Strictly Family - Series 5

 

Dates

Oct-Dec 2007 (12 weeks, 14 couples).

That time period in context

The first iPhones were sold in June of this year and around the same time Gordon Brown became UK Prime Minister. St Pancras International station opened in London. In Scotland the SNP’s Alex Salmond became First Minister and St Andrew’s Day became a Bank Holiday. South Africa won the rugby world cup final in October. Rihanna’s Umbrella was a big song this year. Lee Mead won the Any Dream Will Do TV competition to be Joseph in a West End revival of the musical. Enchanted came out at the cinema.

 

Judges

Len Goodman (head judge), Arlene Phillips, Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli.

 

Presenters

Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly (main shows).

Claudia Winkleman (It Takes Two).

 

Addition to format

There was a preview show before the main series started.

Also this year, the results show moved to Sunday, rather than later on Saturday evening. This did mean kids could watch it live but as the results have always been filmed on the Saturday this also meant all the presenters and contestants had to start pretending it was Sunday (say “yesterday” instead of “today” etc.). It must be a right pain for all concerned and one that’s lasted for years now (I wonder if the production team keep a tally on who gets it wrong most often…). In recent times internet spoilers go out late on the Saturday night anyway so if you want to know who’s knocked out of the competition it’s not difficult to find the answer.

This was the first series with a dance off in the results show.

This was the first season followed by a Strictly Live Tour in the following Jan/Feb (and there’s been a live tour every year since – it goes to big venues/arenas).

This year all the pros were the same as the previous series. Professional Ola Jordan danced with rugby player Kenny Logan and her husband James danced with Kenny’s wife, TV presenter Gabby, in a kind of Strictly/Wife Swap mash up.

Model Kelly Brook withdrew partway through for family reasons so again the final was just 2 couples.

 

Dancers 

(celebrities first, professional partners second; couples listed in order of elimination with winners last)

Brian Capron and Karen Hardy

Stephanie Beacham and Vincent Simone

Willie Thorne and Erin Boag

Gabby Logan and James Jordan

Dominic Littlewood and Lilia Kopylova

Penny Lancaster-Stewart and Ian Waite

Kate Garraway and Anton du Beke

John Barnes and Nicole Cutler

Kelly Brook and Brendan Cole (withdrew)

Kenny Logan and Ola Jordan

Letitia Dean and Darren Bennett

Gethin Jones and Camilla Dallerup

Matt Di Angelo and Flavia Cacace

Alesha Dixon and Matthew Cutler

 

Celebrities we had heard of before the series (and how we knew them)

Stephanie Beacham (actor), Gabby Logan (TV presenter), John Barnes (football), Kelly Brook (model), Kenny Logan (rugby), Letitia Dean (Eastenders’ Sharon), Alesha Dixon (as singer with the band Mis-teeq, nowaways she is probably best known as a TV personality/presenter).

 

Who did we vote for?

I voted Alesha all the way. My Mum voted for (Blue Peter’s) Gethin and Camilla (she was always a big Camilla fan) but they didn’t make the final. 

 

Celebrities we liked more after the series

Alesha – we all really liked her and were very glad she went on to many other successes. Lots of the other contestants were engaging too. As New Scots (with Old Scots roots) we enjoyed seeing Kenny Logan do well too. Here he is dressed for anything but rugby.

Was it obvious who was going to win?

Not really because although Alesha was amazing she ended up in a dance off near the end of the series so we did think maybe she wasn’t going to get the public vote (she did in the end, thank goodness). There was no internet voting then (just phone, I think) and according to my diary I voted for her 5 times in the semi-final. Is it sad that I have that in my diary? Please don’t answer that. There have been issues with the voting public and celebrities of colour (see previous posts) but when Mark Ramprakash won series 4 and Alesha series 5 it did seem there was some hope for the UK voting public (at least some of the time).

 

Were there articles in the papers moaning about one of the celebrities being good because they’d danced before?

I don’t remember that particular kind of fuss for this series.

 

Did it matter?

It never does. It is usually a bit of a non-story.

 

Was there an obvious “shouldn’t stay in long but did” contestant?

