AAAAARRGGHH! For the past eleven weeks, I have watched every episode of Strictly Come Dancing and perhaps even more sadly, I've set the Sky+ to record the spin off show - Strictly Come Dancing It Takes Two. I've avidly watched every dance, every dress design, every budding romance and listened to every musical accompaniment. Last night was the big finale show where the last three standing had four dances to perform before one of the couples would eventually receive the revered glitterball trophy. The final was split into two shows and I watched every second of the first show and eagerly looked forward to the second show starting at 9.05pm.
Why oh why then, did I fall asleep at 9.04pm, crashed out on my sofa and awoke several hours later with a rather fetching Amy Winehouse hairdo, a zombie-like walk with arms outstretched for imaginary hurdles and a bladder at breaking point. And I dribbled on to my cushions. It wasn't pretty let me tell you.
Mental note to self:-
1. Set Sky+ if moving into horizontal position on sofa.
2. Remember you are getting older and late nights will catch up with you
3. Try to stop being supernurse and working too many hours
So after a huge night of further sleep, this morning saw me cranking up BBC iPlayer to see that Kara Tointon and her Russian love God Artem won the final and took the prized glitterball. Didn't I pick her from week 1? Yep, self-congratulatory pat on the back to the narcoleptic supernurse and super talent-spotter methinks....
Wowsers, what a week for the telly addicts. It kicked off with the 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here' final with the win going to Stacey Solomon (who previously came third in last year's X Factor!). This year's IACGMOOH surpassed previous years due to some key celebrity moments - generally from Gillian McKeith who fainted and screamed all the time, and Shaun Ryder whose encounter with the snake was tv gold. The snake has certainly never been the same since.
Last weekend we were treated to hours and hours of the grand final of the X Factor. This year has seen more than its fair share of controversy with tales of fixing, fall outs, and fabrication. Matt Cardle screeched and cried his way to the winner's title and a million pound recording contract. Matt, on nearing the final and through yet another tear-filled performance, told the viewing audience that his song was a tribute to a family friend who had died tragically leaving her 4 boys to be looked after by his parents. Of course the British press have exposed the real story bearing no resemblance to Matt's sob story. Tut tut the X Factor publicity machine and tut tut viewing audience for churning out this crap and actually believing it. Matt won the title but I still maintain that Rebecca Ferguson (who came 2nd) was the star. Pure class and I'm sure her star is in the ascendancy.
Wednesday night saw the semi final of The Apprentice and we now know that this year pits the ultimate man v woman final. Posh boy with the polished academic background Chris is up against ex council estate girl done good, the very corporate, cool as cucumber and very competent Stella. Of course I'm rooting for the girl to win the top prize of the £100k contact working for Lord Alan Sugar's multi-billion pound corporation. This week the rather odious and gobby little upstart Stuart Baggs whose self-proclaimed moniker 'The Brand' finally got caught out in the interview stage for the annoying little twerp he is. Stuart Baggs, for all his huffing and puffing and claims of global brilliance and being sent by God, was superb television. Finally watching him squirm and try and blag his way out of trouble was the stuff of legend. Best ever series BBC - well done for a series that just gets better and better.
Tonight it's the biggie in Fishfingerbutty Towers as it's the Strictly Come Dancing Final. Three couples left and thankfully, the best three are fighting it out in the final. There's Pamela Stephenson, who at 61 is doing a brilliant job and showing that grannies can be sexy, fun and strut their stuff probably better than women half her age. There's Matt Baker who is the Mr Nice Guy of the competition. A superb natural dancer who mixes gymnastic ability with a pretty easy on the eye cha-cha-cha. And then there's Kara Tointon. A girl who has just got better and better and is now receiving plaudits that she is actually as good as a professional dancer. There's been some on and off screen chemistry with her brooding Russian professional partner which has added an extra spice to their dance routines. I think any one of these dancers could lift the trophy tonight as they've all been utterly superb to watch, however I'm hoping that dancing prevails and the best dancer wins it. Kara and Artem - my money is on you two.
