Another year, another bloated final that winds up being totally irrelevant to the results. At some point, Strictly bosses might need to look into that… For my money, of the last four, Ashley was the strongest dancer, Joe the most … Continue reading
Semi-final week saw the usual quality drop-off with two dances – although in some cases such technical lack was rebranded as “authenticity” by the ever-erratic judges. We also had the dance and music lottery either boosting or limiting celebs, depending … Continue reading
And then we came to the end. All in all, it’s been a cracker of a series, and the final really was the, er, brandy cream on the pudding. We had a great run of dances from all four couples, … Continue reading
I joined Georgey Spanswick again on her BBC radio show to talk Strictly. Click here to listen to the interview (I’m on at about 2hr 36min)
Two dances is theoretically a good test of range, growth and performance at this crucial stage, but can often make for a night of half-finished numbers – the pros’ steely ambition exceeding the knackered celebs’ execution. So it proved in … Continue reading
There was something of an elegiac feel to this year’s final, as Len Goodman, Strictly institution, finally hung up his “Seh-ven!” paddle, gave us one last scrambled metaphor and waltzed off to the great golf course in the sky. We … Continue reading
Two-dance week: often a recipe for disappointing half-dances. But this was actually a decent semi-final, if inconsistent – in performance and in judging. Ah yes. Overmarked, undermarked, wandering free. The judges of Strictly, erratic are we. At this point, Bruno’s … Continue reading
This year’s couples largely managed to avoid the crippling malaise that is Blackpool Hangover Week, although I could have done without the continuation of bizarre scoring, plus dubious Cha Cha Challenge choices. It’s no secret that the judges have firm … Continue reading
Never question the commitment of boyband voters. A final that zigzagged between possible winners (well, apart from Katie) ended up feeling somewhat redundant as Jay’s fans carried him over the finishing line regardless of his distinctly underwhelming performance. Aliona’s dubious … Continue reading
Why do Strictly viewers hate Ashley Roberts?
This weekend’s Strictly Come Dancing semi-final saw a third consecutive trip to the dreaded dance-off for ex-Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts – despite topping the leaderboard with pro partner Pasha Kovalev after notching four nines for a fierce Paso Doble and a perfect … Continue reading →