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October 31 Zoe Lucker Is Out Of Strictly Come Dancing 2009In a dramatic result, Footballers' Wives actress Zoe Lucker lucked out and became the seventh celebrity to be voted off Strictly Come Dancing 2009. You can join in the hot debate about this result and see what everyone else is saying about it in our comments section below.
 The judges’ scores Ricky and Natalie – 39 The dance-off Their dance-off performances were not as good as earlier in the evening. No matter, the judges had to decide. The judges voted as follows: Judge Craig: Ali and Brian Judge Alesha: Zoe and James Judge Bruno: Ali and Brian Head judge Len: Ali and Brian So out went Zoe and James (Our thanks to the ever brilliant Miss Bubbles for doing the live blog – you can read her comments in the previous post) My full review of Saturday night’s performances: As usual we have Brucie’s reaction, our view, blogger’s wife’s opinion, a summary of the judges’ views and the scores. Natalie Cassidy and Vincent Simone – jive Brucie: What about them? Come here. Our view: She made it fun in the first section but I felt it lost the energy half-way through. Blogger’s wife: Her dress was a lovely colour but Natalie has been let down by the costume department failing to give her dresses that flatter her. Not the best jive I’ve ever seen not sharp and fast enough. Judge Craig: That was absolutely unbelievable. Your get up and go is incredible. However, your free arm looks very, very lonely. Very light, very nimble and very good. Head judge Len: Started off full energy. Then you went into your quieter mode, I thought the whole package was fabulous. Judge Alesha: You captured the spirit of the jive. Your energy and enthusiasm is infectious. Just control your arms a little bit more. Judge Bruno: You have a fire cracker up your bum. That is a performance. That is the focus and energy you have to maintain. Now you have proved you can do it. 7 8 7 8 = 30 Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna – paso doble Brucie: What about that? A classical paso doble. Our view: Good music choice as I do not like the paso danced to pop music. They danced it well but somehow it didn’t feel like a paso should – lack of drive, attack and aggression. Blogger’s wife: The only part of their costumes I liked were Brian’s trousers which were just neutral. They danced it beautifully but it didn’t have the aggression I’d liked to have seen. Judge Bruno: This was beautiful. It was glistening like a bejeweled cape in the Spanish sun. But it had a lyrical quality that is not quite right for the paso doble. Nobody would mistake you for a bull but you have to get that kind of energy. Judge Craig: I was holding my breath all the way through that because I can see the bruising on your foot and I really feel for you because I know that must have been horrific. I loved the way you danced it. Clean, accomplished but I did think it did lack a bit of earth, wind and fire. Head judge Len: You’re a very talented dancer and you danced that beautifully. And I must congratulate you Brian for the lovely bit of choreography you produced. As much as I loved it, you were a little bit straight-legged on occasion and it did lack a bit of aggression about it but I felt you were portraying the cape more and I thought you did a beautiful job. Judge Alesha: You danced it well Ali but I want to see you use your acting skills more. Whenever I see you dance I always feel you’re a bit fragile, you always have this worried look in your face. The paso is the dance where you really need to take control. Your turns were impressive, great shaping and probably the best arm work I’ve seen from any female celebrity. 8 9 8 8 = 33 Craig Kelly and Flavia Cacace – waltz Brucie: Well that looked pretty good to me. What have you done to him? Our view: Some improvement and good on him for that but that’s as much as I can say. Blogger’s wife: Good outfits. An improvement on his previous stage but for week seven not good enough. Judge Alesha: Week seven and finally, Craig, I’ve seen something that I like from you. I couldn’t help smiling when you were smiling there. That’s what the waltz does, doesn’t it? You kept good body contact throughout. Nice to see your left arm wasn’t fighting with Flavia this time and you’re starting to look more comfortable. Judge Bruno: I found it very labored. The rise and fall was so forced. I don’t think you can dance that’s all I can say at this stage. Judge Craig: Leaps and bounds ahead of what you did last week. But it still needs a lot of work. I think at one point Flavia actually stood on your foot but I am finally seeing some progression. Head judge Len: Of course there was the odd mistake. I know you want to get to Blackpool and if determination and trying hard was all you needed you’d be halfway up the M1. 5 7 7 5 = 24 Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan – cha cha cha Brucie: Come on, what about it? Well done, well done. Our view: That was good fun and he’s got his act together again. Slightly stilted beginning but picked up after that. Blogger’s wife: Nice to see the return of the Ola catsuit. A bit slow but really liked the track they chose although I’m not sure how appropriate it was for a cha cha cha. Head judge Len: You were shaking your groove thing old soldier. Much more lively. A bit skippy. You’re right back to where you were week one. Judge Alesha: Yes, you came out and performed it but I’d liked to have seen a bit more content. I’d like to shut your mouth with some tape because you’re counting and it’s off-putting. Judge Bruno: You bring the energy on. You’ve got the sense of rhythm. Everything has to go into a focused performance not just one or two things Judge Craig: A bit cha cha chunky. Lost your hip action but it had an amazing dynamic and fantastic timing. A fine endeavour, my love. 7 8 7 7 = 29 Jade Johnson and Ian Waite – foxtrot Brucie: Oh, it was elegant, elegant, elegant. Our view: Well, that’s easily the best of the dances so far tonight. She really nailed that, great performance. Blogger’s wife: Lovely, lovely dance. Delighted to see Ian had his haircut. Jade had a lovely dress, shame it was yellow. Judge Craig: Your heel got caught in your dress. Lovely kicks, movement around the floor was gorgeous. Head judge Len: I thought the dress thing was a trick and the whole performance was a treat, well done. Judge Alesha: You made a difficult dance look easy. Well done. Judge Bruno: Oh my fair Jade. Long, smooth, elegant with a twinkle in the eye, I loved it. 8 9 9 9 = 35 Zoe Lucker and James Jordan – samba Brucie: Wonderful. Oh, Zoe, did you shake it? Our view: She’s done that well and unlike most Strictly sambas I enjoyed watching it. Blogger’s wife: I hope the choker keeps her out of the dance-off [the only week Zoe didn’t wear a choker was the week she ended up in the dance-off] because it was better than most of the sambas from last week. Head judge Len: You’re always good but very occasionally great. I think you have the potential to challenge the top couples but nerves get in your way. Judge Alesha: I liked all that gyrating. It’s nice to see you let go. Judge Bruno: I am loving it when you get down with your feather duster. Sometimes you get there and sometimes you don’t. Judge Craig: The bounce action was missing but you had enormous amount of rhythm and your timing was very, very good. A bit more animal in there. 7 8 9 8 = 32 Erin Boag and Ricky Groves – rumba Brucie: What about this? Hollywood have been on the phone. Our view: I thought he looked good. Nice combination of outfit and music. I liked this more than his effort last week. Blogger’s wife: I really enjoyed it. Well choreographed. Judge Alesha: You’ve been taken out of your comfort zone. You acted your way through. It wasn’t a bad effort. Judge Bruno: Daniel Craig has got nothing to worry about. The hip action was terrible. It’s not your dance. Judge Craig: I thought that sliding doors variation was very awkward. The entire routine was very conceited. Head judge Len: This is such a hard dance for the guys and I don’t think him [Craig] or him [Bruno] appreciate that. 4 8 7 5 = 24 Laila Rouass and Anton du Beke – Viennese waltz Brucie: Yes, yes, yes. Come along then. So beautiful. Our view: Charming. You could see she was relaxed and enjoying it. Blogger’s wife: Beautiful outfit and beautifully danced. Judge Craig: A classic Viennese with a modern twist. Thank goodness you’re back in hold. Delightful. Head judge Len: Bring this quality, confidence and joy of dancing to your Latin. Judge Alesha: Great combination a bit skippy at times but I loved it. Judge Bruno: This is the kind of performance we have to see in the Latin. 8 9 8 8 = 33 Phil Tufnell and Katya Virshilas – tango Brucie: Up you come Phil. She’s pleased with you. You might get a saucer of milk. Our view: Eminently watchable. Entertaining. Blogger’s wife: Really enjoyed it. Judge Bruno: I am happy to see you came out and did a dance full of content. You see you don’t need to shake your bum all the time but a great, great improvement. Judge Craig: Choreographically it was great but the music gave you a lyrical sense which meant you were rising and falling. Head judge Len: Learning the routine is the only the start. Work on the character and polishing the dance, spend a few more hours on it Judge Alesha: Tricky routine, I liked it. 7 7 8 8 = 30 Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe – quickstep. Brucie: What about that. A wonderful routine. Our view: Great music. Great performance. Blogger’s wife: Once again he looked like a professional. Very well done. Head judge Len: The best dance of series seven. Judge Alesha: You were in a league of your own. Beautifully executed, wonderful routine. Judge Bruno: Take it away Ricky. You never went wrong. Judge Craig: Bandy legs and pigeon toed but that has never stopped Brendan Cole from dancing and I have to say: absolutely amazing. 9 10 10 10 = 39 Your views Share It
Live blog: Strictly Come Dancing 2009 week seven SaturdayHello all! I'm Miss Bubbles from MSN's soap blog, A Slice Of Soap. Hope you're all enjoying this live blog. I'm here until the end of the series. Strictly blogger Matt Ball will follow later with a detailed recap of tonight's show and he's also on Twitter so follow him here. This is a live blog so Press F5 to refresh your screen and keep up with all the latest happenings. Feel free to leave comments at any time throughout the show... The celebs are performing different dances and somebody's putting on their dancing shoes for their last dance tonight. Question is who? We'll find out soon...
