It Takes Two – Friday 12th October
Friday’s show featured Michael & Natalie and Victoria & Brendan along with a sneak peek at Nicky & Karen’s Cha Cha Cha.
Victoria Pendleton & Brendan Cole
Zoe: “Is it difficult to watch [last weekend’s dance] back? Have you watched it?”
Victoria: “No I haven’t”
Zoe: “At what point did you think ‘something’s gone wrong’?”
Victoria: “I just put a foot wrong and thought ‘why did I do that?’ oh no, what’s coming next…it moves so quickly…my head dropped”
Zoe: “There was a lot of content was there a tad too much?”
Brendan: “In hindsight, I’m thinking perhaps I should have made it easier…we ran through it 3 or 4 times before the performance and she did it brilliantly…I was very happy with the routine”
Zoe: “Bruno & Darcey said you’ve got a lot of potential…Brendan, is Victoria a good student, does she pick things up quickly?”
Brendan: “She is an amazing student…I’m having one of the best Strictly’s I’ve had…she puts in 100%”
A VT of Victoria sitting down at various points during training, she’s obviously not quite gotten out of the ‘saddle’ mentality just yet!
Zoe: “Of all people…surely your stamina should be right up there?”
Victoria: “It’s not so much the stamina, it’s the shoes…my feet are so soft…carefully contained in perfectly fitting cycling shoes…prancing around in high heels is really challenging”
A quick picture comparing Brendan & Victoria’s abs…Victoria winning and Brendan inexplicably in his pants…?
Zoe: “How’s the Foxtrot going? Do you like it?”
Victoria: “Really well…there’s a little bit more time for thinking and remembering steps”
Brendan: “I’m so proud of her this week, to come into training after a pretty rough weekend [with such a great attitude]”
Some information on how you can feature on Strictly It Takes Two by sending in your recreations of current or past Strictly routines, followed by a backstage look at the filming of the Strictly titles.
Michael Vaughan & Natalie Lowe
Michael felt he did OK, and was glad not to fall over or end up in the trumpets of the band!
Even Michael’s kids are taking the mickey out of his ‘hanging basket’ bottom issue.
Michael feels more like a Phil Tufnell rather than a Mark Ramprakash.
They’ve been working hard on Michael’s catching skills ready for the Jive ‘drop’ they have planned for tonight.
The best thing about their dance so far is the song apparently…doesn’t bode well…!
His kids have been given the ultimatum of voting for Michael, or feeling the impact on their pocket money, depends who pays the bill as to whether that’s really a shrewd financial decision one feels.
The It Takes Two team have asked ‘Jimmy the Meerkat’ who’s going to top the leader board at the weekend, his pick for the top…Sid & Ola.
I’m hoping for fair play reasons they all had something enticing buried beneath them
Dastardly Dance Off returns
How do the celebs feel about the return of the dance off?
Kimberley: I’m feeling nervous…it’s always going to be hard to pull it out of the bag a second time under pressure
Dani: I don’t want it to be my last chance to dance…I’m really enjoying it
Richard: It’s the first weekend when someone’s going to go…which is heartbreaking
Johnny: It’d be terrible being in the bottom two, but whoever it is [with me] I’ll quickly kick their shins!
Louis: When something’s been taken out of your hands…you feel so helpless
Victoria: It’s going to be so hard going up against another celebrity…they’re all so much better than me
Michael: Potentially your last ever dance…but your body and mind react differently…you could quite easily freeze
Jerry: It’s a bit unfair…you’re feeling so relieved, having got through the routine, that doing it again is a bit frightening
Sid: It does scare me a little bit…people aren’t voting for you…you’re not doing a good job
Fern: If you get through a dance off you’re elated…but you’ve lost some friends
Nicky: My scores are terrible [from last week]
Lisa: You’ve got that one more chance…and that’s it
Colin: It would be almost crushing to be the first person to leave…you’ll miss [everything]
Denise: I find the judges scary enough anyway…to have to wait to hear if they’re going to save you
Breaking News
Denise’s whiplash: Been to the physio, in a lot of pain but determined to dance tonight
Nicky Byrne & Karen Hauer
A VT first of all, showing Karen doing some background spying on what has and hasn’t worked for previous Strictly couples.
Step 1: Study last year’s winner
Aliona practising hip action…before the injury I assume!
Step 2: In your face choreography
Jason & Kristina’s ‘Priscilla’ routine…just not too in your face – Robbie thrusting in Craig’s face
Step 3: Avoid dangerous props
NO FEATHER BOAS!!!
Step 4: Wear Sparkly Outfit
That she can do!
Nicky found the judges comments horrendous, but he was so delighted that he managed to complete the routine without anything terrible happening.
Harry Judd had predicted a 24/25 for Nicky’s first dance…but then there was Craig’s ‘2’.
Karen knows who Take That are, but not Westlife…Nicky tries to show Karen some of his Westlife choreography…I don’t think she was impressed.
We get a sneak peek at their routine:
Some hints of hips at the start, though Nicky needs to work on straightening his legs more to further improve the hip action. I’m liking the song though and it should be a good routine.
We’ll be watching the show on iPlayer tonight, with our students on our dance break, in the hotel bar. You can look for the blog to be updated on Monday morning with my thoughts on the weekend’s action.