Showing posts with label Lulu. Show all posts

Lulu 's moves are found wanting as she finally tangos her way off Strictly

Monday, November 7, 2011 at 11:58 AM

Didn't quite Shape Up Your Dance! Lulu 's moves are found wanting as she finally tangos her way off Strictly

By Holly Thomas

Last updated at 9:43 PM on 6th November 2011

Miniature blonde bombshell Lulu and her partner Brenden Cole were eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing tonight.

Audley Harrison & Natalie Lowe were announced as the other couple in the bottom two for the second week in a row.

However it appeared that Lulu's tango to Prince's Kiss wasn't enough to convince the judges or audience that she deserved to try her luck another week.

Eliminated: Singer Lulu and Brendan Cole said goodbye to the Strictly experience tonight, with Lulu taking her departure in good humour

Last dance: The pair took to the floor for the last time as they bid Strictly farewell

Reflecting on her Strictly experience, Lulu said: 'Everything about Strictly has been amazing. The people in front of the camera, the people behind the camera, the audience – the judges! I would never have missed it for a minute. It is just a lifetime’s very special experience.'

As she and Audley waited to hear the final verdict she appeared in good spirits, telling Tess Daly: 'I'm surprised I even got this far, so I'm grateful I'm even here.'

Before the elimination was announced Audley Harrison joked: 'I'm thinking like Beyonce- I'm a survivor, keep on surviving.'

Bottom two: Boxer Audley Harrison and his partner Natalie Lowe found themselves in danger of elimination for the second week in a row

Keeping his chin up: Audley joked that he was thinking about Beyonce, quipping 'I'm a Survivor'

But it was clear that Lulu's position was in jeopardy after a shaky performance on Saturday night, which divided the judges.

Guest judge Jennifer Grey gushed: 'Well, how gorgeous are you. That was phenomenal – I was really looking forward to seeing you dance, and I was not disappointed.'

Bruno however added: You drive me crazy! You started so well, then what happened, it started going! Gone. Lost it, and then just the frame went, no the frame went, he was just dragging you around at the end.'

Well worth it: Lulu said that being on Strictly had been the experience of a lifetime

The judge nevertheless appeared surprised by Lulu's exit, saying when she was announced in the bottom two: 'I am very very surprised. When she gets it right she can be very very good, but she has to be consistent, not getting it right one week and wrong the next.'

His opinion was shared by fellow judge Alesha Dixon, who said: 'Lulu – there always seems to be a little mishap with you, we’re getting used to it!'

On a more positive note Alesha added: 'What I love about you is that when you have a mishap you just carry on. It doesn’t throw you, so I have to commend you for that. I thought the use of steps was really good, my only criticism was that when it got to half way through the routine you lost a bit of that upper-strength, and I want you to maintain that throughout the whole dance'

Forgiving attitude: Guest judge Jennifer Grey was the most positive about Lulu's performance, while Alesha Dixon, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli all found fault

Acerbic Craig Revel Horwood was less enthusiastic, commenting: 'The head and neck placement for me was very, very poor. You were looking down an awful lot – I know Brendan has told you about that. Shoulders were very loose and that’s why everyone was talking about the frame.'

'You keep miming, which is driving me MAD… you need to stop that and tell the story,' he added.

Even he had a positive word however, finishing: 'But - I thought you had a lovely moment up on the bridge, a beautiful ronde, I saw what you did there and it was lovely and strong, and I really loved the routine.'

Exclusive performance: Westlife took to the stage for the first time since announcing their split

Popular choice: The group sang their smash hit, Flying Without Wings

Lulu opened yesterday's show performing the tango to Prince's Kiss with her professional partner Brendan Cole, which received a total of 27.

Boxer Audley Harrison and partner Natalie Lowe received a total of 27 for their Viennese Waltz to Avril Lavigne's I'm With You.

Alesha Dixon said: 'I much prefer you in ballroom dancing. You had such nice control. I just want you to push it a bit more. You're so charming and endearing.'

First to dance: Lulu and Brendan Cole opened Saturday's live show with a tango to Prince's Kiss

Mixed response: Both Bruno and Craig told Lulu she drove them 'crazy' and 'wild' with her miming

Tonioli added: 'I had no idea you could be so delicate, so charming. I could see the connection. You have to be careful on the drive. Sometimes it looked like you were walking.'

Waterloo Road actress Chelsee Healey bounced back this week as she topped the leaderboard after her bouncy Charleston.

The 23-year-old and her partner Pasha Kovalev received a 36 for their routine to Ray Henderson's Has Anybody Seen My Gal? - the second time they have topped the leaderboard this series.

Back on form: Chelsee Heaely and Pasha Kovalev topped the leaderboard with 36 on Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing

Back on form: Chelsee Healey and Pasha Kovalev topped the leaderboard with 36 on Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing

Guest judge Jennifer Grey, who won the U.S. version of Strictly, Dancing With The Stars last year, made a comment related to her famous role in Dirty Dancing.

Grey enthused: 'You're the baby of the competition. But from one Baby to another, you keep dancing like that and nobody's gonna put you in the corner.'

