General Chat

Ok folks are we all ready, The line-up has been announced for the new series and here we go.

Ali Bastian & Brian Fortuna
Lynda Bellingham & Darren Bennett
Joe Calzaghe & Kristina Rihanoff
Natalie Cassidy & Vincent Simone
Richard Dunwoody & Lilia Kopylova
Ricky Groves & Erin Boag
Martina Hingis & Matthew Cutler
Chris Hollins & Ola Jordan
Jade Johnson & Ian Waite
Craig Kelly & Flavia Cacace
Zoe Lucker & James Jordan
Laila Rouass & Anton du Beke
Phil Tufnell & Katya Virshilas
Ricky Whittle & Natalie Lowe
Rav Wilding & Aliona Vilani
Jo Wood & Brendan Cole

So it could be an interesting series, I think that's it a good mix. Gonna have a look at the BBC website to see what each couple have to say.

Catch you later.

I don't know all of them. Don't recognise some of the professionals either, i suppose one is to replace Karen and one Camilla.

Ok this as abit about the couples. Taken from the Strictly website

Ali Bastian Stunning soap-star siren Ali Bastian has been getting temperatures soaring since her Hollyoaks debut in 2001. She recently swapped one series of sensational storylines for another, joining the straight and narrow to become a staple on Britain’s longest running and best-loved cop show, The Bill.

Brian Fortuna Brian is just about to turn 27, and is 6’0”. His professional partner is Kristina Rihanoff, and his speciality is Latin.

Brian was born and raised in Philadelphia and is now based in Los Angeles. Both of his parents held nationally ranked titles in Ballroom and Latin. Last year, Brian appeared on Strictly Come Dancing for the first time, partnering singer Heather Small.

Lynda Bellingham Warm, open, quick-witted and fun, Lynda Bellingham is a critically acclaimed and much treasured British actress.

Despite turning 60 last year, she has become a hit with younger audiences who enjoy her straight-talking, no-nonsense, opinion-giving appearances on ITV’s playful daytime hit Loose Women. Strictly judges beware: Lynda can bite back!

Darren Bennett Darren is 32 and 5’7”. His professional dance partner is his wife, Lilia Kopylova. They have been dancing together for 12 years and turned professional in 2003. His speciality is Latin American. Last year, Darren paired up with Jessie Wallace.


Joe Calzaghe 'The Pride of Wales' - Joe Calzaghe - is one of the greatest boxers to have ever laced up the gloves and stepped into the ring.

2007's BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award winner is Britain's only undefeated boxing world champion and was the longest-reigning boxing world champion of the modern era, holding the WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF super-middleweight belts during his remarkable 16-year career.

Kristina Rihanoff Kristina is just about to turn 32, and is 5'3". She has partnered internationally renowned Michael Wentink, and has competed around the world. Her speciality is Latin American/Mambo.

Kristina was born in Siberia and she fell in love with music and dance at a young age. She entered her first dance competition at 7 years old. She took part in scores of competitions from then on and she became a renowned dance champion in Russia’s far Eastern region. Last year she partnered John Sergeant.

Natalie Cassidy The multi-talented and universally loved Natalie Cassidy grew up in front of the nation portraying the endearing, trumpet-playing Sonia Fowler in EastEnders.

Vincent Simone Vincent is 30 years old and 5'6", but what he lacks in height he makes up for in his fiery passion! His professional partner is Flavia Cacace - they have been dancing together for 13 years and turned professional in 2001. His speciality is the Ten Dance/Argentine Tango. Last year, Vincent was paired with Rachel Stevens.

Richard Dunwoody Three-time Champion Jockey Richard Dunwoody is one of Britain's most successful riders. At the forefront of English National Hunt racing in the 80s and the 90s, he was victorious in the Big Three races – the Grand National, the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Lilia Kopylova Lilia is 31 years old and a petite 5’3”. Her professional partner is Darren Bennett - they have been dancing since 1997 and are married. They turned professional in 2003. Her speciality is Latin American. Last year, Lilia was partnered by actor Don Warrington.

Ricky Groves The charming and chirpy Ricky Groves is much loved for his portrayal of cheeky cockney Garry Hobbs in the nation’s favourite soap- EastEnders.

Erin Boag Erin's professional partner is fellow Strictly dancer, Anton Du Beke. They have been dancing together since 1997 and turned professional in 2002. She's 34 years old, 5'6" tall, and a vivacious Kiwi. Last year, Rugby star Austin Healey partnered Erin Boag.

Martina Hingis The Wimbledon-winning ”Swiss Miss” Martina Hingis was one of the most electrifying and successful female tennis players of modern times. Named after the tennis legend Martina Navratilova she was always destined for greatness!

Matthew Cutler Matthew is 35 and is 6’2”. His professional dance partner is Nicole Cutler, with whom he dominated the amateur section, before turning professional and continuing their success. His speciality is Latin American. Last year, Matthew danced with TV presenter Christine Bleakley.

