BB FANS

STRICTLY NO DANCES FOR AXED TELLY BABE NAT


BBC beauty Natasha Kaplinsky has been AXED from Strictly Come Dancing.

Worried TV bosses fear she is becoming over-exposed - and that appearing on entertainment shows weakens her image as a serious newscaster. A source at BBC1 said: "As much as we love her here we are getting a bit concerned she is over-exposed on the channel.

"We are close to the point where viewers may become bored of her."

Kaplinsky, 32, won the first series of the ballroom dancing show and co-hosted the second. She has also hosted the BAFTA awards and Eurovision decider Making Your Mind Up.

Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly will host the dance show next month. Sundaypeople

DANCEFLOOR DAZZLER


PACE ace Darren "Dazzler" Gough will be practising his quicksteps in the run-up to the third series of Strictly Come Dancing.

The England cricketer is among 12 celebrities aiming to bowl over the judges when the BBC show returns next month.

He will compete against stars including DJ Zoe Ball, ex-Eastender Patsy Palmer, TV presenter Gloria Hunniford and GMTV host and Mirror columnist Fiona Phillips.

They will be joined by athlete Colin Jackson, snooker's Dennis Taylor, Casualty star Will Thorp, My Family actress Siobhan Hayes, Holby City's Jaye Jacobs, chef James Martin and BBC journalist Bill Turnbull.

Fast bowler Darren said: "I last danced when Freddie Flintoff and I did some rock 'n' roll moves after a win over Australia."

Fiona joked: "The heels are going to be a problem. I can't even walk in heels."

Gloria said the show is helping her get over the death of daughter Caron Keating.

The Saturday night series will again be hosted by Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly. Jill Halfpenny won last year's contest.Mirror

Strictly Come Dancing BBC1 Sat, 6:30pm - 7:50pm

The show starts on Saturday night. Here is the line up.
Presenters: Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly

Siobhan Hayes

Patsy Palmer

Zoe Ball

Gloria Hunniford

Fiona Phillips

Jaye Jacobs

James Martin

Colin Jackson

Dennis Taylor

Bill Turnbull

Will Thorp

Darren Gough

Show starts tonight.

surely Gloria has to be voted out tonight.
BBC

MUM NEVER SAW ME ON TV. I'LL WIN COME DANCING STRICTLY FOR HER

CASUALTY hunk Will Thorp was watched by 10 million fans when he donned skin-tight spandex for his Strictly Come Dancing debut last night - but he dearly wished there was ONE more.

The actor wasn't just performing for his legions of TV fans, he was also doing it for the mum who tragically never lived to see him become a star.

Will, who was only a drama student when she died of a heart attack, said: "She never saw me on TV so in the next ten weeks I'm putting in every ounce of effort to win. I may be c*** but I'll give it my best go and make my mum proud."

The 28-year-old, who plays womanising paramedic Woody Joyner on the hospital soap, may have had plenty of motivation for his new role - but he admits he was still daunted when he first swapped his familiar green NHS outfit for a revealing sparkly suit and Latin heels.He revealed: "I did a photoshoot at the start and had this ridiculously camp thing on - skin-tight trousers and Latin heels.

"Walking in them was hard enough, let alone dancing. And with a see-through top it felt ridiculous. But I am getting used to it now."

Then, with a glint in his eye, the dad-of-one joked: "There could be _ a new side to me. Maybe I need to borrow a pair of heels. It could be a whole new way of life."


Will, who is partnered by blonde Hanna Haarala in the 10-week contest, also admits he has two left feet.

The actor said: "If I go to a club I don't even dance. I've caught myself in the mirror once or twice and it's horrific. I usually stand in the corner and sway about a little bit. Occasionally after a few drinks I get my dancing shoes on but I try to stop myself."

Despite that he has been known to replay the final scene from hit movie Dirty Dancing - with a 12-stone male pal as partner.

He laughed: "I would be Patrick Swayze and he would be the Jennifer Grey character Baby.

"We'd do the scene where she runs down the hall and into his arms and he throws her in the air. It was quite a strain picking him up but we used to manage it."

Will, married for two years to Sam, a sign-language interpreter, has one secret weapon in his bid for dancing glory - their 10-month old son.

He said: "I'm up most of the night with him because he's teething so I get to put in extra hours practising. I carry him round the house, cha-cha-ing with my dance shoes on. I'm absolutely exhausted." But behind the light-hearted talk is a serious determination to honour his mum, who died six years ago when he was on the threshold of his acting career.

She had a heart attackwhile on holiday in Devon with Will's dad. The couple, from Frome, Somerset, had been married 28 years. Will recalled: "It was totally out of the blue.

"She hadn't been ill. It was three weeks before I started drama school at the Bristol Old Vic and it was quite a big thing to get my head around.

"I was as close as any son is to his parents. I loved them like nothing else." Will, who won his Casualty role 18 months ago, added: "It was the biggest loss in my life and I still miss her but you use these things to give you focus in everything you do.

