It's that time of year once again when the TV suddenly becomes interesting in my house. As a rule, I don't watch any 'live' TV, I prefer to watch my rather large collection of DVDs, there isn't much that peaks my interest these days television wise. There are, however, three shows guaranteed to make me switch on or pay attention. They are Mastermind (although this is only ever watched with my dad to see just how much we don't know about certain subjects), The Great British Bake-Off (it's on its way folks) and finally, the Creme de la Creme, Strictly Come Dancing.
Yes, the sparkles and sequins are being shined once more as fifteen more celebrities line up to take on the challenge for the Glitterball. And to be honest, this year, it's anyone's to win.
More on the celebs in a moment. First up there are a couple of changes to the professional line-up. The first announcement was that Pasha Kovalev was not going to return this year. He did win the show a few years back with Caroline Flack as his partner and last year he partnered Ashley Roberts. He probably felt if he couldn't win with Ashley then he'd never win it again (my opinion only guys). So he has been replaced by a female dancer Nancy Xu, who is a former Latin champion and been a finalist in 'So You Think You Can Dance?' in China, as well as appearing in the West End and Broadway show Burn The Floor.
The next big shock came as it was revealed that beloved judge, Miss Nicey-Nice Dame Darcey Bussell would also not be returning to Strictly this year. As always there was much speculation about who would replace her until it was finally announced that the new judge would be Motsi Mabuse. If the name sounds familiar then it's likely to be because her sister is one of the pro dancers, Oti Mabuse. But if you are expecting favouritism then think again. Motsi was the judge on the German version of Strictly when her sister was a pro and was responsible for her being voted out by scoring her a measly 3 points. So no nepotism here, thank you very much.
So with the rest of the judges and pro dancers the same as last year, it's time to move onto the celebs themselves. This year, there are no obvious stand out dancers, no pop stars or stars with an obvious dance background. So as I say, it's anyone's guess who will lift the Glitterball, and we will have to wait and see in the first couple of weeks, who the ones to watch will be. Also unlike the last couple of years, I have no obvious favourite. Last year Danny John-Jules was my pick, obvious really given he's one of the stars of one of my all-time favourite shows Red Dwarf but this yeat? Nothing. Yes, I know some of the stars, by name really rather than by being a fan so again, I will wait and see how the first couple of dances go before I nominate my champion.
So here is the line up for 2019
Alex Scott - Ex England footballer, she represented Great Britain in the 2012 London Olympics. She is now a well-known football commentator, recently appearing as a pundit for the 2019 World Cup.
Anneka Rice - Now a BBC radio presenter, Anneka is probably most well-known for the two tv shows she appeared on in the 80's, namely Treasure Hunt, where two members of the public in the studio had to solve clues which sent Anneka to various locations in the UK via helicopter to locate the prize, and Challenge Anneka where members of the public would challenge her to complete a charitable project of some kind within a specific deadline, by gathering volunteers and various organisations to help her for free, both of which I remember watching.
Catherine Tyldsley - Actress, most notable roles are Iris Moss in 'Lillies' and Eva Price in 'Coronation Street'
Chris Ramsey - South Shields born comedian, Chris is a regular panellist on various comedy quiz shows and well known on the comedy circuit.
James Cracknell - Now a sports presenter, James represented Great Britain in rowing events in Junior World Championships, World Championships and the Olympic in both 2 men and 4 men teams, winning 2 Olympic gold medals along the way.
Emma Barton - Eastenders actress playing the role of Honey Mitchell, she also has theatre credits to her name so probably a bit of dance experience here.
Dev Griffin - Actor and DJ, is probably more well known for presenting the weekend afternoon show on BBC Radio 1
David James - Ex England footballer and goalkeeper, David achieving 572 appearances in Englands premier league (only 3 players appeared more) and was capped 53 times for England, being their number 1 goalkeeping choice in both Euro 2004 and World Cup 2010 campaigns. He is now a regular pundit for BT Sport.
Jamie Laing - A few minor TV roles, Jamie is most well-known for appearing in reality TV show 'Made in Chelsea'.
Karim Zeroual - Currently a presenter on CBBC (Children's BBC)
Michelle Visage - American singer, TV host and radio DJ, Michelle is most well known these days for her role as a judge on Ru Paul's Drag Race
Mike Bushell - Sports presenter on BBC, he currently holds the world record for trying the most sports in a bid to encourage more people to get active and find a sport for them. His record is over 350 different sports.
Saffron Barker - Hoping to emulate Joe Sugg's popularity, Saffron is another social media star
Viscountess Emma Weymouth - a Viscountess through marriage, she has had various jobs including modelling, brand ambassador, owns a lifestyle website and is a Huffington Post contributing editor
Will Bayley - British Paralympic table-tennis champion, ranked World number 1, Will was born with Arthrogryposis, which affects both his arms and legs. He won silver in London 2012 and gold in Rio 2016 Paralympics.
So there they are, the full line-up. Only Emma Barton really has any noticeable dance in her CV. The rest appear to be total novices. So now we await the launch show where each celeb will meet their partner and teacher in their bid to be Strictly champion 2019.
So the grand final of Strictly has been and gone, many apologies for not posting this sooner. I had all the intentions and with the run into Christmas, I never got around to posting it. However, it was a night full of wonderous dancing and amazing performances.
