Midweek Update
Trouble at t’Mill
The preparations for the next Strictly live tour continue in earnest, with the news that Ola & James won’t be among the professional line up, revealed by James on Twitter:
Myself and Ola will definitely NOT be doing the Strictly Tour! Just received an E-MAIL to say we are not needed!!
While the professional line up on the live tour has varied from year to year, according to the ubiquitous “insider” (it’d be quite good to meet the Insider one day wouldn’t it) the real reason for their absence is due to James’ increasingly belligerent behaviour, and a desire to give him something of a reality check:
James’s behaviour this year has been getting worse and worse. He has been throwing strops on live television and his behaviour has really annoyed show chiefs. This decision certainly came as a surprise to the Jordans – but bosses have thought James in particular needed a reality check for a long time.
Of course, the fact that Judge Craig, in addition to going on the tour as a judge is also the tour director, may also go some way to explaining the decision:
James needs to reel his head in.He’s being incredibly selfish and rude moaning on Twitter about not doing the tour. Not every dancer can do the tour and he needs to let other people have a chance – Katya has never done the tour before and she’s coming this year. Why should Ola and James always get to do it and never Katya? My advice to them would be quit moaning, reel your head in and get on with it. It’s nothing personal.
I’ve no doubt that, given the option, Craig would have loved to have taken Ola and left James, but obviously that would always have been a non-starter. The worry now though is whether James throws such a strop that he decides to quit Strictly altogether, or the producers decide he’s getting too big for his boots, because if he goes then Ola will go too. And let’s face it, for myriad reasons Ola is far more important to Strictly than James is.
Ola or James? Who do you think the producers would prefer to keep?
Thrusting out of the screen
It seems that the British public are more than prepared to have Judge Bruno jumping out of the telly at them. In fact, according to some retailers, they’re positiviely going gaga at the prospect, if the sales figures for 3D television sets are to be believed. According to Currys and PC World, sales of 3D equipment have broken through the 40% barrier for the first time in the lead up to the final on Saturday:
Strictly is one of Britain’s best-loved shows and the final is set to be a momentous occasion – the perfect excuse to snap up a 3D TV set ahead of Christmas.
This is in spite of the glasses that people need to wear in order to make out the 3D picture, which don’t sit especially well if you already wear spectacles. But I think I’ve mentioned this already. Still, it seems to be yet another indication that people have been getting into Strictly more this year than they have for a while. Long may it continue. Oh, and if you don’t want to spend £1000 on a 3D telly, you can pay a tenner and go to see the final in selected cinemas in 3D.
The Strictly Final in 3D
“Strictly spurs 3D TV sales”
It’s a chill wind
Those of you that are regular watchers will know that, traditionally, the eliminated couples all return to do a twirl during the final. Of course, there will sometimes be people who, for whatever reason, can’t make it back (although you can pretty much guarantee that, unless he has a limb cut off, Russell will be there with so many christmas bells on). Sometimes it will be a prior commitment, or illness, or whatever. And, just occasionally, it will be because the couple have fallen out. As seems to have occured in two cases this year. “Insider” has said that Lulu and Brendan have fallen out over comments Brendan made after they went out:
When Lulu heard what Brendan said about her she was livid. She has been very sensitive about her time on the show and needed more support than he was prepared to give her. He is a very hard taskmaster and this didn’t often sit well with Lulu.
While we have this, there’s also Dan and Katya (remember them?), whose relationship has become somewhat frosty. Again, “Insider” has noted:
As for Katya, she thought Dan didn’t care. But Dan has been telling people he thought she was getting all of the attention when it should have been about them as a couple.
Whether this means that they won’t be at the final, we couldn’t say. What’s more likely I guess is that they’ll all be professional, turn up, do their little twirl on the floor, then leave and not have anything to do wqith each other again. After all, both of the professionals have had far more successful partnerships during their time.
Far more successful
Top of the frocks
A poll has been run to find the most liked outfits worn during Strictly, not just this year, but throughout the nine series so far. Of course, you tend to find in any of these sort of things that the more recent something has appeared, the fresher it is in your memory. But even so, it surprises me at least that the oldest one in the top ten only comes from 2007. The top ten as it happens is:
- Alesha Dixon – Waltz (2007 final)
- Alex Jones – Paso Doble (2011)
- Kara Tointon – American Smooth (2010 final)
- Michelle Williams – Waltz (2010)
- Jo Wood – Promo dress (2009)
- Rachel Stevens – Promo dress (2008)
- Ola Jordan – Foxtrot (2009)
- Holly Valance – Cha Cha (2011)
- Christine Bleakley – Waltz (2008)
- Flavia Cacace – Tango (2011)
Clearly those voting have a much greater preference for ballgowns than short latin dresses, and yet it’s surprising that there are several iconic outfits that are missing from this list. The one that most springs to my mind is Natasha Kaplinsky’s stunning paso dress from way back in series 1 – a startlingly white, floor length gown that served to make her movements stand out that much more than if she were in the traditional red or black. Then there’s Alesha’s gold cha cha dress, and even Jill Halfpenny’s pink number that she wore (and got tangled up in) during her perfect jive back in the series 2 final. And I’m sure that those of you who are regular Strictly watchers will have their own personal favourites too.
“Favourite frocks from the series are floor-length gowns rather than sexy Latin numbers”
Weekly Odds
Harry Judd – 7/2 on
Chelsee Healey – 5/2
Jason Donovan – 20/1
Classic Strictly
As we’re right at the final, it’s only right that I show you a couple of perfect final performances, from a pair of champions. Back in series 2, Jill Halfpenny & Darren Bennett took to the floor in Blackpool in the final and did a jive to Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing”. In spite of Jill managing to get her heel caught up in the hem of her dress, the two of them engaged in a fast, furious and ultimately perfect routine, and gained the first perfect score ever on Strictly. Two years later, Mark Ramprakash & Karen Hardy did a reprise of their iconic salsa in the series 4 final – in week 5 of that year, there had been something of a technical hitch making them the only couple up to now to be able to start their routine again. But in the final, everything went off with ne’er a trifle, and they gained a perfect score as well. Enjoy!!
Pip’s Final Thought
It’s been a good year hasn’t it? We’ve seen the emergence of some genuinely skilled dancers in Chelsee, Jason and Harry. We’ve had the birth of “Son of Brendan” in James and his ever increasing stroppiness. We’ve seen a feather boa put the kibosh on a promising run (actually, it wasn’t really all that promising). And we’ve seen myriad new classic routines from the enigma that is Russell Grant. But perhaps most important of all, we’ve seen Strictly fighting back against The Other Side. Does this show that X-Factor is a one trick pony, and without Lord Flattop it is less than all that? Is it a case that “one man can make a difference”? We’ll see. However, I have no wish to dwell on X-Factor, because that isn’t my main focus. You’ll probably have gathered by now that I’m Strictly all the way; hence how I was able to get a group of librarians crowded around an iPad watching Jason & Kristina’s tango. Sir Bruce says every year that it will be the best yet. I’m not sure whether this is. But it has come mighty close. And so, that’s that for Strictly 2011 – the final starts sharp at 7.00pm on Saturday. Good luck to the three of you left competing for the main prize. I will update the leagues and do a final post letting everyone know who has won what on Monday. And, hopefully, see you next year!!
