Strictly

Week 7 – The Quickstep

We certainly hot-footed it across the dancefloor last Saturday night with our Broadway inspired Quickstep to the musical classic, ’42nd Street’! The original production was set in New York at the time of the great Depression – would our routine give us a much-needed leaderboard-lift, or would our scores leave us in the doldrums?

Opening our routine with some hat-and-cane-choreography gave Katie her first real taste of working with props, and we had some marvellously sync’d hat-tipping to get us off to a fine ol’ start.

Hats off @thekatiederham & @TheAntonDuBeke! Was their Quickstep the ticket for you? #Strictly pic.twitter.com/8GQLDRXd8I

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) November 7, 2015

Then, without any more ado, we were off!…Hurtling across the dancefloor in a rip-roarer of a Quickstep. We packed lots of content into the routine – made all the more challenging by the sheer velocity of the dance, but Katie once again gave a tremendous performance. What a true pleasure she is to dance with: so elegant and light on her feet, and always brimming with enthusiasm – we were both skipping along with glee. Granted there were a couple of hairy moments but even when footing may have been lost, the broadest smile on her face wasn’t. Joyous!

As we reached the finalé of our routine we received another standing ovation from the studio audience – “This bodes well…” I thought to myself, heading over to Tess and the judges. The verdict, however, came as something of a mixed bag…

Bruno started off well, saying he felt like he was in 5th Avenue, “so much beauty and glamour”, and that the beginning was great, but then said that road is full of potholes, and once you hit them you lose the footwork and then the frame. Craig acknowledged it as being a “very ambitious routine,” within Katie’s capability, and that with a little more practise we would have smashed it. Darcey said it was made for Katie, and that she was “beautifully light on her feet,” but noted that if a challenging routine can go wrong, the core and frame can weaken. Len was best: he, like the others, referenced how control can be lost with a slip at speed – granted – but rounded it all up by saying “Can’t take away the fact that it was a fantastic performance!” That’s more like it!

Did @theKatieDerham & @TheAntonDuBeke’s Quickstep dazzle you like the bright lights of Broadway? #Strictly pic.twitter.com/pGwwp4W2le

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) November 7, 2015

The scores were in: sixes from Craig and Bruno, and sevens from Darcey and Len, for a total of 26. Good; not bad… but not great. Indeed, an improvement indeed over previous weeks’ scores, but I’ll admit I was hoping for more, especially as it placed us 8th out of 10 – a similar situation to last week: poised precariously just above the danger zone. Mind you, with the way the votes can change things around, much of the leaderboard constitutes a danger zone!

"I haven't forgotten those hops since about Monday afternoon!" says @thekatiederham to @TheAntonDuBeke post… https://t.co/6lwqX3g6DK

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) November 7, 2015

Then came the Sunday night Results show – what a night to remember! ‘Major Du Beke’ opening the show’s most fabulous Remembrance Day routine to get everyone ‘In The Mood’ for what was to come. It was firstly something of a shock (and huge relief) to us both that we’d made it safely through to the next week (Hurrah!) – and once again, surely all down to the wonderful voting public. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

.@theKatieDerham & @TheAntonDuBeke Quickstep through to Week 8! #Strictly pic.twitter.com/iqgMfQSfkf

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) November 8, 2015

…But there was another shock (now, remember what I said about the danger zone…): Kellie and Kevin had slipped from 5th place on the leaderboard, down to the bottom two where they now faced the dance-off – and it was Kevin’s first ever dance-off to boot! They were going head-to-head against lovely Carol and Pasha. Both couples lit up the dancefloor with wonderful reprises of their routines, but it was our resident ray of sunshine, Carol, whom the judges sent home. Such a sad loss for the rest of us, she really did bring something very special to the show and was a delight to be around.

But the show must go on, such is the nature of Strictly! The remaining 9 couples will be fighting over 8 places on the coach to Ballroom Mecca… Blackpool! Hot on the heels of our Quickstep, we’re slowing things down for a sensuous dance of love – it’s the Rumba!

See you Saturday, pip pip!

Week 6 – The Paso Doble

Week 6… Hallowe’en themed no less, and despite our best efforts, it seems that frightful is indeed the word!