The pros kicked off with their opening dance introducing the four finalists for the evening. In the order they will be performing, please welcome Ashley Roberts and her partner Pasha Kovalev, Stacey Dooley and her partner Kevin Clifton, Faye Tozer and her partner Giovanni Pernice and finally Joe Sugg and his partner Diane Buswell.
So the first dance of the evening for the four couples is a dance chosen by the judges. They choose a dance they have already performed in an earlier week which they feel could be improved on from when it was first performed.
Ashley was given her Salsa from Week 3 which was her Dirty Dancing routine in Movie week. In week 3 she got a score of 35. Whilst it was a good routine and obviously iconic dance, and yes the lift was carried off well, I wasn't that enamoured with it the first time. I somehow feel her legs should be together in the lift, I would have to look at the original again to check but I still wasn't blown away in the final. However, the judges seemed to think it was perfect giving her a score of 40.
Stacey had to dance her Foxtrot from Week 4. I remember this being okay but nothing special and the faffing about with the motorcycle annoyed me. It was much the same the second time around, too much faffing but the dancing itself was okay. The judges gave her a score of 33 the first time which increased to 39 tonight.
Third up was Faye who was given her Viennese Waltz from way back in Week 2. I remember this one because I didn't like it at the time, it was too fierce and angry for the VW. However, the judges liked the take on it back then and feel like she can improve upon her first performance. Obviously, the routine wasn't going to change so the chances of me liking it a second time were slim to none. Again the judges liked it, increasing her score from 31 in Week 2 to a perfect 40 for the final.
Finally, it was Joe and he was given his Paso Doble from Week 7. I remember thinking how impressed I was with this routine but he had a bit of a wobble on the knee slide. It turns out he came out of it on the wrong foot which is why it looked wobbly. So he'd obviously worked on that and his free arm as well. The final performance looked more polished and I loved his cheeky little grin when he got the knee lift right. A great improvement from 34 up to 39.
So after the first dance, we have two dancers on 40 and two on 39. A close call but for me, Joe was the best in the first dance.
Now onto the Showdances. These are the dances which give the pros a chance to choreograph a dance which highlights the best in their celeb partners, showcase what they have learnt and generally give a spectacular dance without any restrictions on lifts, steps or techniques. However, I feel this season they have lost their impact a little with the introduction of the Couples Choice which is not quite as much freedom as the Showdances but fewer restrictions than the usual dances. You can find the links to all four Showdances in this article.
Ashley chose a very contemporary style to her showdance. It was visually beautiful, the lifts were perfectly executed and the timing was impeccable, especially using the revolving stage. There were no wobbles or missed cues. The whole thing was quite incredible to watch, however, the only thing for me is, as I mentioned earlier, it was too much like her contemporary Couples Choice dance so it lost a lot of its impact over me. Nice but not special.
Next up was Stacey and I was looking forward to this as Kevin had been building up the excitement for this during the week by saying it was something never before seen on Strictly and would require perfect timing to pull off. Talk about an anti-climax, Kev! This whole routine felt disjointed, rushed and not much dancing. It was more just running around from mark to mark and not at all the type of quality we have come to expect from Kevin. Disappointing.
Next was Faye and what a contrast to Stacey. This dance was pure old school class. It was elegant, entertaining and stylish. Giovanni knows exactly how to show off his celeb and their expertise. Faye looked confident during this routine, she knew she could dance like this and the sections on the top hat were sublime. A proper traditional style dance, straight out of the old dance halls. Perfect performance.
The final showdance was Joe's and it was completely different from all the other showdances and also different from anything we've seen from Joe so far. It was as if Dianne gave him the freedom to be himself and the confidence to break free of the confines of technique. However, there still seemed to be a bit of running around but not as much as Stacey. There were some great steps and recognisable steps in the routine but what really showed was Joe's enjoyment. Frantic but fun.
So the showdances scored 40 for both Faye and Ashley, 39 for Joe and 36 for Stacey. My favourite was Faye, she's topp(Hat)ed out for me.
Finally, the third dance from the finalists is their own choice. This is usually a dance they scored high on or just generally enjoyed performing in a final bid to impress.
Ashley chose to dance her Charleston again. This was from back in Week 6 and I thoroughly enjoyed it back then. I was pleased they chose to do this, it was fun and quirky but also technically perfect and fantastic to watch. I don't like her much but I do like this routine from her. It was so good to see her embrace her fun side and not the usual pouting show-off she usually comes across as. Perfect 40 once again but deservedly so.
Stacey and Kevin chose to revisit their Paso Doble from week 10. I always love Kevin's Pasos, he seems to excel at them and this was good the first time around. Apart from an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction at the end (it was a flesh coloured bodysuit but looked like something else. Surely a black bodysuit would have been much better?), this was a great routine and deserved her 39 points from the judges.
Faye's final routine was her Couples Choice Jazz, again from week 6. I was so excited to see this again. Although it didn't have the same impact without the Halloween makeup, it was still in perfect sync and such an incredible routine. Scoring 39 the first time because Craig marked her down for almost losing her glasses, this time not even Craig could fault her and she got the 40 score she truly deserved. Amazing performance.