"I always put in 100 per cent and even though I joke around about being a c*** dancer I will give it my all."

Will had his own brush with death just five weeks after his mother died. He was on his bike when he was hit by a car doing 60mph.

"I went through the windscreen," he said. "I was stationary in the middle of the road waiting to turn when the car came over the hill.

"The driver didn't see me. I had 17 stitches in my back and two in my arm. My hip was badly grazed and my legs were black with bruises but I didn't break anything.

"I think it was because it took me by surprise and I was quite relaxed. An ambulance rushed me to hospital but I was OK. It made me realise that you need to make the most of every second."

Will, who had stage parts before Casualty, is now involved in his biggest story line as Woody realises that a boy he has met could be his son from a holiday romp 10 years ago.

"There are a few more big story lines coming up to Christmas," Will revealed. But first there is a lot of dancing to do. And he's made sure he eyed-up the competition before stepping out on the floor. I think the girls will find it easier and a couple of them will be really good.

"Obviously Colin Jackson's quite fit as he's an athlete. If he can move on top of that then I think he might be on to a good thing.

"I can't wait to see that snooker player Dennis Taylor dance. It will be amazing if he is really really good. But let's face it, he's not ever going to be in Cats is he?

"And Darren Gough has got massive thighs - more like a rugby player than a cricketer so I certainly won't be getting in his way with my little camp physique."

And, realistically, what about his own chances? He said: "I keep worrying I might be making an idiot of myself in front of 10million people.

"Woody would be far better at Strictly Come Dancing than me. But then he's such a ladies man, you'd never get him in that camp outfit." People

There were some harsh words from the judges, there were comforting words from previous contestants, but what did you think of the routines this week?

You phoned in your droves to keep your favourite couple in the competition, but it wasn't enough to save one couple.

First of all the ten couples going through were announced, leaving Will and Hanna and Siobhan and Matthew left standing.

But in the end it was Siobhan and Matthew who were announced as having the lowest score and therefore leaving the competition. BBC

ViewLondon


Fiona Phillips, the GMTV presenter, has been warned by her husband not to get involved with Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole.

Martin Frizzell, who is an editor on the same programme as his wife, initially encouraged her to do the realitry celebrity dancing show, and she was reluctant.

But he had one warning, saying: "It'll be fine as long as they don't give you that sh**ger Brendan."

So imagine Martin's horror when Fiona was paired up with, yes you've guessed it, the man himself.

Brendan famously had an affair with dance partner Natasha Kaplinsky when they both featured in a previous series of Strictly Come Dancing.

But Fiona defended the dance expert, telling the Daily Star: "Brendan's much maligned, bless him.

"He is great company, a lovely man. We are getting on really well but I'm very happily married, thank you very much."

IT'S MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR


HE may be just six, but my eldest son asked me the most perceptive question I was posed this week. And, several days on, I am still struggling for an answer.

Seeing me totally exhausted after round-the-clock coaching for Strictly Come Dancing, he said: "Mummy, why are you doing all this dance stuff when they're so nasty to you at the end of it?"

He certainly has a point. At many times in the past fortnight I could have strangled my husband, and numerous friends, who persuaded me to make a fool of myself in front of millions of people on this BBC1 contest.

I should have known better. I'm totally useless at any dancing, let alone the ballroom type. There's more talent in a plank; I'm so self-conscious I wouldn't even take to the floor at the GMTV Christmas party (unlike my rival Zoe Ball who took ballet lessons).

So it was no surprise that my debut last Saturday ended in abject humiliation, with my partner Brendan Cole dragging me round like a corpse.

We got one of the lowest marks in the show's history and a withering attack from the judges.



As you may have seen, Arlene Phillips was particularly vile. She told me (and the nation!): "You were so awful. Brendan was positively throwing you around."

When I tried to disarm her with a smile, she shot back the most withering look that said "you're the most pathetic creature on earth". Never have I felt so ashamed.

As I sloped off in disgrace, people kept saying in hushed tones, as if I was newly-bereaved: "Are you sure you're OK, Fiona?"

To avoid a repeat performance tonight, I've been training every spare hour I've got. It's taken over my life, but I've been under relentless pressure to improve - not least from Brendan, who is obsessed with staying in the competition.

Every day has been like non-stop shock therapy, with him teaching me the rumba. It's meant to be the "dance of lurve", but you could have fooled me.

He's constantly ordering me to move in one direction or another, gyrate against him or clamber over him, then rubbishes me as "useless" and snaps instructions like "focus!", "Be sexy" and "Smoulder! Smoulder!".

For Christ's sake, it's easy for him, he's a trained dancer (and actually enjoys it) AND he's only 29.

While I admire his patience - and he's got stacks - I end up shrieking back "I can't, I can't" and feel such intense frustration I want to both burst into tears and scream.

But I really hope I have improved. Tonight, I'm praying the agony is rewarded with us pulling off a thrilling performance. And that you will fall over yourselves to vote for us in your millions.

On the other hand, should you boot us out, I know this extraordinary experience was worthwhile.