Now when I say frightful, I should clarify. On the one hand, what a frightfully fantastic evening! First class entertainment all round. The staging, music, costumes, hair and make-up… perfectly ghoulish and befitting the theme. And of course, the fearsomely phenomenal performances from all the dancers – no mean feat with some of the get-ups we were wearing!

Frightful, on the other hand, in the mortifying verdicts from the judges. Ah yes. Our nemesis!

Well, once again, we thought we’d delivered a rather ‘wicked’ performance: this week, a suitably spooky homage to The Phantom Of The Opera, with a hauntingly powerful rendition of the musical’s infamous theme by our resident band.

I do believe it’s the first time I’ve opened the show, in all these years… and now in series 13 (unlucky for some!) what an entrance we made!

Let’s set the scene: eerie Venetian canal – me as Gondolier complete with Phantom mask and cape, Katie as my beautiful protégé Christine, with Sarah Brightman hair and a lavishly layered ghostly white dress. Mist billowed across the scene as we disembarked from our gondola and launched into our Paso Doble routine.

Were you a fan-tom of @thekatiederham & @TheAntonDuBeke’s #Halloween #Strictly dance? pic.twitter.com/QTQd5qO4WL

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) October 31, 2015

Week after week, Katie always embraces the true spirit of each dance and it thrills me to be her partner. This week was no exception and we both had a truly phenomenal time on the dancefloor. I was matador, and Katie my cape for which her billowing dress worked a treat. We covered the dancefloor with plenty of drama, intensity, and attitude; lots of Paso content, theatrically framed, and with moves finished off with some rather divine lines and shaping by Katie, especially in her arms and hands – tremendous!

As the music drove to its climax, so too did our routine, with a sequence of spins and leaps, and… the audience were on their feet! Hurrah!… Or so we thought.

The judges (this week AKA The Addams Family!) weren’t of the same opinion, and we could tell from their faces straightaway… even through the fearsome makeup! Len quite rightly acknowledged that Katie is an English Rose, but that the Paso didn’t suit her personality as a result and her footwork was “scary”; “It wasn’t great, Kate,” were his last words on the matter. Bruno said “you have to be a primadonna to dominate,” and likened her performance to that of a doorman. We’re still puzzling on that one. Craig said he thought Katie was “very stiff and had awkward balance issues throughout,” – at least something constructive in there; and thankfully Darcey took a more positive view, saying that Katie was showing “good improvement” with her Latin, and looked stunning too.

The scores didn’t sit any more comfortably, kicking off with a 4 from Craig, 5 from Bruno and 6 each from Len and Darcey. 21 in total… gruesomely the same as last week. So much for our ‘onwards and upwards’ strategy, this came as a spiritual low!

Is there any masking 🎭 how phan-tastic that Paso Doble was @thekatiederham and @TheAntonDuBeke? #Strictly 👻 pic.twitter.com/okDxk3sPu0

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) October 31, 2015

"Well I thought you were marvellous." @theantondubeke assures @thekatiederham post Paso #strictly https://t.co/IWX2SeBeYB

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) October 31, 2015

We knew the situation was grave, positioned once again so close to the bottom of the leaderboard. What a shocker, particularly as we’d simply hoped the scores would start to reflect a general improvement. I do believe we really needn’t have worn any make-up for the Results show… our faces were ashen enough as we stood, desperately hoping our names would be called out as being safe.

But, once again thanks to you, our wonderful fans, we were spared from the dance-off! The combined score kept us clear of the bottom two slots, and we were granted safe passage through to Week 7.

An altogether different fate befell Jamelia in a cruel twist of the leaderboard, and Kirsty, who both had to dance again, head-to-head. Even though both couples’ dances were devilishly good, the judges decreed it was Kirsty’s Charleston which had given them more of a fright, and that her time had come to depart the Strictly dancefloor once and for all. Another new friend and truly delightful personality lost from the show. Huge commiserations.

And so we returned to the studio first thing Monday to focus on the new dance – this time it’s ballroom… Best foot forward: it’s the Quickstep!