Kate Garraway – she was another ITV GMB (Breakfast TV) presenter who was a truly terrible dancer (what were they feeding them over there?) and yet she and Monsieur du Beke made it to week 7 (pic below). I think it was probably this success that saw the birth of Anton the ham/comedy performer. 

Shock exit?

Gabby Logan – a former gymnast, she was doing amazing routines but went out in week 4 (whilst her husband stayed in till week 9). He was less of a dancer but, as we know, that isn’t always what gets people voting. 

The story of the series

Alesha just being great. She was a total star. 

There may have been romantic/relationship/Strictly curse stories going around too (you can look those up yourselves) but we were unaware of them at the time. Such innocence!

 

And our family - what was going on with us at the time?

During this Strictly season my brother and his wife visited from New Zealand (a rare treat) so my Mum was in double heaven. They had to watch Strictly too of course. Heather was 7 and struggling a bit with the “you were my best friend yesterday but now I hate you” part of primary school (she’s a very trusting soul – just couldn’t understand how people could chop and change so much). She had a strong fancy dress year though (Halloween, school) and that’s probably the main thing. Primary school viruses were still a big feature and I remember she was dramatically, and memorably, sick during the Remembrance Day Strictly results show. We caught it in a big bowl* and she didn’t miss a frame of the show. That’s dedication to the world of dance for you. Here is Mum and Heather early on Xmas Day 2007 with the annual that came out during Series 5.

Meanwhile I had turned 40 (and went to Celtic Connections music festival in Glasgow, saw Kate Rusby and Crooked Still, ate, drank, was merry). I was still doing the poetry thing – even singing with a friend in songs’n’poems public performances here and there. I was also on MySpace (ha!) and had my first blog (terrible layout, long rambling posts… so what’s new?).

And Mark? He built a bookcase. A really big bookcase.

 

 

Back tomorrow with series 6. If you want to read any of the previous posts just click Older Post below till you get to the one you want. Or use these links: Series 1, Series 2, Series 3, Series 4.

*Please note this was not a bowl ever used for cooking. There was a thing online recently about someone using the same bowl for baking and boaking (Scots for throwing up) which is enough to actually make you want to lose your lunch.

Strictly Family - Series 4

I

f you want to read why I’m writing all these posts about Strictly Come Dancing there is an intro back here on Day 1/Series 1.

Series 4 Dates

Oct-Dec 2006 (12 weeks, 14 couples).

That time period in context

Twitter launched in March that year, Google bought YouTube in October and Nintendo launched the Wii in November. Tony Blair was still UK Prime Minister (not long now). Also the first Bond film with Daniel Craig as 007 was released. Another screen icon, Hannah Montana, was new on Disney in 2006 (if you had Sky, which we didn’t). In Scotland the first offshore wind turbine was installed in August, 15 miles offshore of the Moray Firth. Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol and Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae were both big hits that year.

 

Judges

Len Goodman (head judge), Arlene Phillips, Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli.

 

Presenters

Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly (main show).

Claudia Winkleman (It Takes Two).

 

Addition to format

Again there was a longer run and more couples competing. Because of this the opening show was split into two shows with 7 couples each time. 

Also the Salsa and the Argentine/Argentinian Tango were added to the list of dances. 

Jimmy Tarbuck withdrew early on due to illness so there were only 2 couples in the final (always a bit underwhelming when that happened).

 

Dancers 

(celebrities first, professional partners second; couples listed in order of elimination with winners last)

Nicholas Owen and Nicole Cutler
Mica Paris and Ian Waite
Jimmy Tarbuck and Flavia Cacace (new pro) (withdrew)
DJ Spoony and Ola Jordan (new pro)
Georgina Bouzova and James Jordan (new pro)
Jan Ravens and Anton du Beke
Ray Fearon and Camilla Dallerup
Peter Schmeichel and Erin Boag
Claire King and Brendan Cole
Carol Smillie and Matthew Cutler
Louisa Lytton and Vincent Simone (new pro)
Emma Bunton and Darren Bennett
Matt Dawson and Lilia Kopylova
Mark Ramprakash and Karen Hardy

 

Celebrities we had heard of before the series (and how we knew them)

Nicholas Owen (newsreader), Mica Paris (singer), DJ Spoony (er, DJ), Jan Ravens (actor/impressionist), Ray Fearon (snooker), Peter Schmeichel (very famous football goalkeeper – even I’d heard of him), Carol Smillie (TV presenter including the giant MDF phenomenon that was Changing Rooms), Emma Bunton (Spice Girls), plus our Mark likes sports so he knew Matt Dawson (rugby) and Mark Ramprakash (cricket).

