(Apologies that this is so late, I have spent the festive
period being ill and am only just getting back to something approaching
normal!)
We open with some snazzy credits, with snowflakes, candy
canes and other Christmas paraphernalia surrounding the glitterball in a kaleidoscope
effect. I think they might be an upgrade
on previous years’ graphics? [I can neither confirm or deny, I watched this year's episode in a turkey haze and remember very little about the titles... - Steve] Then it’s into
the annual ‘met the cast’ routine, which takes place at Leeds Castle. 'Pure
Imagination’ plays whilst Joe is an innocent decorating the tree at night and
wishing for Dianne to arrive and they have a very sensual boogie before we see Aljaž
and Nadiya engaging in more lovely waltz action than we got during the whole of
the last series. There’s also a coot dog
hanging round for…Christmas reasons.
Then daylight breaks and we’re outside, and it looks very cold
and wet and super miserable, but the pros are dancing to ‘Underneath the Tree’
and putting a brave face on it. Then Mark
Wright appears on a walkway and dances with Janette, and it’s actually nice to
see Janette again. The last two series
have really been a gamechanger for me in terms of my opinion of several female
pros. Karen started to turn my
affections around last year with Chucky Venice, but this year she’s become a
full-on goddess. Who knew losing Kevin
and a lot of hair could be so transformative? [The second part bodes well for me at least! - Steve] Nadiya had never clicked with me
until her partnership with David, which I really liked, and after Dr Ranj
reinvented Janette in my eyes, I have actually missed her this year since her and
Will's time got cut too short. The power of good
partnerships, huh? If any of them go
between seasons this year I’ll really miss them, which is not something I’d
have imagined saying even two years ago.
