Strictly Come Dancing 2013

The show will start on September 7 with fifteen celebrities allotted their dancing partners and given three weeks to practise. Host will be the irreplaceable 85 year-old Bruce Forsyth who has been given three weeks off during the series which will last until Christmas. The list below is not exhaustive so check with your bookmaker who is competing and who might have withdrawn. Remember this is a dancing competition of 15 weeks duration which will favour contestants with stamina;they should also be modest enough to listen to the judges' criticisms yet stubborn enough to know their own mind and put on a spectacle for the voting public.

Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Adlington must be a favourite as a finalist,having the stamina to be there at the end and having the likeability factor among the British public.

TV personality and The Only Way is Essex star Mark Wright is one of the few men I tip to be in the running this year and his footballing skills should come in useful when honing his dance skills.

Lingerie model Abbey Clancy will certainly have the wow factor in the ballroom but will she end up like Jerry Hall as viewers don't quite know how to react to her?

Another stunning model,Geordie Donna Air may fall into the same category as Abbey,but will her romance with James Middleton just make too many demands outside the practice room?

American Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher may be desperate to prove she can still perform on the dance floor,but at 48 one has to wonder what state she'll be in by Yuletide.

Singer Joe McElderry has not done much since he won X-Factor in 2009;he's the ideal age for this competition but I doubt he is of the same calibre as 2011 winner Harry Judd.

Welsh fashion designer Julien Macdonald has thrown his hat into the ring. He will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of 2004 finalist Julian Clary,though I don't hold out much hope.

Brummie divorcee Diane Youdale will be hoping to reach the final and her gymnast training should be ideal for this competition,though at 43 there are questions as to her staying power.

Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor has been signed up and though her beauty radiates through I can't see what she has uniquely to offer over her rivals.

Rugby stars have had a mixed record in this competition and Ben Cohen will be waltzing around the glitterball but I can't really see it myself,though he may be the housewives' darling.

Vanessa Feltz will make an attempt at the Rumba,but this chat show host will be lucky to make it past the first few rounds.

Similarly Hairy Biker Dave Myers will be in for a short ride;he'll take the money and scoot off.

Carol Vorderman replacement Rachel Riley has been linked with the show(if you can't get the brunette from Cambridge then take the blonde from Oxford),but I don't see her lasting fifteen rounds with Gladiator Jet.

Coronation Street actress Natalie Gumede will be hoping to emulate the success of 2011 finalist Chelsee Healey,and with her musical theatre background this young starlet is definitely a dark horse.

It looks like Rebecca Adlington and Mark Wright have withdrawn,to be replaced by:

Amusement arcade entrepreneur Deborah Meaden,though she will need all her £40million to bribe the judges past the first few rounds.

Hollyoaks actor Ashley Taylor-Dawson will now lead the charge for the men,in a competition which seems heavily skewed in favour of the ladies this year. Being a Northerner he will take it seriously and should be in the final four by Christmas.


Breakfast TV presenter and BBC employee Susanna Reid will try to emulate past-winner Natasha Kaplinsky,though at 42 she should leave around the halfway stage.

Father McBride actor Mark Benton is another also-ran and should have plenty of time to get into his pantomine costume for his more customary role.

Bond girl and fading starlet Fiona Fullerton may have A View To a Kill,but approaching 57 any new dreams at a career revival should end up on the cutting room floor.

Similarly actor Patrick Robinson at 50 should be a Casualty after the halfway point.

Golf legend Tony Jacklin fills the boring old fart role and should be first to be voted off when the competition proper begins.

Thats all well and good but what I want to know is,

Who's going to win the X factor?

Hi hotspur I'm not sure I have time to do Strictly and X Factor if anybody would be willing to take it on? When does it get down to the final 10?

I am trying to keep a positive outlook on this year's Strictly, which more than ever will be dependent on the personality and jokes of Bruce Forsyth, who always carries the show however dismal the contestants. In this regard I have a few premonitions about the line up,which does not match the quality of last year when any of Louis Smith,Denise Van Outen and Kimberley Walsh could have won. I can't see bookies' favourite Rachel Riley as the new Kara Tointon,classy as she undoubtedly is,but then again the best dancer does not always win:the most popular does.

I hope I'm proved wrong, but I suspect feminism at the BBC has played a role in the choice of contestants this year,which in parts looks like the remnants from a rummage sale:

Sheep: Natalie Gumede,Rachel Riley,Ben Cohen,Sophie Ellis-Bextor,Susannah Reid,Ashley Taylor-Dawson,,Julien Macdonald,,Abbey Clancy,Patrick Robinson,Fiona Fullerton.


Goats: Vanessa Feltz,Dave Myers,Deborah Meaden,Mark Benton,Tony Jacklin

Goats should be voted off in the first few rounds,which gives the sheep five weeks to settle nerves and raise their game where necessary.

Time?

Bleedin ell.

How much time does it take?

Its not like you have to like watch it.