The final dance went to Joe and unusually they chose, not the best dance but an early dance. They went for the Charleston from Week 2, according to Joe they wanted to do this again to see how much he had improved over the weeks. This was enjoyable back in week 2 although a bit rough and ready. This time, they had smoothed out the rough spots and raised their score a massive 7 points from 31 to 38!
Once again I put Faye on top so for me, Faye was the best performer on the night overall. My rankings were as follows
Faye, Joe, Ashley, Stacey
However, the judges placed them as follows
Ashley 120
Faye 120
Joe 116
Stacey 114
However the final result is determined by public vote alone, the judge's scores have no impact on the final winner. Whilst the votes are counted and verified, there was a performance from Michael Buble and the Class of 2018 take to the floor for one final dance (and yes Danny was back to feature in this).
Finally, it was time to reveal the Strictly Come dancing champions of 2018. Drum roll please.........and it's Stacey and Kevin!!!! Whilst I was pleased that Stacey won (and not Ashley), I was even more thrilled for Kevin. He is such a talented performer and teacher. He has been on the show for six seasons and been a finalist for 5 of those years. Even the year he didn't make the final, last year with Susan Calman, he took her further than anyone imagined. He truly deserved this win, his reaction was adorable and it was so cute to see the first person over to him to congratulate him was his ex-wife Karen. Still clearly so much affection between them despite their personal problems.
So ends another wonderful season of Strictly. Now we face the long wait until next August when the next round of celebs are revealed. (I know there's a Christmas Day show but I already knew the winner of this was Aston Merrygold, thanks to the Strictly Spoiler)
I can't believe we are almost at the end of this series of Strictly. It doesn't seem like two minutes since the contestants were first announced and then paired up. The excitement, the nerves, the case of 'Who are they?' as each celeb was announced but over the weeks there have been one or two delights as always and I have come to enjoy the series as much as the last. Sadly for the remaining five couples, one must leave this week and miss out on that grand final by a whisker. To be honest, despite the range of talent and experience between them, it is really a case of anyone can fall at the final hurdle and everyone wants to make it through. The heat is on as the couples have to perform not just one, but two new routines in a bid to become a finalist for 2018.
The game is on! Each couple will perform once, then after they have all performed one dance, they will all take to the floor again to perform their second choice.
So first to the floor tonight are Stacey and Kevin. Their first dance is the Charleston and they really threw everything at it. It was a true 1920's Charleston, Stacey the perfect flapper and such a heavy content of so many different steps and moves. Stacey has quite an ungainly quality at times but it suits the style of the Charleston perfectly as it's not supposed to be an elegant dance. Talk about opening with a bang, 39 points!
Next up we have Joe and Dianne performing the Viennese Waltz. I thought this was a very beautiful dance, very elegant and romantic and such a beautiful connection. However, it appears that it wasn't technically very good according to the judges and Joe ended up with his lowest score since Week 5, with 29 points and Craig giving him just a 6. Not the score you want in a Semi-Final.
Third, we have Ashley and Pasha, their first dance is a Paso Doble. I thought this would be quite good given how much I enjoyed their Tango and her outfit was certainly giving off a similar vibe. However, I found this to be a little too intense and too fierce, even for a Paso. It seemed to be far too aggressive and lacked the smoothness that you still get with a Paso. Not for me but scored a healthy 36 points from the judges.
Following Ashley were Lauren and AJ dancing the Tango. Lauren is definitely the weakest link of the five but she certainly gave her all in this dance. It was pretty good, not a great performance but certainly, a respectable effort given the competition she is up against. Lauren has developed her personality as the series has progressed and the shy little girl from the early weeks has gone to be replaced with this fierce and convincing lady. 31 points, not great, but not at the bottom.
The final couple to dance is Faye and Giovanni. They have been given the Samba, even Faye admitted she did not like this dance. However, you couldn't tell given her performance. It was fun, bright and lively and she carried it off very very well. Not quite as enjoyable as the one in Blackpool from Charles but a pretty fun routine to watch. With a score of 37, it puts her second on the leaderboard, just behind Stacey.
So after Dance 1, the leaderboard looks like this
Stacey & Kevin
39
Faye & Giovanni
37
Ashley & Pasha
36
Lauren & AJ
31
Joe & Dianne
29
Whilst it's not unusual to see Stacey at the top of the leaderboard, it's the first time Joe has been at the bottom. It will mean the stakes are pretty high and the second dances are critical for most of the celebs.
So the running order remains the same as before, which means its Stacey up again, this time performing a Viennese Waltz. It was nice and elegant and clearly, from the judges score it was more technically accurate than Joe's but I found Joe's to be more moving and emotional than Stacey's. Still, it was pleasant to watch and deserving of a high score of 36.
Joe's second dance of the night is the Argentine Tango. With a nod to the BBC show Peaky Blinders, I found this to be seriously good. It was passionate, it was dramatic and very very compelling to watch. However, I agree with the judges that Joe wasn't the one in command of the dance, it was more down to Dianne but it should be the man taking control. He's only a young slip of a boy so this would have been a stretch for him but despite that, I really enjoyed it even if the judges marked it low at 30.
So dancing once again we have Ashley and Pasha and this time they are performing the American Smooth. I have to say I really enjoyed this, much more than their Paso Doble. This was light, clean and danced beautifully and the lifts, especially the one-legged lift, were timed and executed perfectly. I still don't want Ashley to win the final but this dance really did deserve the perfect 40 it received, for me much more than their jive did. Very impressive.
