Strictly Come Blogging

Louise. Lou. Loulabelle. Loulabelle44. Louby. loulabelle44@outlook.com.
Proudly blogging about Strictly Come Dancing ALL YEAR ROUND since 2006. Always spoiler-free.

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Brendan Let Go From Strictly

Brendan Cole has not been invited back to Strictly Come Dancing this autumn.

The dancer broke the news yesterday on Lorraine, explaining that it was an editorial decision, although he's not completely sure of the exact reason why.



In in emotional interview, he said: "I've been very lucky. I've had 15 incredible years, not many people can say that." 

He wasn't ready to give up just yet, though. "I've always said that as long as I've got a passion for it, I want to be there. And my passion is still very much there. I'll miss being a part of the team. I'll miss being a Strictly dancer."

Following his somewhat contemplative exit interview back in October, there was much speculation that Brendan was ready to hang up his Cuban heels, but it's clear from his words and demeanour on Lorraine that he is gutted by the news.

I have always enjoyed seeing Brendan on Strictly. With the right partners - Natasha, Lisa, Kelly, Sophie - he has put in some magical routines. And it's been a delight to watch him grow up and mature into the caring family man he has become.

This also begs another question. What about Anton?

I always felt like Anton and Brendan were kindred spirits. The old guard, who take little pops at each other, but work hard to keep up with the ever-younger pros around them. I always pondered that Anton might give up if ever Brendan did, because would the job be as much fun without a partner in crime?

It will be interesting to see what other changes will be made for the upcoming series. They have a new celebrity booker, so will the kind of celebrities approached be changing?

Watch this space.

To mourn Brendan's departure, here are a couple of my favourite Brendan routines. I actually wanted to include his paso with Sarah Manners, but sadly there are no YouTube clips.

Here is his Viennese waltz with Kelly Brook:



And his Charleston with Sophie Ellis-Bextor:



And, of course, no Brendan look-back would be complete without the 'Bacofoil' routine (aka Lisa & Brendan's showdance). He got a lot of stick for it, but I still respect what he was trying to do with this routine, even if it wasn't quite executed in the way he might have had in his head:



Thank you, Brendan, for your passion, your backchat, your choreography and the entertainment you have given us for the past fifteen series.

I am very sorry to know that my 'This girl' klaxon is falling silent forever.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

NTA Win!

Strictly Come Dancing won the Best Talent Show award at last night's National Television Awards. It was the show's first win since 2014.

Shirley Ballas also performed a short routine as part of the show, which took place at The O2 in London.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

NTA Final Round Of Voting - Strictly Needs You!

It's time for the final round of voting for the National Television Awards.

Strictly Come Dancing has made the shortlist for the Talent category, alongside The Voice UK, Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor.

Vote here! Winners will be announced live on ITV on Tuesday 23rd, so you don't have long left to support our favourite show.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

More Congratulations!

More congratulations are due this week.

First, congratulations to former Strictly champion Ore Oduba, whose wife gave birth to a baby boy on 9th January. Ore posted the news with a picture on Instagram.



And congratulations to former pro Natalie Lowe, who married her partner James Knibbs in Australia on 8th January. Catch the story of the day with photos in this week's Hello! magazine.















Thursday, January 11, 2018

Congratulations Roll Call

There are a number of Strictly faces had things to celebrate over the Christmas break.

Congratulations to Darcey Bussell, who because a Dame in the Queen's New Year Honours List. She tweeted her gratitude.



Congratulations to finalist Alexandra Burke, who got engaged to boyfriend Joshua Ginnelly on 18th December. She posted a pic to Instagram earlier this week, ending much press speculation.


18-12- 17 🇫🇷 I said YES! Smiling as I type this because it was the best day ever in Paris and so unexpected. My soul mate and my love asked me something that I could only have dreamt of. Being in love is one of the most magical feelings life has to offer. So grateful for this amazing man in my life who has supported my family and I through so much. We decided to keep this between us for a while to enjoy this special moment and that’s why we haven’t said anything... Something so amazing honestly felt so overwhelming because there was only one person I wanted to call when it happened. I know she is smiling and very happy for us both - because little did I know she knew about it. 😇 For those who guessed and have left such beautiful messages - thank you. Josh is someone who makes me so happy and I’ve never felt this kind of love before. Here’s to an amazing future that’s filled with love, joy and so much happiness. I love you Joshua Ginnelly. I can’t wait to see what our future brings and what God provides for us xxx
A post shared by Alexandra Burke (@alexandramusic) on

Congratulations to pro Amy Dowden, who also got engaged. Dance partner and boyfriend Ben Jones popped the question on New Year's Eve, and Amy posted a video of the magic moment on Twitter.
Congratulations to Strictly's director of choreography Jason Gilkison, who married partner James Carney on 30th December.

A post shared by Jason Gilkison (@jasongilkison) on

And finally, congratulations to former Strictly champion Abbey Clancy and her husband Peter Crouch, who welcomed their third child, Johnny Crouch into the world on 3rd January.

An exciting start to 2018 for all of them.