Tonioli added: 'Chelsee the fabulous flapper. It was pleasing and teasing. You were driving the Charleston to the limit.'

Fast-paced: The couple's energetic Charleston drew praises from all the judges

Chelsee Healey puts wardrobe malfunction behind her as she tops the leaderboard with the Charleston

Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 5:42 PM

'Fabulous flapper' Chelsee Healey puts wardrobe malfunction behind her as she tops the leaderboard with the Charleston

By Emily Sheridan

Last updated at 4:36 PM on 6th November 2011

Last week she was left in tears when her outfit started falling off during her Halloween tango.

But Waterloo Road actress Chelsee Healey bounced back this week as she topped the leaderboard after her bouncy Charleston.

The 23-year-old and her partner Pasha Kovalev received a 36 for their routine to Ray Henderson's Has Anybody Seen My Gal? - the second time they have topped the leaderboard this series.

Back on form: Chelsee Healey and Pasha Kovalev topped the leaderboard with 36 on Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing

Fast-paced: The couple's energetic Charleston drew praises from all the judges

The fabulous flapper: Chelsee was praised for being 'pleasing and teasing'

Last week, Healey broke down when her dress started slipping down during her tango, despite being assured by host Tess Daly nobody saw anything.

Singer Lulu opened the show performing the tango to Prince's Kiss with her professional partner Brendan Cole, which received a total of 27.

The dance appeared to go down extremely well with guest judge Grey: 'How gorgeous are you? That was phenomenal. I don't know what they're putting in your porridge but I want some. Obviously we have little slip-ups but I couldn't help but love everything about you.'

Wowing the judges: Craig Revel-Horwood, Jennifer Grey, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli all gave the couple 9s

Great response: Judges Craig Revel Horwood, Jennifer Grey, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli

Bruno Tonioli gave Lulu a mixed response: 'You drive me crazy. You started so well. The frame went. He was dragging you around at the end.'

Craig Revel-Horwood also said Lulu drove him 'mad': 'The head placement was very very poor. You were looking down a lot. Your shoulders were very loose. You keep miming which drives me mad. You need to stop that and tell the story... I really loved the routine.'

Boxer Audley Harrison and partner Natalie Lowe stepped things up after ending up in the bottom two last week.

First to dance: Lulu and Brendan Cole opened Saturday's live show with a tango to Prince's Kiss

Mixed response: Both Bruno and Craig told Lulu she drove them 'crazy' and 'wild' with her miming

They received a total of 27 for their Viennese Waltz to Avril Lavigne's I'm With You.

Alesha Dixon said: 'I much prefer you in ballroom dancing. You had such nice control. I just want you to push it a bit more. You're so charming and endearing.'

Tonioli added: 'I had no idea you could be so delicate, so charming. I could see the connection. You have to be careful on the drive. Sometimes it looked like you were walking.'

Charming and endearing: Audley Harrison and Natalie Lowe hoped their Viennese Waltz would save them from the bottom two again

Slowing things down: The couple received 27 for their performance

McFly's Harry Judd and Aliona Vilani's sizzling samba to Stevie Wonder's I Wish set temperatures rising on the judges panel, receiving a 33.

An over-excited Tonioli said: 'That was samba full of pecs appeal. There were intriguing glimpses of what your hips can do.

'Your bounces were pushed rather than let it happen. You're a very good dancer but this one was slightly forced. It's got to be natural.'

Sizzling: McFly's Harry Judd and Aliona Vilani heated things up with their samba to Stevie Wonder's I Wish

Distracting: Judd's revealing shirt and toned pecs caught the attention of the judging panel

And Revel-Horwood was also taken by Judd's open shirt: 'The shirt was a slight distraction... I did notice your bounce action was a little non-existent. You mastered everything else.'

Next to dance as former EastEnders actress Anita Dobson and Robin Windsor, doing the Charleston to George Gershwin's I've Got Rhythm.

All the judges agreed there were some timing issues, but she had captured the spirit of the Twenties dance, giving her a total score of 31.

Capturing the spirit of the Twenties: Anita Dobson and Robin Windsor's Charleston also impressed the judges

Cheers! The pair ended their dance by pouring a Martini for the former Queen Vic landlady

Dixon said: 'It was light, cute ,fun, you captured the spirit of the dance. You're transforming into a dancer.'

Revel-Horwood added: 'You lost a bit of swivel and you were a little bit behind but you really brought the dance to life.'

Receiving some of his worst comments from the judges was singer Jason Donovan and his partner Kristina Rihanoff.

Boring? Jason Donovan and Kristina Rihanoff's Rumba to Killing Me Softly didn't go down well the judges

Lacking chemistry: The couple were criticised for not having enough of a connection

Their rumba to Killing Me Softly received 28, with Dixon admitting she was a 'little bored' watching.

She said: 'It felt contrived. You're doing all the steps and I wanted to feel that genuine romance and spark.'

Tonioli was also disappointed: 'I didn't feel anything tonight. It wasn't there. The whole thing didn't gel compared to your usual standards.'