 

Who did we vote for?

Mark and Karen (pic at top of post). From their Salsa in week 5 they were hot, hot, hot all the way. The problem with the microphone cable just made their dance even more memorable. Should they have been allowed to start again, asked no one anywhere (apart from, I’m guessing, some angry woman at the Mail).

 

Celebrities we liked more after the series

It was a year of nice people – DJ Spoony (out too soon), Peter Schmeichel (fun), Matt Dawson (seemed nice), Carol Smillie and Emma Bunton (perfectly pleasant), Mark Ramprakash (great moves). But again it was the pros who really won hearts in our house – Vincent and Flavia (Argentine Tango specialists) were very popular en nuestra casa and Heather was always a big Ola Jordan fan. I don’t know why she particularly loved Ola but she really did (more on her in series 7 but for now here are Vincent and Flavia).

Was it obvious who was going to win?

Yes, the Ramprakash Salsa could not be beaten.

 

Were there articles in the papers moaning about one of the celebrities being good because they’d danced before?

I guess maybe they might have written about Emma Bunton. She was quite charming on the show and you know the tabloids hate people being liked (getting on well doesn’t sell “papers” – we should all hate each other more).

 

Did it matter?

No, Ramps was always going to win. 

 

Was there an obvious “shouldn’t stay in long but did” contestant?

Don’t think so.

 

Shock exit?

Both singer Mica Paris and DJ Spoony and went out very early (weeks 2 and 3). Hmmm… what were we talking about last time?

The story of the series

Mark and Karen being brilliant at the Salsa (a new dance that year). Also the reign of the cricketers – with Darren Gough having won the year before it looked, at this stage, as though sportspeople (or even just sportsmen) were going to dominate the competition for years to come. In fact only 3 winners (in 19 series) have come from sports in the UK show, most winners have come from something like showbiz (actors, presenters, pop stars). 

Another story was Eastender Louisa Lytton being the (still) youngest ever contestant and also being a very impressive dancer.

 

And our family - what was going on with us at the time?

All the usual things were happening (work, school, reading poems at a folk club, making poetry postcards… though the last two were just me). Heather was 6 now and seriously into fancy dress (an interest that no doubt helped her love for Strictly grow – dresses and themed costumes have become more and more integral to the show’s appeal). You  can see this at the top of the post and a pic showing her excited to find something like a Paso Doble outfit at a friend’s house.

Mum was 82 and had quite a poorly winter off and on. In one diary entry I noted that she was fed up with being ill and that watching Strictly “cheered her up”. Another entry noted that after a Saturday evening show “Heather was playing Strictly with her dolls, Prince Charming is Peter Schmeichel!” This picture from the annual backs up her theory.

So, as you can see, Strictly was a big influence on our lives, at least in the latter part of each year. Other people came to watch it with us too sometimes (as the show became more and more of an event). We did do other things of course (we weren’t tied to the TV) but this was one thing we did together. This was also the first year the 4 of us spent Xmas together in our home (previously we had always gone back to England, and other family, for Xmas).

See you tomorrow for series 5. If you want to read any of the previous posts just click Older Post below till you get to the one you want. Or use these links: Series 1, Series 2, Series 3.

Strictly Family - Series 3

Series 3 Dates

Oct-Dec 2005 (10 weeks, 12 couples).

 

That time period in context

This was not long after Hurricane Katrina had hit Louisiana in August 2005. The Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into force in the UK, granting same-sex couples similar legal rights to those of married heterosexuals. The first Parkrun was held in London (under another name). The Star Wars franchise was up to Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (apparently) and David Tennant became Dr Who. I wonder if David Tennant will ever do Strictly – he’d probably win….