Performing their second routine of the evening are Lauren and AJ, this time dancing the Samba. Unfortunately for Lauren, this was not her dance and her timing issues were far too obvious. As Craig commented, if you mess up, try and hide it. Unfortunately, Lauren doesn't have the skills to do this and it showed. Although she did seem to enjoy herself during the dance, it wasn't her finest moment in the show and at this stage of the competition, you need a much higher score than 23.
So the final dance of the evening belonged to Faye and Giovanni and they were also dancing the Argentine Tango. Now whilst I enjoyed Joe's attempt earlier, THIS is an Argentine Tango! It was sultry, it was sexy, it was exciting and the footwork was simply exquisite. I knew the choreography would be superb from Gio but this was incredible. Personally, I think it deserved a 40 but dropped just one mark (Damn you, Craig!)
So when the scores from the second dances were added to the first, the final leaderboard looks like this.
Ashley & Pasha
76
Faye & Giovanni
76
Stacey & Kevin
75
Joe & Dianne
59
Lauren & AJ
54
So onto Sunday night and the most important dance-off of the series. The stakes have never been higher. The first couple into the dance-off is Ashley and Pasha, showing that she is really lacking public support given such high marks she received. She is to face Lauren and AJ who when they found out must have already said their farewells. It was always going to be such a futile dance-off but rules are rules. Before the show, each couple had to choose which of their two dances they wanted to perform again in the event they were in the dance-off. No real surprises in that Ashley chose the American Smooth and Lauren chose her Tango.
With all four judges opting to save Ashley and Pasha, we have to say farewell to Lauren and AJ. I really do feel for AJ, he's only been in the show for three seasons and each time got to the semis, only to be beaten at the last hurdle every time. Maybe next year, sweetie.
So we have our four Strictly Come Dancing 2018 Finalists
Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell
Faye Tozer and Giovanni Pernice
Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton
Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovelev
I can't wait for next Saturday. No judges scores, they only score for guidance. It is purely the public vote that will determine who will lift the Glitterball this year.
We're at Week 11, only two more weeks to go until the Glitterball winner is chosen. Not only is it the Quarter Finals tonight, but it's also Musicals Week and another chance for the costume department, the makeup department, the props and the extra dancers to show what they can do. Yes, almost as fun as Movie Week, it's always a spectacle and always a fun week. Unlike Movie Week, at this stage in the competition, we're down to mostly the best dancers so the routines are likely to be second to none.
First of all, we start with a pro dance based on Mamma Mia and what a routine! The casting was delightful with AJ and Dianne taking on the roles of Sky and Sophie, Anton du Beke was Sam and Karen Clifton was Donna, which may seem out of character but as she is the eldest of the female pro dancers at 36, it was the logical choice. But it was the roles of Harry, Bill, Tanya and Rosie that were inspired. These roles went to none other than our own four judges, Bruno, Craig, Shirley and Darcey. Whilst Bruno and Craig looked like someone had booked their dads on a Club 18-30 holiday to Greece, Darcey and Shirley showed why they were award-winning professional dancers. Even the celebs got in on the act and showed up at the end, but all in all, a truly stunning routine and a whole heap of fun.
But then it was on to the celebs to take to the floor and show what they have been learning in this past week.
First up were Lauren and AJ. They were dancing the American Smooth to 'I'm In Love With A Wonderful Guy' from the musical South Pacific. The last couple of weeks have been a bit dodgy for Lauren, she's been bottom of the leaderboard and lucky to stay out of the dance-off. But what a way to come back and up your A-game! This routine was gorgeous, Lauren really brought out her personality and got into character, the connection with AJ was there, the routine was technically good and she scored her highest mark yet. What a comeback.
Next up, however, we had Faye and Giovanni. They were dancing a Charleston to 'The Lonely Goatherd' from The Sound of Music. Whilst Giovanni's outfit seriously creeped me out, there was nothing scary about the routine, apart from perhaps how scarily FANTASTIC it was. They were so completely in sync with each other, not a step wrong or an arm out of place. It really showed off Faye's fun side, much like Ashley's Charleston did. The Charleston has always been one of my favourite dances because it is a very fun dance to watch and Faye did not disappoint. Craig's 10 paddle saw the light of day once more and earned them a perfect score of 40 and top of the leaderboard.
Our third couple to dance was Charles and Karen. They were doing the notoriously difficult Rumba to the song 'Maria' from West Side Story. It was beautifully acted and more importantly beautifully danced. Karen highlighted the best of Charles and he stepped up to the mark, producing a beautifully tender yet passionate dance. He earnt high praise from the judges and even Craig said it was the best male Rumba he's ever seen on Strictly. That is high praise indeed.
Next up was the technically brilliant but utterly boring Ashley with her partner Pasha. They were dancing the Quickstep to 'Don't Rain On My Parade' from Funny Girl. It was a very quick Quickstep, there was hardly time to stop and breathe as they moved from step to step. As I said, Ashley is a brilliant technical dancer, obviously having the training and I don't care if it's not ballroom training, Craig Revel-Horwood, it's still dance training so she knows how to listen to the music, how to move with a beat etc so yes she has an advantage. However, despite her dances being technically good, her performances don't move me to emotion mostly. I say mostly as there are a couple of notable exceptions such as her Tango, and her Charleston. But on the whole, she's boring.