So here we are! The show kicks off and Tess is looking sleek. She's in a black off-the-shoulder number and it's so tight that she can't get her leg over Bruce. Hahaha! There's a terrible joke about Jo Wood, John Sergeant and Fiona Phillips from Brucie and then we're introduced to the celebrities. Natalie Cassidy's dress is very short and it's a shocking pink. Ooooh! There's Lynda Bellingham in the audience. Wow! Ricky Groves is looking so slim - the weight loss is very visible. Natalie Cassidy & Vincent Simone – jive They're dancing to Little Richard's Good Golly Miss Molly and my goodness watch Nat go! She looks very lively and enthusiastic. The thing I like about Natalie is that she always puts 100% into her dancing. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "You captured the spirit of the jive... job well done." Judges' total score: 30 Ali Bastian & Brian Fortuna – paso doble Ali's making a great effort, as always. There's lines and movement and turns and her legs are being showcased very effectively (although that dress is distracting me - the top half is so different from the bottom half). But somehow, I'm not too excited about this routine despite the fact that it's good. Judges' total score: 33
Nobody tries harder than Craig. He's taken bad comments from the judges week after week but he's still here. They're dancing to Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me by Elton John and it's definitely Craig's best dance so far. The waltz is slow enough to make him look decent and I can actually watch without wincing. I really hope he makes it to Blackpool. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "Finally Craig! I think I've seen something that I like from you... you're starting to look more comfortable." Judges' total score: 24
I do like watching Chris Hollins. And so does his famous footballer dad John Hollins cos he's in the audience. They're dancing to Peaches & Herb's Shake Your Groove Thing and my word, Ola looks sensational in her red Catwoman outfit! I really love the energy of their dance, although it's a bit too disco for me - I want more cha cha cha. Still, watch Chris shake his groove thing - he's got rhythm. But I think Ola stole the show. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "I would like to have seen a little more content... I'd like to shut your mouth with some tape, try counting in your head." Judges' total score: 29
Love Jade's dress... Now to the dance itself and it's elegant. They're both really light on their feet and there's definitely a touch of the old Hollywood style and glamour about them. It's like they're floating on air... I think that's the best dance so far. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "I think you made a difficult dance look really easy. Well done!" Judges' total score: 35
It's more disco in terms of song choice; they're dancing to Heatwave's Boogie Nights. I must say, I don't like Zoe's outfit at all! She looks like Robin Hood's long lost sister - it's all green feathers and there's some weird feather thing stuck on her bum. Maybe it's not helping her dancing because she seems really stiff to me... don't like all that gyrating that she's doing. It's so painful to watch - she's like a gyrating robot. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "I liked the gyrating. You go girl!" She then goes on to give them a nine, which is way too high in my opinion. That dance was a seven. Judges' total score: 32
Ricky Groves & Erin Boag – rumba Geeeeeeeet ready to rumba! The ex EastEnders man is dancing to Gladys Knight's License To Kill: I've always loved that song. One of my favourite Bond themes. Anyway, Ricky isn't doing too badly but he does seem a bit subdued to me. It's a nice routine but it's nothing special. Judges' comments: Len said: "The rumba is a tough dance for males to lead." It sure is. Judges' total score: 24 Laila Rouass & Anton Du Beke – Viennese waltz I expect this dance to be better for Anton - he's awful doing Latin in my opinion. It's not a bad routine at all and... oops! Laila's just lost her balance a bit... I bet Anton's gonna have a real go at her for that! It's a shame because they might be marked down and it was one of their better routines. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "It was a tad skippy for me tonight, but I loved it." Judges' total score: 33
I do enjoy watching Tuffers so much. He always has a smile on his face but he's going to have to wipe it off for this particular dance. The music is Amy Winehouse's Back To Black (remember when she was on the show?). Tuffers is looking very slick on the dance floor and I'm catching the vibe. It's a nice routine. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "It was a character dance, a difficult dance but I liked it." Judges' total score: 30
Natalie looks beautiful... I just love her dress. They're dancing to Down With Love by Holly Palmer and Michael Buble - if you recognise the song, it's from the film with Rene Zellweger. Wow! This dance is... wow! Ricky and Natalie look so professional! This is just wonderful! Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers would love this - it's very old Hollywood. He'll definitley get a few 10s tonight. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "You was [sic] in a league of your own tonight!" Len Goodman called it the best dance of series seven so far. Judges' total score: 39 - the only person not to award a 10 is Craig. Typical! My favourite celeb tonight: Jade Johnson. I think she's really improved this week. Another dance from Strictly professionals and this time: it's Matthew and Aliona with a sizzling samba. I suppose it's true to say that we haven't had many truly amazing Latin dances yet so I hope we get more soon. The phone lines are now closed... Bruce introduces true legends: it's The Bee Gees! The Bee Gees everybody. They're performing You Should Be Dancing from the movie Saturday Night Fever. It's always been one of my favourites but it's sad that Maurice died - they're not the same as a duo. It should be three of them. It's not a bad rendition but I'd like to remember them as they were. We're about to find out who's through to the next round of the competition...the celebs are telling us how much they want to dance in Blackpool next week. I hope Craig makes it through... The Dance-off Ali Bastian dances first and she's as good as ever. I do like her. A few mistakes but nothing drastic. Zoe Lucker's up now. I reckon the gyrating will seal her fate tonight... she's definitely going home. She's still smiling but it's definitely not as polished as before.
Craig saves Ali Alesha saves Zoe Len saves Ali Zoe's out! It's a little unfair as she wasn't bottom of the leader board but she just didn't connect with the public for some reason. And that's a wrap! What did you think of tonight's show? Has the right person gone out? We'd love to hear from you so please have your say. That's it from me, I'm out of here. Join MSN's Strictly blogger Matt Ball for his full recap of tonight's show. I'll be back next week for another live blogging session. October 30 Strictly Come Dancing 2009 week seven previewIt’s time to get ready for week seven of Strictly Come Dancing 2009 Here is what you need to know about Saturday’s programme: What’s the format for this weekend? There are 10 couples left in. Each is performing a different dance. The two couples with lowest scores from a combination of judges' points and viewers’ votes will then face each other in a dance-off with the judges voting to save one of the couples. The other couple will leave the show. The BBC’s blurb adds: the UK's rising stars of ballroom strut their stuff, and the professional dancers have a treat in store. Plus, music from the Bee Gees. Who’s performing which dance?
When is the show on TV? Saturday night This year you can watch in high-definition on the BBC HD channel – available subscription-free on Freesat. For more information go to: www.freesat.co.uk What coverage will this blog be providing? We will be doing live coverage on this blog – the ever bubbly Miss Bubbles will be in the hot seat for that so join her on Saturday night as the show starts. Once the show ends I get busy writing my usual full review of the night including blogger’s wife’s all important opinions on the dresses. Do join in the discussion by using the comments section – as ever we love to read your views. Who’s going to be eliminated? Yes, it is time for my ever-reliable prediction. Last week I predicted Craig Kelly would lose to Laila Rouass in the dance-off.. Both escaped the dance-off with Jade Johnson easily seeing off Jo Wood, so let’s see if I can do better this week. The William Hill website offers the following odds for the week six elimination: Craig Kelly 4/5 This week, I predict Natalie Caasidy will lose to Ricky Groves in the dance-off. The public will vote to keep Craig Kelly in so he can dance at Blackpool next week. Then they’ll drop him like a stone. Share It
30 best Strictly Come Dancing tweets of the week (week ending October 30 2009)Here is my selection of top Strictly tweets for this week, including welcome debuts from @MyRickyWhittle and @SCDBand. From the fans, I particularly enjoyed the contributions from @emmylouu, @ChloeEJL and @helenthornber. You can follow me on twitter at twitter.com/thisismattball. And you can view all the tweets that I mark as favourites by using this link twitter.com/thisismattball/favorites. And here’s my Brucie bonus for you this week: it’s my Strictly Come Dancing Twitter list: http://twitter.com/thisismattball/strictly-come-dancing NB: the most recent tweets in the list below are at the top so you might want to start at the bottom and scroll up.
