Strictly is over

The Final of Strictly Come Dancing took place on Saturday. Over 13 million viewers enjoyed the spectacle. And what a magnificent spectacle it proved to be.


I believe the right two couples got through to the second stage (though I suspect GB may disagree when he gets his DVDs up-to-date in a few weeks). I never really took to Lisa and whilst I can appreciate her journey and Brendan’s skill in training her I cannot think of a single dance of hers that really wowed me.


Right up until the show dance I thought it was going to be Rachel’s but the show dance made me wonder if Tom could pull it off.


Bruce sang a song for us.


They opened the cages and let Kristina and Ola out to do some of the brilliant professional dances and to dance with their partners from the series. Whatever other health problems I may suffer from I can guarantee there are still some red blood cells left!


The five previous winners of Strictly Come Dancing - Natasha Kaplinsky, Jill Halfpenny, Darren Gough, Mark Ramprakash and Alesha Dixon - also appeared, with all but Kaplinsky performing a group fabulous routine to a version of Robbie Williams' Let Me Entertain You.


The winners – Tom and Camilla. Overall I think Rachel should have won and I felt sorry for her and Vincent. A score of 79 out of 80 for their two dances prior to the show dance – they could not have done more. But I would have felt sorry for Tom and Camilla if they had lost.


It has undoubtedly been the best Strictly Come dancing series yet.

Strictly Weekend

There were eight dances on Saturday. My favourites were Tom and Camilla’s Foxtrot; Tom and Camilla’s Rumba; Rachel and Vincent’s Tango; Rachel and Vincent’s Cha Cha Cha and Austin and Erin’s Salsa. Rachel was judged to have done another perfect dance.


Austin was at the bottom of the leader board. On the basis of my perception of the dances I decided to give Tom and Rachel two phone votes each and Austin one phone vote. I wonder who will be in the dance off. Could be any of them at this stage. Whatever happens someone really good is going to be leaving.



On Sunday the Professionals did a couple of wonderful dances – firstly a Viennese Waltz.



And then an Argentine Tango.


Then Barry Manilow sang Copa Cobana to the accompaniment of a Samba by the professionals again.


Sadly, as Arlene pointed out, the dance that the performers had to s
do on the night affected the outcome of the dance off and Austin and Erin’s best dance – a latin - was judged to be not as good as Lisa and Brendan’s best dance – ballroom. Austin is out. Very sad.


So it will be Austin and Erin on Claudia’s couch on Monday night.

Strictly Out of It

Before I comment on Sunday’s Strictly can I just lay the John Sergeant thing to rest by quoting a couple of sentences from three paragraphs by a Cumbrian blogger who, like me, was upset at the whole ‘thing’. Her posting was the most sensible thing I’d read on the whole subject. “I’ve watched Strictly Come Dancing for about five series now and every time there is some unfortunate soul who lasts far, far longer in the competition than is truly wise because the chance for the average viewer to both witness humiliation and effect rescue is too good to pass up. It’s all the fun of watching your favourite Christian in the amphitheatre, knowing that with a press of a button you can send the lion down the trapdoor, if need be..... Seeing the tempers mount on the message boards has been a disconcerting experience for me, revealing the war-mongering heart of folk who were supposedly enjoying a gentle, old-fashioned Saturday teatime programme. I know some people find a big old row thrilling spectator sport, but I hate the conflict and the excess.”


A brilliant group dance. An intervioew with Felicity Kendall. And by far the best dance off yet. What more could one want?


I thought Jodie’s jive was the better dance but it was Lisa who survived.


So long, Jodie and Ian.

Strictly special

After Rachel and Vincent’s perfectly scored Foxtrot, Tom and Camilla’s excellent Tango and Austin and Erin’s Cha cha cha the competition is really open. I wouldn’t like to forecast which of those three is likely to be the eventual winner. The others will fall by the wayside but still gave us our money’s worth on Saturday. I’m hoping that Christina will survive ‘tomorrow’ but suspect it will be her and Jodie in the dance off.


John and Kristina’s last dance was suitably emotional and will not be forgotten in a hurry.

Strictly Votes

Oh dear, the controversy continues. John was once more saved by the public. As a result the dance off was between Cherie and James and Lisa and Brendan.




Craig voted to keep Lisa, Arlene voted to keep Lisa, then Bruno voted to keep Cherie... That left the casting vote to a very grumpy Len who thought John should not have escaped his fate. Grumpy Len voted for Lisa so Cheri left the competition in week 9...



Can’t wait for next week.

Strictly Controversy

After being in the dance off for the fourth time Heather finally departed but not before she had given Rachel a shock. Or rather the viewers gave Rachel a shock.


John and Kristina were the first couple announced as being voted back next week... How much longer can it go on. The British public do so love a loser! Craig probably did them a favour when he gave them a 1.

Strictly Secret

I’ve swapped my Strictly blog postings over from Rambles from my Chair because I don’t want GB to see them before he receives his dvds from the UK.


I have come to the conclusion that in general I much prefer the traditional ballroom dances like waltz, quickstep, foxtrot and American smooth. One of the reasons is the men look so smart in tails and the women so beautiful in their gorgeous dresses. The exception is the jive which Jill Halfpenny did so brilliantly in an earlier series. Austin and Erin’s waltz was a definite ten for me. Len’s ten to them was the first ten of the series – it’s been a long time coming.


I think Cherie has peaked. As Bruno said the “Dress was red hot but the salsa was not.” As Len pointed out the salsa and Paso didn’t suit here but the good news was that as long as she got through that was two poor ones out of the way...

Despite my preference for the traditional dances the controversial paso of Tom and Camilla was excellent. I thought Rachel and Vincent’s jive was good – the jive is my favourite of the modern dances – but it wasn’t up to the Jill Halfpenny one.


As Arlene commented John Sargant’s Foxtrot got into a trot at the end but it lacked Fox. Len’s comment that it wasn’t “Help the Aged” was a bit cruel. He will need the public more than ever this weekend but think his time has come.



Jodie’s waltz with Ian was by far her best dance yet – I loved the Mr Darcy outfit and her dress.


I think Len is having hormone problems – he’s been really grumpy the last couple of weeks.