Next, we have Stacey and Kevin and they are dancing an American Smooth to 'I Dreamed A Dream' from Les Miserables. Now, previously I have been supportive of Stacey. I think for a non-dancer she has performed exceptionally well and has produced some totally stunning dances and having Kevin for a partner has helped as he is an amazing choreographer. However, she is beginning to irritate me a little bit. She's very over the top and has a very annoying habit of interrupting the judges when they are commenting on her dances and also host Claudia Winkelman when she's interviewing her. Anyway, back to her dance and although she had the iconic musical of Les Mis, I felt this was very little dancing and mainly Stacey being lifted and passed around. Also an American Smooth only allows a maximum of three lifts and there were more than that, at least six. Yet there was no penalty in the marks which seems to show a little favouritism from the judges. Still, the bits where she did dance were quite lovely and I really do love Kevin.
The final couple to dance was Joe and Dianne. Joe is definitely coming out as my favourite as the series progresses. They were dancing a Salsa to the Joseph Megamix from 'Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (glad I only have to type that out once). Joe has gone from quite a shy, nervous dancer to such a confident and relaxed dancer. He throws everything he has at the dances he's given and really sells a performance. And those lifts, never has the man been lifted like that before and that final lift into the air was incredible, he kept his frame so strong and straight and not even a hint of a wobble. What a way to end the show!
So by the end of the show, the leaderboard is looking very very close
Faye & Giovanni
40
Stacey & Kevin
38
Ashley & Pasha
38
Joe & Dianne
36
Charles & Karen
35
Lauren & AJ
35
With only five points separating the top from the bottom, it's going to be an interesting results show.
So Sunday night's show opened with a Sweet Charity dance to Rhythm of Life. It was good, except for the annoying clapping from the audience. The show also saw a performance from Adam Lambert, showing just why he was chosen to sing with the remaining Queen members. I almost said to replace Freddie Mercury but no-one alive can do that, he was the greatest. Still, Mr Lambert is extremely good and sang an excellent version of We Are The Champions.
However, you're here for the dance-off and it's sad to see Charles in there first of all. Even sadder, when he's joined by Ashley because before they even dance again, it's pretty obvious how the result will go. Predictably it's a clean sweep and all four judges vote Ashley through, however, I felt sorry for Charles as his routine and performance was the more heartfelt and had more depth. I am sorry to see him go as he's grown so much as a dancer.
So it's on to next week and the Semi-Finals, where the couple will perform two dances instead of just the one. The obvious weakest performer is Lauren but she is clearly getting a lot of public support whereas Ashley clearly isn't so anything could happen next week when it really all counts.
So the sticks of rock are eaten and the Kiss Me Quick hats back in the wardrobe and the ride on the Big One a distant memory as the seven remaining couples return from the dazzling lights of Blackpool and it's back to work in the studio to try and gain a place in next weeks Quarter Finals, which also happens to be Musicals Week. Not only do the couples have their own dance to learn but they also have to get in some practice for the LindyHopathon. More about that little fiasco later.
So who will be sailing through the auditions to Musicals Week and who will be going home to find a 'proper job'? Let's see how they fare then shall we?
First up tonight were Graeme and Oti and they were dancing the Quickstep. Graeme always knows how to bring his character out in his dances, even if he's not always spot on technique wise. It was unfortunate he had a bit of a stumble at the end which spoilt an otherwise decent performance. Aye aye, sailor!
Next onto the floor were Ashley and Pasha dancing the Samba. After scoring the perfect 40 in Blackpool, the pressure was on to maintain that high standard but unfortunately, she fell a bit short. It wasn't bad, let's face it this is Ashley the pro dancer, but it wasn't perfect and it showed in the marks given with only Bruno thinking it was perfect and giving a ten.
Following them were Faye and Giovanni. They should have been dancing the American Smooth this week but after a day of rehearsals they had to switch to a Waltz as Giovanni had hurt his back and would be unable to do any lifts so as the Waltz has none, it made sense to change. What a perfect switch as this was the most beautiful waltz I've seen for a long time. It was so classy and elegant, just perfectly in time with the music and divine. One point off perfect and top of the leaderboard. Take that, Ashley!
Next to dance were Joe and Dianne. They were doing the Couples Choice and had opted for Street/Commercial which suited Joe down to the ground. Yes, there were a few timing issues here and there when they were a bit out of sync, however, I thoroughly enjoyed this routine. It was fun, snappy, bouncy and quite daring with all the props.
The next couple up were Charles and Karen. They were dancing the Tango which is quite a change from their fabulous Samba last week. Sadly the performance was quite different too. Charles struggles to keep his frame which needs to be tight for a Tango but sadly he was still quite loose and fluid in the hips which fail for a Tango. I also didn't like the music choice for this either, I don't think it suited a Tango at all. Not his best dance by any stretch of the imagination.
Lauren and AJ were up next and they were dancing a Salsa. This was pretty good and much better than last weeks Argentine Tango. Lauren has really started to get into her characters more and she was loosening up. There were a few issues here and there, some moments when she was a little hesitant but overall I found this quite entertaining. However, the judges didn't and scored her quite low, putting her at the bottom of the leaderboard.
