Sunday 20 September 2009

Murder on the dancefloor

Series 7: Show 1
TX: 18th September 2009


16 new celebrities, one new judge, same old bloggers. Shall we begin?

Tess's voiceover informs us that the new celebs have been training frantically for The Toughest Strictly Ever (because it's not like they've said that phrase so often it's completely lost all meaning or anything). This weekend, the first eight celebrities will perform two dances. Two! It's double the pressure and double the drama, we are informed. This is Strictly Come Dancing - live!

New titles, of course. They're very shiny. Joe Calzaghe is this year's "ho!"

Bruce is here, as is Tess. Daly Dresswatch: a deep pink single-shoulder number accessorised with a black belt and black shoes. Not brilliant, but not terrible. It's a promising start, at least.

It is nice to see us, to see us nice. Tess is very excited to be back, and reminds us that the first set of couples have to perform two dances each over the weekend. Bruce congratulates Tess on the birth of her new baby girl, and the whole room applauds her. And just remember folks, it's not all over! You can be a new mother and still lead a full and active life! Bruce attempts to bowdlerise the story of how Tess came to be in possession of her new baby for the younger members of the audience. Tess is all "Bruce, the kids of today own iPods and carry knives, they're okay to know how I came to be with child", so Bruce amends his story to detail how Tess and her husband Vernon went up the stairs to the bedroom - and opened the window when the stork arrived. Ba-dum-tish!

We begin with a medley of all the dances that will be performed this series, courtesy of the professional dancers. There is quickstep, there is jive, there is rumba, there is cha cha cha...well, if you care enough to read this blog, you probably know what they all are, without me having to list them and potentially embarrass myself by misidentifying several of them. It's a pretty amazing spectacle, though, and reminds me just how awesome this show can be when it puts its mind to it. I mean, any show that can musically segue from Gloria Estefan's 'Conga' into 'Use Somebody' by Kings of Leon is fine by me.

It ends, and then we have our first production cock-up of the series - a shot of the upper gallery where Tess sometimes stands, and a member of the crew standing directly in shot (presumably to help line up the camera), which I suspect is not where they intended to cut to. For a second there I thought we had a new presenter, too. [If only. - Carrie]

The pros get a standing ovation, and Bruce welcomes back the judges - including new face, series five winner Alesha Dixon and reigning champion (remember, series six NEVER HAPPENED), who gets a pleasing whoop from the crowd. Alesha has tinted her hair a sort of honey colour, which I don't think is the best look for her, but on the whole she looks lovely. Bruce welcomes Alesha, and then tells the other judges he couldn't care less about them. Hee. Alesha says she has the best seat in the house, because she's got a prime view of the dancefloor and isn't stood backstage trying not to throw up before going on. Unless I misunderstood, and this is all product placement, and Alesha is in fact the proud owner of a brand new Ibiza SC - the best Seat in the house.

Bruce asks Len what he's looking for this series - Len replies that he's interested to see how the celebs cope with two dances, because it's going to be a very difficult first weekend, and he's also happy he's not sitting next to Bruno this year. (For those who didn't actually see the show, the seating order from left to right is now Craig, Len, Alesha, Bruno.) Bruno asks if people wouldn't much rather sit next to Alesha than Len, and then Alesha and Bruno start pawing each other, and I suspect we're going to be seeing a lot of that. Bruce asks if Craig's going to be nice this year, and of course the answer is no, though Craig clarifies it is never his intention to be nasty. Bruno says we are going to get plenty of drama, excitement, surprises and great dancing. Well, let's hope so.

Tess is up in the upper gallery, where the rogue crew member was just now, and introduces "the stars of our show", doing an utterly appalling Brucie impression. Couple number one is TV presenter Rav Wilding and his partner Aliona Vilani, couple number two are actress Zöe Lucker and her partner James Jordan, couple number three are EastEnders actor Ricky Groves and his partner Erin Boag, couple number four are "model and entrepreneur" Jo Wood and her partner Brendan Cole, couple number five are sports presenter Chris Hollins and his partner Ola Jordan, couple number six are actress Natalie Cassidy (in a hideously unflattering red sequinned leotard) and her partner Vincent Simone, couple number seven are racing legend Richard Dunwoody and his partner Lilia Kopylova, couple number eight are Olympic athlete Jade Johnson and her partner Ian Waite, couple number nine are actor Craig Kelly and his partner Flavia Cacace, couple number ten are tennis star Martina Hingis and her partner Matthew Cutler, couple number eleven are Hollyoaks star Ricky Whittle and his partner Natalie Lowe, couple number twelve are actress and presenter Lynda Bellingham and her partner Darren Bennett, couple thirteen are former England cricketer Phil Tufnell and his partner Katya Virshilas, couple fourteen are The Bill's Ali Bastian and her partner Brian Fortuna, couple fifteen are boxing world champion Joe Calzaghe and his partner Kristina Rihanoff, and finally couple sixteen are actress Laila Rouass and her partner Anton Du Beke. God, my fingers hurt. Jo Wood struggles to even clap in time, by the way. This should be interesting.