See you on the dancefloor on Saturday, my loves,

Week 5 – The Salsa

Well, talk about ‘rise and fall’, Strictly series 13 is all about that for Katie and me this year. Ups and downs at every turn… and if we’d have predicted a rollercoaster ride from one week to the next, last weekend’s salsa took us for a dive right on cue.

Dare I say, I thought it went rather well, all things considered? And thanks to so many tweets and facebook messages of encouragement from you lovely fans, our resolve remains strong and our spirits high as we return from our Havana episode and step best foot first into a new dance for week 6. Onwards and upwards!

Back to last weekend though, and I’d like to commend Katie on her performance, once again. For me, each week, she goes from strength to strength: learning new steps, techniques, characterisations, rhythms, roles – so much to take on board – she’s doing tremendously well.

Salsa after a Viennese would be a culture shock for anyone. We had a jolly scenario with me as a tourist, wandering off the beaten track in the streets of Havana looking a little lost… and Katie the seductive, sensuous Latina in a fiery red dress, setting her sights on me and clearly eager to show me some Cuban sights through the medium of salsa!

What a simmering #Strictly Salsa from @thekatiederham & @theantondubeke to banish the cold autumn evening! pic.twitter.com/SkVL50gPeY

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) October 24, 2015

The steamy rhythms of Bublé’s It Had Better Be Tonight, performed impeccably by Dave Arch and his resident Strictly orchestra, gave us a driving beat and Katie’s remarkable legs took their cue. It was a fast-paced routine, with lots of salsa content, some mesmerising armography, death-defying drops, and plenty of heat (certainly enough to get us hot)! There may also have been a little bit of improvisation at the end – an added bonus, one would think?…

.@thekatiederham & @TheAntonDuBeke raise the temperature with their saucy Salsa, but didn't raise the bar #Strictly pic.twitter.com/OiKT4rsoMZ

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) October 24, 2015

Not so the judges, who seemed to have remained lukewarm throughout.

After the highs of last week, their comments were particularly grounding; Len perhaps summing it up with “Cuban salsa… good, but no cigar.” Darcey said it was fast and plenty of fun… but messy and not hot enough. Bruno took issue with timing, but Craig, dear Craig said “there was no figure of eight in the hip action… and without it it’s a shimmy.” Oh dear. And his final seal of disapproval… “A dreadful, dreadful salsa.”

@Thekatiederham we think you danced your Salsa superbly as does @TheAntonDuBeke #strictly https://t.co/QK5ycn8GHW

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) October 24, 2015

The scores then formalised things… 6 from Len and Darcey, 5 from Bruno, and a 4 from Craig giving us a very disappointing 21 and a crashing drop from last week’s top slot to second from bottom this week.

Placed so precariously, we’d convinced ourselves the dance-off was unavoidable – I’m sure you could see it in our faces as the results were announced. Evidently we were saved by your good selves, the voting public, and for that we are tremendously grateful! Your votes not only succeeded in keeping us in the show, but also lifted us clear of the the danger zone! A huge thank you from us both!!

The dance-off this week therefore came as a great surprise to all: it was between Ainsley & Natalie, and Jamelia & Tristan, and just goes to show how important the viewers’ votes are. Both Ainsley and Jamelia danced with great gusto and delivered great entertaining performances, but the judges decided it was the end of the road for Ainsley. Now there’s someone who’ll be royally missed from the show; what a personality, and such a gentleman.

And with that, Katie and I dusted ourselves off and regained focus on the week to come. New week… new dance… and for your delectation this coming Saturday, Katie and I will be performing a Paso Doble, indeed with a Halloween theme! Trick or treat? Tune in Saturday!

Toro, Toro!

Week 4 – The Viennese Waltz

We’re back in the game! What a magnificent result last Saturday – Katie and I literally waltzed and spun our way to the top of the leaderboard, and it put us on top of the world, too!

Closing the show meant that we had waited anxiously all evening whilst all the other couples delivered some first class dances… But it was worth the wait: what a truly tremendous performance, my goodness! The perfect music (Presley’s ‘If I Can Dream’), two remarkable outfits which fitted the bill to a tee, and a sublime Viennese Waltz with which we were to enchant the audience.