The final couple to dance was Stacey and Kevin and they were doing the Paso Doble. Oh my, this was good. Now Kevin always manages to choreograph a fantastic Paso, they are quite often a sight to behold. The last two years he's done them at Blackpool, and I especially liked the one he did there with Louise Redknapp. This one with Stacey even surpassed that. It had all the elements of a classic Paso, the shaping was clean, the fierce passion and energy were present and the chemistry these two have is outstanding. I was so pleased to see their first tens, and three of them at that. Joint top of the leaderboard with Faye was totally deserving.
So at the end of the regular dances, the leaderboard stands as follows
Faye & Giovanni
39
Stacey & Kevin
39
Ashley & Pasha
36
Joe & Dianne
35
Charles & Karen
30
Graeme & Oti
24
Lauren & AJ
23
However, all couples now had to compete in the Lindyhopathon. All couples would be on the dancefloor at the same time. The judges then had to rank them in order from best to worst, with the top couple getting an extra 7 points to add to their score, right down to one extra point for the worst couple. The danceathon was a bit confusing, it's hard to see everything going on when all couples are dancing at the same time but doing different routines. Finally, (after a total cock up with losing the scores on the iPad and then losing the bit of paper, then Shirley announced them in the wrong order), the judges ranked them as such.
Ashley & Pasha
7
Faye & Giovanni
6
Joe & Dianne
5
Stacey & Kevin
4
Charles & Karen
3
Graeme & Oti
2
Lauren & AJ
1
When these extra points were added to the scores from their individual dances, the final leaderboard looked like this.
Faye & Giovanni
45
Stacey & Kevin
43
Ashley & Pasha
43
Joe & Dianne
40
Charles & Karen
33
Graeme & Oti
26
Lauren & AJ
24
So it didn't change the leaderboard too much, other than giving Faye a clear lead at the top and bumping Ashley into joint second with Stacey, the rest remained unchanged.
But onto Sunday night and the results show. After a fabulous opening routine from some of the pros who were dancing with members of Candoco Dance Company (all of whom were disabled in some capacity but still fabulous dancers), the first couple in the dance-off was Graeme and Oti. No real shocks there as he was next to the bottom of the leaderboard.
After a forgettable performance from Rod Stewart, who really should retire as he's not the singer he once was, the second couple joining Graeme into the dance-off is Ashley and Pasha! Well, I don't think anyone saw that coming, least of all Charles who was the last one to go through and had clearly resigned himself to being in another dance-off but his shock was all too clear to see. I think really everyone knew what was coming next but as per the rules, both couples had to dance again and predictably all four judges opted to put Ashley through. I admit she is the better dancer but a sneaky part of me was hoping she fell over or something. So it's farewell to Graeme but I think this is the first indication that the public is not behind Ashley at all, it's Alexandra Burke all over again.
So it's my second favourite week next week and its Musicals AND the Quarter Finals! The stakes are high and there is so much to play for now. Who will triumph and who will fall? Stay tuned to find out.
The lights just got brighter and the sparkles more sparkly as Strictly comes to Blackpool. The Tower Ballroom, home of Ballroom and the pinnacle of the season, only the final is a more important night in the world of Strictly. It's the one aim for everyone to say they danced at Blackpool but only eight couples out of the original fifteen can make it. It's sure to be a spectacular night as they roll out extra props, extra dancers and in some cases, fire! Oh, and Craig's 10 paddle got an outing at the seaside.
So how did our celebs fare this evening? Well, let's just pause a minute and appreciate the amazing opening number. Pro dancers and celebs combined to dance to a Gloria Estefan medley and the lady herself was present to sing it. She may look older and not quite as nimble as she was but she can still crank out that Dr Beat and boy did the rhythm get ya!
So onto the celebs dances, and opening the show tonight was Kylie Minogue, sorry I meant Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton. My inner nineties pop child had only just got back into its locked box from last week's Hanson number, but it's busting free for a Salsa to Gina G's Oooh Ah Just A Little Bit. It's cheesy, it's cheeky, it's total Eurovision (it actually genuinely is) but Stacey seriously sold it. They just looked to be having so much fun out there, although she looked a bit unladylike sitting astride that big stick of rock. Not a bad effort and still looking like she could go all the way.
Next up we have Lauren and AJ, they are tackling the Argentine Tango. This wasn't great for me. It lacked any kind of precision or continuity. It just looked like a bunch of dance steps that she had to get through, there was no connection with the dance, with the music or with her partner. I didn't like her outfit either, it seemed to restrict her a lot with her movements. A reasonable effort but nothing like an Argentine Tango, my favourite is still Alexandra Burke's last year, that was outstanding.
Next, we have Graeme and Oti doing their Couple's Choice and they've gone for Theatre/Jazz. More Theatre than Jazz definitely and a proper old-style musicals number here. It was good, but not that great. Graeme always brings such personality to his performances and you can tell he is having a lot of fun in the competition. He's not always the most technical of dancers but he is a performer which helps in this new category particularly when you don't have to follow any rules as such. He just needs to polish the performance up a bit more.
