I'[d like to see Camilla return.

A star from the US version of So You Think You Can Dance will be Johnny Ball's new partner in Strictly Come Dancing.

32-year-old Iveta Lukosiute will replace Aliona Vilani who fractured her ankle in training.

 

Sexy: Iveta is sure to set temperatures rising on Strictly

Having grown up in Lithuanian  and spent the past few years living Stateside, she admitted she had to  find out about Johnny on the internet.

She enthused: 'When I found out that I will be dancing  with Johnny Ball, I looked him up online. What an extraordinary person  he is. Smart, talented, enthusiastic, accomplished, successful. I truly  can't wait to meet him! I'm sure we are going to have the most amazing  time while practising and I am really looking forward to our first  rehearsal, what an amazing experience it will be.'

Aliona, who won Strictly Come Dancing last year with McFly's Harry Judd, posted a series of pictures on her  Twitter page last week, and explained she had suffered a hairline fracture to her  ankle, leaving her on crutches.

Out of action: Aliona Vilani has suffered a hairline fracture to her ankle

She said: 'Having an x-ray in the hospital...and the verdict is...it's a hairline fracture on the right ankle bone...

'Tweeting from my sick bed...but don't worry I'm being a good patient. Was given a BOOT and CRUTCHES...my first time ever for both.

'Thank you all so much for you amazing messages of support!!!! I'm sure I'll recovery soon lots of love!!!!'

And while the star is hopeful to recover soon, she will be out of the competition for the next 'two to four weeks'.

 

A statement on the Strictly  Come Dancing website on Friday said: 'Aliona suffered a hairline  fracture to her ankle today while training with partner Johnny Ball.

'[That is] putting her prospects for dancing in the first Strictly live show on October 5 on hold.

'Initial prognosis suggests our plucky pro-dancer may be out of action for the  next two to four weeks, but a further appointment tomorrow will confirm  her condition.'

Strictly Come Dancing returns to screens on October 5.

 

Gruesome: Aliona posted a series of pictures of her injury on to her Twitter page

By Ed Gleave

biatchY Craig Revel Horwood has been banned from making fun of Lisa Riley’s weight when Strictly Come Dancing goes live this week.

The acid-tongued show judge, 47, has been warned that mocking her large frame could spark a backlash from viewers.

A show insider said last night: “Craig is usually given free reign to say what he wants but on this occasion execs stepped in. Making fun of her  wobbly bits is an easy target, so producers wanted to nip it in the bud  before Craig had the chance to mock her.

“Lots of viewers struggle with their weight, so it could cause anger among  the viewers. And Strictly prides itself on being a family show, ­without the nastiness and rudeness of X Factor.”

Lisa, 36, who played Mandy ­Dingle on Emmerdale for more than six years, is thought to weigh around 18 stone.

But we can reveal she has already shifted six pounds since training started.

And as she continues working up to eight hours a day on her first routine, she is on course to have lost a stone within days.

Our source added: “Anyone who has made fun of Lisa’s weight over the years could end up eating their words.

“The way things are going she’ll have a much slimmer frame by Christmas.  Lisa’s weight loss is another reason why ­producers have told Craig to  button it when it comes to her figure.”

And Lisa has herself issued a warning to Craig. She said: “I’m a bit  worried as he can be vicious but I have no qualms about knocking him  out.

“I can throw a good punch and I’m from the North so he should be afraid.”

Lisa has been partnered with hunky Robin ­Windsor, 33, for the series, with  the live shows ­airing on Friday and Saturday. The pair were last night  put at 100-1 to win, making them outsiders for the ­trophy, ­behind  favourites including presenter ­Denise Van Outen, 38, and ­Olympics star Louis Smith, 23.

But insiders say popular Lisa could be the surprise hit of the BBC1  series because she has millions of fans.

She is also known for ­presenting clip show You’ve Been Framed, which pulled in more than 13million viewers at its peak.

Our source said: “Lisa has all the qualities of a people’s champion and an underdog.

“She won’t win but there’s a good chance she will last a while.”

Strictly’s first live show is on Friday at 9pm.

The Stiletto Files: Which diva's demanded the biggest mirror? Which  'friends' are secretly at daggers drawn - and who's ALREADY split from  his girlfriend? It's all Strictly confidential

  By Alison Boshoff

PUBLISHED:01:33, 5 October 2012| UPDATED:08:27, 5 October 2012

And  so it begins... jealousy, fake tan and sequins, not to mention wardrobe  nightmares and wild excuses -- and the Strictly Come Dancing stars  haven't even performed their first foxtrot. Six contestants dance on  BBC1 tonight, with the remaining eight dancing tomorrow. ALISON BOSHOFF  quicksteps backstage to find out all the gossip

VIVA LA DIVA

There's always one. Last year, with  Nancy Dell'Olio, Lulu and Jason Donovan, there were actually three,  although the pouting Italian proved the sulkiest, sultriest and  stroppiest of them all.