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October 29 It Takes Two review – Thursday October 29 2009Thursday’s show was all about training updates. Well, apart from the bit that wasn’t (a visit round Kristina Rihanoff’s flat). Anyway, each couple is doing a different dance this week. Here the details: Ricky and Erin – rumba. Hours trained: 11.5 hours. Erin said: “If can get through the rumba we can get through anything.” Zoe and James – samba. Hours trained: 10.5 hours. Zoe said: “It’s so far removed from who I am these days.” Chris and Ola – cha cha cha. Hours trained: 15.5 hours. Chris said: “It’s been a challenging week and yet again Hollins has let the team down.” Ali and Brian – paso doble. Hours trained: 15.5 hours. Ali said: “I’m really excited about it.” Natalie and Vincent – jive. Hours trained: 18 hours. Natalie: “I love everything about the jive.” Phil and Katya – tango. Hours trained: 8.5 hours. Katya said: “I want him to go in character and show everyone what he can do.” Laila and Anton – Viennese waltz. Hours trained: 11.5 hours. Laila said: “Anton’s convinced we should get a 10 but it’s early days.” Ricky and Natalie – quickstep. Hours trained: 13.5 hours. Ricky said: “It’s called quickstep for a reason. Wow, it’s fast.” Jade and Ian – foxtrot. Hours trained: 14.5 hours. Jade said: “I can’t believe I’m loving the ballroom. I’m getting a bit more ladylike every week.” Craig and Flavia – waltz. Hours trained: 15.5 hours. Craig said: “I think it’s possibly one of the slightly easier ballroom dances.” On Winkleman’s couch were Natalie and Vincent to tell us, again, that Natalie is loving the jive. It’s her favourite dance so far, you know. Ending the show were Zoe and James. We learned that the only week Zoe didn’t wear a choker (or, as I would call it, a thingy round her neck) was the week she ended up in the dance-off. Rant about stats alert Oh, there was one other bit: more stats from that stats guy some of which I still don’t feel offer a proper insight because they are based on simple averages and do not allow for when the dances were performed (dances such as the Argentine tango are performed later in the show and will tend to have higher scores because fewer dancers do them and they have spent weeks before improving their techniques). To be fair to the stats guy, this week the two dances he compared had been performed the same number of times but it’s all very well saying Vincent Simone has the highest average score for the cha cha cha when he wasn’t in the earlier series in which there were fewer celebs and thus fewer weeks for them to train. The stats guy does say his stats are based on simple averages but that just leaves you wondering what the point is when you know the stats you’re being presented with don’t have as much validity as you’d like. And when I write ‘you’, I do appreciate I probably mean ‘only me’ but these thing matter. To me. OK, rant about stats over. Thanks for reading this far. On Friday I’ll be revealing my Strictly tweets of week and later I’ll post my show preview including my ever-reliable dance-off prediction. Share It
October 28 Tess Daly hair update – Strictly week sixYes, it’s that time again. Here is this week’s review of the hairstyle sported by The Tess Daly (she’s everyone’s favourite newspaper) on Strictly Come Dancing 2009. Saturday October 24: back to the classic Tess look.
Good work by the Tess-ster. We were less certain about the dress. Share It
It Takes Two review – Wednesday October 22 2009What a show. What a show. More evidence the show’s stars and production bods read this blog and act on our feedback AND the first in-studio mention of the J-word AND a bombshell from Anton AND costume previews AND Ali and Brian. 1. Taking on board our feedback 2. Using our catchphrase Winkleman: “You’re back on track, you’re back on track.” Chris: “Yes, thanks very much, er, Winkleman,” 3. The J-word, the J-word “Can’t believe you used the J-word already,” said Winkleman. “Did I say ‘journey’?” asked Chris. “I’m pleased you’ve broken the journey ice now,” she replied. “It means it’s a free-for-all. Hooray!” Chris and Ola are doing the cha cha this week. 4. Anton’s bombshell Biding his time, Anton – who has never got a 10 from the judges - then finally dropped him bombshell: “If Laila dances this dance on Saturday as well as she’s been dancing it in the studio this could be one of the best ballroom dances in the history of Strictly Come Dancing. She’s dancing it beautifully.” Brave. Very brave. 5. Costume previews There are almost 10,000 gold and topaz stones on Ali Bastian’s paso dress. Zoe’s samba dress has some feathers. Jade’s foxtrot dress is yellow, which won’t please blogger’s wife. Laila’s Viennese waltz dress takes inspiration from My Fair Lady. Natalie’s jive dress was changed on Wednesday morning. It’s lilac and yellow. 6. Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna Brian said their American smooth routine, the one that judge Bruno had awarded a 10 to, got a bit shaky half-way through and could have been better. Basically, it was good but not worth a 10. He ended by being almost as optimistic as Anton: “Best training day of the entire season today.” Share It
It Takes Two review – Tuesday October 28 2009Yes, it had to happen: a section devoted to Ian Waite’s Strictly Come Dancing fashion fiascos. Of course, this was prompted by his “oil slick” trousers, as head judge Len had dubbed them, from last Saturday. His constant mistake, we learned, is to go to the costume team and say: “Whatever you want I’ll do it.” His dance partner Jade Johnson did the sportsperson thing when discussing being in the dance-off: “For me it was quite a good experience. We’ve been there, done it and survived.” Ian also made a good point about the new scoring system. When a number of couples receive the same score from the judges the way their position on the leader board is converted into points this year favours dancers at the bottom of the table. Craig Kelly, for example, did not end up with two points on the judges’ leader board, he ended up with five. This outcome made it more likely that he could avoid the dance-off after the viewers’ vote and as a result one of the better couples got dragged into the mire. Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova popped in to do Choreography Corner. They talked about the growing partnerships between some of the couples such as Ricky Groves and Erin as well as Zoe and James. A great Strictly partnership shows through when the professional dancer choreographs a routine that suits the celebrity because they know what their partner can and cannot do. It also involves the two of them dancing as a couple rather than as two individuals, the result being that the dance looks natural and flows well. Well the partnership has not formed well the dancers look disjointed and out of sync. The other interesting comment related to what Darren called “collection points”. He was not referring to counters A, B, C and D at Argos but rather moments in the routine when there is, say, a pause, a change of direction, a one-off gesture and so on. These moments enable the celebrity to think of the routine as small, separate chunks rather than as one long dance, which helps them to learn and remember the routine. As long as they can dance through to a collection point they will know what follows immediately after. Lilia added that it is important to avoid making the collection points visible. They need to be subtle and look like a deliberate part of the routine. Next on were Ricky Groves and Erin Boag. A summary of this section would be: Ricky has lost weight. He still wants to be taken as a serious contender. He’d like to get 30 points for a dance. He’d like to get to Blackpool but “wouldn’t necessarily lose a digit over it”. They’re doing the rumba this week. Ricky showed what his rumba expression looked like. Winkleman commented: “I think I might be pregnant.” Chris Hollins looked into the Hollins family ancestry to see if there were any dancing genes in his family. None on his dad’s side but there was a photo of his mum winning a dance competition when she was a girl. Last on were various friends and family of some of the dancers. Chris Hollins’ mum: “Chris is completely engrossed.” Craig Kelly’s wife Camilla: “We’ve been plunged into madness. We decided to have a ban on talking about Strictly from 9pm. At 9:05pm I asked him how training went.” Zoe Lucker’s friend Susie Amy: “Zoe’s nervous but doing really well.” Phil Tufnell’s wife Dawn: "[When Phil told her he’d been asked to do Strictly] I said go for it. I wanted the tickets.” October 27 Interview with Strictly's Ricky Whittle – MSN podcastListen to Ricky Whittle talk all things Strictly in this MSN podcast (recorded at a journalists’ round table interview last Friday). Share It