We had a stylish opening section, both in sync as we addressed the ballroom, and then we took flight as we took hold of each other, gliding across the dancefloor with, to my mind, a real sense of grace and panache. Katie’s dress twinkled under the spotlights and our feet were a blur as we turned and spun… and spun some more. Boy, did we spin!

A sparkling sensational Viennese Waltz from @thekatiederham and @TheAntonDuBeke 🎆 #Strictly pic.twitter.com/iBU5UGZJBD

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) October 17, 2015

The Viennese, technically, has a somewhat restricted syllabus of steps, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy dance – far from it – to master the flow and the spins – especially at speed, takes some doing. And that’s why I’m so very proud of Katie for delivering such a polished performance that night.



To receive a standing ovation with a roar of applause from the studio audience gave us an inkling that it might have gone well… but it was only when the judges gave their comments did we breathe a sigh of relief, sure that whatever the score, it would be better than last week’s! In all honesty, we’d both worked our socks off to pack in plenty of content and we had everything crossed that we could pull it off.

It seems we had!…

Len was first to comment on the content – Fleckerls, natural turns, reverse turns, pivots… and he commended Katie on how she’d kept the pivots light. “So much better than last week,” he said… echoed by Bruno too, who said it was an “incredible turnaround from last week,” that Katie was “made for ballroom” and had been turning like a Catherine Wheel! Darcey referenced the level of content and that it was worth pushing Katie as it had paid off… and Craig… we braced ourselves… he’d spotted a couple of sticky moments, but that aside, said it was “Incredible,” and again to Katie’s credit: “I don’t know how you learnt that in a week!” Hurrah!!

Did @thekatiederham & @TheAntonDuBeke’s Viennese Waltz have you in a spin? #Strictly pic.twitter.com/uUxz4Hujfg — BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) October 17, 2015

The scores sealed it. Three 8s from the chaps, and a 9 from Darcey… 33 points – 13 more than last week!… And since we were closing the show we knew at that point that this wasn’t just a u-turn performance, hang about… we’d actually made it to the top of the leaderboard! Ballroom Blitz!

There’s a first time for everything! @TheAntonDuBeke is top of the leaderboard! Well done @thekatiederham! #Strictly pic.twitter.com/kbsk5lU8Aj

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) October 17, 2015

I should point out, there was much conjecture over this being my first and only such placement in, ahem, 12 years, though this isn’t in fact the case. You may remember that I topped the leaderboard in the very first Strictly show, Series 1, Week 1, with Lesley Garrett when we scored 29 for our Waltz… then in Series 3 when Patsy Palmer and I Tangoed to the top spot with 34 points, and then most recently with Laila Rouass when our 31 point Foxtrot took us to the top. So, four times now, and Katie and I are in agreement that it’s rather a nice place to be, so we’ll be working on a fifth!

Although thrilled to be safe from the dance-off and through to dance another week, we were both truly sorry to have to say goodbye to the legendary Daniel O’Donnell. He and Kristina put up a valiant fight against Kirsty and Brendan but sadly their ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ routine had them make an untimely departure from the show.

And so, focused on the task at hand, we’ve been practising hard for this coming weekend’s dance. It’s the Salsa. Oh yes, Salsa. You’d best tune in!

See you on Saturday night my loves,

Week 3 – The Cha Cha Cha

Week 3, the Cha Cha Cha, and despite us both thoroughly enjoying our performance, it created some cha-cha-challenging comments from the judges, and a slight hiccup in our thus-far positive progress!…

So, I was a very suave Richard Gere for the evening, and Katie in character as a ravishing Julia Roberts laden with bags of couture stepping off Rodeo Drive onto the Strictly ballroom to partner me for our week three dance. Cue… Pretty Woman!



Once again, Katie did me proud. The long, lean lines and strong shapes she created were, I thought, remarkable. And in that dress… with those heels… tremendous! Hip action, pointed feet, arm styling, hand placement… and a glorious smile throughout… we had a ball.