 

Judges

Len Goodman (head judge), Arlene Phillips, Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli.

 

Presenters

Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly (main show).

Claudia Winkleman (It Takes Two).

 

Changes to the format

There was a longer run to the series and more couples than in series 2. 

There was no Blackpool visit this year. 

The American Smooth was added to the list of dances for the competition.

Also, this is the first series with an annual (as in a book, sold in the run up to Xmas) and, yes, our daughter has them all (picture of the first one at the top of the post, it covered series 1-3). We’re not sure when they started selling the calendars (she has most of those too).

 

Dancers 

(celebrities first, professional partners second; couples listed in order of elimination with winners last)

Siobhan Hayes and Matthew Cutler (new pro)

Jaye Jacobs and Andrew Cuerden (new pro)

Gloria Hunniford and Darren Bennett

Fiona Phillips and Brendan Cole

Dennis Taylor and Izabela Hannah (new pro)

Will Thorp and Hanna Haarala (new pro)

Bill Turnbull and Karen Hardy (new pro)

Patsy Palmer and Anton du Beke

James Martin and Camilla Dallerup

Zoe Ball and Ian Waite

Colin Jackson and Erin Boag

Darren Gough and Lilia Kopylova

Celebrities we had heard of before the series (and how we knew them)

Gloria Hunniford (TV presenter), Dennis Taylor (snooker), Bill Turnbull (Breakfast TV – we didn’t watch it but had heard of him), Patsy Palmer (Eastenders’ Bianca – my Eastenders knowledge is a bit vintage but even I had heard of Patsy), James Martin (TV chef, plus he’s from Leeds where we lived for years), Zoe Ball (TV/radio presenter), Colin Jackson (athletics, hurdles), Darren Gough (cricket).

Who did we vote for?

I mainly voted for Colin and Erin. I think Mum and Heather both voted for Darren Gough and Lilia. I suspect Darren Gough reminded Mum of my brother David (but then any white man with brown hair under the age of 50 could make her say “Isn’t he like David?” with a wistful smile). That brother was living in New Zealand at the time and we didn’t see him much.

Celebrities we liked more after the series

Whilst a lot of the talk of this series was connected to Darren Gough for us it was new pro Karen Hardy who became another family favourite. We all thought she should have been a judge on the show when she stopped competing (and in fact she has been a judge on the live tour from time to time). We would have had two women judges a long time before the show finally made that change. I really hate that “one woman is enough for a panel” thing that affected shows like this and The Voice. The one woman would be replaced by another woman if she left but that was the only way in (“them’s the rules, ladies, one in and one out”). It was ridiculous and a bit embarrassing to be honest.  

 

Was it obvious who was going to win?

Not completely. Cricketer and Yorkshireman Darren certainly got a lot of coverage and had the “I couldn’t dance at all and now I come alive when I hit the dancefloor” appeal. A lot was made of him being a manly Northern (English) bloke who embraced disco and sequins but Colin and Zoe were both amazing dancers and there was a possibility (in our minds anyway) that any of those 3 might win.

 

Were there articles in the papers moaning about one of the celebrities being good because they’d danced before?

Zoe, I suppose. I have no idea if she’d had training but she was very good and I think I heard something about her Mum being a dancer (maybe on her Desert Island Discs – I’m a serious DID listener, though can happily live without the rest of Radio 4).

Did it matter?

It did maybe affect her chances of winning but her career has been pretty great (including working on It Takes Two in later years) so I don’t think we need lose any sleep about it.

 

Was there an obvious “shouldn’t stay in long but did” contestant?

Not really, though the show was a much shorter run back in 2005.

 

Shock exit?

Maybe not shock but actor Jaye Jacobs going out in week 2 was early, considering some of the dancing of the other celebs. Another ITV breakfast presenter Fiona Phillips, for example, was very, very bad, if somehow almost endearingly so, and she made it to week 4. Was this the start of a trend discussed in the press and elsewhere of black contestants being more likely to be voted off sooner (one such article from a few years later here)? Knowing a section of the British public as I do, I definitely have voted more for contestants who I think might not get the big vote for reasons unconnected to dancing. More on this issue in later posts (a recurring theme).