It Takes Two review – Monday October 27 2009A good show to start the week. First up was another look-behind-the-scenes video. This one featured the camera crew who work on the live Strictly Come Dancing show. There are 10 cameras in all. The camera operators have lots to do and the pressure is on because it’s a live show. Next up were Jo Wood and Brendan Cole, the eliminated couple from Saturday night. They were realistic and humble about the outcome of the weekend’s show. Jo said: “I wasn’t good at that dance.” Brendan said: “It wasn’t our finest hour. To go into the dance-off was fair and to go out was fair.” It then all got genuinely emotional / cheesy / luvvie-duvvie (delete as applicable. For once I prefer the first one) as Brendan added: “I’ve had one the best Strictly experiences working with Jo.” As their Strictly highlights rolled both got a bit tearful. Then on came judge Craig Revel Horwood. The montage showed him being Mr Nice Guy with all his pleasant comments from Saturday about the performances except when he laid into Jo and Brendan’s effort. Fair play to Craig – he says what he thinks, he stands by it and he’s always willing to come on It Takes Two and be held to account for his views. He started by talking about how the judges felt when Jade and Ian ended up in the dance-off. “All four of us were stunned,” he said. “I thought it would be Craig and Flavia.” He went on to say that the public has the right to vote for whoever they want and in any case the public can vote only for the one or ones they want to stay in rather than who they want to be in the dance-off. At this point I felt Winkleman should have shown him some of his comments about the public voting for John Sergeant in series six and then asked him to reconcile last year’s opinions with this year’s – perhaps the whole saga from 2008 has put things in perspective now? Craig then reviewed some of the best dances from Saturday. Here are the highlights of his remarks: Ali and Brian: “Exquisite. She has the most beautiful feet – they point and arch beautifully.” Ricky Groves and Erin: “Beautiful dance. Erin did a gorgeous job with the choreography, some of his lines are a bit haphazard. He needs to relax.” Laila and Anton: “Lost the whole samba feel.” Chris and Ola: “He’s got big hands. Look at that hand on Ola’s back, aargh, aargh.” Craig and Flavia: “He needs to relax and enjoy it. He’s having an out of body experience. He’s looking at himself from above and judging himself on it.” Conveniently next up were Craig Kelly and Flavia Cacace. Craig commented on the low scores from the judges. “I’d like to watch it back because I can’t believe it was that bad.” Sorry, mate, but it was. And to watch it back you can either set the video (or whatever gadget you have) before you head off for the BBC studio or use the iPlayer afterwards. A quick video of him after he came off the dance floor from Saturday showed him saying: “Those judges like using me as a punchbag.” On the couch last night he added: “”I’m not used to someone telling me I’m absolutely rubbish.” This was perhaps somewhat undermined by his total agreement with judge Craig’s suggestion that he was having an out of body experience but let’s not get picky now, eh? It looks like this Saturday is going to be one of those weeks when many different dances are performed. Ali and Brian are doing the paso doble, Ricky Groves and Erin are doing the rumba, Laila and Anton are doing the Viennese waltz, and Craig and Flavia are doing the waltz. Winkleman closed the show by asking Craig: “How good will your waltz be?” He replied: “Good.” Share It
October 24 Jo Wood Is Out Of Strictly Come Dancing 2009Jo Wood has finally got the boot from Strictly Come Dancing series seven after losing to athlete Jade Johnson in the dance-off. Generally acknowledged to be one of the weaker dancers, Jo’s samba with partner Brendan Cole finally ended her Strictly run.
The estranged wife of Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood had faced constant criticism from the judges over the past few weeks but the public had taken pity on her... until now.
 The judges’ scores
Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna – 37
Zoe Lucker and James Jordan – 33
Jade Johnson and Ian Waite – 32
Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe – 32
Ricky Groves and Erin Boag – 29
Natalie Cassidy and Vincent Simone – 29
Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan – 28
Laila Rouass and Anton du Beke – 28
Phil Tufnell and Katya Virshilas – 25
Craig Kelly and Flavia Cacace – 18
Jo Wood and Brendan Cole – 14
The dance-off
This was even more one-sided than last week’s dance-off. Judges Craig, Alesha and Bruno all voted to save Jade and Ian. Head judge Len said he would have voted the same way had his vote been needed.
(Our thanks to the ever brilliant Miss Bubbles for doing the live blog – you can read her comments in the previous post) My full review of Saturday night’s performances: As usual we have Brucie’s reaction, our view, blogger’s wife’s opinion, a summary of the judges’ views and the scores. Jade Johnson and Ian Waite Our view: A very good start, for a samba. It didn’t give me the carnival feeling but she’s performed it well enough. Blogger’s wife: They performed the moves very well. The music did not in any way remind me of Rio so it did not feel like a samba. I didn’t like Ian’s hair and I really didn’t like their outfits. Brucie: What about that? How about that? What a start. Can I borrow those trousers next week? Head judge Len: It’s a really difficult dance to do. You came to grips with it really well. You were a little bit flat footed so you didn’t have the bounce. Judge Alesha: Ian’s given you a great routine. Good shaping. You have reined it in a bit. She’s given us the wow factor. Judge Bruno: Oh, Jade. You fierce, exotic amazon. You were driving him. You have to keep your weight on your toes to keep the bounce. Judge Craig: I thought it absolutely great, full of attitude. It was very well-informed, so well done. I would have liked one more revolution from Ian on the floor. 8 8 8 8 = 32 Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan – American smooth Our view: Splayed hand on Ola’s back, I can tell you now that judge Craig won’t like it but apart from that, and his odd facial expression, they have done really well. The way they came out of the first lift, in particular, was very good. Blogger’s wife: Apart from his very ugly hands I really enjoyed the routine. I didn’t like Ola’s dress. Brucie: You’re pleased with him, oh look at that. Head judge Len: I thought that was an improvement on the last couple of weeks. You were trying hard not to forget your routine so it became bit safe. Judge Alesha: Well done on getting through the routine. It was a bit serious. Relax now and enjoy it. Judge Bruno: Much more Ealing than Hollywood. Because you were trying it looked like you had a migraine. Judge Craig: I thought you did fantastically. You do, however, have a few slight problems. Your hands were splayed all over Ola’s back. It lacked a bit of smoothness but definitely one of your best ones to date. 7 7 7 7 = 28 Phil Tufnell and Katya Virshilas - samba Our view: This week I’ve been trying to teach our daughter the Daddy Cool song, with little success. It’s such a fun party song and it’s helped Phil and Katya here but she did most of the moves. Blogger’s wife: Great to see a proper samba outfit. Loved Phil’s outfit. Bit messy, entertaining, good choice of music. Brucie: Come on, yes. Well done, Phil and Katya. Judge Bruno: Well it’s not Daddy Cool. It was Daddy well oiled, anything goes. You actually repeated the salsa. It’s week six you can do better than this. Judge Craig: I have to agree. All that grinding has become quite tiresome. Sticky, flat-flooted. However, you did well to move around the floor that fats. Head judge Len: I can’t agree with and I can’t agree with him. Like your attitude. You say to the judges that’s how good I am. You did both of the key steps. You’re on the right lines. Judge Alesha: It wasn’t as bad as you made out on your VT. You can’t keep relying on your buttocks for the rest of competition. And stop counting out load, it’s really distracting. 6 7 6 6 = 25 Zoe Lucker and James Jordan – American smooth Our view: Dull song performed wonderfully, dull routine performed wonderfully. Understated doesn’t have to be dull. Blogger’s wife: Once again beautfully danced, very elegant but I found it boring and perhaps that’s why people aren’t voting. I disliked Zoe’s dress. Brucie: Oh Zoe. Are you pleased with her, James? Judge Bruno: Beautiful dance, beautifully delivered. You connect with each other and I hope people can see that. Judge Craig: I thought it was a very well balanced routine, simple and effective. It was full of sophistication. Bit late on the end lift. Head judge Len: If you’re in the bottom two this week, next week I’ll do the lambada with Craig. Judge Alesha: It was elegant, graceful - a classic American smooth and that’s how you come back fighting, Zoe. 8 8 9 8 = 33 Craig Kelly and Flavia Cacace – samba Our view: Painful to watch. I’m not sure that Flavia’s attempts to dance brilliantly helped. It just showed up how poor Craig was. She might have done better to tone it down a bit. Blogger’s wife: Flavia danced it very, very well, Craig didn’t. I quite liked both their outfits. I don’t think the music helped them. Brucie: Well done Craig. Judge Alesha: I am sorry because you’re so cute. Your body’s got a mind of its own. It was very awkward to watch. Judge Bruno: Craig, you’re like the Royal Mail: in spite of many attempts you still cannot deliver. Judge Craig: You were forcing your hips into submission. Stiff and ploddy and it was awkward. Head judge Len: This is a tough dance and I admire your pluck. You get a lot of abuse from us judges and we all love a trier Brucie: You are my favourites 3 6 4 5 = 18 Ricky Groves and Erin Boag – American smooth Our view: I loved that routine. Really good to watch. Blogger’s wife: Apart from Ricky’s dodgy posture that was a fantastic routine, well choreographed and enjoyable to watch. Erin’s dress has the least favourite colour. In a week or poor dresses it’s the worst so far. Brucie: What about that? What about it? That was lovely. Judge Bruno: Plenty of content some surprisingly good turns. Watch your top line. In holds it disappears like an owl. Judge Craig: A most enjoyable routine, musical theatre. Your shoulders sometimes raise up but a prodigious effort Head judge Len: In hold you have to change your tailor or do something with your shoulders. Judge Alesha: Good mix between the personality and the technique. Good use of steps. You’re on the right track. 