Hope to see it on Saturday, depends on the telly being tuned in right

I hope you get you Tuning sorted out then LowonIQ, you don't want to miss all these dancing on Saturday do you?
--------------------

Joe Calzaghe eager to show Strictly Come Dancing judges that he can go the distance

By Mark Jefferies 2/10/2009

Joe Calzaghe is training for this week's Strictly routine as though he is about to go 12 rounds with the judges.

The ex-boxer has put in 30 HOURS' training with Kristina Rihanoff for a 90-second Paso Doble after Len Goodman called his tango "a dance only a mum could love". His nearest challenger is Ali Bastian who has done 20 hours.

A source said: "He's training like a man possessed. He was stung by the comments and wants to perfect his dance. It's like he's training for a world title fight."

Get all the latest Strictly Come Dancing news in our dedicated section.

I can't get over how much younger Kristina looks this year.  Going lighter on the slap has definitely helped.

She does look lovely doesn't she?

A fine figure of a woman, Joe's a lucky feller to have her as a partner.

Kristina does look so much better this year than last.

I'm a bit down because there is no SCD tonight.

The hug that made Alesha feel Moyles better: Strictly Come Dancing judge receives warm welcome from Radio 1 DJ

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 12:24 PM on 02nd October 2009

Under-fire Strictly Come Dancing judge Alesha Dixon at least found herself with one fan today - Radio 1 breakfast DJ Chris Moyles.

She was given a warm welcome by Moyles as she appeared on his show this morning at Radio 1 HQ in Great Portland Street.

Dixon, 30, has found herself in the firing line after controversially replacing 66-year-old Arlene Phillips on the Strictly judging panel.

 

But she told Moyles that she wasn’t taking any of the negative reports on her performances to heart.

Alesha, who showed off her pins in silver Latex leggings, said: 'I do care what they think, but I’m not going to let it get me down.'

She also firmly denied any rumours of a new love interest when the portly host questioned her on the subject.

She insisted she was single, but would get married again should she meet the right man.

Meanwhile, as Strictly continues, more and more viewers are seeking to perfect their own cha-cha-chas with ballroom dancing lessons.

Some dance teachers are reporting an 80 per cent increase in students and an estimated 250,000 novices have taken to the floor for themselves.

One rather special dance lesson takes place on Sunday 4th October at the Wandsworth Palais in London when Strictly Come Dancing stars Kristina Rihanoff and Brian Fortuna hold a one-off dance class for all ballroom wannabes.

The second part of the premier of Dancing with the Stars is on tonight Suzi - I'm getting my ballroom fix there!

What the hell is Alesha wearing in those photos?  She's got a great figure, but she looks awful in that get up.

Guests on ITT tonight - Rav & Aliona, Ali & Brian, Joe & Kristina and our judges - Craig, Alesha and Len. 6.30pm, BBC Two! 

• Don't miss tonight's It Takes Two - Phil and Katya have a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT they will be making... BBC Two, 6.30pm tonight!
• Training News: Chris Hollins has said that Ola has insisted he gets his chest waxed for next time he does a Latin routine
  
  From BBC SCD Twitter

Strictly Come Dancing champion Camilla Dallerup to appear at Dance Against Hunger Ball

2:04pm Friday 2nd October 2009

STRICTLY Come Dancing’s reigning champion is set to bring some sparkle to a York charity ball when she takes to the dance floor with a West End star.

Camilla Dallerup, who lifted the Strictly trophy last year with Holby City actor Tom Chambers, will be in York on Saturday, November 21, to perform at the city’s Dance Against Hunger Ball.

The Danish dancer, who left the BBC show after winning the 2008 title, will be partnered by the winner of ITV’s Grease Is The Word, Danny Bayne.

Tickets are still available to the Royal York Hotel’s black-tie event, which aims to raise funds for the humanitarian aid organisation, Action Against Hunger.

“I’m really excited to be coming to York and it’s wonderful to be able to support the marvellous work of this charity,” said Camilla, 35, who has recently got engaged to Hollyoaks actor Kevin Sacre.

“It’s easy to get carried away with everything we do here at home and not to worry about all the starving people around the world who haven’t even got fresh water.