Pretty woman @thekatiederham and @TheAntonDuBeke were walking the walk with that Cha Cha! 💃💄👠 #Strictly pic.twitter.com/Y73HCLX8Q8

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) October 10, 2015

The judges, however, weren’t so enthusiastic. Craig said our dance was “like a bad internet connection – kept stopping and starting;” Darcey said there were “glimmers of great leg action,” and that Katie really looked the part; Len said “everyone has a bad dance, let’s hope this was your only one,” and Bruno said that Katie has “got the looks, the equipment, and the packaging,” but warned against squandering her potential.

There was more. All four judges were unanimous in their comments that they didn’t think there was sufficient dance content to our routine – they said they’d expected more from the dance (which is in a way, we thought, a positive). Nevertheless, I stepped forth and took full responsibility, asking the judges to mark Katie on her performance of the choreographed steps. My aim had been to create a routine that could not only be performed to a high standard, but would at the same time showcase Katie’s best qualities, too.

According to the scores, my aim was off: 4 from Craig, 6 from Darcey, and 5 each from Len and Bruno – a total of 20: a big dip from the upward climb of our first two weeks. I can’t deny it felt somewhat disappointing after all our hard work, and I certainly didn’t want Katie to feel deflated.

Those points placed us 11th out of 14 on the leaderboard; suddenly the prospect of being in the dance-off became all too real. But thanks to the wonderful voting public, we were saved from the danger zone and granted safe passage through to week 4. ‘Telephone’ last week… close call this week!



The dreaded dance-off this time saw boxer Anthony Ogogo and our lovely new girl, Oti Mabuse, go head to head against Ainsley and Natalie. Both gave even better performances with this increased pressure, but the judges were unanimous that Anthony’s time had come. Such a great chap, he’ll be much missed from all of us here.

And so, first thing Monday morning we were back in training, dusting ourselves off, ready and raring! This coming weekend we’ll be dancing a Viennese Waltz – pure ballroom at its best. We’ll be on top form, and I can’t hardly wait!

See you Saturday night!

Much love,

Week 2 – The Tango

Wow… WOW… WOW!!!!! I’m still marvelling at what happened last weekend!!!… In fact I think you could say I’m still Gaga over our tremendous Tango!

Huge congratulations to Katie who surpassed all my hopes and dreams last Saturday night in delivering simply the most wonderful Tango live to the nation. What a performance!!

Set to an atmospheric instrumental of Lady Gaga’s ‘Telephone’, with the evocative sound of the Bandoneon drifting across the dancefloor from Dave Arch’s band, the stage was set…

Upon finishing my mysterious telephone call at the bar, I spy my lady reclined on the chaise longue. She grabs my attention, I take her hand, and we begin our Tango in truly dramatic style with a 90° drop and return executed to a tee – no mean feat!

.@thekatiederham and @TheAntonDuBeke: WOW! What a dramatic Tango! #Strictly pic.twitter.com/k3D33mzMdf

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) October 3, 2015

Katie stole the show for me thereon in. Perfect staccato timing; fantastic control and posture; beautiful circles scribed by her long legs; pin-sharp kicks; the style, the attitude… we were perfectly in sync, dancing as one. Particular mention for her facial expressions too – not only a technically great performance, but with all the storytelling and characterisation to boot! I do believe we have the makings here of a wonderful ballroom dancer!



Our second standing ovation of the series was joyously received, as too were the judges comments and scores… “A mango of a tango… sweet and delicious” from Len, “so alluring” from Bruno, Craig “loved the drama” and Darcey said it was “beautiful”. We’ll take that! Granted, there’s some work to be done on Katie’s core, but that of course comes with practise.

And the scores?… 7s across the board, giving a resounding 28 – 2 more than last week… We’re on the up!! (Tell me, am I dreaming?!!)

Placed 6th on the overall leaderboard from the first two weeks’ scores, we still needed the public votes to keep us safe – you never know what can happen in this competition… but thankfully the Results Show saw us safely through to next week. Hurrah!!!