7 8 7 7 = 29 Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe – samba Our view: Leslie Garrett’s jive dress comes back from dead. At last someone tries a samba roll and does it well. Good performance. Blogger’s wife: Finally a samba that felt like a party dance. Well done. What a horrifically disgusting dress, a carwash roller. Brucie: Come back here. Are you all right Ricky? Judge Craig: Not perfect. You were late to floor but what a samba; I’ve got say it was electrifying. Head judge Len: Full of rhythm what a pity you went wrong on those running promenades. Judge Alesha: I would like to see you soften up more, relax and enjoy it. Rhythm amazing fan hip action you’ve proved you mean business in both Latin and ballroom. Judge Bruno: Ricky the sexy beast. You have to do routines all the way thought you’re so good but you keep going wrong. 8 8 8 8 = 32 Natalie Cassidy and Vincent Simone – American smooth Our view: Similar to Zoe’s routine. Well done but a touch dull. Blogger’s wife: Probably her most flattering dress to date. It was a nice gentle routine not particularly exciting Brucie: That was lovely. Judge Alesha: You’ve found your dance. Where’s your little sparkle gone? Ladylike you did bring the H glamour Judge Bruno: You didn’t sell it to the extent I know you can. Judge Craig: The timing and balance were very, very good. The leg extension you did need to not sickle your foot. Head judge Len: I know you enjoyed that, once you got cracking out came the smile on your face, well done. 7 8 7 7 = 29 Jo Wood and Brendan Cole - samba Our view: The first half was all over the place. She recovered a tad in the second half but they’ve given judge Craig all the ammunition he needs. Blogger’s wife: It wasn’t very good. She messed up loads. Music didn’t make it like a samba but that was the least of their worries. Brucie: Come on, what about that? Head judge Len: There should be special awards for services for beyond what you’d expect. Brendan, you’re showing off Jo in the best light you can. Judge Alesha: To be frank it was a mess. Work on your hands. Judge Bruno: You dragged poor Brendan in to samba hell. Judge Craig: Futile and ineffectual. I thought it was a complete dance disaster. Brucie: You’re my second favourites. 2 5 3 4 = 14 Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna – American smooth Our view: Looked effortless. Brian: learn from this. Less can be more when it’s well choreographed and well performed. Blogger’s wife: Nice to see Ali and Brian just dance a dance so well. Simplifying the routine works well. Brucie: What about that? Beautiful performance. Judge Bruno: I knew you had it. Six week for this. It’s magic time. Judge Craig: Stylish, classy, absolutely stunning. Brilliant. Head judge Len: Three words: Your best dance. Judge Alesha: Simple well executed dance, the best American smooth of the night. 9 9 9 10 = 37 Laila Rouass and Anton du Beke - samba Our view: Some OK bits and better than I had predicted in my preview. Blogger’s wife: I loved Laila’s outfit. Similar hair to Flaiva once again. In general l liked their routine Brucie: I’m not worried about her, James, I’m worried about you. Judge Craig: Has rhythm and some bounce. But overall it lacked any sort of wow factor largely due ot the content. Too disco really Head judge Len: If that dance were it a colour it would be beige. Not bright and colourful. It needed some sparklers. All a little bit flat. Judge Alesha: You captured the fun of the samba. This dance suits you. Judge Bruno: OK =is not good enough for now. This was a wasted opportunity. Week six, it’s not satisfying and you’re not going to get away with it. 7 7 7 7 = 28 Your views Well that blew my prediction of Craig Kelly losing to Laila Rouass in the dance-off out of the water, didn’t it? So what did you think of the show? For the second week in a row one of the top couples ended up in the dance-off. Did you vote for Craig Kelly? Why? Are you sorry to see Jo Wood go? Share you comments now. Share It
Live blog: Strictly Come Dancing 2009 week six SaturdayHello all! I'm Miss Bubbles from MSN's soap blog, A Slice Of Soap. Hope you're all enjoying this live blog. I'm here until the end of the series. Strictly blogger Matt Ball will follow later with a detailed recap of tonight's show and he's also on Twitter so follow him here. This is a live blog so Press F5 to refresh your screen and keep up with all the latest happenings. Feel free to leave comments at any time throughout the show... The celebs are performing either a samba or an American smooth and somebody's dancing their last dance tonight. Question is who? We'll find out soon...
Here we go. Bruce makes his usual lively entrance and let's see what Tess is wearing... it's a pink number with black down the sides. Not sure if I like it. Oooh! Just spotted Michelle Gayle in the audience - whatever happened to her? The celebs are being introduced. Jo Wood's outfit isn't very flattering but she's got great legs. Natalie Cassidy is in a very unflattering red dress and Jade Johnson's got some kind of chain thing going on. Jade Johnson & Ian Waite - samba Jade's dancing to Destiny's Child's classic Independent Women... that dress really looks as if the moths have had a go at it! Ian's perm is a 'dis-aaarrrr-ster' as Craig Revel Horwood would say. But the dance itself is very good - they're moving and grooving around the floor and the hips are going too. Judges' comments: Alesha said that once again Jade's given us the wow factor. Judges' total score: 32 Chris Hollins & Ola Jordan - American smooth Here's comes a 1960s classic: it's Jimmy Mack, originally by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas. What a classic song! I love Ola's dress... she looks beautiful. Well, Chris and Ola are gliding and it's all looking good. You can tell that he's concentrating, trying so hard not to mess it up. I enjoyed that. Judges' comments: Alesha said that Chris needs to try and relax and enjoy his dancing. Shock! Craig loved it. I need to sit down. I think I'm gonna faint... Judges' total score: 28
Here comes Tuffers - the man always guaranteed to entertain. They're dancing to Boney M's Daddy Cool and, as usual, Tuffers is having a real good time. He can really shake those hips! It's a little bit messy but the man has had surgery. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "You can't keep relying on the buttocks... as much as we all like a bit of bum action' And then Bruno couldn't resist that kind of opening so he's jumped all over it. Sssssh Alesha! Don't ruin our fun. Shake those hips Tuffers! Ooh! When Bruno was making his comments, he used the word "a**e" when talking about Tuffers' bum. Naughty, naughty! Judges' total score: 25 Zoe Lucker & James Jordan - American smooth Who could fail to be smooth dancing to My Girl by The Temptations? It's a lovely dance and although I'm always distracted by James' hair (how much spray does he put in it?), I can see that this a dance that doesn't deserve to land them in the dance-off again this week. Judges' comments: Alesha said that it was elegant, graceful and that she admires their partnership. Len said that if they end up in the bottom two, he'll do the Lambada with Craig! Ha,ha,ha,ha! I'm almost wishing she ends up in the bottom two now... Tess has apologised for Bruno's 'bum' comments. Ooooh! Bruno's in trouble. Judges' total score: 33 Craig Kelly & Flavia Cacace - samba Bruce introduces Craig and tells a weak joke about Blackpool. Craig and Flavia are dancing to Give It Up by KC & The Sunshine Band. Bless Craig! He tries really hard but he just can't dance. He's got no rhythm and this is a bit uncomfortable to watch. How is that possible? He looks like he'd be a right little goer. Judges' Comments: Alesha said: "Your body's got a mind of it's own... it was a bit awkward to watch." Is it dance-off time for Craig again? Ricky Groves & Erin Boag - American smooth It's a really different song choice - it's Chim Chim Cher-ee, the Oscar-winning song from Mary Poppins. Ricky's doing really well and he always looks as if he's enjoying his dancing. Let's not forget that this is the man that has lost two stone so that's bound to put a spring in his step. Judges' comments: Alesha said it was a good mix this week. Judges' total score: 29 Ricky Whittle & Natalie Lowe - samba Ricky and Natalie should get top marks tonight... they're dancing with a lot of passion. Their song choice is Good Loving by The Young Rascals and there's so much hip action out there that I'm getting dizzy. He is good but I'm not sure that his Latin is as strong as his ballroom. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "I would like to see you soften up a bit more... on a positive, rhythm was amazing." Judges' total score: 32
One thing about this girl, she always attacks her routines with gusto. Dancing to Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone, originally by Dean Martin, she's done it again. Although the dress isn't nice, Natalie's dancing is very 'Hollywood' - as it should be. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "I did wonder at one point where your little sparkle was. You didn't seem your usual happy self tonight." Bruno wants her to flaunt her natural talents more. Judges' total score: 29 Jo Wood & Brendan Cole - samba It's time for the public's fave - well what else am I supposed to think? By rights, she should've gone by now. Anyway, they're dancing to Superstition by Stevie Wonder. Sorry to say it, but Jo's making a real mess of this. She tries her best but it's just not happening. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "It's so difficult to do the samba. To be frank it was a mess... get the hands sorted out." Judges' total score: 14. Are they deliberately scoring her low so that the public keeps her in? No way is Jo going home tonight.