 

The story of the series

There were a couple of stories this time. The main one was Northern (white) man Darren embraces dancing. This was hardly a shocking development to many of us (did you miss house music, everyone? Northern Soul?) but maybe it was news to some of the mainstream audience. This was the first time the story of the win was more about the journey than the quality of the dancing (and the journey would go on to be a Strictly basic, don't leave the house without one).

There was also Colin and Erin’s “disastrous” showdance in the final (the one with the mannequins). It was chosen to show Colin could dance on his own but it was very disappointing and more than a little creepy – more Inside Number 9 than Mambo Number 5. I suspect remembering it still gives lovely pro dancer Erin Boag the shivers.

 

And our family - what was going on with us at the time?

By this point we had started to find our places in the 3-generational household (and watching Strictly every autumn became a big part of that). We tried other shows (like the first series of Dancing on Ice in January 2006) but few worked as well for our mix of ages and tastes. We only watched that one series of Dancing on Ice (Bonnie Langford!) and never came back to it. It always just made me feel cold. 

Away from TV, Heather had started school proper (P1 as they call it in Scotland), Mum was settling in to her new surroundings and she and Heather were really enjoying all their time together as total partners in crime (if “eating all the biscuits” and “wearing all the tiaras” could ever be considered crimes). 

I was writing more poems and wondering what to do with them but other than that Mark and I were getting on with whatever needed getting on with (work, house, dog, food, coping with the endless illnesses that accompany the early stages of primary school). Mark did watch Strictly with us back in this era (though he’s fallen by the wayside now). 20 series was more than he was prepared to experience (and fair enough really).

See you tomorrow for Series 4. If you want to read any of the previous posts just click Older Post below till you get to the one you want.

Strictly Family - Series 2

If you want to know why I’m writing all these posts about Strictly Come Dancing there is an intro back here on Day 1/Series 1.

 

Series 2 Dates

Oct-Dec 2004 (8 weeks, 10 couples).

 

That time period in context

The new Scottish Parliament building was opened in Edinburgh, the Wales Millennium Centre was opened in Cardiff and the Hunting Act 2004 banned the hunting of most wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales. The Simpsons moved to Channel 4. Also, even though it happened just after the show’s run, it seems odd not to mention the devastating Boxing Day Tsunami in Dec 2004 as it was such a huge event. It’s even odder to switch back to talking about Strictly after mentioning something like that but just imagine you’re watching The One Show and … here we go back to the light…

 

Judges

Len Goodman (head judge), Arlene Phillips, Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli.

 

Presenters

Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly (main show) with Natasha Kaplinsky (series 1 winner) taking Tess’s role for the first 5 weeks when she was on maternity leave.

Claudia Winkleman (It Takes Two). Pic below is from first Strictly annual (2005 - more on that next time).

Changes to the format

There was a show filmed in Blackpool (week 5) and the final was held there again too. There were 3 couples in the final this time instead of 2.

Also, there was news and interviews every weekday at 6.30pm in a new programme – Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. Right from the start my Mum watched this sister show after her evening meal every day. She really liked naughty Claudia Winkleman (and god knows what Claudia did before Strictly but she has certainly become part of the glittery BBC furniture over the years).

The first Xmas Special was aired in December 2004. Its format has changed over the years … but we can’t go into all of that now.

 

Dancers 

(celebrities first, professional partners second; couples listed in order of elimination with winners last)

Quentin Wilson and Hazel Newberry (new pro)

Carol Vorderman and Paul Killick

Esther Rantzen and Anton du Beke

Diarmuid Gavin and Nicole Cutler (new pro)

Sarah Manners and Brendan Cole

Roger Black and Camilla Dallerup 

Aled Jones and Lilia Kopylova (new pro)

Julian Clary and Erin Boag

Denise Lewis and Ian Waite (new pro)

Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennett (new pro)

 

Celebrities we had heard of before the series (and how we knew them)

Carol Vorderman (Countdown, we didn’t watch it but knew her anyway), Esther Rantzen (from That’s Life, which we very much did watch in the ’70s – talking dogs, Victoria Wood, Pam Ayres and all), Roger Black (athletics, 400m), Aled Jones (Snowman), Julian Clary (comedian), Denise Lewis (athletics, heptathlon).