Calm down @TheAntonDuBeke we know you’re happy with @thekatiederham, but this is only week 2 of #Strictly pic.twitter.com/yQAheqFHP2

— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) October 4, 2015

Of course, now that the competition has started properly, we see one couple leave each week. It’s always sad to say goodbye, especially so early on when new friendships get cut short. This series, it was our sprint champ Iwan and his partner Ola who fell at the first hurdle, voted off after their Cha Cha Cha in the dance-off with Jamelia and Tristan – huge commiserations.

And so we’re now hard at work preparing for this coming weekend’s show… It’s ‘Movie Week’, and we’ve got a Cha Cha… Tune in! Here’s hoping we’ll deliver a blockbuster performance, not one for the cutting room floor!

Until then, my loves,

Week 1 – The Jive

Strictly’s back… it’s bigger than ever… and… stop press… I got to do proper steps in Week 1 – hurrah!!!

Yes, I’m back with my wonderful Strictly family, for the 13th series… and it’s good to be home! Each series gets bigger and better than the last, and this certainly promises to be no exception.

I must firstly give a very warm welcome to our new professional dancers: Oti Mabuse, Giovanni Pernice and Gleb Savchenko – I wish them every success on the show! The BBC have also blessed us with a cracking line-up of celebrities, and right from the get-go, there’s plenty of natural talent to get this series off to a flying start!

That brings me nicely on to the topic of my partner for series 13. And I think I’ve struck it lucky! I am thrilled to bits to have been partnered with the lithesome, limber, and very very lovely Katie Derham. What a result!! My very own Prom Queen for (hopefully!) many, many weeks to come! You may already know Katie from presenting the Proms on BBC Radio3 and on the television too, but the particularly good news is that she truly is musically-minded – even playing the violin – so there’s lots for me to work with. With big ticks in the musicality and rhythm boxes, I hope I can add dancing as another string to her bow!

…And things started out very promising indeed!… Here’s one of our training videos:

Our Week 1 dance was the Jive to a fabulous rendition of Roll Over Beethoven from Dave Arch and his band. Fast and frenetic, requiring sharp footwork, split-second timing, and strong characterisation to keep the energy from start to finish… in at the deep end for week 1, really. But I have to say, I am absolutely THRILLED, DELIGHTED and JUBILANT at how well Katie performed!! What a STAR!!!

We did proper steps… and lots of ’em, even a quick costume change for good measure… she was unflappable!… We received a standing ovation from the audience and it was topped it off a treat to hear the Judges’ approval too!

I think we all saw a new side to Craig: he said – get this – it was “the most sophisticated and stylish jive we’ve ever had” – Bonanza! Bruno said Katie had “radiant stage presence” and was “first class material to mould into a masterpiece”; Darcey said she wasn’t expecting a dance like that, and that it was a “classy jive”… and Len crystallised my Strictly hopes and dreams, saying “this could be the glory year!”… He also said “this could be the year you realise Strictly goes right up to Christmas!”… Who knew!?!!

We were awarded a remarkable 26 points, overall in 7th place, but just 4 points behind the leaders, Peter & Janette. As I pointed out to Claudia, a score like that is one I’ve hitherto only achieved through weeks of accumulated points!

So with high hopes, and a skip in our step, Katie and I are back in training, determined to build on our very exciting dancefloor debut!

See you back in the ballroom at the weekend… and this week, folks, it’s the competition proper with one couple heading home, so we’ll need your votes to stay in!

Don’t forget, you can follow me on twitter here, and facebook here… Please also follow Katie here and show your support!

Strictly Series 13… Bring it on!

Week 8 – The Viennese Waltz

All good things must come to an end… but we certainly went out on a high! Literally; truly; tremendously. Ah yes, Judy and I are now out of the competition this year – but what a wonderful adventure we’ve had.

Firstly, we made it to Blackpool – hurrah!.. That’s something I’m particularly thrilled about: to have been able to share the experience of dancing on that world famous Tower Ballroom floor with my partner Judy in such a spectacular way and as part of such an incredible show – words can’t express the delight.