After all, I've shed a dress size, won back the figure I had before my sons were born, feel fitter than ever and have enjoyed the most comfortable night's sleep ever. If only it didn't involve having to dance... mirror

STRICTLY COME DANCING EXCLUSIVE: BRENDAN STOLE MY GIRL, 17
Fiona Phillips and Brendan Cole on Strictly Come Dancing
Teen sweetheart is devastated


STRICTLY Come Dancing star Brendan Cole, 29, is romancing a girl aged just 17 who has dumped her teenage sweetheart for him.

Cha-cha-charmer Brendan, who had an affair with BBC newsgirl Natasha Kaplinsky during the first series of the hit show, has now fallen for beautiful blonde dancer Sasha Jackson.

Sasha, who still lives with her parents, has ditched boyfriend Oscar Marsh, leaving the 19-year-old student shattered.

A friend said: "Sasha and Oscar were a really close and attractive couple - and although they were young, people had high hopes for their relationship. But then Brendan came along..."

Friends say Oscar feels the star swept Sasha off her feet and stole her away from him.

Dance insiders are comparing the new couple to film stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes because of the large age gap.



A source revealed: "Brendan has worked his renowned charms on Sasha. He is super-confident and many women would find those sort of characteristics off-putting - but Sasha finds him really attractive and thinks he's an incredible catch."

Brendan, 29, whose on-screen partner for the current series is GMTV host Fiona Phillips, met shapely Sasha last year on the set of low-budget movie Everything To Dance For. She was just 16 at the time.

In the film she plays a girl who dreams of becoming a professional dancer. Brendan plays the Dance God - a mystical character who helps her dreams come true. Scenes filmed in Battersea Park, South West London, last October featured the glamorous pair enjoying a scintillating dance in front of a fountain.

For the dramatic shots, Brendan undid his shirt to show off his toned physique and Sasha wore a revealing white dress.

A friend said: "Filming the movie with Brendan gave Sasha a completely different perception of life.

"Before then, she was happy dating local boys like Oscar. The pair of them just had a small-town teenage romance together.

"But making a movie changed everything. The glitz and glamour turned her head.

"Thanks to Strictly Come Dancing, Brendan is now a big star - and she fell for him."

At first the pair were determined to remain just friends while Sasha, from Arborfield near Reading, Berkshire, continued her relationship with handsome Oscar.

But in recent months, her friendship with Cole has become closer and she has finally dumped her home- town love.

A friend revealed: "He is absolutely devastated and has been telling his mates she has broken his heart."

In recent days, tearful Oscar has begged Sasha - who only turned 17 in August - to give their romance another chance.

But she has cut her old flame out of her life. She recently passed her driving test - and treated herself to personalised plates reading S4SHA.

The friend continued: "Sasha was and still is Oscar's first love. He was begging her for a reconciliation, but she wasn't having any of it. He's complained that she wouldn't even take his calls for a while, which has made things even harder for him."

Shaggy-haired Oscar, who also lives with his parents, is a keen sportsman renowned for his prowess at football, rugby and athletics.

The friend continued: "He is stunned at losing Sasha. He really is gutted - he didn't see this coming at all"

Meanwhile, Brendan and Sasha have become more and more public with their romance in recent weeks.

The couple have been spotted at London's Fiesta Havana Club several times together, sharing romantic meals and then dancing until late.

A source said: "They come to the club together a lot - and have been coming for a few months, I think. When you see them together it is obvious they are a couple and there is real spark between them. They try not to be all over each other, but you can see they are intimate."

Brendan - who moved to Britain from New Zealand when he was 19 - found fame two years ago in the first series of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1. He was then engaged to his professional dance partner Camilla Dallerup, also appearing on the show. They had been together for eight years and had won countless ballroom dancing awards.

But when he was teamed with BBC Breakfast star Natasha Kaplinsky, 33, the relationship became more than just professional and their secret romance became public when he dumped Camilla, 31.

Afterwards, heartbroken Camilla said: "I'd been with Brendan almost every day, all the time, for more than eight years and then he changed overnight.

"I think he was star-struck. I expected to be with Brendan for the rest of my life but everything changed because of her."

Brendan and Natasha won the series but when it ended their romance petered out. In August this year she wed city banker Justin Bower.

The Sunday Mirror revealed last week how Brendan's ex Camilla has found new love with TV chef James Martin.

Last night Brendan confirmed he and Sasha are good friends, but denied any romance. Sundaymirror

Bruce announced who would be going through, leaving two couples left - those with the lowest overall scores this week - Gloria and Darren and Jaye and Andrew.

But in the end it was announced that Jaye and Andrew would be leaving the competition, and they took to the floor for one last dance.
BBC

Fiona should have gone last night - her dancing is the pits

My Dad made the final of the last series of SCD

Who's your Daddy?

he was sat right behind the panel of judges, but the cameras picked him up so clearly it was like he was sat in the panel. It was his one and only moment on TV and he was captured chewing gum with his mouth open. Felt so let down.