Tess and Bruce run through the new set-up, so tonight the first group will attempt either a waltz or a tango, and then the same couples will attempt a Latin routine tomorrow. Bruce is looking forward to Sunday - not because there is a Sunday show, but because he can go and have a rest. Voting will not take place until tomorrow, when the couples have danced twice and had their scores added together.

The first couple to dance are Rav and Aliona. Rav is mugging quite a lot - facially, I mean. He hasn't stolen Tess's handbag. Rav says that he's probably best known for his work on Crimewatch and has a bit of trouble saying "background" in his VT. He is dancing with Ashlee Simpson - sorry, Aliona Vilani. But the resemblance is uncanny. Ashlee says that she's known as the pussycat of the ballroom world. She is pleased to have a handsome partner. Rav is worried that his "massive turkey legs" will be a problem, and rips his trousers in rehearsals. A concerned Rav asks what happens if he accidentally grabs her boob, and Ashlee replies "just enjoy it, I don't know." Hee! I think I love her.

Rav and Ashlee are dancing the tango to 'Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing' and...it's not a great start. Rav's footwork is really messy and stilted, and he just looks very awkward and self-conscious - almost mechanical. And then as they start to speed up he starts pushing his bottom further and further out. Eventually it is over and they make their way over to the judges' table to receive their feedback. Bruce welcomes back the fabulous singers and wonderful orchestra, who will not be covering themselves in glory tonight (spoilers!). Bruce then proceeds to say "welcome back" to Ashlee, who is making her debut on tonight's show. But he is not doddery, etc.

Len says that the tango should have flexed knees, a tight hold, and a bit of passion and drama. He'd like to say it was first class, but he can't - he liked that Rav came out and attacked it. He says that like a lot of men, it had a good start but a disappointing finish. [Fnar. How does Len know? I thought HE LIKED GIRLS. - Carrie] Len scolds Ashlee for choreographing an illegal lift into her routine - she tries to counter that it was "more of a jump", but Len says he will have to knock a point off the score either way. Alesha thought that Rav looked the part, and says that it's tough being the first one out. She thought it was a bit too stompy, but says well done for giving it your whole (snerk). Bruno thinks that he ravaged the tango - people whoop because they mistakenly take this as a compliment. He says that Rav needs to listen to the music, because he was off-rhythm a few times. Craig says he was excited when Rav first came out, but that Rav's hands were flat throughout the dance, his footwork looked like it had velcro involved, there was lots of gapping and he thinks there's an awful lot of work to be done.

Rav and Ashlee head backstage to the House of Tesstosterone, where Tess asks him if it was a fair comment to say he "ravished" the tango. That's beside the point, surely, since it's not actually what Bruno said? Rav says he needs a pen and paper to note down all the comments, but he's got a lot to work on and hopes he can improve with his Latin tomorrow. Time for the scores. Craig: 3, Len: 6, Alesha: 5, Bruno: 5, for a total of 19. Not the best of starts, really.

Next up are Ricky and Erin. Bruce's joke relates to Ricky's role as Garry on EastEnders, where as a mechanic he was always tinkering with old bangers and now he's dancing with Erin. Cut to backstage, where Erin looks genuinely appalled before cracking up. Ricky's VT involves him saying he thinks he's more Fred Flintstone than Fred Astaire. Erin twirls amongst some glitter, before saying "I've been second, and third, and fourth, and...oh God." Word, Erin. We see the utterly, utterly ridiculous moment last series where Austin was inexplicably eliminated in favour of Lisa Snowdon, but Erin says that this is another year, and she's going to go for it. Their training footage seems promising - Erin says that even when he dances badly, he's not that bad. They look like they get on well, anyway.