We danced a Viennese Waltz to ‘Let’s Go Fly A Kite’ with a full-on Mary Poppins theme and production, and Judy did me proud. Her footwork, her musicality, her characterisation, her posture, her shaping… everything had taken a huge leap forward and a dancer was emerging! It’s such a large floor to cover, too – very different to the studio, and that takes some adapting to in itself. Her daredevil spirit (and a large bunch of balloons) elevated her almost a hundred feet above the dance floor for an uplifting finalé… and you can imagine our joy when we received a well-deserved 24 from the judges – including 7s each from Len and Bruno – marvellous! …Judy’s personal best (Craig’s words!) for the series, too!

Len made me roar, saying “If they can put a spaceship on a comet, Anton can teach Judy to dance.” That has to be the accolade of the series!

In view of the immense talent in this year’s competition it was no wonder we came back to earth with a bumpy landing… squarely at the bottom of the leaderboard. Everybody danced so very well; in actual fact, it’s hard not to in such an auspicious ballroom with such an enthusiastic, encouraging audience all around.

But on Sunday night, our worst fears were realised as we faced the dreaded dance off. Zoë pointed out the night before that I had left the competition last year in Blackpool… and after Dame Shirley Bassey’s spellbinding rendition of Goldfinger, I had a niggling suspicion there may be ‘A Little Bit Of History Repeating Itself’ (did you see what I did there?!).

And so, we went head-to-head with Brendan and Sunetra, and I must say that the precarious circumstance didn’t detract from the sheer thrill of taking to the floor once again with Judy. We danced our Viennese as though there were no tomorrow and it felt as though we were gliding on air. Alas, we had more than met our match, and it was a unanimous verdict from the Judges that Sunetra and Brendan should go through to next week – and we wish them the hugest of congratulations in doing so, too – very well deserved.

What a send-off. We bade our farewells to the Judges and to Tess and Zoë – everybody was so very complimentary about us, it was lovely – and Judy was so gracious and delightful – particularly about how very special her Strictly experience had been. For me, it truly has been enormous fun, made all the more so by Judy’s fabulous sense of humour, her winning personality, and the real bond and partnership we’ve developed over these past weeks. We took to the floor for our very last Strictly dance, and delivered a compendium of past lifts to go out with a farewell flourish.

In all sincerity, Judy and I both thank you all so very much for your votes every Saturday night. Without them we wouldn’t have escaped the dance-off for all those weeks, and couldn’t have made it through this far. You enabled me to take Judy all the way to Blackpool – one of the true high points of Strictly Come Dancing, and made some wonderful, wonderful memories. I so hope we’ve entertained each week, and brought some genuine pleasure to the competition.

Judy – thank you so very much for making Strictly 2014 such a fabulous experience – we’ve been on a tremendous journey together, dancing with you has been a pleasure and a delight, and I couldn’t have wished for a better partner.

As ever, it’s been an honour and a privilege to be a part of Strictly, and to work alongside such consummate professionals both in front of, and behind the cameras – a world class dream team. And with that, we must take our leave and enable the remaining eight couples to battle it out for that ever elusive glitterball trophy.

With much love, as always,

Week 7 – The Paso Doble

Judge, jury and a bid for freedom – our Paso certainly brought some courtroom drama to last weekend’s Strictly – guilty as charged!

Our Paso Doble began with me being sentenced to time behind bars for the ‘illegal lifts’ our routines have boldly included – a fair cop! – and Judy led me to my cell via a florid display of Paso moves around the floor before she slammed the door shut with steely conviction! A very aptly themed routine I thought (in view of choreographic transgressions) and danced to a fitting ‘I Fought The Law’. With suitable fierceness, some more illegal lifting, and a fiery red dress, we made it through to my eventual jailing. Tremendous!

Once our routine was over, however, it was like having a retrial… only were were both in the dock, and this time before the official Judges! On the positive side, Darcey said it was a good effort, recognising Judy’s strength from her kicks and jumps, but that fierceness was missing. Bruno called Judy a ‘revolutionary dance outlaw’ breaking rules and reimagining dance as we know it – well, I must say, surely that’s a very special compliment, and I couldn’t agree more! Craig said it was all very pedestrian and that we walked through it… though I retorted that there is a lot of walking in a Paso and that we didn’t want to overly exert ourselves. Alas, that didn’t seem to help. Len capped it off by saying ‘If stiffness was a crime, you’d get life’… though did show some leniency in saying, with a cheeky wink, that I’d already done two months’ hard labour 😉

Ever consistent with the scores, we totted up an 18 (including a 3 from Craig letting the side down) which placed us bottom of the leaderboard, again. Heartsinking, but seeing the calibre of the other performances, the verdict had been passed, and we knew our place.