Well I mean you have to watch a total of 5 minutes a week.Thats it.

Just record it,(natch),and fast forward through all the bollocks(ie the ads and the acts and the interviews) and just watch the first few seconds of the judges comments.If theyre obviously shit move on.

If they're good simply watch all the comments and form an opinion from them.

Actually just sum up the comments



I seem to have quoted myself instead of Steve Uk.....

Its easily done



Er,so why dont you watch it then hotspur and do it yourself?


Er,er ............


Good point


Tbh Id rather someone else did all the 'hard' work I much prefer life that way

It's too early to say who the winner will be;we haven't seen them dancing together yet and it's the feet the judges will be looking at mainly which often the camera doesn't pick up. However these are my thoughts as to the contenders at this stage:

Natalie Gumede has had some previous dance experience,and paired with hard taskmaster Artem Chigvintsev I make this the couple to beat at this early stage.

Pasha Kovalev seems to bring out the best in his partners,which makes Rachel Riley second favourite.

Abbey Clancy and Slovenian new boy Aljaz Skorjanec are young enough to face the onslaught ahead if Abbey can stay focused.

Ashley Taylor Dawson and Ola Jordan should make the final four,depending on how competitive he becomes.

If anyone can squeeze Sophie Ellis-Bextor into the final it's Aussie Brendan Cole.

Susanna Reid at 42 will start to feel the pace as the weeks progress and I don't see her making the final three with Kevin Clifton.

Ben Cohen may turn out to be a new Matt Dawson or a frozen Gavin Henson,but if he applies himself he has an outside chance with professional Kristina Rihanoff.

Ceri Radford of the Telegraph speculates as to whether Bruce Forsyth's compering of the show is nearing its end.Where else on earth do you get a national broadcaster clinging like grim death onto an 85 year-old on prime time television? All the others have died ages ago:Bob Monkhouse,Benny Hill,Max Bygraves,Frankie Howerd..

Even the black and white Pathe News clip seemed to want to make its audience remember fonder days,as the Putin aide at the recent G20 summit in St. Petersburg told David Cameron that “Britain is a small island to whom nobody listens any more” still rings in our ears,with a modicum of truth in what he said.



I don’t know whether Strictly is a stilton cheese and would survive without Brucie ,as former ballerina and now Strictly judge Darcy Bussell confidently predicts.It already falls flat when his sidekick Tess Daley takes over for any period longer than a minute. The talent at interviewing has long since departed with Michael Parkinson,constrained by political correctness and celebrities’ agents warning off any topic which might show their golden goose in a bad light. Are we left with a show which brightens up our evening as the Winter solstice approaches or an insipid cocktail at best,especially with the likes of some of these rejects who would be better to rehearse for the Christmas panto,rather than waste the judges’ time in a discipline in which they are unlikely from the start to excel.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...-presenting-career-near-its-sell-by-date.html

The competition is back on our screens tomorrow and Saturday night,though with no eliminations this first week. It transports us all too briefly into that world of yesteryear as ballgown and tailcoat whirl down the Ringstrasse,my hand in the small of a Fräulein's back as we waltz to the strains of Strauss's "Blue Danube" under moon's shadow:inside the neoclassical Cafe Central with its Thonet chairs hiding behind imposing colonnades,or in a more comfortable sofa seat one can be as public or as private as one likes,black suited waiters hover with silver trays balanced on fingertips delivering Sachertorte,Eggnog Latte and Melanges onto mahogany tables surrounded by convivial company,and not a paper cup in sight.http://www.businessinsider.com/what-life-is-like-in-vienna-2013-1?op=1

The competition starts tonight. I might tip Sophie-Ellis Bextor with Brendan or Rachel and Pasha tomorrow with the fairly straightforward waltz dances to top the leader board,depending on how Natalie Gumede's hip pain is affecting her.http://metro.co.uk/2013/09/26/natal...s-as-first-week-dances-are-confirmed-4113031/

After the first week it's looking like a three horse race already between Natalie Gumede,Abbey Clancy and Rachel Riley. There don't seem to be any serious male contenders yet,which is a shame for the balance of the show.

If you can't spell their surnames just text "fat slobs" and we'll know who you mean..

First to be voted off tomorrow will be..Bruce Forsyth,as he is ill with influenza. It will be a test of the show's strength to see if it falters without him. After Bruce I think Tony Jacklin will probably go:he's joint bottom of the leaderboard with Dave Myers whose American Smooth will be appalling,but then Jacklin's Charleston won't be up to much either. Will old memories keep him in or will his domicile in Florida count against him? Top of the leaderboard should be Natalie and Artem's waltz,followed by Abbey Clancy's Cha Cha Cha.

If my internet sources prove reliable it's Tony Jacklin who has gone back to God's waiting room, Florida. After favourable comments from the judges about Vanessa Feltz and Dave Myers it seems Julien MacDonald is favourite to leave next,after his outburst from Week 1.

