Strictly shake-up – who’s in and who’s out!
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Breaking radio silence to report on the breaking news that Strictly professional line-up will be seeing some changes for series 8 this autumn!
The BBC has just reported that three new male pros will be joining the roster: Robin Windsor, Jared Murillo and Artem Chigvintsev.
There will be fourteen celebrities competing in the show this year, partnered with the following professionals:
Men: Anton du Beke, Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Vincent Simone, Robin Windsor, Jared Murilo and Artem Chigvintsev.
Women: Erin Boag, Katya Virshilas, Ola Jordan, Flavia Cacace, Kristina Rihanoff, Aliona Vilani and Natalie Lowe.
And that means that five of our favourite professionals have been taken out behind the ballroom and shot – er, wait, no, they’ve been “offered places in the new Strictly Professional Troupe”.
If you’re counting on your fingers, you’re correct – Ian Waite, Matt Cutler, Brian Fortuna, Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova won’t be competing on the show, and instead may or may not be involved with the show in pro dances and other odds and sods.
While you absorb this news, here’s another humdinger – there will be “new genres of dance” this year, both in the competition and in the professional dances. Which could mean almost anything, up to and including Anton wearing a backward baseball cap and spinning on his head.
And reports are coming in that Brian Fortuna has already turned down his spot in Pan’s People, preferring to concentrate on getting the hell out of Dodge Burn the Floor.
So.
For my money, we’ve lost most of the best all-round ballroom and Latin choreographers and dancers, plus Lilia who’s always a delight. We have no one tall and blonde. We’ve lost our annual chance to marvel at Darren’s hairline. The tents have been taken from the jamboree. Strictly Come Dancing has stag-leapt over the Great White.
No sir, I don’t like it.