Tag Archives: couples choice

‘Rose Ayling-Ellis is showing you can be deaf and still be happy’: Deaf performers hail the Strictly effect

The actress’ silent break on last week’s show was the TV moment of the year – and it’s changing perceptions around deaf performers and British Sign Language, too. Read my full The i Paper article here

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Strictly Speaking: Week 10

So, there are flat post-Blackpool shows, and there’s…whatever this was. Barely one rung up from everyone calling in sick while still nursing their hangovers on the tour bus. We’re in the closing stages of hard-fought competition, and yet by far … Continue reading

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Strictly Come Dancing Week 10: Who danced it best?

The post-Blackpool week can often feel like a comedown, and so it proved with a rather flat show. But this most unpredictable of series still produced another curious dance-off: former leaderboard-topper Saffron Barker versus boy wonder Karim Zeroual – despite … Continue reading

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Strictly Speaking: Week 9

For once, Blackpool Week just about lived up to the hype, with some fun, exciting and truly outstanding performances. But, as so often in this changeable series, erratic scoring led to another shock elimination. Michelle and Giovanni, one of this … Continue reading

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Strictly Come Dancing Week 9: Whose technique helped them conquer Blackpool?

The giant, sprung floor at Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom can offer a boost to our celebrity dancers – or it can prove exposing. Continuing this series of shock exits, frontrunner Michelle Visage fell victim to Blackpool’s vastness with a vogueing Couple’s … Continue reading

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Is Strictly’s judging going to pot?

In these divisive times, we can count on the BBC’s sequin-fest to get all the generations round the telly on a Saturday night, becoming armchair experts on fleckerls and voltas. In this 16th series, however, the good ship Strictly has hit more icebergs … Continue reading

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Strictly Speaking: Week 10

So, we could talk about the post-Blackpool hangover pervading the week (this show very much brought to you by paracetamol and Alka-Seltzer). We could talk about scoring monstrosities, or the continuing bafflement of Couple’s Choice, or how the ghost of … Continue reading

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Strictly Speaking: Week 9

Ah, Blackpool – home of ballroom. Or, in Strictly’s case, home of prop dancers, inflated (in most cases) scores, and alarming combos like fire, feathers and copious amounts of hairspray. At its best, it provides history, spectacle and a thrilling … Continue reading

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Strictly Speaking: Week 8

It might seem a strange statement to make while the BBC is shoving Stacey towards the glitterball, and Joe’s YouTube views have now surpassed the last six series, but one thing I’m enjoying is this year’s unpredictability. Who could have … Continue reading

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Strictly Speaking: Week 7

Post-Halloween Week, and it’s possible the judges were still hopped up on Haribo and egging unsuspecting strangers, with the series’ most inconsistent show so far in terms of scoring and comments. Of course, Strictly is a mix of dancing and … Continue reading

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