It's back! SCD has finally returned to our screens. It's as camp as christmas but I just love it. The omens are looking good for a great series this year - different set, different male dancers (phew, they're hot) and a good variety of celebs. Unfortunately, it's the same old Brucie. Ah well, we can't have everything.
Of course there's the usual pantomine villians, cutesy couples and hunks. I also love the ones that have no chance and you just know that the professional dancers must be thinking 'oh shit' when they're paired up. This year we have Ann Widdecombe and Paul Daniels. They're the adult versions of the kids that got picked last at football during PE.
Good news also is that Claudia Winkleman takes over the Sunday results show. She's been a bit hit on 'Strictly - It Takes Two' and I'm really pleased to see she's moving up to present the biggie. I've just seen the first part of SCD where the professional dancers meet up with their celebrity partners. Casting my very experienced dance eyes over proceedings... I'm going for the favourites being from the male celebs... Matt Baker, Jimi Mistry and Scott Maslen. From the girls... Kara Tointon and the girl singer from Eternal. But then again, Ann Widdecombe might be a dark horse with her Argentinian tango..
Can't wait....
Let me introduce to the winner of Strictly Come Dancing 2010... Gavin Henson. Wow, cha cha cha or va va voom when you look at this cheeky little photo.
Some of the celeb names lined up for series 8 of SCD have already been announced. Alongside Gavin Henson (or Chavin as he was known before his recent split with Charlotte Church), is Patsy Kensit, Felicity Kendall, Matthew Wright, GMTV's Penny Smith, Richard Madeley and wait for it... Ann Widdecombe. With Ann and Felicity's signature on board, Anton de Beke and Darren Bennett will no doubt be thinking it's not their turn to win it again this year.
This year's SCD sees even more changes from the controversy of the last series particularly in the BBC budget. The celeb dancers will be paid on their performance throughout the competition so that the dancers who progress to the finals could earn up to £100k. In the past, celebs such as Martina Hingis received a fee of £50k despite being voted out in the first round. The BBC have revealed that the professional dancers receive only £30,000 per series whilst the judges earn £90,000. And here's the clincher.. Brucie Forsyth has agreed to a 15% pay cut which is good of him considering he's picking up £550k. The phrase money for old rope springs to mind.
SCD still remains one of my all-time favourite tv shows. Here's some of the reasons why I love it so much..
- The campness.
- The skill of the dancers and the 'journey' of the celebs.
- It's great all-round family entertainment.
- Brendan Cole's pairings with models and his yearly hissy fits with the judges.
- The variety of the dancing and blimey, there's been some memorable, show stopping dance routines - Jill Halfpenny & Darren Bennett's jive, Alesha Dixon & Matthew Cutler's cha cha cha and Mark Ramprakash & Karen Hardy's tango to name but a few.
- The dance partnerships that perhaps should have won the series but fell at the last hurdle - Austin Healy & Erin Boag, Colin Jackson & Erin Boag and Ricky Whittle & Natalie Low.
- The awful celeb dancers who painfully keep get voted in - Fiona Phillips, Kate Garraway, John Sargeant and the very deluded Craig Kelly.
- The ubiquitous romances each series.. Natasha Kaplinsky & Brendan Cole, Joe Calzalge & Kristina Rihanoff and Ali Bastian & Brian Fortuna.
- Claudia Winkleman on SCD It Takes Two.. fresh, edgy and fun.
- The judges. Len 'SEV-EN' Goodman, Craig 'dahh-ling' Revel-Horwood, Bruno Tonioli are great, but please bring back Arlene Philips.
- The SCD special from Blackpool's Tower Ballroom... the spiritual home of dancing. Please God I can get tickets this year.
- The BBC. I don't care what anyone says, the BBC are the mutts nuts are producing quality tv programmes and pull out all the stops for SCD. Visually, it is superb.
The downside? - Bruce Forsyth of course. It can't be too long 'til Anton de Beke takes over can it? Pleeeeease???