Grey said: 'You killed me softly with the that rumba. I think you need to dig deeper and connect more to your sexy power. I wanna feel more lust.'

Have they got that swing? Alex Jones and James Jordan were next to perform with their quickstep to Duke Ellington's It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing).

Oops: Bruce Forsyth helps up Alex after she and James fall over at the end of their dance

The One Show's Alex Jones and James Jordan were next to perform with their quickstep to Duke Ellington's It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing).

They received a good score of 31, despite falling over at the end of the dance.

Revel-Horwood said: 'There were some small timing issues but that was your heel caught in the dress and I think you coped with that amazingly well. It was full of personality.'

Grey remarked: 'It was like a fine champagne it was bubbly, effervescent and made me feel giddy.'

Controlled and poised: Robbie Savage showed his serious side with Ola Jordan during their waltz

Looking a lot less confident this week was footballer Robbie Savage, who received a 29 for his waltz with Ola Jordan to Take That's Love Ain't Here Anymore.

Tonioli said: 'It was very controlled, very poised. Your most correct performance to date. You need to put a lot more sweep into the waltz.'

Revel-Horwood added: 'You had a fantastic rise and fall. But it was devoid of any emotion. You were tense and angry on the pivots.'

High camp: Russell Grant and Flavia Cacace performed the Paso Doble to Georges Bizet's Carmen

Astonishing: Grant was praised by Bruno for doing Benny Hill's version of the Paso

Ending up at the bottom of the leader board was astrologer Russell Grant and Flavia Cacace's paso doble to Carmen by George Bizet, which received 24.

However, Tonioli did praise him: 'Once you started it was a proper paso. It was Benny Hill's version of the pabo. Fermented and fabulous at the same time.'

Revel-Horwood was lost for words and could only manage 'astonishing'.

Finally some energy: Holly Valance and Artem Chigvintsev's Jive impressed the judges

Ending the show was Australian singer/actress Holly Valance and Artem Chigvintsev with a jive to Bruno Mars' Runaway Baby, which brought them in second place on the leaderboard with 34.

Dixon told Valance: 'You looked exhausted. It was full of energy. It was a cool and sophisticated give.'

Revel-Horwood said: 'I absolutely loved that concept. Finally Holly some energy from you.'

WEEK 6 LEADERBOARD

Chelsee Healy and Pasha Kovalev: 36
Holly Valance and Artem Chigvintsev: 34
Harry Judd and Aliona Vilani: 33
Anita Dobson and Robin Windsor: 31
Alex Jones and James Jordan: 31
Robbie Savage and Ola Jordan: 29
Jason Donovan and Kristina Rihanoff: 28
Lulu and Brendan Cole: 27
Audley Harrison and Natalie Lowe: 27
Russell Grant and Flavia Cacace: 24

Sequins, spray tan, spandex ... Behind the velvet curtain on Strictly

Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 5:19 AM

Sequins, spray tan, spandex ... Behind the velvet curtain on Strictly

By Maureen Paton

Last updated at 8:06 PM on 29th October 2011

Dust off your soft shoes and join YOU behind the scenes at the nation’s favourite primetime dance show, as we catch up with the Strictly Come Dancing contestants backstage

Anton Du Beke with fellow professional dancer Kristina Rihanoff and his celebrity dance partner Nancy Dell’Olio. ‘I invariably get the celebrities who are never going to be favourites to win,’ says Anton. ‘Kate Garraway, Ann Widdecombe and Nancy Dell’Olio — the strong characters’

Outside the BBC studios in West London, queuing for the best seats has become a British tradition, like Wimbledon

From left: actress Chelsee Healey checks her mobiles; Nancy in her curlers

Actress Anita Dobson and former boxer Audley Harrison try out the judges’ chairs

Judges Bruno Tonioli, Len Goodman and Craig Revel Horwood show their cuddly side during a break in the BBC courtyard

From left: former footballer Robbie Savage and Chelsee compare spray tans; is that excitement or terror on Anita’s face?

The score monitor backstage, where the contestants’ results are totted up

Tess Daly on Sir Bruce Forsyth (left): ‘Bruce always looks for the laugh; I’m the timekeeper, with the producers shouting in my earpiece’; Lulu in rehearsal

Presenter Alex Jones interviews actor and fellow contestant Jason Donovan for The One Show. ‘After the camp dancing in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, it’s nice to throw some quieter shapes,’ says Jason

Flavia Cacace coaches astrologer Russell Grant. ‘Our signs match — she’s Pisces, I’m Aquarius, so it’s destiny that we are dancing together,’ says Russell

Former MP Edwina Currie rests the ankle that she broke in January

From left: McFly drummer Harry Judd tries to commit his steps to memory; Lulu is crimped by hairdresser Kevin Moss

Robbie and Ola Jordan rehearse

From left: Tess Daly in make-up; Ola is primped and preened

From left: actress Holly Valance checks her appearance before the show; Chelsee gets her make-up refreshed

From left: ‘The make-up people try their best to make all of us beautiful. But I’m quite difficult — because I usually do my own make-up, I know what I want,’ says Nancy; Flavia, who is dancing with Russell, has been a runner-up in the past