“We are very spoiled as a nation. We just turn on the taps and there’s fresh water.

“But there are people out there that need our help and we need charities like Action Against Hunger to keep reminding us that it’s not all rosy-looking around the world.”

Guests to the ball will be greeted with a drinks reception, followed by a three-course gourmet banquet, accompanied by wine.

After dinner, they will be treated to entertainment from Camilla and Danny, as well as a dance-off by 12 Yorkshire couples, who will battle it out in front of a judging panel.

All proceeds from the evening will go to Action Against Hunger, a charity that is committed to saving the lives of malnourished children and their families in more than 40 countries around the world, including Liberia, Gaza and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Tickets to the ball cost £50. To book your place, phone Aimee Hayhurst on 0208 2936138 or 07956 826895, or email a.hayhurst@aahuk.org For more information, log on to actionagainsthunger.org.uk

Did anyone see Brian Fortuna`s new hairstyle tonight on ITT.  Ali had done it for him and I liked it and so did Claudia, however opinion on DS is that it`s awful, I mustn`t have good taste in hairstyles

I liked it Jeppa, also I seem to notice there they have dropped the whole Arlene/Alesha thing and concentrated on the couples, wish it was like that on the BBC site seems like some can't let it drop and will intend to moan about it for the rest of the series.

I loved the dynamic between Len, Craig and Alesha though on ITT, Claudia is fab as always.

Strictly Come Dancing's Jo Wood so nervous about performing she gets hypnotised

Oct 3 2009 Rick Fulton

JITTERY Jo Wood is bidding to overcome her Strictly Come Dancing nerves - by having hypnosis.

The former wife of rocker Ronnie had a session yesterday in a desperate attempt to build her confidence.

She is due to step out on the dancefloor with partner Brendan Cole again tonight.

A source said: "Jo and Brendan are doing the paso doble and he wants more aggression in the dance. But Jo is finding it hard to be feisty and even if the hypnosis session cures her nerves, it won't change her style.

"Only large amounts of practice will help that."

Jo, 54, hinted at the hypnosis on her Twitter site yesterday.

She said: "Not feeling so hot, hope I'm gonna be OK for Saturday's show. Gonna work hard on my nerves."

But the bookies reckon she'll fail. They have her favourite to be booted off the BBC programme tonight as the final 14 celebs dance on the same show for the first time.

Rival Joe Calzaghe also struggled with nerves but has done more than 30 hours of intensive training this week in a bid to improve. Ricky Whittle is still favourite to win.

Meanwhile, under-fire judge Alesha Dixon has told how she has put love on the sidelines for Strictly.

But the singer - who was once married to former So Solid Crew star MC Harvey - insists she is happy to be single and concentrating on her career. She said: "I don't have a love life, so it's going really well.

"I'm single because of my schedule. They have me working until 2am and up again at 6am. But there's nothing wrong in being single."

Amir Khan on Joe Calzaghe in Strictly Come Dancing

Sat Oct 3 2009 08:48:52

He might have gone into the competition as the favourite, but It is fair to say Joe Calzaghe is no longer considered the front runner on Strictly Come Dancing.

The retired Welsh fighter, has been compared by Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood to rigor mortis and told he has no rhythm.

Fellow boxer and friend Amir Khan thinks he could do a much better job on the show.

The 22-year-old light welterweight said: "It's coordination. Your hands and your feet need to work together and he hasn't got that.

"If he ever needed any tips he knows where to come. I would have taught him a few moves."

But Amir has ruled out appearing on the BBC show for series 8 or even 9.

He says that while he gets lots of offers to go on reality shows, he will not do any for at least another six years as his main focus is boxing.

Strictly Come Dancing's Craig Revel Horwood on why no one's safe from the BBC axe and how he struggled with anorexia

By Jenny Johnston
Last updated at 10:00 PM on 02nd October 2009

Two weeks in, it's Strictly Come Dancing’s stormiest season yet. And Craig Revel Horwood says that no one - on the panel or the dancefloor - is safe from the axe.

How difficult can it be to watch some celebs blundering across the dancefloor, then come out with a cutting criticism?

Harder than you'd think, if the furore over Alesha Dixon's 'nice but dim' presence on the Strictly panel is anything to go by.

