Telegraph article (with pic of VP and LS in SCD gear, holding medals)

Strictly Come Dancing 2012: Will the Olympic medallists Victoria Pendleton and Louis Smith win Strictly?

As London 2012 medal winners Victoria Pendleton and Louis Smith go from the podium to the paso doble, Michael Hogan wonders if Team GB can turn Olympic fever into Strictly Come Dancing success?

The Olympic summer’s not over just yet. Two of our Team GB heroes – cycling golden girl Victoria Pendleton and gymnastics captain Louis Smith – swap sport for sequins tomorrow as the duo make their dancing debuts in the Strictly Come Dancing launch show. (Although the competition proper doesn’t start for three weeks.) Judging by their rapturous reception from the audience at the show’s recording earlier this week, a post-Games surge in popularity – the “Olympic bump” – might make them difficult to beat.

Pendleton certainly has the fitness levels and ferocious competitive instinct to do well. “I’m relishing it, even the training,” she enthuses. “Performing in an arena where there’s no expectation is very different from what I’m used to. It’s a fun new challenge and a great opportunity to meet people who normally I wouldn’t ever cross paths with.” She’s also embracing the chance to remove that aerodynamic velodrome helmet and glam up. During the first group dance, she showed off her toned physique in a revealing gold dress with cutaway panels. Head judge Len Goodman predicted that Pendleton and her pro partner (who’ll be unveiled during tomorrow’s show) could be “cycling on a tandem all the way to the final”.

It’s a similar story with Louis Smith. (It’s pronounced Lewis, like the detective.) The double medal-winning gymnast looked slick with his side-parting, braces and bow tie, before performing backflips that had the crowd on their feet. Does his gymnastic background give him an advantage? “Maybe in terms of my mindset – working hard and paying attention to detail. But the technicalities are hard to master and there’s a lot of movers in the camp, so it’s going to be very close.”

The two athletes were only rivalled in the crowd roar stakes by Ball ’n’ Hall: TV veteran Johnny Ball and former model Jerry Hall; “Johnny Ballroom” and “Jerry Dance Hall” as they’ve been nicknamed. Ball is a jester with a twinkle in his eye and, at 74, the oldest ever Strictly contestant. “I got taught the minuet at school, that’s how old I am,” he says. “The Dashing White Sergeant was all the rage in my day.” Meanwhile, the stately Hall delivers laconic replies in her Texan drawl. “My ideal partner would be tall, handsome and have lots of stamina,” purrs the 56-year-old.

“Jerry’s the funniest lady I’ve ever met,” says former England cricket captain and Telegraph columnist Michael Vaughan, also a contestant. “She’s had us in stitches all week. Just wait for her one-liners, they’re gold dust.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing Jerry and those legs,” adds new judge Darcey Bussell. “They’re proper dance legs.”

Asking around all 14 celebrities, though, one other name keeps cropping up as a potential winner: Denise van Outen. Not only has she starred in West End musicals but she’s also been a judge on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s talent searches. “Denise has that professional finish that dancers have,” says her rival Lisa Riley, the former Emmerdale actress. “She’s fab.”

“God, it’s so much pressure,” says van Outen. “I’ve never done a proper dancing role, so I’m learning a new skill like everyone else. I’ve only been training for a week and my feet are in a right state. Blisters everywhere and I’ve lost a toenail. Viewers, please don’t peer at my feet too closely on Saturday.”

The two pop stars – Kimberley Walsh of Girls Aloud and Westlife’s Nicky Byrne – look strong, too. They’re both confident performers who come with a fanbase. “I feel there’s an expectation for me to do well,” says Walsh, who performed a tap-dance number as part of her recent West End role in Shrek the Musical. “I’m going to have to raise my game because they’re going to pick me up on technical details.”

But will anyone be able to halt another triumphant Team GB march to glory? Could the London 2012 legacy include that garish glitterball trophy? We’ll get our first clues tomorrow.

and same woman's view on DVO

Strictly Come Dancing star Denise Van Outen is a cheat

Who would have thought it?

No, she's not been cheating on Lee Mead. Phew.

But I don't think it's in any way fair that professionally trained dancer Denise Van Outen is about to waltz her way into, quite possibly, the final stages of Strictly Come Dancing.

Mark my words, she will. Bedecked in sequins and looking fab. But still.

She went to the Sylvia Young Theatre School, where she was taught to dance like a pro from a young age.

She's also danced to critical aclaim in West End play Chicago - and even toured to Broadway with it!

I don't really think it's fair. Isn't Strictly supposed to be all about watching stars improve, grow and all that - not just step out and be amazing from the offset?

In my eyes, Denise is cheating and has an unfair advantage over other, untrained contestants. Me no likey, Denise.

plenty of clips on youtube on Kimberley shaking that ass

Yeah, I'm gonna cover her

Have you seen Laddies offering 5/6 for SCD viewing figures to beat XF this weekend? Surely that's a steal?!

Oh and what did the intro show get last year?

XF has better slot and no clash, but still....

Surely SCD beat XF all the way last year?

XF beat SCD on all bar four occasions last year from Oct onwards.  I just think it could be a different story this time round.  Strong SCD line-up versus very poor show by XF so far.

get the impression there's a real buzz about SCD returning.  Has a bit of the feelgood vibe that the Olympics had, whereas XF struggles with that these days.

This is the basis for my confidence (from PA 10/9/12)

The X Factor's ratings plunge is continuing with a new low for this series - and almost three million down on this stage last year.  Saturday night's hour-long ITV1 show - the fourth of the latest series - drew an average of 8.2 million viewers, including those watching on the catch-up +1 channel.

However, by this stage in the competition last year, the show was pulling in an average 11.1 million viewers, which peaked at 12.5 million. Saturday's peak was almost also down hugely by 3.1 million. The latest edition was also down 400,000 on the previous programme a week earlier, making it the lowest-viewed show of the 2012 series.

It was also 2.5 million down on the fourth programme of the 2010 series, suggesting interest in Simon Cowell's talent show has waned considerably this year.  There have been criticisms about the low proportion of music screened during the series compared to the length of the show.

However, ITV pointed out that the latest edition was the highest rating show on British TV on Saturday night.  It said ITV1 was the highest rating channel in peak-time with an average 4.8 million viewers. However, the equivalent Saturday in 2011 saw the station with a peaktime average of 6.3 million.

14% Piers Morgan Life Stories
the people that voted for this need hunting down and shot

Doctor Who got 8.33m on Saturday 1st September versus 8.39m for X Factor, so perhaps the prices are not that far off the mark...  But 8.5m would probably win it for SCD, which is definitely achievable.

Last year the Strictly launch show got 8m starting at 6.00pm.  With all of the advance publicity this week, I'm pretty sure they'll beat this total...

Managed £8 .  Taken it, free cash innit

now mach

Cheers Diz,good spot.Looks like another rick from the Laddies specials compilers.

:) seems like it.Won't cost them much oc by the time they catch on,but after the Clary give away it seems extra generous.

Bit unfair on DVO to say she's cheating because she went to the Sylvia Young school.
So did Kara Tointon, Emma Bunton, Louisa Lytton, Matt Di Angelo.......

Seen it?  He stars in it