Any Michael Buble fans? This couple are dancing to his version of A Foggy Day In London Town. Ali looks utterly elegant and they're really bringing the Hollywood glamour to this American smooth. I think it's the best dance of the night. Judges' comments: Alesha said: "Very simple, well executed... the best American smooth of the night." Judges' total score: 37
They're dancing to He's The Greatest Dancer by Sister Sledge and I've got to say, Anton looks so unnatural doing the samba. He's awkward and ungainly and there's way too much disco movements in this routine. It's pretty bad, in my opinion. Judges' comments: Alesha felt they captured the "fun-ness" of the samba: "I think this dance suits you, it was much better than last week." However, Anton rightly got a pasting from the judges. They all felt that it was lacking and Len called it "beige". Judges' total score: 28 My favourite celeb tonight: Ali Bastian: she was great. Lovely dance. Now the professional dancers are doing a jive and they're dancing to an old punk classic called Ever Fallen In Love by The Buzzcocks. Is it just me or is that a weird song choice for a jive? Show padding time: Tess is speaking to the celebs to find out their thoughts and Bruce is speaking to the judges. Poor Craig Kelly; he doesn't look happy. Next up are world Latin champions Michael Malitowski and Joanna Leunis performing a special rumba to Santana's She's Not There... Wow, they are brilliant! Can't take my eyes off them. Bruce introduces Harry Connick Jr and he launches into the old classic The Way You Look Tonight. Of course it's a wonderful rendition. This is the man who did wonderful things on the When Harry Met Sally soundtrack. Close your eyes and you're in Hollywood back in the 1940s. Classy. The Dance-off Here we go - the phonelines are now closed... We're about to find out who's through to the next round of the competition. I'd be very surprised if Craig and Jo aren't in the bottom two... Oh my goodness - huge shock! Craig Kelly's through! He's not in the bottom two. It's Jo Wood and Jade Johnson to dance again. What's going on???! Anyway, it's almost certain that Jo Wood's a goner. Jade Johnson dances first and she gives a very solid performance. I liked this dance the first time around and I haven't changed my opinion. Jo Wood's next. Well... what can you say? She tries her best. Judges' Decision Craig saves Jade Alesha saves Jade Bruno saves Jade Jo Wood's going home. Len's vote is academic, but he would've saved Jade. And that's a wrap! What did you think of tonight's show? Has the right person gone out? We'd love to hear from you so please have your say. That's it from me, I'm out of here. Join MSN's Strictly blogger Matt Ball for his full recap of tonight's show. I'll be back next week for another live blogging session. October 23 Strictly Come Dancing 2009 week six previewAre you ready for week six of Strictly Come Dancing series seven? Here is what you need to know about Saturday’s programme: What’s the format for this weekend? There are 11 couples left in. Six will do a samba, five will do a American smooth. The two couples with lowest scores from a combination of judges' points and audience votes will then face each other in a dance-off with the judges then voting to save one of the couples. The other couple will leave the show. The rest of the entertainment includes the world Latin champions Michael Malitowski and Joanna Leunis performing a special rumba. Who’s performing which dance? The following six couples will do the samba:
The following five couples will do the American smooth:
When is the show on TV? Saturday night This year you can watch in high-definition on the BBC HD channel – available subscription-free on Freesat. For more information go to: www.freesat.co.uk What coverage will this blog be providing? We will be doing live coverage on this blog – the consistently awesome Miss Bubbles will be in the hot seat for that so join her on Saturday night as the show starts. Once the show ends I get busy writing my usual full review of the night including blogger’s wife’s all important opinions on the dresses. Do join in the discussion by using the comments section – as ever we love to read your views. Who’s going to be eliminated? Yes, it is time for my ever-reliable prediction. Last week I predicted Jo Wood would defeat Craig Kelly in the dance-off. Both escaped the dance-off so let’s see if I can do better this week. The William Hill website offers the following odds for the week six elimination: Craig Kelly evens This week, I predict Craig Kelly will lose to Laila Rouass in the dance-off. 30 best Strictly Come Dancing tweets of the week (week ending October 23 2009)Here is my selection of top Strictly tweets for this week. The pro dancers are finding the samba a challenge and the fans aren’t looking forward to seeing another Anton du Beke Latin dance, although some like his chest hair (and others don’t). Do you love or hate Marian Keyes? She’s on It Takes Two tonight and her appearance has prompted the first two tweets in my list. You can follow me on twitter at twitter.com/thisismattball. And you can view all the tweets that I mark as favourites by using this link twitter.com/thisismattball/favorites.
October 22 It Takes Two review – Thursday 22 October 2009Thursday is training update day on the increasingly good It Takes Two. Based on what we saw it looks like it’s going to be a tough Saturday night for many of the celebs. Attempting the samba this week are Jade Johnson, Ricky Whittle, Laila Rouass, Craig Kelly, Jo Wood and Phil Tufnell. And I write ‘attempting’ with good reason. None of them looked confident and none of them sounded confident. The pick of the quotes had to be Phil’s: “The samba is Brazilian mardi gras. I live in Surrey.” Phil Tufnell and Katya Virshilas appeared on Winkleman’s couch. Katya said in training: “You feel like a gummy bear, there’s no resistance in your body.” Phil’s long arms were to blame, I can’t quite see why but let’s not dwell on that. He said he felt like Mr Tickle, a character from the Mr Men series who has extraordinarily long arms (I’m quite familiar with this chap, by the way: I’ve read the book with my daughter more times than I care to remember. In fact, when I was a lad I even had my own Mr Tickle t-shirt. I loved that t-shirt. I really did). Phil added that this week he needed to be “not Mr Tickle with the long arms, it’s Mr Bouncy.” As we all know, the correct name of that character is Mr Bounce not Mr Bouncy but let’s not get picky. Phil was referring to the need to include the infamous samba bounce into the dance steps. Unlike some of the other Latin dances, the samba requires the couple to travel around the floor a lot more. To help Phil work out where to go next Katya is using cricket fielding positions, which is vaguely hilarious but appears to be working. Len’s masterclass involved him and Winkleman trying to recreate Julian Clary and Erin Boag’s shimmies from the start of their samba. Cue the usual amusing consequences. Then it was on to the American smooth. Some of the training footage looked better than the sambas we had seen earlier. You should expect two couples doing the samba to be in the dance-off. Last on were Jade Johnson and Ian Waite. They’re having a challenging time with, guess what, the samba. “Tuesday was a bit of a hormonal fluster,” said Jade. Marian Keyes alert! Marian Keyes alert! Yes. Ireland’s greatest export (well, she moved back to Dublin from London about a decade ago so technically she’s not an export any more) is on the show on Friday, rendering it totally unmissable. October 21 Tess Daly hair update – Strictly week fiveHello and welcome to this week’s review of the hairstyle sported by The Tess Daly (she’s everyone’s favourite newspaper) on Strictly Come Dancing 2009. Saturday October 17: the extreme centre parting look.