Chris Hollins The respected and trusted face of sport on BBC Breakfast News, Chris Hollins is the on-the-ball name viewers turn to when wanting clarification on the latest Beckham rumour, an inside story from the England cricket camp or an exclusive interview with a Team GB Olympic winners. If there’s a sporting story that’s breaking then Chris is the man in the know.

Ola Jordan Ola is (nearly!) 27 years old, and is 5'4". Her professional dance partner is her husband, James Jordan – they have been dancing together for 9 years and turned professional in 2003. Her speciality is Latin American. Last year, Ola's partner was GMTV presenter and Tennis player, Andrew Castle.

Jade Johnson Britain’s belle of track and field, Olympic athlete Jade Johnson is a 2-times Commonwealth Games and European Championship silver medallist.

Ian Waite Ian is 6’3” and started dancing when he was 10. His professional partner is Camilla Dallerup - they’ve been dancing together for nearly five years. His speciality is Latin American. Last series, Ian was partnered by model Jodie Kidd.

Craig Kelly The star of some of British television’s most critically acclaimed and best loved shows, Craig Kelly brings charm, wit and handsome good looks to the nation’s screens. Currently residing on Corrie, the nation’s favourite Street, heartthrob Craig has the Weatherfield ladies falling at his feet.

Flavia Cacace Flavia is 30 years old and a petite 5’2”. Her professional partner is Vincent Simone. They have been dancing together for 13 years, and turned professional in 2001. Flavia’s speciality is Ten Dance/Argentine Tango. Last year, Flavia was partnered with actor Phil Daniels.

Zoe Lucker As Football Wives’ sultry, scheming and sexy Tanya Turner, glamorous Zoe created television’s hardest anti-heroine and one of the most memorable female characters of the past decade.

James Jordan James is 31 and 5’11”. His professional dance partner is his wife, Ola Jordan. They have been dancing together for 9 years and turned professional in 2003. Along with Ola, his speciality is Latin American. Last year James was paired with Cherie Lunghi.

Laila Rouass The stunning Laila Rouass first came to our attention for portraying the Jimmy Choo-obsessed, serial schemer Amber Gates in the ratings-topping ITV drama, Footballers' Wives. Swapping one smash hit for another, she’s most recently been seen in dinosaur drama Primeval, playing a character far removed from the reprehensible Amber: Sarah Page, a geeky Egyptologist.

Anton du Beke Anton is eternally young and 5’11”. His professional partner is fellow Strictly dancer, Erin Boag. They have been dancing together for 11 years and turned professional in 2002. His speciality is Ballroom. Last year, Anton was paired with former EastEnders actress Gillian Taylforth.

Phil Tufnell Housewives’ favourite and all-round cheeky chappy, Phil ‘The Cat’ Tufnell is nothing short of an English cricketing legend.
To some, he was the Bad Boy of English cricket; outspoken and anti-establishment. To most he was one of the finest, most exhilarating spin-bowlers to have worn the three-lions shirt in recent years, playing in numerous test matches and One Day Internationals. His wisecracking, wide-boy, craggy-faced image made him a folk hero to the traveling Barmy Army of cricket fans.

Katya Virshilas Katya is 25 years old and 5’6”. She is an experienced all-round dancer and actress, and names Ballroom, Latin, Swing, Mambo and Salsa as her specialities. This is Katya's 1st year at Strictly.

Ricky Whittle Brawny hunk Ricky Whittle has set millions of teenage hearts racing with his role as Hollyoaks’ Calvin Valentine.
He’s hoping to look just as impressive on the Strictly dance floor and would love to receive a perfect 40 from the Strictly judges.

Natalie Lowe Australian Natalie is 29 years old, and 5’9½”. Natalie’s dance partner is her brother Glenn, and together they have won a string of amateur and professional competitions. Her speciality is Ballroom. This is her first year on Strictly.

Rav Wilding From PC to pin-up via BBC’s Crimewatch, television presenter Rav Wilding has gone from catching criminals to catching the eye of the ladies in one swift move - and is now set to turn his attention from robberies to rumbas in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Aliona Vilani Aliona is 25 years old and 5’5”. She is the youngest dancer to have turned professional in America this decade, a record she has held since 2001. Her speciality is Ten Dance, although she is skilled in salsa, hip hop and jazz. This is her first series of Strictly.

Jo Wood The coolest grandmother in rock and roll, the radiant and effervescent Jo Wood was a major player in the rowdy Rolling Stones circus for three decades and yet survived unscathed to tell the tale.

Brendan Cole Brendan is 33 and 6’0”. He danced with Camilla Dallerup for 8 years, turning professional in 2000. Brendan no longer competes. His speciality is Latin American. Last year, Brendan was paired with model Lisa Snowdon.

Hope this gives you an insight to all the couples.

Sixteen couples will take part in this year's Strictly Come Dancing - but only eight will dance in Week 1, with the other eight couples dancing in Week 2.

Last year's champion professional dancer, Camilla Dallerup, hosted the draw selection for the eight couples who will dance on the weekend of Friday 18th and Saturday 19th September 2009.