Her fellow judge Craig Revel Horwood may, surprisingly, be one of the gentler voices around when it comes to assessing her performance.

But even he concedes that there was an upside to the whole controversy - in that it underlined how it actually takes considerable skill to carry these things off.

As if we hadn't learned that from the Kelly Brook debacle, where she was dropped as a judge on Britain's Got Talent after only six days because she just wasn't up to the role.

'Being on a judging panel is quite a skill and I'm not sure people always realise this,' he tells me.

'It's quite something to watch a performance in one minute and 30 seconds, then form a constructive argument to talk about what you've seen for ten or 20 seconds. It takes practise, because in life you never have to be that succinct.'

Then there's the potential nightmare of having your witticisms prepared in your head, only to find that lovely Len Goodman has come out with the same line just before your turn.

'I quickly learnt to jot down several things about the performance as it was going on. Then, if Len or Bruno (Tonioli) talked about arms, I could talk about footwork. If Arlene (Phillips, the judge who was replaced by Alesha) talked about posture, I would take facial expressions. But none of that came easily.

'We built up a way of operating over the years. While I jotted down a few notes, for instance, Arlene wrote pages and pages. You'd look over and she'd be scribbling furiously.'

But it appears that no one mentioned this to Alesha. Craig explains that he, Len and Bruno did go out for dinner with her before the series started to get to know her, and there were some studio rehearsals.

But, with hindsight, they sound a little on the basic side.

'It was a case of, "This is where your paddles are, this is where the water is, darling. There are tissues, in case you start sweating. See that button? You have to press it at the end of every performance."'

Craig is far too tactful to completely diss Alesha's performance - and given that there is a BBC press officer in the room, it might be career suicide if he did.

'Alesha was a contestant, so it's hard for her to emotionally disconnect from the dancing. You have to divorce yourself from all that; to be more critical.'

Was she nervous on the first show?

'I think so. I would be. She was taking over from Arlene, and she isn't Arlene. She's nothing like Arlene, and no one wants her to be. Because she had been a contestant, she had studied all the dances we see on the show - Len, Bruno and myself have not, and that can bring an interesting perspective.'

Tough act to follow: The BBC has come under fire for replacing judge Arlene Phillips with Alesha Dixon

Hmm. Maybe she's just too nice to have been made a judge on Strictly?

'Well, so is Len,' he retorts. 'He hands out tens willy-nilly, come on! And even Alesha started off giving lower scores than Len in the first show. And Bruno! He's all, "Oh that was wonderful my darling, I love it, I love it, I LOVE IT, 10!!", even when there were mistakes.

'Hello! Actually, I think Alesha had a lot more to say sometimes than Len and Bruno put together.'

If Arlene’s sacking proved anything, it was that showbusiness is every bit as cut-throat as people like Craig say it is. He’s candid about his shock on hearing that Arlene was out the door; but sanguine about the wider implications.

Was there any point at which he feared for his own future on the panel? ‘Darling, I fear for it every year. We’re on yearly contracts and every December, when the series ends, I think, “Well, that’s it. I’m out of a job now.” It’s the nature of this business. You always know you are replaceable.’

Still, Arlene! He says he had no inkling she was going. I ask if he had been told the axe was going to fall, which judge would he have predicted was for the chop? He seems as bewildered as the rest of us.

‘I could have been sacked, or Len. I really don’t know, but it’s not my job to understand it. It wasn’t a case of any of us other judges saying, “Right, Arlene’s not doing it, I’m not doing it”, because it wasn’t any of my business.’

He was offered the same contract as before, but with a 20 per cent pay cut. How has he managed?

‘Less champagne, darling, less champagne.’

And more keeping his head down, presumably. He gives the impression that dancing is a brutal business.

‘And whatever gets dished out on Strictly is ten times worse in the real world, and everyone involved in it knows that.’

It’s amazing, really, that anyone signs up for the show, but sign up they do. Who are the ones to watch this time round?

‘Ali Bastian was the biggest surprise,’ he admits. ‘She is fierce. But you know, the funny thing is that some people start brilliantly and go nowhere because they don’t improve. And some people grow from nothing into something.