The next couple though, now that was a performance. Faye and Giovanni were dancing the Paso Doble. There was Giovanni in a see-through shirt, there was Faye looking all fierce and angry and there was fire. Yes, you read right, there was fire. I confess I was watching this almost from behind my hands, I was convinced Faye's dress was going to set alight but it didn't fortunately. This was a strong Paso, full of passion and energy. There was a strong connection between the two of them and some lovely shaping and Spanish lines. Off to the top of the leaderboard with just 2 points off perfect.
Next, we have Kate and Aljaz, on their Blackpool honeymoon after their Quickstep wedding last week. This was an American Smooth and it was very smooth. It was sweet and romantic, but also had some good timing and good lifts. Very enjoyable, I think Kate may have hit her stride after a bad few weeks, we are starting to see a dancer emerge once again.
Oooh, next it's a pool party at Charles and Karen's place. Dancing an energetic Samba to La Bamba, this was A-MAY-ZING. Charles totally nailed that Samba which not many of the celebs have managed so far. Bruno even went as far to say that when he was dancing with the other male pros he looked like one of them. Charles has suddenly gone from consistent scores of 25 to joining Faye at the top of the leaderboard. Getting his first 10s and two of them to boot, another dance just 2 away from perfect. Oh, and they were Karen's first 10s as well, having been in Strictly now for 6 years.
Next up were Joe and Dianne. They were dancing the Quickstep. Joe had previously said he wanted to get to Blackpool because his nan used to dance there at tea dances and god bless her she was in the audience to watch him. He certainly did her proud, it was a proper old-fashioned style dance, very Fred Astaire like and his timing was impeccable. Craig only scored him 8 but with three 10's from the remaining judges, Joe scored 38 points as well. It's getting rather crowded at the top of that leaderboard.
The final dance of the night to bring the show to a close was Ashley (who else, talk about giving her top billing, always the last celeb to be announced at the beginning). She and Pasha were dancing the Jive. Yes it was good, yes it was fast and slick and yes it was perfect because she is a trained dancer. I think we all know she's going to be in the final, but if previous years are anything to go by, she won't win it because the general public is very unlikely to vote for a trained dancer. Danny Mac, Alexandra Burke, Debbie McGee. All finalists but it was Ore Oduba and Joe McFadden, the non-dancers, that lifted the Glitterball. The public knows best, I'm sorry. Still, with a perfect score of 40, she has to knock down the other three and claim the top of the leaderboard for herself.
So at the end of Saturday night, the leaderboard looks like this
Ashley & Pasha
40
Faye & Giovanni
38
Charles & Karen
38
Joe & Dianne
38
Stacey & Kevin
33
Graeme & Oti
32
Kate & Aljaz
30
Lauren & AJ
25
Then it's onto Sunday night. Nothing memorable about the opening pro dance tonight, not even sure what the story was other than Giovanni and Graziano having a fight over a girl. Anyway, nothing special.
So the first couple into the dance-off is Graeme and Oti. It's Graeme's third dance-off, joining Charles for the number of times for being there. As I said, I liked his routine but it wasn't anything spectacular. Joining him in the dance-off is Kate and Aljaz. Surprising, because I was expecting Lauren as Kate was stronger than Lauren but clearly Lauren has the public support behind her.
So after a performance from Take That (seriously what is with these singers bringing their own dancers to a dance show?), the dance-off commences. Both couples performed well, no obvious errors from either of them but all four judges voted unanimously to save Graeme and Oti, which means we have to say our farewells to the lovely Kate. It's unfortunate as I feel she was just starting to bloom again, she has had much worse weeks when I expected her to leave but the last couple of weeks has seen a vast improvement. However, it's not meant to be but she can leave on a high, she danced in Blackpool and danced well. We will miss her.
So we are down to seven couples and next week sees something new. Last year we had the Paso Doblethon where all remaining couples dance the same dance together. This year sees a Lindyhopathon, so not only will they have to learn their own routines, but they will also have to learn a brand new dance as Lindyhop has never been featured before. It's a lot like the Jive apparently but I can't wait to see what happens. Might make the leaderboard very interesting.
So we are at Week Eight and there are nine couples left and the ballroom already feels a little less bright now Dr Ranj is no longer around but all of the couples are dancing tonight in the hopes of getting to the real brightness of Strictly, the bright lights of Blackpool. The Mecca of Strictly is just around the corner but for one couple, the bus will be leaving without them Let's ignore the silly drama in the papers this week again, this time based around Danny and Amy and move on to the dancing which is what the show is all about.
Opening the show we have a wedding. Kate and Aljaz are getting married and dancing the Quickstep. Now last week I felt Kate had reached her peak and she was struggling, I felt she didn't have much more left in her. How wrong was I proved tonight, ladies and gents? This was fun, fast, perfectly in sync with each other. It reminded me of Vick's Quickstep back in Week 4, it had everything right about it. She hit 30 and I think deserves to go on to Blackpool.
Next up and entering the carnival party mood are Danny and Amy. They are dancing the Samba this week. Looking like he's just stepped off the set of Death in Paradise (although in someone else's costume), Danny shook his body for all he was worth. It was a little lacking in fluidity at times but he certainly gave it his all and after his disastrous week last week, he was back without the mistakes, just lacking in the flair required. Danny's problem throughout the whole series has been the stiffness in his body, he just needs to loosen up more.