Ricky and Erin are dancing a waltz to 'What'll I Do'. It's okay-ish - Erin's choreography is lovely as always, and it's not quite so awkward to watch as Rav's tango was, but Ricky is very concentrate-y in the face and his dancing is kind of stilted, making it look like he's about to fall over his own feet at any given moment. They walk over to the judges' table at the end, where Erin takes Bruce to task for calling her an old banger, and then says very earnestly, "you used to be my favourite". Ha! Erin is so awesome.

Len says that the waltz requires good posture and hold, and elegance - Ricky did look elegant and had great control, but he needs to lift his ribcage and lower his shoulders and get a better topframe. Alesha says that he moved really well around the floor, that she would agree with Len in him needing to lower his shoulders, and suggests Ricky harness his acting skills to show the mood of the dance in his face. Bruno says that the shoulders were the major technical problem, but says that the routine lacked romance - he didn't buy it at all. Craig thinks Ricky looked like a terrified spare part, and there is no relationship between them. Bruce tells Ricky he thought he had good posture, personally speaking, and Ricky - in a manner which gives him a lot of credit with me - accepts the compliment graciously without implying for a second that he's disregarding anything that the judges have just said.

They head to the House of Tesstosterone. Ricky says he wanted to smile more, but he was thinking so hard about the moves, it was difficult. He hopes to get the hang of it in the end. Scores - Craig: 4, Len: 6, Alesha: 6, Bruno: 5 for a total of 21. Erin considers this "not bad" and says "we'll take that", though it's not really as though they have any choice. Having said that, if ever a pro were to actively dispute a score on this show, you know it would be Erin. Or maybe Brendan.

Third up are Chris and Ola. Bruce tells us that Chris used to be a SPORTSMAN, and SPORTSMEN have done very well on this show. He also used to be a GMTV presenter, and if you don't know where that punchline is going to end up, what are you even doing here? VT: Chris looks really uncomfortable in his sparkly shirt, though he is not above wearing ludicrous outfits in his day job, as we see in a shot of him wearing an all-in-one lycra swimsuit, in a BBC Breakfast report I actually remember watching. He found Joe Calzaghe once in the boxing ring, and got his ass handed to him. He hopes he and Ola will get on, and notes with some level of glee that she doesn't exactly overclothe herself. Ola twirls under some glitter, and says she wants this to be her year. We see them training, and Chris says he loves the tango, but there is so much to learn. He hasn't slept for a couple of days, because the reality is kicking in. Ola, to her credit, seems to be a very understanding and patient teacher. Chris is scared out of his wits all the same.

Chris and Ola take to the floor for their tango to ZZ Top's 'Sharp Dressed Man' and...actually, it's pretty good. Chris's Serious Tango Face veers a bit too close to Constipated Face at times, but he has control of the routine and dances with some degree of precision. Plus it's nice to see a routine from Ola that doesn't involve the male celebrity standing there like a maypole while she dances around him. Comments: Craig thought it was not wild, passionate or sexy, and the kick-ball-changes were sloppy, but it was a fine effort. Len disagrees with Craig, he thought the body contact was great. Alesha was really surprised by him: she liked that he told the story through his face and thinks that he and Ola have good synergy. Bruno thought that he looked like he was sucking a lemon at times (which Alesha disagrees with), but he thought that the dancing was sharp and the timing was good. A very relieved Chris and Ola head backstage.

In the HoT, Chris says he really enjoyed it, and Ola was really happy with how it turned out. Scores - Craig: 6, Len: 7, Alesha: 7, Bruno: 6 for a total of 26. Chris and Ola are very happy with the score. Tess asks about the rumba they have lined up for tomorrow. Chris says it's "dirty - for me, for the professionals it might not be". Heh.

Jade and Ian are next. In her VT, Jade is sporting a very VV Brown-esque hairdo, and says that her dream is to win a gold medal at the Olympics. She says that she's going to be working very hard to prepare for 2012, and this is her chance to have a last bit of fun beforehand. Heh, I love that for Jade, this is the anti-work. She confesses that she's only fit when it comes to her athletics, and when it comes to doing anything else physical, her body hasn't got a clue. She's very excited to have the sparkle. Ian chucks some glitter around, and explains that Jade has to work on her elegance. Jade is finding it hard to let anyone else be in control, but says that Ian is a wonderful teacher. And while Ian/Jodie is my Strictly OTP, I have to say these two do make a great couple.