This autumn it is statuesque Jerry Hall, 6ft 3in in her stilettos, who is making an early run for the prize.

It is said Jerry, 56, has so far asked for a 360-degree mirror in her  dressing room, flowers and champagne after every performance and her own team of make-up artists and hair stylists.

 

Jerry Hall's laid back attitude is the opposite to that of Olympic gold medallist Victoria Pendleton (right)

The gloriously high-maintenance Texan has also asked for 'mood lighting' during her performance. Someone  ought to break it to her gently that live television in high definition  is never going to make you look as good as a softly-lit shoot with  photographer Mario Testino.

A mole on the show says: 'She's enormous fun but, my God, she's so camp!

Others say Jerry has declared, in apparent seriousness, that she couldn't care less whether she wins  or loses, as she will get her fee whether she goes out in week two or in the finals.

Jerry said  her children were surprised she signed up because they think she is  'lazy' and her idea of a gruelling training regime is apparently to  spend an hour or so in the studio (interrupted by a cigarette break),  then have a jolly lunch with dance partner Anton Du Beke.

Anton, who was initially furious about being partnered with another 'joke'  candidate after wrestling with Nancy last year, has been entirely won  over by Jerry's Texan charm.

'They are both as bonkers and grand as each other,' adds the mole. The production team have nicknamed them 'Ton and Jerry.

Louis Smith and Flavia Cacace rehearse for their first dance together. Louis is now the favourite to win

I feel like dancing: Louis Smith has split from his other half since rehearsals began two weeks ago

 

The Olympic gymnast looks like he's getting into the swing of things in preparation for his first dance

 

 

Louis's gymnastic background will come in handy when he has to perform some more difficult dance moves

LITTLE MISS MUSCLES

Jerry's laid-back attitude is the polar opposite to that of Olympic cyclist  Victoria Pendleton. After striking gold at London 2012, media darling  Miss Pendleton, 31, simply can't help competing with every fibre of her  body.

She has been pushing herself further than any other celebrity, training for up to 30 hours a week, even though the BBC only recommends 12 hours.

The rumour is that she plays a tape of her chosen dance music, complete  with instructions from partner Brendan Cole, on a loop as she sleeps so  it can penetrate her subconscious.

One source said: 'Victoria is very  stressed about not performing well. She simply can't get her athletic  body to do what it needs to do.'

Victoria explains: 'We have accepted that I just don't move naturally, so  Brendan tells me exactly where every single part of my body needs to be.

Otherwise I can guarantee that I'd do it wrong.' Brendan, the abrasive New Zealand ballroom  dancer who was miserably paired with Lulu last year, is happy with  Pendleton for now.

'The  one thing Brendan cannot stand is someone who isn't trying,' says a BBC  source. 'That's not something you can accuse Victoria of.'

 

Frenemies: There is no love lost between Denise  Van Outen (pictured left with dance partner James Jordan) and presenter  Tess Daley (pictured right with Bruce Forsyth)

BEST OF ENEMIES

Watch out for barbed compliments exchanged between high-wattage blondes Denise Van Outen and Strictly presenter Tess Daly.

There is no love lost between them - even if all seems polite enough on the  surface. Apparently Denise, 38, who was a successful TV presenter before Tess ever hit the big time, feels that her slightly older rival (Tess  is 43) has secured lucrative contracts for presenting jobs which she  believes she could do just as well.

'It's a "frenemy" situation,' says a source, referring to the familiar  idea that you should keep your friends close - and your enemies even  closer.

SUDDENLY SINGLE

Gym hero: Olympic gymnast Louis Smith with dance partner Flavia

Both Olympic gymnast Louis Smith and  Tracy Beaker TV star Dani Harmer have split from their other halves  since rehearsals started a fortnight ago. Smith, a handsome charmer who  lives with his mum, has parted ways with his girlfriend Chantelle Hole,  whom he met while on holiday in Marbella this summer.

He said: 'Chantelle and I are friends now. And I am single and free to  talk to, text and meet other women - like Kimberley Walsh, who is  beautiful.'

Fellow  contestant Walsh, a member of pop group Girls Aloud, has been turning  heads all round with her microscopic outfits and impossibly toned  figure. Harmer, on the other hand, is said to be heartbroken over the  end of her long relationship with boyfriend Graeme Livingstone, an  assistant TV director.

