anita & Glebs jive, too. Anita needs to point her toes on the flicks. You can't fault Anita's energy, though, which she maintained throughout. I loved the drop. That requires a lot of trust. I would have preferred her to wear heels, though. Flat shoes give the dance the feel of a lindy hop rather than a jive.

I really liked Kellie & Kevin's waltz. It took a little long to get going (although I did like the return of the light saber). I loved the heel turn sequence at the top. Kellie is technically one of the strongest in the ballroom. The pivots were fab. It was elegant and sweet. I thought they out-ballroomed Katie & Anton.

The song choice for Jeremy & Karen's tango was odd. It was the weirdest tango ever. There wasn't enough tango content for me. That old dodgy top line was back again. It was very entertaining, but I think Jeremy is coming to the end of his Strictly journey. It was bonkers, awful, genius and I liked it more than I've like Jeremy's more recent performances.

Georgia & Giovanni's samba was really good. There was actual samba, for a start. Georgia did a pretty good job at the difficult bounce action. It had lots of content, and Georgia did most of it well. It's a shame there was a small mistake in the middle.

My favourites were easily Georgia and Peter this week. The bottom two is very hard to predict. It will come down to votes. If Jeremy and Carol's fans keep them in, and Jamelia faces anyone but either of them in the dance-off, Jamelia is toast. But if the public feel sorry for her and save her too, there could be two good celebrities in the bottom. Katie, Kellie, Anita and even Peter could be in danger. Personally, I would put Jeremy and Carol in the bottom two, and I'd send Carol back to her weather map. But it's hard to predict. And we haven't had a shocker yet...

Here are the videos...

Peter & Janette

Jamelia & Tristan

Carol & Pasha

Helen & Aljaž

Jay & Aliona

Katie & Anton

Anita & Gleb

Kellie & Kevin

Jeremy & Karen

Georgia & Giovanni

Jay Struggling With Argentine Tango

The Argentine tango is reportedly causing a few problems with Jay McGuinness and Aliona Vilani this week.

According to the Daily Mirror, Jay has kicked Aliona in the head a couple of times. Jay is also having trouble with an old knee injury. 

But it's not just injures causing problems. A Strictly source also suggested that Jay is also struggling with the Argentine tango's intricate choreography: “It has all been going very smoothly for Jay and it looked like he would foxtrot to the final. But this week has been filled with problems. He can’t get his head round the steps and has kicked Aliona a few times. They’ve barely completed it correctly at all. Now Jay’s knee is leaving him in real pain too so they can’t work too hard. He’s starting to feel the pressure.”

Jay has been wearing a knee support for some weeks, but the injury has never been mentioned until now. It appears that the lunges and lines in the Argentine tango are taking their toll on Jay's joints.

I doubt, come Saturday night, there will be anything to worry about. Jay has been professional throughout the series, and we're all dying to see the show's first Argentine tango of the series. Jay would not have been given that if the producers didn't think he could score a home run.