Their waltz is to 'Weekend In New England' by Barry Manilow, and Jade suffers from the usual ungainliness encountered by tall people [WHO ARE TALL - Carrie], especially when she has to work out where to put her arms, but all in all this isn't bad. Ian's right in that she has a bit of becoming graceful to do, but I think she's on the right track. Alesha thinks they look great together, and says that Jade has great potential. Bruno says that Jade can go far - she's very watchable, but she's also messy and needs to watch her lines on the top half. Craig liked her lines, but thinks they were hampered by her wrists and hands. It was a bit lumpy and tense in places, but all in all he thought it was first class. Len thought she had great musicality and movement, and was elegant - but she clings on with her left hand which makes her shoulders tense, so she needs to relax.

House of Tesstosterone: Jade says this is very difficult and she's a bit upset, but Ian keeps warning her about "the claw". Heh. [Diana Vickers? - Carrie] Scores - Craig: 6, Len: 7, Alesha: 6, Bruno: 6, for a total of 25.

Leaderboard so far: Chris and Ola in first place, Jade and Ian second, Ricky and Erin third, and Rav and Ashlee at the bottom. But don't worry, Rav, Joe Calzaghe hasn't been on yet! (Oops, spoilers.)

Time for some filler! The second group have been rehearsing a group mambo with world-champ Shirley Ballas, who is very strict. James and Zöe confirm that you do not mess with Shirley. Jo says her whole body is aching. James reveals that he went to get a coffee and came back to find Zöe dancing with Shirley, much to Zöe's distress. There's an awesome moment where Shirley rounds on Ricky Whittle with a withering "is that your best stretch?" at which point Ricky's self-confidence slithers out of the room and into the sewer. Craig Kelly says they've been thrown in at the deep end. Natalie says she's been put at the front, so she's first in the firing line. Craig says it's tough, but fun - "like toffee". Heh. Shirley tells them to go out there and make her proud.

And we'll be seeing that later, of course. Tess quizzes Phil Tufnell about the fact that he's in pink satin already. That's pretty much it, really.

Next up are Martina and Matthew. In her VT, Martina plays tennis with a glittery tennis ball. I WANT ONE OF THOSE! She talks about winning Wimbledon in 1997 at the age of 17, and she says that the dressing up and costumes of Strictly are every girl's dream. She wants to win, and hopes people will like her. After an epically gif-worthy shot of Matthew exploding with glitter, he tells us that he's won before and wants to win again. Martina is struggling in rehearsals, but smiles a lot. She thinks it could be even more nerve-wracking than playing in the final at Wimbledon.

They are dancing their waltz to 'Jesse' by Janis Ian and Martina does look rather hesitant in her performance - she's not a natural dancer, but she's really giving it a go, and that's really all you can ask at this stage, right? There are a few stumbly moments and her arms are all over the place, but they get through it without any major incidents. Bruno thinks she was very elegant, but rather tight, and says it looks like she's pushing Matthew away. He reminds her that technique and performance are equally important, and she needs to learn how to act. Martina's all, "yeah, usually I just concentrate on hitting the ball." Heh. Craig thinks they're not dancing as a unit yet, but thinks Martina has a lot of potential. He wants her to be less cautious, but it was "gorgeous" for a first attempt. Len likened it to a doughnut with no jam - it looked tasty but was disappointing. He thinks she's too loose in the core, and says there were a few "foot faults". Wah wah wah. Alesha thought it was lovely - she tells Martina that she knows she was nervous but that she's in safe hands, and advises her to just let go and relax tomorrow, and she'll be fine. Bruce asks if Alesha was jealous seeing Matthew dance with someone else, and Alesha says she "absolutely" was, before Bruno interjects that she was "bitter!" and erupts laughing.

House of Tesstosterone: Tess points out that Bruno said she was stiff and Len said she was loose. I think Martina's quite baffled enough by the whole experience without having the inconsistencies of the judging panel pointed out to her. Martina says that in tennis you're stiff all the time. Tess cracks that it's a "whole different ball game" and gets a "wahey!" from some of the other contestants for her efforts. Scores: Craig: 4, Len: 6, Alesha: 6, Bruno: 6 for a total of 22.