Sources also say she is struggling with 'serious nerves' over her performance.

LIFT ME UP

Contestant Lisa Riley will tonight make Strictly history - by being the first ever female dancer to lift her male partner.

Riley, best known for playing Mandy Dingle on Emmerdale, had said at the press launch that she feared her partner Robin Windsor would not be able to  lift her.

'I am so worried  that he won't be able to get me off the floor,' she said. Describing  herself as 'fat and funky' she added that she was worried Windsor might  struggle because she is somewhat larger than the average ballroom  dancer.

And although  Windsor assured her he could 'lift anybody' it seems the couple have  decided to make light of the situation by reversing the traditional  roles during thei r cha-cha-cha.

A BBC source warns against writing Riley off as a joke candidate, saying: 'Lisa Riley is not just a good dancer for a woman of her size, she is a good dancer period. She is already almost as good as Robin. I think  that people will be very surprised.'

THE BRUCIE QUESTION

How much longer can Sir Bruce Forsyth, 84, carry on presenting? He says it  takes him a full day in bed on Sunday to get over the strain of  presenting the live Saturday night shows - and some wickedly refer to  Tess Daly as his 'nurse.'

But Brucie himself insists that he's not ready to quit yet.

'I will know when it's time to retire,' he says. 'My loved ones, my darling wife, my agent, my manager, they will tell me.

'I've always told them, if I look as though I'm over the hill, you know, just tell me - but I think I'll know myself.'

Bruce Forsyth (left) has said he needs a full  day's rest after presenting the live show on Saturday with Tess Daly  (right) who some refer to as his 'nurse'

When - if - the entertainer ever does retire, Anton du Beke has made no secret of wanting to step into Brucie's shoes.

TWO LEFT FEET

Johnny Ball, the fondly remembered former children's television presenter,  accidentally broke the ankle of his dancer partner Aliona Vilani during  training this week.

Slinky Lithuanian dancer Iveta Lukosiute - a world champion in ten different  styles of ballroom - will replace her for the next two to four weeks  while Aliona recovers.

But rather than apologising for putting Vilani out of the competition for  the time being, Ball, 74, has taken the chance to blow his own trumpet.

'I don't see myself as the novelty older person or clown figure,' said Ball, 74.

Johnny Ball (pictured right) accidentally broke  the ankle of his dance partner. Here he is pictured with her  replacement, dancer Iveta Lukosiute

'I really think I can compete  in terms of dancing.' A source on the show claims he's more than just a  lovable clown in the John Sergeant mould.

'He's actually very competitive and quite spiky sometimes.'

ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY

There are serious strains among the professional dancers - an ambitious crew  who spend much of their off-air time trying to build personal fortunes  via books, DVDs, tours and even clothing lines.

Relations are frosty between many of them, in particular Brendan Cole and Anton  Du Beke, and Kristina Rihanoff and Aliona Vilani.

A source says: 'Nobody was on speaking terms with Aliona after she won  last year with Harry Judd. There was a lot of amusement when she was  paired with Johnny Ball this year.'

And there's more. New girl Karen Hauer, a very glamorous Venezuelan  professional dancer, has been given the plum task of partnering  Westlife's handsome Nicky Byrne.

Her jealous rivals are calling her 'the lap dancer' behind her back - a reference to her scanty manner of dress.

BOTTOM OF THE CLASS

Early intelligence suggests that former England captain Michael Vaughan is not going to repeat the twinkle-toed feats of fellow cricketers  Darren Gough, who won the contest in 2005, and Mark Ramprakash, who was  the champion the following year.

 

Denise Van Outen and her dance partner James Jordan fool around before getting up close and personal

The former Big Breakfast presenter was at first the favourite to win but is now in second place with odds of 3-to-1

After joking around, the pair prove that they are serious contenders for the Strictly trophy

'He's very stiff and lacks confidence,' says an insider.

Vaughan, 37, says he decided to give Strictly a try after seeing how much fun  footballer Robbie Savage had last year, but added that none of his  family would be voting for him anyway.

'My daughter will be voting for Kimberley because she's a Girls Aloud fan and my son wants Louis to win.'

Sid Owen, eternally famous as Ricky 'Rickaaay' Butcher in EastEnders, is  also not much of a mover, although he is said to be loving the glamour  and the girls.

GAGGED

Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has built a media career on the back of his reputation as the show's Mr Nasty.

However, he has apparently been told that he must on no account make any remarks about Lisa Riley's weight.