Next, we have another Couples Choice and the choice is Contemporary. Ashley and Pasha chose this dance and I'm sorry, but I just don't get this dance. It's not dancing to me, it's twirling and stretching about on a dance floor, and why are they always barefoot when they dance it, do they have an aversion to shoes for Contemporary? I'm obviously missing something because a score of 39/40 took them to the top of the leaderboard, possibly the sympathy card, way to go Ashley. Milk it for all it's worth, kid. *sniffle* Dedicated to my father who is sadly no longer here to see it *sniffle* *sneaky glance to see if anyone is watching* *sniffle some more* Well done, Shirley. You fell for that, hook line and sinker didn't you? No way for me, but hey she's obviously a ringer for the final.
Once the sea of crocodile tears was swept away, we had....sorry I'm blinded by the dayglo lycra.....oh it's Graeme and Oti. Once again showing off his fun side and clearly, he is game for anything the wardrobe department throw at him (looks like Mr Motivator's old clothing). Graeme is dancing the Salsa and it is the most bizarre routine I have ever seen. I wasn't that keen on it, it looked a bit messy and thrown together but the judges surprisingly loved it and gave him his joint highest mark, comparable to his Spiderman Charleston in Week 3. Personally, I preferred his Waltz last week and his Samba in Week 1.
Next up were Faye and Giovanni doing Gio's favourite dance, the Jive. It was good, but it wasn't great for me. It was a pretty good Jive but nothing that blew me away like Danny's did, or even Ore a couple of years ago or Alexandra's last year. Giovanni needs a really good partner for a Jive because like Debbie McGee last year, Faye wasn't really WOW like she has been in other dances. Good but I expected better from her.
Next up is the competition's dark horse, Stacey with Kevin. Dancing to one of my all-time favourite songs, from Breakfast at Tiffany's 'Moon River', they were dancing the Waltz. It was smooth, clean, classy, sweet, everything you expect from Kevin but by no means an easy routine. Stacey has come from no dance background at all to being one of the front-runners in this competition and unless something goes terribly wrong, she should make the final and deservedly so.
Oh my word, my nineties child suddenly started dancing around the room because Joe Sugg is dancing his Samba to Hanson's MmmBop! I love that song so much and I am not ashamed to admit it. I loved the whole look of his little drummer rock star and the dance was so much fun and cheeky, but he needs to stop counting along (or was he just singing, no he's not old enough to remember Hanson, surely?) Anyway, this was a great routine and super fun, another non-dancer who could easily make the final, despite all my early reservations.
Almost at the end now and taking to the floor next is Lauren. She's dancing the Viennese Waltz and another very classy performance. She looked relaxed and comfortable, which she has been lacking in previous weeks but she's starting to really come into her stride now and AJ's hard work is obviously paying off as they received their first 9s from Shirley and Bruno. Happy Birthday, AJ.
Closing the show are Charles and Karen. Desperate to avoid yet another dance-off, they are dancing a Charleston. WOW! I was blown away by this routine. It was on a par with their Street dance from week 5. It was fun, the timing was impeccable. I loved the one arm lift/spin move, that was cool and he just really went for it this week and it showed. He should be nowhere near the dance-off this week and should be already on the Blackpool bus. And I loved Karen's hairstyle in this routine.
So at the end of Saturday night, the leaderboard stands thusly.
Ashley & Pasha
39
Faye & Giovanni
36
Charles & Karen
35
Lauren & AJ
34
Stacey & Kevin
32
Joe & Dianne
32
Graeme & Oti
31
Kate & Aljaz
30
Danny & Amy
27
So onto Sunday and a lovely Remembrance Sunday Tribute to the RAF and it was so lovely to see Amy taking centre stage in a Pro dance rather than the usual Janette or Karen. Not that Janette and Karen aren't lovely and talented dancers, but it's nice for others to shine too and Amy really did.
So the results and some couples are packed and ready to go but there are no confirmed reservations for either Graeme or Danny as both gentlemen find themselves in the dance-off. it's Graeme's second dance-off but it's Danny's first. Before they battle it out, there is a gorgeous performance from father and son Andrea and Matteo Bocelli. I have heard this song before actually, it was on one of dad's dodgy music programmes when I was staying there a couple of weeks ago and I enjoyed hearing it again.
Well, the dance-off is over and the results are in. With only Craig voting to save him, Danny is eliminated and Graeme survives to board the bus. I feel like Danny has been wronged somehow, I thought he improved in his performance on Sunday night and I still didn't like Graeme's routine. I can't help but wonder if the bullying saga has played a major part in Danny's departure. I will miss him, I really loved him and will continue to enjoy his Red Dwarf performances, but sadly he will be dancing no more on a Saturday night.
So onto Blackpool then and the bouncy floor beckons the eight remaining couples.
More on the celebs in a moment. First up there are a couple of changes to the professional line-up. The first announcement was that Pasha Kovalev was not going to return this year. He did win the show a few years back with Caroline Flack as his partner and last year he partnered Ashley Roberts. He probably felt if he couldn't win with Ashley then he'd never win it again (my opinion only guys). So he has been replaced by a female dancer Nancy Xu, who is a former Latin champion and been a finalist in 'So You Think You Can Dance?' in China, as well as appearing in the West End and Broadway show Burn The Floor.