Next are Lynda and Darren. Ooh, Lynda's dental work leaves a bit to be desired. Lynda says in her VT that she would love to be known as a talented and versatile actress, but she knows that half the audience will know her as "that woman who makes gravy" and the other as "a loose woman". Heh. She's very excited to be dancing with Darren, who needs to bring out of her the determination to win. Darren says that he's aware Lynda is this year's comedy entrant, but he is determined to turn her into a competitor. In rehearsals, Lynda is pleased he has a sense of humour, and admits to being a bit stiff. She says that dancing for one and a half minutes feels like forever, and having to learn two dances is torture, but seems game enough all the same. As comedy contestants go, she's infinitely more palatable than John bloody Sergeant, anyway.

Lynda and Darren's tango is to 'Under Pressure', and the dancing is not good, I'm afraid, but Lynda is selling it as much as she possibly can, which I appreciate. The look on her face throughout is pretty priceless. Technically, it was dreadful, but heck, I'd be lying if I said I didn't quite enjoy watching it as far as spectacle goes. Len says it had drama and passion - he thinks Lynda's acting skills helped, but she needs more movement because "it was like both legs were down one hole of your knickers". Heh. He thinks it was great entertainment. Alesha's criticism: "Lynda, I have one word: fierce."

This seems like as good a point as any to state my feeling on Alesha becoming a judge this year. On the whole, I think she's doing a pretty good job. Certainly her comments don't give much advice on a technical level, but then you have Bruno, Len and Craig for that (and on the day when the three of them manage to get through an entire show without arguing or contradicting each other on any level, I will listen to any arguments about how Alesha's lack of professional experience has somehow destroyed an otherwise immaculate and perfectly coherent judging process, but not until then). I think she's actually quite helpful in terms of advising the contestants how they can improve their performance, especially since she puts it in terms that non-dancers can appreciate, which is something I think the other judges struggle with sometimes. I certainly don't think Alesha has done anything to deserve the slating she is bound to get in the papers and on most forums, especially not on the basis of two shows when she's still trying to find her feet and her place in a long-running series, and I think that with the benefit of time and experience she'll be absolutely fine. Having said all of that, however, I did kind of have my head in my hands during her feedback on Lynda's performance, because there is "encouraging" and there is "embarrassing", and on this occasion I think she crossed the line between the two. Believe me, Alesha, there is nothing to be gained from trying to imitate Tyra Banks. Have you seen what a mess America's Next Top Model is turning into?

Anyway, let's not dilly-dally any longer. Bruno loved Lynda's range of expressions, but "a bit more dancing would help!" Hee. Craig says it was the longest 1m30 ever, full of vacuous looks, and he was bored. Len thinks Craig "needs a check-up from the neck up", Lynda thinks Craig needs "more sauce in his gravy". I would like Lynda to stick around, if only for the level of bawdiness I anticipate she will provide each week.

House of Tesstosterone: Lynda "can't wait" to come back for the Latin tomorrow and kick her feet a lot. Scores - Craig: 3, Len: 6, Alesha ("I loved it!"): 7, Bruno: 5 for a total of 21.

Next are Ali and Brian. Ali plays a policewoman in The Bill and Bruce wonders if she gets mistaken for a stripper because of this, and then there is a terrifying moment in which stripper-tastic music plays and Bruce starts sliding off his jacket and undoing his waistcoat. There: I have recapped it, and now we need never speak of it again.

Ali's VT reminds us of when she used to pose for Hollyoaks cast calendars, therefore she is not afraid of the raunchy outfits on this show. She appears to be utterly terrified of the entire experience, though. She looks like she's about to faint just filming her VT. She says that the police boots on The Bill are a killer and she's pleased to have the chance to wear some heels. Brian does some nauseating toadying to the audience about how the British public accepted "this American boy" last year (oh I'm sorry, it must have been someone else who was repeatedly in the bottom two with Heather Small?) and he hopes that this "season" they do too. Ali is enjoying rehearsing the waltz, and Brian thinks she needs to be less robotic. His teaching method seems worryingly drill-sergeant-like, but in fairness, it seems to be working for Ali.

Ali and Brian are waltzing to 'Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)', and FINALLY, we've got a celebrity who can actually dance. She looks quite nervous still, and the performance isn't flawless by any means, but her technique looks good and there's a lovely leg extension in there that bodes very well indeed. She seems to be relaxing more as it goes on, and starting to enjoy herself. Craig thinks her top line needs some minor adjustments, as her right elbow flies away occasionally, but otherwise it was fab-u-lous. Len is sorry for anyone who watched a different channel tonight, because they've just missed a fantastic waltz. Alesha thinks Ali is the most naturally gifted dancer she's seen so far. Bruno thinks Ali has the potential for magic - aside from a slight slip, he thinks she was great and he can't wait to see her again.