Anyone else wondered what that odd tube/flap thing on the front of her dress was all about? Eventually I realised Tess probably had a packet of Smarties in it, which would be handy when she needed a quick bit of chocolate in a candy coated shell during the show. See? She’s always a step ahead of us, isn’t she? Glam and genius, it’s a devastating combination. OK, that concludes this week’s Tess Daly hair update. Share It
It Takes Two review – Wednesday October 21 2009A simple and straightforward show which I shall match with a similar style of blog post. Enter Ricky Groves and Erin Boag. Erin said she was disappointed by Bruno’s score of five for their jive. There was more to that routine than the one step he highlighted, she claimed. They’re doing the American smooth this week. Often this dance is done as a foxtrot but Erin has decided to do it to a Viennese waltz, which has happened only once before on Strictly. She said that Ricky had already done a foxtrot and his personality did not come through. Quite how it will come through in a Viennese waltz style dance would be anyone’s guess, except Erin also revealed her solution: the choice of music. Yes, they will be dancing to Chim Chim Cher-ee from Mary Poppins. the idea being that Ricky’s character is not so much Fred Astaire as Dick Van Dyke. Then there was montage of clips and comments about samba outfits: frills and sparkles and not much else for the ladies and open to the navel shirts for the chaps. One of the show’s costumes designers, Nicola Atkinson, and that fashion critic with the bizarre hair from the Torygraph (aka Hilary Alexander) then commented on the dress designs for this coming weekend. Shoulders are the new erogenous zone, we were told. Good to know. By the way, am I the only one who thinks the drawings of the dresses seem to bear less resemblance to the finished item they we might expect? Next was a video of Ricky Whittle’s day. It starts at 7am and goes like this: six sausages and baked banes for breakfast. A day of filming on Hollyoaks. A photo shoot and an interview with Woman’s Own magazine. Then six hours of training with Natalie, finishing at 10:30pm. Respect. He is seriously putting the hours in. Jo Wood and Brendan Cole were last on. Jo: “I wasn’t as upset as Brendan’s was [at judge Craig’s comment]. I didn’t think I jumped as high as a bush kangaroo. My brother’s calling me Skippy now.” Brendan: “I don’t think Craig particularly likes me anyway.” Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud sent her wishes via video to Jo. Which was all a bit odd, really. They’re doing the samba this week. That’s it. We’re heading towards the weekend now. Strictly week six is nearly here. Share It
It Takes Two review – Tuesday 20 October 2009First on Tuesday’s It Takes Two were Zoe Lucker and James Jordan. They spoke of their shock at being in bottom two. We saw a clip of them from Saturday after their performance in which James said to Zoe: “You won’t have to do the jive again.” Little did they know they would end up in the dance-off despite finishing third on the leader board. Are they simply unpopular with viewers? Or did nobody feel like they needed to vote for them because they were so high up the leader board? Either way Zoe and James hope it doesn’t happen again. They’re doing the American smooth this week. Karen Hardy was in Choreography corner again this week. She contrasted Ali’s complicated jive with Zoe’s one which was simpler and had more repetitive steps “Put the wow factor in later,” she suggested. In week five your celeb partner is still learning the basics so get them doing those really well and you lay the foundation for future wonderfulness, was her argument. She then looked at the Viennese Waltzes from Saturday. She contrasted Ricky Whittle’s quick fleckerl with the slower one performed by Brendan Cole and Jo Wood. Each suited the ability of the celeb dancer very well. Next on were Craig Kelly and Flavia Cacace who said they were “really disappointed with the scores” that they received from the judges. Craig wants to stay in the show long enough to get to the round hosted in Blackpool in a few weeks. Alas for him, he has to do the samba this week. “It’s tough,” he remarked. There was no discussion of Flavia’s Saturday outfit which was a shame. Last on were Laila Rouass and Anton du Beke. Yet another clip of their dance disaster from Saturday appeared. “Why do you keep showing it?” asked Laila, partly in jest and partly not. “Stop showing it. It’s so last week.” Laila has taken on board head judge Len’s comment that she should not have such negative thoughts about her routine. Sure, Anton and Latin dances do not go together well but she needs to get beyond that and start giving it a go. She’ll have to: they are doing the samba this week. Share It
October 20 It Takes Two review – Monday October 19 2009You’d expect Monday’s It Takes Two to follow up on the Brendan Cole vs judge Craig controversy/handbags at ten paces (delete as applicable) from Saturday. And indeed it did. Brendan (who’s now on twitter, by the way, http://twitter.com/thebrendan_cole) phoned in to talk about his decision to walk off after judge Craig referred to the performance as like a “bush kangaroo”. He said he didn’t want to give judge Craig any more air time. He also said he’d face the judges again next week and appreciated that he had walked off before head judge Len and judge Alesha could give their comments to him and Jo Wood. Judge Craig appeared later in the show to offer his side. He said he was using animal imagery which is a long-standing and well-known technique that even children use. He also pointed out that he wasn’t given an opportunity to say anything else, his point presumably being that he would have also said something positive as he had scored Jo more highly than in previous weeks. Eliminated couple Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff were on just before judge Craig. Jo, an undefeated world boxing champion, said of his loss to Zoe Lucker in the dance-off: “I got defeated by a woman and that’s fine. The only time I danced was in the dance-off. I knew I was out, there was no way I could compete with Zoe.” Kristina – who until Saturday had been undefeated in Strictly (she left series six only because celeb partner John Sergeant decided to quit) – was tearful. She complained about judge Craig’s score of four for their jive. “He was giving sevens to dancers who barely danced and forgot their routine,” she lamented, wiping away the tears. “I don’t have a tissue. I have a pen,” said Winkleman, helpfully. That has to go down as one of her all-time best comments. Judge Craig later replied that his score of four was “adequate, it was not worth a five”. I doubt the outcome of the evening would have changed if judge Craig’s score was a little higher anyway. Head judge Len gave the shortest phone interview ever. He replied to the question about the jive scores from Saturday being lower than the average jive scores over the previous six series by saying that some of the dancers who did the jive this time were not the best ones in the show. He should have also pointed out how bogus some of these statistics are that It Takes Two is using. A correct comparison would have been to take the average scores from when the jive was danced for the first time in each of the previous series, otherwise the average score includes jives done much later in the show when only the better dancers remain and they have been performing for longer (which would skew the average score upwards). He didn’t point that out but he’s a former dancer not a qualified statistician. Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan were the penultimate guests on a busy show. They reviewed their jive disaster. Chris said that at one point Ola squeezed his hand very tightly. He initially assumed that was because Ola had forgotten the routine but then it suddenly dawned on him that he was the one was had forgotten. The result is a course of tough love from Ola in training this week. Chris had to refer to her as Mrs Jordan and she is calling him Christopher. They’re doing the American smooth this week as are Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna who were the final guests on the show. For the record, blogger’s wife was particularly pleased with Ali’s hairstyle. Brian has pledged to simplify his routines a bit after comments from the judges that he is making things too complex. Interestingly, he then added that one of the moves they are practising for their American smooth is one he’s never done before. “Good luck, Ali,” he quipped. Indeed. Share It
October 17 Joe Calzaghe Is Out Of Strictly Come Dancing 2009Boxer Joe Calzaghe was knocked out of Strictly Come Dancing after losing to Footballers' Wives star Zoe Lucker in the week five dance-off.
Despite winning some favour with the judges who said he had given his best dance to date, Joe and his jive with Kristina Rihanoff didn't score as well with the public and he ended up in the bottom two. But the bigger surprise was Zoe Lucker's fate. She had finished third on the judges’ leader board and still ended up in the dance-off.  The judges’ scores
Ricky Whittle & Natalie Lowe - 36 Jade Johnson & Ian Waite - 35 Zoe Lucker & James Jordan - 30 Ali Bastian & Brian Fortuna - 29 Natalie Cassidy & Vincent Simone - 27 Phil Tufnell & Katya Virshilas - 27 Ricky Groves & Erin Boag - 25 Jo Wood & Brendan Cole - 23 Chris Hollins & Ola Jordan - 22 Laila Rouass & Anton du Beke - 22 Joe Calzaghe & Kristina Rihanoff - 21 Craig Kelly & Flavia Cacace - 20 The dance-off
The dance-off result was a foregone conclusion. Judges Craig, Alesha and Bruno all saved Zoe. Head judge Len’s vote was not needed and he said he would have voted the same way.