Taking stock after Week 2 when the contestants have had time to settle in I have to say firstly that I owe Vanessa Feltz an apology for the innuendo which is all so easy to direct at a middle-aged woman who can't answer back to me anyway. After her first dance to Shania Twain's That Don't Impress Me Much which didn't impress me at all we saw a side of Vanessa last Saturday night which I have a feeling very few people have ever seen: a (still) young slimmer woman in touch with her own emotions of love and loss,whilst a cursory search of google tells me she was dumped by her husband of 17 years,and through (I'm guessing) a Beth Din failure she was left to pick up the pieces and become the main breadwinner for her two daughters.

Pining for the lost romance of the 22 year-old bride who wanted to be the homebody and make chicken soup and thrust into waltzing on national television in the full camera glare Vanessa has answered her critics,though she will find stiff competition with the undoubted youngsters in the Latin dances where she will be less comfortable than in hold.

If grit and determination could win the contest I'd hand the glitterball to Deborah Meaden right now,but along with Fiona Fullerton her age counts against her and she'll be suffering the aches,pains and niggles of any person of middle age suddenly deciding to get fit.

Rachel Riley must surely be the biggest disappointment so far having been tipped at one stage as the favourite. She appears at times as a rabbit caught in the headlights and her description of Pasha Kovalev as "a puppy you can talk to" must have dented the confidence of someone who is really a very good dancer.

It was in fact Sophie Ellis-Bextor who stole the limelight from Rachel,and whether she's a self-publicist or more likely been pushed by ex-Blue Peter single mum Janet Ellis from the cradle she's definitely stolen a march on the others after her Charleston last week.

Mark Benton and Dave Myers are going nowhere,but at least Dave knows how to dress in front of an audience of 9 million.

Ashley Taylor-Dawson showed a new purpose in Week 2 with sharp lines and slick performance,and will be the only male left in the final four as Christmas approaches.

Patrick Robinson has been a pleasant surprise with an innate sense of rhythm,but like all the middle aged contestant syndrome the strain will show as weeks pass. I fear the same fate will befall Susanna Reid,just a few years older than 2009 winner and colleague Chris Hollins.

Abbey Clancy with partner Aljaz Skorjanec must be in a strong position as possibly Strictly's most handsome couple,and they possess that likeability factor which Natalie Gumede will have to work on as well as the technicalities if she wants to connect with the audience in the final stages and steal the win from her. Similarly both Ben Cohen and Julien MacDonald need to toughen up and face the competition head on should either of them wish to remain part of the show.

Strictly returns with Bruce tomorrow with a love theme. Top of the leaderboard will come from one of the following couples:

Natalie and Artem-Rumba-Love The Way You Lie-Eminem and Rihanna
Abbey and Aljaz-Jive-Can't Buy Me Love-The Beatles
Susanna and Kevin-Waltz-Annie's Song-John Denver
Sophie and Brendan-Samba-All Night Long-Lionel Richie
Ashley and Ola-Samba-Love Is In The Air-John Paul Young

The Samba is not the easiest dance to get right live on national television and I might pick Susanna this week with her waltz to pull a surprise over Natalie's Rumba and Abbey's Jive.

Next to be voted off should be Julien Macdonald with his Jive,whilst Vanessa Feltz should survive with any dance in hold such as the Tango she is attempting this week.
http://www.oddschecker.com/tv/strictly-come-dancing

Week 5 should see the following couples vying for top of the leaderboard:

Sophie-Ellis Bextor and Brendan-Cha Cha Cha
Natalie Gumede and Artem-Salsa
Susanna Reid and Kevin-American Smooth
Abbey Clancy and Alijaz-Foxtrot
Ashley Taylor- Dawson and Ola-Jive

Out of these five I might tip Brendan to have honed Sophie to just nudge it.

Bottom is tricky as in my opinion Dave Myers should be out by now but has survived by Head judge Len Goodman describing him as "the people's champion". Mark Benton and Deborah Meaden should survive dancing waltzes. Rachel Riley needs to refocus on her Paso Doble but should be safe. I can see Fiona Fullerton in danger attempting a quickstep and the novelty should wear off Dave Myers' salsa with him leaving the competition on Sunday night.

Deborah Meaden is out with her part waltz part trolley push whose choreography partner Robin must take the blame for. Fiona Fullerton is safe for now,whilst it was an injured Patrick who joined Deborah in the bottom two.

It wasn't her finest hour dancing the Jive to those of us who remembered Bucks Fizz the first time around,and it didn't take the judges long making their minds up that she looked like a suburban housewife doing the housework during the Jimmy Young Show..

Taking a closer look at the odds it looks like Natalie Gumede is the favourite by a whisker and she has been the most consistent thus far. Sophie Ellis-Bextor let me down last week in the Latin dance and though she should be in the final along with Natalie,Abbey and Ashley I don't see she has that drive to capture the nation's hearts when the Final will be down to the public voting only.http://www.oddschecker.com/tv/strictly-come-dancing/winner