Following the random draw, the following eight couples will now dance in Week 1 of Strictly Come Dancing:

Ali Bastian & Brian Fortuna
Lynda Bellingham & Darren Bennett
Joe Calzaghe & Kristina Rihanoff
Ricky Groves & Erin Boag
Martina Hingis & Matthew Cutler
Chris Hollins & Ola Jordan
Jade Johnson & Ian Waite
Rav Wilding & Aliona Vilani

Friday 18th September will be Ballroom night, where the first eight of the celebrity contestants and their professional partners will be put through their paces dancing either a waltz or a tango.

Saturday 19th September will be Latin night where things will hot-up even more as the same couples perform a cha-cha or a rumba. At the end of the Saturday show, one of the above eight couples will be eliminated and will leave the show for good.

Week Two In the second week of Strictly Come Dancing 2009, the remaining eight couples will participate. Again, there will be two shows, on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th September, and this second group of eight couples will perform a Ballroom dance on one night and a Latin dance on the other.

Natalie Cassidy & Vincent Simone
Richard Dunwoody & Lilia Kopylova
Craig Kelly & Flavia Cacace
Zoe Lucker & James Jordan
Laila Rouass & Anton du Beke
Phil Tufnell & Katya Virshilas
Ricky Whittle & Natalie Lowe
Jo Wood & Brendan Cole
Again, one couple will be eliminated during the Saturday show and will leave the contest for good.

From Week 3, Strictly Come Dancing will revert to one show per week - a bumper show on Saturday evenings (starting Saturday 3rd October). In this show, the 14 remaining couples will come together to compete against each other, and as usual, one couple per week will leave the series.


Just seen the dates and I shall miss the Friday night of week 2 (25th Sept) as I shall be coming back from Disneyland that day.

OK I know more than I thought I did, didn't recognise their names. should be good then, three new professionals too.

Aw bless you, you are keen are'nt you:o))
Must admit we are loking forward to it:o)) but we're away this weekend so hope the people we're staying with don't mind us watching it, l'll just shut em in the other room if they're not interested.....lol

jude:o)

Jude , we don't get back into the UK till about 9pm on the Friday night, so there is no way I'll be able to see that one. will just have to watch the Saturday show only that week.

nudging up for Margaret.

Thank you Brummie helen - am looking forward to it. My only criticism of the 'new' format is that it is actually possible for a ie male celebrity to go out the first night and another male celebrity go out the second night - or vice versa with the females - which would/could leave an uneven number of male/female celebrities when the show starts in earnest. If they wanted to do this 'quick elimination' I think it would have been better to have all of either the males or females one night and vice versa the next. This would have ensured one each of male/female going out and leaving a more evenly based number for the main show. Sill, we;ll see how it goes.

Thanks for putting this thread on here Helen. I shall look forward to watching it again.
I don't have a favourite (yet) and only know some of the contestants.
Hope that take two (or whatever it was called) will be shown on BBC2 again.
If I was going to learn to dance, I would want Anton to teach me, think that I would feel comfortable with him, as he seems so calm in the face of difficulties!

T

Ok folks, there is less than 24 hours until the first show and I can't wait.
I'm off work tomorrow and will be busy doing lots of washing and ironing ready to pack for the holiday, I've got work on Saturday, but I shall probably be on a high. My computer is playing up at the moment so am having to view this and my FB on my iTouch at present. Will hopefully be back up and running properly before I go, but if not I will catch you all when I get back.

Helen xxxx

Wish i could watch but have Jans mother here for tea and they watch funny home videos,so ive got no chance ,i like it but hubby dos,nt
xx and his mother dos,nt speak english so im out voted

Joe the boxer and Chris Hollins were on BBC Breakfast this am and shots were shown of them both in practice............. all I can say at this stage is the pair of them need a lot more !!!!!!! Maybe the shots were from the early sessions - at least I hope so !!

I will well have finished my domestic chores by 20.30. A pan of stew, left-over from yesterday, is ready to be kicked into the Aga bottom oven to warm up, and a tray of oven chips is at the ready. The cushons are plumped, the coffee table cleared in front of my seat. My telly watching glasses are already in position, with wine being chilled as we speak. No-one but no-one is allowed to visit me or detract from my watching Strictly at any price. And, and, Simon Cowel now has lost me on Saturday nights for the foreseable future. When it gets to the stage where the professionals really shine in the Latin section, I have a box of tissues at the ready.
Will be thinking of all you like minded watchers tomorrow night
Julia in Derbyshire

Brummie Helen and Dutch. You could always watch the Strictly you miss on BBC I player before the next one comes on

Just a couple of hours to wait now.... just hope it's worth all the anticipated excitement. Looking forward to picking out who to support as I have no particular 'favourite' at the moment.

Nope... won't be watching it... can't stand Brucie (although will acknowledge his genius) and that Tess girl really gets right up my nose!! Would have watched it probably if it wasn't going head to head.... but Simon and Holly and Dermot do it for me every time, lol!!

See you all at Christmas time when telly gets back to normal, lololol

Love

Daff xxxx

Hi Helen:)

I am going to watch this for the first time this year...Tuffers is the reason lol

Hope you and the family are all ok
Allie xx