(Our thanks to the ever brilliant Miss Bubbles for doing the live blog – you can read her comments in the previous post) My full review of Saturday night’s performances: As usual we have Brucie’s reaction, our view, blogger’s wife’s opinion, a summary of the judges’ views and the scores. Ricky Groves and Erin Boag - jive Our view: Good work at avoiding attempting any move he couldn’t do by lots of combing of the hair and one or two other things that he could do. That said, it was fun and different. Blogger’s wife: What a great start to the show. Technically not the best but I was completely entertained. Brucie: What about that? What about it? Incredible, what a wonderful start. Head judge Len: Kicks, tricks and flicks. I’m surprised you haven’t got repetitive strain injury. It was a minute and half of flicking. It wasn’t what it should be but you embraced the entertainment and the fun of it. Judge Alesha: Love the way you worked the comb. Not as much as pizzazz as your paso. Could have been a lot sharper. Judge Bruno: This wasn’t a jive, it was a one-step wonder. Not good. Judge Craig: If we didn’t know what a kick ball change was we do now. You did about 200 of them. If you are going to do that many you need to point your feet. Your orange socks drew attention to them. Lively and exuberant. 6 7 7 5 = 25 Jade Johnson and Ian Waite – Viennese waltz Our view: I said during the week that their training footage looked good and they delivered brilliantly on the night. Blogger’s wife: She looked fantastic, the dance really suited and she did very well. I didn’t like the choice of music and this corset on the outside of the look is disgusting. Ruined what could have been a beautiful dress. Brucie: What about that? You pinched his bottom at the end. Head judge Len: I’m looking for lovely musical lilt to the dance, good posture, good mix of natural and reverse turns, a fleckerl for a bit of flavour. In fact, everything you did. Judge Alesha: This dance really, really suits you Jade. Beautiful to watch, great body contact. Judge Bruno: Gorgeous, elegant, smooth. Judge Craig: I thought there was a little bit too much rise and fall. You kept your frame throughout and I thought the whole thing was absolutely magnificent. 8 9 9 9 = 35 Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna - jive Our view: Oh dear. I said last week that their salsa was good but too complex. Did they listen? And here’s the outcome: another complicated routine and this time it’s tripped her up. She couldn’t keep up and it went wrong. She did her best to keep going and cover it up but this is not a good performance. It could have been great but you shouldn’t get marks for potential. Keep it simple, Brian, and rev it up later in the series. Blogger’s wife: It started really well and it looked brilliant til she went wrong. Had the potential to be a fantastic routine. Brucie: Lovely. How about it? Judge Alesha: You do those turns superbly. Brian’s been ambitious with the choreography and sometimes you struggle to keep up with it. Judge Bruno: Ali, I am very frustrated because I am still waiting for the goods. Three great flicks and then your foot is all over place. Why? Why? You can do it. Judge Craig: It is such a terrible shame your balance went when you started the spins. You lost the choreography halfway through. You show so much promise, you’re just not delivering. Head judge Len: This was real class jive but there was a major, major incident. Brian, sometimes less is more. Let this girl perform. 6 7 8 8 = 29 Jo Wood and Brendan Cole – Viennese waltz Our view: OK, sure, that won’t trouble the top of the leader board but she has definitely improved. Blogger’s wife: I loved her dress. Not a great dance but the best one she’s done. Brucie: Well done, Jo. Judge Bruno: You’re hanging onto your hero. Too skippy, like a grasshopper. Judge Craig: I don’t know about a grasshopper, I’d say a bush kangaroo. [Brendan takes Jo off stage to Tess’ green room. Brucie tells Craig not to be personal. Craig says he wasn’t] Head judge Len: That was a full-on difficult routine. Ok there are faults but that was Jo’s best dance to date. Judge Alesha: The continuous turning can make you feel sick and she coped with it really well. This dance is her best dance so far. 5 7 6 5 = 23 Zoe Lucker and James Jordan - jive Our view: Time for a general comment about James Jordan. He is so good at putting together a routine that his partner can do and do well. He never overcomplicates it, never gives himself the best parts of the dance and makes his partner shine. He’s done it again here and Zoe has responded well. She is one of the better dancers and she’s shown it here. It lacked a bit of wow and her kicks were dodgy but it will be good enough to please the judges. Blogger’s wife: I liked it but I didn’t love it. Brucie: You all right, dear? Judge Craig: Zoe you are fabulous to watch. The kicks and the flicks were a bit stiff but a very respectable jive Head judge Len: Clean, neat and precise. I liked it but it lacked a bit of freedom. Judge Alesha: You never disappoint Zoe, it was a joy to watch. Judge Bruno: You’re a go-er, you deliver the goods. Kicks form the knee, flicks from the hip. It’s a difficult dance to get right. 7 8 8 7 = 30 Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe – Viennese waltz Our view: Crikey, that’s at least as good as Jade’s Viennese waltz. Blogger’s wife: Once again he looked like a professional. Not flawless but very, very good. Brucie: Come here. It was great. Judge Alesha: Back in the zone and you did not disappoint. You are a ballroom boy at heart. That was like watching a professional couple. Your best dance yet. Judge Bruno: You were riding on the crest of a wave with assurance. A leading man’s performance. Judge Craig: Danced with absolute ease and confidence. You do have a very lazy right foot. Head judge Len: I thought the start was never going to end. It went on and on and then suddenly you took hold and all was forgiven. Keep your head to the left. 8 9 10 9 = 36 Craig Kelly and Flavia Cacace – jive Our view: Flavia forgot her dress, Craig forgot to dance. That’s his worst dance. Blogger’s wife: I was concerned to see that Flavia had lost the bottom of her outfit. Craig looked like he enjoyed dancing it, not as bad as the judges said it was. Brucie: Come here Craig. Judge Bruno: You definitely tried hard, you threw in a lot of steps but unfortunately most of them were off timing. Judge Craig: I appreciate your energy. It was ploddy, a bit pedestrian. There was a spasmodic need to point your feet. Head judge Len: Flavia, you’re hoping that outfit puts me off watching Craig. You lost timing. Good job but it’s week five now, I want to see improvement, you’ve got to work a tad harder. Judge Alesha: It reminds me of someone’s dad dancing down the local disco, it’s endearing but just not good enough. Brucie: You’re my favourites. 4 6 5 5 = 20 Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff - jive Our view: The odd move in that one that was OK but let’s be honest that was not good. If you hadn’t seen his previous dances you’d think this one was terrible. Instead it looks like he’s improved a bit and there’s a risk that we start thinking it was great. It’s all relative, I suppose. Blogger’s wife: It wasn’t very good but there were the odd flashes of dance from Joe in that routine. Brucie: Ok, come on then. What about it? Judge Bruno: For the first time there were a few moments where you were on time. Judge Craig: Finally seeing some personality. You were loosened up and relaxed. There are a plethora of small problems, a bit waddly too. Head judge Len: Last week and again this week we can start to see development. Judge Alesha: I want to see a bit more bounce. You both brought a lot of fun to the floor. Brucie: You’re my second favourites. 4 6 6 5 = 21 Natalie Cassidy and Vincent Simone – Viennese waltz Our view: A bit sticky at the start, a bit skippy in the middle and a bit sloppy at the end. And yet it was still very watchable. Blogger’s wife: Another unflattering dress. It was a pretty good dance. Brucie: Come on, that’s beautiful. Head judge Len: I love your enthusiasm. All the steps were there it was a little bit hoppy. Judge Alesha: It was lovely to see another side of you. You were like a lady, your dad will be very proud. Judge Bruno: Too skippy. Keep it smooth, gliding and light. Judge Craig: You are picking your left leg up too much in the pivots but it was elegant. You achieved what you set put to achieve. 7 7 7 6 = 27 Laila Rouass and Anton du Beke - jive Our view: Interesting fringing on that outfit, when she spun she looked like a carwash. The rest just looked like a car crash. And it wasn’t just Laila, Anton was painful to watch, too. Blogger’s wife: Love her outfit but the dance was just disastrous. Brucie: How about it? Yes. Judge Alesha: Based on that performance your Latin needs a lot more work. That was like a drunken ragdoll but your outfit’s fantastic. Judge Bruno: Did you rehearse on twitter? It was all short bursts that made no sense. Judge Craig: The fringing was masking a lot of flaws in that routine. Bit sticky, bit clumpy. Head judge Len: Your ballroom is a tad better. You’d convinced yourself this wasn’t going to be too clever. Buck yourself up, get your bum in gear and do a good Latin. 5 7 5 5 = 22 Phil Tufnell and Katya Virshilas – Viennese waltz Our view: That won’t win top marks for technique but it will prompt plenty of viewer votes. Blogger’s wife: The dance suited Tuffers and it was enjoyable to watch Brucie: Absolutely lovely. Judge Bruno: Charm at full throttle. He stumbled at the end. Judge Craig: Technically for me it all up on your toes. Changes a little lumpy but you did a great job. Head judge Len: Thinks cricket balls. You polish them. Getting the routine is the start it’s those days and hours to polish the dance that will move up you the leader board. Judge Alesha: You bought look adorable. You hold your posture, you are improving every week. 6 7 7 7 = 27 Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan – jive Our view: Some good kicks in that – just as we’d seen from the training footage - but so much of that routine did not play to his strengths. If he can do a few kicks and has a spring in his step don’t give him lots of steps that fail to show that off. That’s just bad choreography, in my view. The air guitar stuff was a tad pointless. It produced a nice slide but the rest was just time wasting. Blogger’s wife: Chris showed great flashes of what he could do and it’s a shame he messed up. Brucie: Very good. Judge Bruno: You made a mess of it and you knew it. It’s week five and you are one of the ones who can do it so come back and do it. Judge Craig: One week’s more rehearsal would have helped. You went wrong and it looked like you were making it up, but you do have a compact body and it will be a dance that suits you. Head judge Len: You started off time. Listen to the music. Apart from that I thought it was good. Judge Alesha: An improvement on the kicks. Shame about the little mistakes, all of the jives tonight you had the most spring in your step. 5 6 6 5 = 22 Your views
What did you think of tonight's show? Has the right person gone out? Did the public vote surprise you? We'd love to hear from you so please have your say now.
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