So, you can imagine our utter surprise and disbelief when once again we were saved by the public vote. Thank you all so very much for your continued support, it really is remarkable. Completely unexpected that we should make it through – as you can see from our reaction!

But once again we had to say goodbye to another wonderful couple: Alison and Aljaž, after they delivered a sterling performance in the dance off against Caroline and Pasha. Another huge surprise for the weekend, and of course a difficult decision for the judges to have to choose between such fabulous contestants; we’re hugely missing Alison already.

And so… we’re Blackpool bound! Hurrah! We’ve a Viennese Waltz this weekend – perfect for the fabulous sprung floor of the Tower Ballroom. Once again, I must remark on how Judy has improved week on week, and we’re really loving how this dance is progressing so it all bodes well. Judy says she feels like she’s dancing more too, and I’m so thrilled that she’ll be able to experience the magic that can happen in that legendary ballroom.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside…! Tune in Saturday!

With love,

Week 6 – The American Smooth

Devilishly good or ghoulishly ghastly… Read all about our American Smooth for Strictly’s Halloween weekend!

Well, it was the Halloween Special on Strictly last weekend, and the bar – and spirits! – were raised even higher. The staging, production, music, make-up and costumes… not to mention the dancing – all phenomenal, truly. I must make reference to the opening pro number to Bat Out Of Hell, and my blood-curdling, and literally hair-raising aerial entrance as Count Dracula. Spinning and twirling through the air… utterly terrifying; appropriate of course, given the week’s theme! (Now I know what Ann Widdecombe felt like!)

As for our American Smooth… ah, the best laid plans…

It all got off to a good start as Judy’s Cruella-mobile was lowered down to the ballroom from on high as she cried “Bring me those puppies”… but our co-star Dalmatians, Pongo and Purdy, were having none of it! Even my best dog-handling technique couldn’t coax them out onto the floor!

The routine thereon in went incredibly well, I thought; far more according to plan. Judy was very much ‘in character’ – her frame particularly suited to this role, and she certainly looked the part too. We worked very hard together to incorporate lots of content as well as some fabulous lifts (which I know Judy loves), all timed to reach the end of the routine with finesse and gusto in good measure.

Spookily, however, the judges’ comments included morsels as gruesome as previous weeks. Bruno called it an American Stiff… Craig said the dogs had more grace, and that Judy was spiky – ouch!… Consider the expert characterisation though – as I quipped back: it was Cruella De Vil, not Ginger Rogers… I thought it perfectly befitted the role! Darcey recognised there was so much more dance content, a major improvement, and Len commented on style, sophistication, characterisation and again there being more content than previous weeks… a job well done from the voice of reason as Tess put it. We’ll take that; not too deathly overall.

As for the scores, I suppose there’s something to be said for consistency… though as the competition gets tighter, that consistency has brought us ever closer to the bottom of the leaderboard. And that’s exactly where our ghoulish score of 20 landed us with a bump this week. We fully expected to be in the dance-off – we could feel it in our bones… but once again, by the sheer power of your votes, we were saved! Hurrah!!! I think you could see my jubilation in the results show! A Huge Thank You from the both of us!

Once again we had to say goodbye to a new friend – two new friends in fact this week. The dance-off had Scott and Joanne going head-to-head with Alison and Aljaž… and it was Scott who was voted off the show by the Judges. What a sport. He really has come a long way from when he started out, and it’s to be applauded; well done Joanne too in her Strictly debut year – a tremendously entertaining couple.

Judy’s come on leaps and bounds, that’s for sure, and we’re able to include more and more content – and entertainment – each week as a result… I simply couldn’t ask for more! And on that front, after flying cars and dog-ography, you’ll have to wait and see what’s in store for this coming weekend. We’re doing a Paso… now this’ll be interesting!

Until then, much love,