An insider says: 'Craig is usually given free rein, but on this occasion  producers wanted to nip it in the bud before Craig had the chance to  mock her.

'Strictly prides itself on being a family show, without the nastiness and rudeness of The X Factor.'

HOW MUCH?

The professional dancers each get £30,500 for 12 weeks' work - about £2,500 a week.

 

The judges: Craig Revel Horwood (left) has built a media career on the back of his reputation on the show while  ballerina Darcey Bussell takes over former judge Alesha Dixon's role

The judges get around £110,000 each and the celebrities get between £35,000 and £55,000 for appearing.

Bruce Forsyth is on a deal worth in the region of £500,000 a year, while his co-presenter Tess Daly is paid £250,000.

A PAIR OF PEACOCKS

Louis Smith is taking a strong interest in the cut, colour and design  of his outfits, and has been fussing over which colours work best on  him, and whether his trousers are too tight.

Fern Britton, who owes her newly svelte figure to the fitting of a gastric  band, is also taking a great deal of joy from the sequins, fake tan and  high hemlines.

She has promised to start demurely, but 'might go a bit shorter later!'

She is certainly not lacking in selfbelief, but partner Artem Chigvintsev  was heard muttering that he had been 'stitched up'. How unchivalrous.

NEW GIRL

Former prima ballerina Darcey Bussell has replaced pop star Alesha  Dixon on the judging panel, and says she is 'nervous' about the live  shows.

The first hurdle was dancing an American Smooth at the launch show with professional partner Ian Waite.

Viewers were impressed and all three fellow judges rose to give her a  standing ovation, but this being the notoriously catty world of ballroom dancing, there were, inevitably, critics.

Some of Strictly's professional dancers could be heard sniggering at her  shiny peach knickers, which were highly visible throughout the routine.

ODDS ON

Louis Smith is the 9-to-4 favourite to win, according to bookmakers William Hill.

Denise Van Outen, at first the favourite, is now in second place with  odds of 3-to-1, closely followed by Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh  at 4-1.

Olympian Victoria Pendleton and Westlife's Nicky Byrne are both at 7-1.

The long shots are Jerry Hall and TV presenter Richard Arnold, both at 50-1.

But Johnny Ball, at 66-1, hasn't got a chance.

Friday

Denise & James       'With You I'm Born Again'  Billy Preston and Syteeta -Waltz.

Michael & Natalie      'If You Don't Know Me By Now'  Simply Red-Waltz

Colin & Kristina         'I Feel Good'  James Brown  Cha Cha

Fern & Artem          'Signed Sealed Delivered'  Stevie Wonder  Cha Cha

Nicky & Karen          'I Wonder Why' Curtis Stigers  Waltz

Victoria & Brendan    'Spinning Around' Kylie Minogue  Cha Cha

Saturday

Lisa & Robin -  'Think'   Aretha Franklin Cha Cha 

Dani & Vincent-  'Open Arms'  Mariah Carey  Waltz

Richard & Erin-  'You Don't Bring Me Flowers'  Klaus Hallen Orchestra Waltz

Sid & Ola- 'I Won't Give Up'  Jason Mraz  Waltz

Johnny & Iveta- 'Drive My Car'    The Beatles   Cha Cha

 Louis & Flavia-  'Forget You'    Cee Lo Green  Cha Cha

Jerry & Anton-  'Everybody Loves To Cha Cha    Sam Cooke    Cha Cha

Kimberley & Pasha- 'Domino'   Jessie J   Cha Cha

Being ready a bit in advance is a good thing, but do you not think you are taking it a bit to extremes - I mean....ten hours?

Yes guys! It's true!!!! I have just broken my husbands nose!!! I'm so so sorry @The_JamesJordan I feel so bad!!!! I love you!!!!!!!! 

Less than an hour to go....you can put your shoes back on now dame!

Good evening all

That Richard guy looked a bit heavy.

Hello Baz...no chuck out this week then

Evening Fluffs

Baz it's on at a funny time for Strictly..so maybe people are out

Very clumpy

So much of dancing is to do with the footwork, yet the cameras miss out a great deal of it while they concentrate on skirt swishing and arm waving!

With the mistake I think about a 5-6

A distraction to stop us and others noticing the poor footwork

Well they can't give good marks when the dancing is poor really

I'm really hoping Nikki can dance

He looks like a slimmer Gary Barlow

Hi all .............love this song - I loved Curtis Steiger.

think I saw a fleckle (I could be wrong)

Hiya Baz and everyone ...........sorry but if I scroll back I might miss something

Oooooh Craig's in a mood tonight.