'Mark Ramprakash is a good example. When he first started, he was terrible. Chris Hollins was a huge surprise in the first show, certainly in the Latin round because the most difficult thing for men is the rumba. He’s got proper hip action going, albeit a little naïve.’

The performance he was most disappointed by was that of Joe Calzaghe, former world champion boxer. ‘It wasn’t the liveliest of tangos?’ he laughs. ‘There was no drama, no drive. There was a lot that was wrong with it, but the worst was that there was no personality, which I was amazed about.’

So who is going to be this year’s John Sergeant, the one that fans laughed at but also voted for?

‘When I first saw Jo Wood, I though she was hilarious. All over the place, but going for it. I like that. Ricky Groves stood out as good value, too. His first routine was electrifying. He looked like he’d plugged himself into something and gone around the floor. Technically, it was abysmal, but for effort and for going out there and actually delivering a performance, I think he was brilliant.’

He still maintains he can tell whether someone can actually dance by the way they walk down the stairs on the show. Has he ever been wrong?

Watching Fiona Phillips make an entrance and thinking, 'what effortless style', for instance. When, in fact, she turned out to be hopeless.

He guffaws. 'No, not once. Actually, she tripped a lot of the time. She had to be lugged down the stairs, as did Kate Garraway. Well, she looked more like an Egyptian mummy coming down because she was all bandaged up from her many injuries.'

He leaps to the floor to demonstrate how one should 't-a-k-e to the floor'.

Funnily enough, he doesn't look like a dancer to me. He is 6ft 2in and, in a different life, might have been a surfer in his native Australia.

Aren't dancers supposed to be tiny?

'Ah, no, the height can be an advantage. That's why I danced at the Lido de Paris, because the girls are between 5ft 11in and 6ft 3in. Obviously, I was a different build when I was a professional dancer. I weighed around 74kg, which is 11 and a half stone. Now I am 96kg (about 15st); I'm a bit porky.'

He's not, of course, but his weight is his bête noire. His experience of trying to maintain a dancer's physique has been a devastating one - one that led to an anorexic phase in his 20s. Not that anyone called it that at the time.

'Boys don't have eating disorders, do they? Everyone knows it's the girls who are anorexic. I

look back and think it's disgusting that there wasn't anyone around who could say anything, but that's the way it was. When I looked in the mirror, I felt fat, so I didn't eat.

'Obviously, I couldn't have been fat at that weight, but I felt it. I was never bulimic. I tried, and couldn't do it. It was easier to abstain from food, or to look as if I was eating when I went out, without really eating.'

In that environment, it wasn't hard.

'No, everyone was on some sort of diet. It's crazy isn't it?’

I ask if he thinks people can get over such things. 'I don't think so. I this bit of flab. Every dancer does it. If you go into the Royal Ballet, they are like this,' - he sucks his cheeks in.

'I know it's daft. I will never dance professionally again, so I'm not worried about getting to a dance weight.'

In many ways, Craig is a harsher critic of himself than of any Strictly contestant. He's seen everything in this business - he is no stranger to the seedy side of the industry, as evidenced in his autobiography, when he admitted to a 'rent boy' past in Australia, where he performed as a drag act called Lavish - but he also wears his heart on his sleeve.

I wonder if he was terrified about how his BBC bosses would react to his revelations about his less-than-family-friendly past?

'Yes, and I thought long and hard about it. But I'd rather it came from me than was dragged through the gutters. There are a lot of people with photographs or stories they could make money out of. And I thought, "This is me, like it or lump it, write what you want, then it will all be forgotten about."'

He didn't try to 'clean up' his past. He was the one who used the term 'rent boy', albeit in inverted commas.

In fact, he had allowed himself to be a companion for an older man, effectively providing sex in return for dancing lessons.

'I could have made it sound less awful, but that's what it was. There was no emotional attachment there. I just wanted to be honest about it.'

In the event, coming clean was quite therapeutic for him.

'What's bizarre is that it got me talking to my dad again. We'd hardly communicated and he'd always had trouble with my choices in life, but he read the book and came to understand them more.'

All the 'rent boy' stuff also caused him to reassess that time of his life.

