I have refrained from commenting on Strictly for several weeks as I am finding it more and more difficult to sort out who is who and it is best if I wait till half of them are gone. Some of the Slebs this year are unknown to me, especially the soap stars, but after a while it does not really matter as you either get to know them and like them or you don't. Tonight's show was a good one after the crap that is Halloween Week where they all go totally overboard and the costumes and make up overtake the dancing and we had some really poor stuff. This week just back to the dancing and all the better for it.
My thoughts on the current lot who are left:
Anton and Katie Derham - I think that somebody told Katie D when she was a child what a lovely smile she had got and how vivacious she was as she seems to have taken this on board and devoted her life to remaining that way. She twinkles at every opportunity, laughs at every joke no matter how feeble, tosses her hair around and generally wants everyone to think what a fun person she is.(Camera went on her tonight when a fellow contestant was given a good score. Oooh the mask slipped then) I remember her a few years ago taking part in another reality show, Conductor, where she was totally useless at the task, threw a strop, shouted at her teacher and stalked out effing and blinding. Not so sweet. I also am still in a state of high irritation at her commentary of the Last Night of the Proms where she would not shut up for a moment and wittered on and on and on until I was at screaming pitch. Wasn't just me either, lots of folk on Twitter asking if she would just shut the f**k up. Not exactly subtle but to the point. She is dancing with Anton who, and I really do love him, is now beyond his sell by date and it shows. His choreography is poor and I think there was a reason he was lumbered with the likes of Widdy and Del Oliolo as given a partner who has potential he does not know what to do with her. When I think that they got rid of Ian Waite and Matthew Cutler 'sob' and he is still there I do wonder.
Anita Rani who I gather is from Countryfile or Countrywatch or BirdWatch or Cretin Watch or some such prog on the Beeb, great dancer and she is partnered with Gleb a new guy from Russia, who really is sensationally gorgeous and sports a mustache a la Errol Flynn (looked better on Errol) but he is a fantastic dancer.
Georgia May Foote who I gather is a soap actress.She is partnered with another newbie this year, Giovanni. As she has a northern accent of some kind she pronounces his name so that it comes out as Joe Varney which all the bloggers on the Guardian live blog now call him. He is VERY Italian, very charming and a great dancer but seems to have emptied the entire supply of Italy's olive oil production on his hair. I am surprised that when his partner puts her arms around him he does not shoot off and hit the ceiling.
Jay McGuiness and Aliona - gather he used to be in a boy band. First week had hair down to his shoulders, curly and tangled and looked gormless. Second week he had it cut and was transformed. Third week he and Aliona did one of the best jives ever. Argentine tango tonight which lacked a bit of passion (rumours are that they are exuding that offscreen) but he is a very good dancer and getting better by the week.
Jeremy Vine is this year's Fun Turn which we always must have. He is without doubt the worst dancer I have ever seen. One of the Friday panel on It Takes Two said he looked like a giraffe about to give birth and that is it exactly. Just think Dad Dancing but even worse. He is delightful and everyone loves him. So awful tonight doing a tango dressed, for some inexplicable reason, like Woody in Toy Story, that he got a standing ovation and Darcy Bussell was reduced to mild hysterics.
OK will run quickly through the rest.
Helen who I gather was in Call the Midwife which I watched once and never again. Excellent dancer but totally lacking any sort of personality at all. Worth watching though as she is dancing with Aliyash so for that reason alone would like her to stay in. Tonight he was dancing with his shirt open.....
Kellie, from Eastenders I gather, and Kevin. Rather a nice couple but will not set the world alight.
Peter Andre who I love. Lots of sarky comments about him being needy and wanting it too much which I think is not quite true. Any man who survived Katie Price has to have some guts about him. Great dancer and tonight he and his partner Jeanette did a fantastic Charleston and got two tens.
Carol who is a weather lady and is the direst of the dire. She makes Judy Murray look like Ginger Rogers. Again, the only reason she has stayed in is because she is a sweetie and the is dancing with the lovely Pasha.
I am sure I have forgotten somebody but too tired now to write more.
Oh yes I have forgotten Jamelia which is easy to do.
I know who has gone out tonight as it is always on the internet about 10.30 pm on Saturday night if you know where to look. But of course we have to watch the results show tomorrow which we all know is filmed today and then tomorrow after they have switched the audience around and Tess and Claudia have changed their dresses, ditto Darcy, they all pretend it has never happened. Whole thing is totes stupid.
Claudia is great fun as ever but Tess is unbelievably and utterly dire and plumbs the depths of banality. Tonight she was losing her voice and most people on Twitter were praying that she would.....
Something to look forward to in the coming weeks. The BLACKPOOL weekend is coming up so expect Tess/Claudia/Zoe to ask each contestant each week How important is it for you to get to BLACKPOOL. This happens every year and I long for the day when one of the Slebs turns round and says Well actually Tess I don't give a flying f**k if I get there or not. It ain't gonna happen but I like to dream......
Keeeeeeeeeeeep dancing!