 

Who did we vote for?

I voted for Denise and Ian. Denise hadn’t danced before (I don’t think) and she was graceful and stunning to watch. Mum liked Jill and Darren, Heather didn’t have an obvious favourite, and we all enjoyed some of the routines and responses from Julian Clary. The more we watched the show the more I saw that Mum and Heather really enjoyed the professional dancers most of all, and over the series many of those dancers became celebrities in their own right (with good reason). Camilla, Lilia and Darren (from Denmark, Russia and Sheffield respectively) were particular favourites in our house at this point. Lilia and Darren (see pic below) were the first married couple of professional dancers on the show and they were a really likeable pair (at least on TV – I have no idea what they’re like in real life). Still together (take that – “Strictly Curse”!), they have guested on It Takes Two in recent years which is quite a treat, like old pals popping round.

Celebrities we liked more after the series

Probably Aled Jones – he really threw himself into it (though to be honest it wasn’t a huge shock as a friend once met him on a night out and said he wasn’t exactly a choirboy in adulthood).

 

Was it obvious who was going to win?

From week 3 (when Jill and Darren did their jive to Elton John’s I’m Still Standing, see bottom right of pic below), yes, it probably was. There are moments on the show when everything just comes together (Strictly cliché alert) and this was one of those times. Even if you don’t like the song (and I don’t particularly), it worked well and Jill dancing through a bit of a wardrobe malfunction (dress caught on shoe) made it even more impressive.

Were there articles in the papers moaning about one of the celebrities being good because they’d danced before?

Yes, I think there were (about Jill possibly). 

 

Did it matter?

No. Plus if everyone in the show was a complete beginner it wouldn’t work half as well. There was a much higher “terrible dancer” quota in the show in these early stages and it could get a bit painful – you can’t run with just that for 20 seasons.

 

Was there an obvious “shouldn’t stay in long but did” contestant?

No. I remember mutterings about Julian Clary getting to the final but we recently rewatched some of his dances and they were pretty good really. 

Shock exit?

No.

 

The story of the series

Some of the dancing being so good (quite a step up from series 1). Jill and Darren’s jive still shows up in all the “best of” Strictly dance lists and got the first full marks (40 out of 40). I rewatched some of Denise and Ian’s routines on wobbly YouTube videos recently and they hold up pretty well too.

 

And our family - what was going on with us at the time?

We were adjusting to being a 3- rather than a 2-, generational household and it did take some getting used to. My Mum was at a bit of loose end when she moved up until she made some friends and connections and like a bored child she wasn’t shy to let me know about it. Her elderly dog, Ailsa, was part of the move as well so I took to going on a lot of long dog walks and met some new friends along the way. Heather and her Grandma took a little while to settle in together too – now Grandma was for life and not just for Xmas how was that going to work out? Initially it was a bit tricky but Strictly really helped them find their happy places, They were both fans of another dance show, Angelina Ballerina, which probably influenced the outfit in the picture below (she is 22 now and gave me permission to share it, her other Grandma knitted the cardi). In a smallish family you need some other people to talk about (mice can work too) and we have certainly talked about Strictly personnel in ours over the years. 

Like the stars of the show (and most families), we all had some catchphrases and my Mum’s most regular one for Strictly was “silly old fool” (she was 80 but this was used, in an affectionate way, for Bruce Forsyth, Len Goodman and really anyone over 50). She also used to say of Claudia Winkleman (practically every time she watched It Takes Two – and it was on 5 times a week) “her mother was a journalist, you know, and she really looks like her”. She would then proceed to try and remember which journalist it was (Ann Leslie? Eve Pollard? It was the latter). I didn’t know either of these women so it meant nothing to me (and even less to 4-year-old Heather). Anyway, family sayings (“what’s everyone else having?” etc.), they’re bloody annoying at the time but you miss them when they disappear.

See you tomorrow for Series 3! I'm scheduling them for 6am, one a day up till 17 December.