Over in the House of Tesstosterone, we are told that they've trained harder than any other couple so far. Scores - Craig: 7, Len: 8, Alesha: 8, Bruno: 7 for a total of 30, sending them to the top of the leaderboard. They will be doing a rumba tomorrow, by the way.

And finally - oh God - Joe and Kristina. His VT shows us footage of him boxing, and he reminds us that he is undefeated. He says he's never danced before, so he's really nervous. Kristina says that everyone remembers her for being dragged across the floor by John Sergeant. Heh. She feels pressured in having to train a world champion. She seems very complimentary of Joe in their training, and he's enjoying it quite a lot. He'd like to at least stay in until next week.

Their tango is to some traditional tango music which sounds rather sinister, and dear God, there are no words for how appalling Joe's dancing is. He makes Mark Foster look like Mark Ramprakash. It's basically just rhythmic walking, and I know Kristina did a good job last year of choreographing John's routines to hide his weaknesses, but I think she's got a mountain to climb this year. That was just painful. Poor Kristina - stuck with the luggage again.

Alesha says that Joe looked petrified out there - she thinks they're a sexy couple, but she wants him to display more personality tomorrow. She offers a sunny "well done for making it through the routine" to close it off. Bruno calls it the most boring tango he's ever seen. He adds that Alesha is absolutely right - Joe needs to show some personality. Craig calls it passionless and lacking any form of attack. Len thinks he looks the part and has the potential to go a long way (based on WHAT exactly, Len?), but calls it "a dance that only a mother could love". He thought he could at least count on aggression from Joe, but he didn't get any.

In our final visit to the House of Tesstosterone, Joe says he'll try to prove the judges wrong, but admits he was very nervous. Scores - Craig: 2, Len: 5, Alesha: 5, Bruno: 4 for a woeful total of 16.

So here's the leaderboard: Ali and Brian are top, Chris and Ola are second, Jade and Ian third, Martina and Matthew fourth, Ricky and Erin and Lynda and Darren are joint fifth, Rav and Ashlee are seventh and Joe and Kristina are in last place.

Bruce is in the audience with Claudia, who'll be back with It Takes Two on Monday - hooray! Claudia said she loved the professional group dance so much she dribbled on herself. Hee! She can't wait to see the group mambo.

Speaking of which: here it is! They're all dancing to 'Tequila' and Ricky Martin's 'Maria' - and my initial observations are that Richard hasn't got a clue, that Joe is not much better, that Ricky W seems to show some promise and that Natalie Cassidy is going to be a right old trier in the spirit of Letitia Dean, bless her. And there's an awesome bit at the end where Natalie Lowe (I think) is chucked into the air.

Judges' comments: Len thinks that dancing with a muscular body is difficult, so he singles Ricky out for praise, Alesha thought they all did brilliantly, particularly Laila, Zöe, Natalie and Ricky, Bruno says to Richard "you nearly killed me - not a clue!" and Craig says Phil Tufnell's tongue was marvellous, given the amount of time it spent hanging out of his mouth, and he finishes with by saying to Brendan "good luck, darling". Aw, poor Jo Wood. She is so doomed next week.

Quick recap of the night's performances: Rav and Ashlee's stuttery tango, Gary and Erin's not-awful waltz, Chris and Ola's quite-good-actually tango, Jade and Ian's shows-promise waltz, Martina and Matthew's hesitant waltz, Lynda and Darren's lulz-filled tango, Ali and Brian's oh-thank-God waltz and Joe and Kristina's hideous tango.

And that's it! Carrie will be bringing you her recap of the Latin night very shortly, wherein someone will leave the competition. Boo! And Katherine Jenkins will also be there. BOOOOO! As will Tom Chambers. BOOOOOOOOOOOOO - oh, you get the idea.

1 comment:

Elle said...

Great to have you guys back - it doubles the fun of Strictly!

Two comments on the first show:

Firstly, Len claimed he was taking a point off Rav due to the illegal lift and then still gave him 6. For a first week dance? Craig really needs to become head judge.

Also slightly angry about the glossing over of Martina Hingis' exit from the tennis world. I'm surprised the BBC let her on. Mind you, she looks lovely in the ballroom dresses and the 'sportsmen' (boxer and jockey) don't look too promising for this year so maybe that swayed them.