'My sister pulled me up on it when she'd read the book. She said, "Craig, you were still really a child at that point. It was abuse." I suppose it was, but on another level, it stopped further abuse because I had this protection there.

'I was so young, and things can be difficult for a young dancer. There are lots of directors and choreographers who might want to take advantage, and that happened.

'But I was able to pick it up and understand it and be armed to say no. I felt protected, and I did feel older, but my sister reminded me that I was still a youngster.'

It's all a million miles from primetime Saturday night TV, of course. Or is it? After our interview, he is off to have his make-up done for another appearance in front of the cameras. First, he will have to brave the mirror. 'Brutal,' he says, with a theatrical flourish. 'It's a brutal business.'

• Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC1, Saturday, 7pm.

I like Craig but hate his clothes. Whats with the coloured ties, with the top button opened on the shirt & the wacky blazer/jacket combo.
He looks like an eighties throwback. Not a good look darling!

Can't wait until tonight!  I wonder if there was a drop in pizza sales last night, Hicky!
And if there will be an increase tonight - we are having pizza!

Blimey - I never knew all that about Craig!  I tend to scroll past all the 'celeb news' links because I rarely have time to read them , but I'm going to try to make time now.   Looking forward to tonight's show - it's always better when they all dance on the same night imo.

I sat down to watch it from the beginning (for the first time)  last night only to find that they'd shifted it! (And there was nothing else on as 'The Tudors' vanished too).

(Morning, Kaffbo ~xxx)

Hi Suzi-Q.
It was awful last night, couldn't believe that neither SCD of X-F was on.
Not a good night to stay in.

Hi KaffyBaffy.
There is lots of things we don't know about the judges, I must admit he has a very colourful past, think he is very talented though.
An interesting Character.

Me too, Kaffy.  And just one dance each.  It makes it much easier for me to keep track.

It did seem a wasted night last night, but a busy one tonight.
I'll have to Sky+ X-F again.

Devil-may-Carey

By 3am 3/10/2009

Party-loving Mariah Carey is lined up for a guest slot on Strictly Come Dancing - and wants a swanky mansion to stay in while she's here. Mariah, 39, is coming to the UK to publicise her new album Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel next month and may do a TV special for T4 too. Our Mariah mole tells us: "She usually stays at the Dorchester but is looking for a pad in Belgravia.

She plans posh parties with butlers, the works. She loves all things English!" Invite us!

CRH is fabulous interesting to learn those things about him.

Andy Williams on tonights SCD ooh can't wait for it all later, Richard Marcel also choreographed Alesha's Salsa but he's a talented guy so he'll be good to see also

TRAINING NEWS: Ian W is getting puffed out keeping up with Olympic athlete Jade in rehearsals for their Quickstep

TRAINING NEWS: On Ola's birthday this Weds, her ex partner Kenny Logan popped in for a visit and gave Chris Hollins some tips!

TRAINING NEWS: Ricky W is breaking his "lucky run" of wearing only pink shirts for this week's Paso Doble...

I heard/saw that last night, Jade is so fit, and used to a lot more training than Ian.

Should be a good night with them all dancing on the one show.

I saw Brian (Fortuna) on It Takes Two last night, and I think I like the new look.

I missed ITT last night as it clashed and so didn't record, I wasn't a happy bunny.

Strictly Come Dancing: Ali Bastian admits her true feelings for Brian Fortuna

October 3rd, 2009 by Lisa McGarry. Tags: Ali Bastian, bbc, Brian Fortuna, Strictly Come Dancing, Strictly Come Dancing 2009

Evening all  - are we sitting comfortably?  Let it begin!

We are ready to slate the charging Rhino Rav the ex pig who cannot dance, Joe the stomper and Jo the floppy owd woman.

Having seen them on ITT they are still as dreadful as ever

HI Cigs - I've not seen any ITT.   I can't imagine Joe/Jo improving though.

Tess looks lovely

You should you get all the goss lol.

Ali has a damaged ankle and Tuffers has done his knee he is having surgery tomorrow.

I'm not so sure about her hair - but the dress is nice.  Sometimes her dresses are a bit hit an dmiss

A nice start, but not truly inspiring.

I like her whole look kaff.....nice first dance from ali and brian