Strictly Update - Week 7

Ribs O'Clock!

Goodness me, it's been another busy week for our dancer Russell. It's the American Smooth dance this weekend, and we too are hoping that Russell and Flavia will storm the score boards and make it through to next week's show from Wembley!

As always Russell, we'll be cheering you on. Over to you for an update, while we get busy making some more stocks of our famous ribs! They are certainly proving a BIG hit........

This week has been rather different and difficult.

Poor Flavia was due to travel from London to North Wales for our usual practice sessions, but with one thing and another the whole day was lost. Delayed leaving London Flavia travelled with the BBC film crew and got tangled up in traffic so she didn’t reach North Wales until 9.30 at night.

Not only that but because we had lost so much time the film crew decided to do some interview sessions straight away so filming began about 10.00 at night at The Oakeley where the crew are staying. After such a long day Flavia was her usual cheerful, charming self but I am sure she must have been tired out. We left the crew tucking into The Oakeley’s famous ribs that are rapidly becoming a legend amongst BBC film crews!

So a whole day was lost and so was our first practice session for the American Smooth. One thing it did give me a chance to do was to reply to all the kind and thoughtful messages, letters and emails people have sent. There were so many it took me most of Monday, but it’s always good to hear from everybody.

Wednesday was another busy filming day with some unusual shots that I am sure you will really enjoy on Saturday night’s show. You won’t want to miss it.

The American Smooth belies its name; it’s really quite demanding being a blend of Foxtrot and Quickstep but Flavia has made it all go as smooth as possible and I hope you will enjoy our interpretation and our dance to one of the big show stopping songs of all time.

Thursday was an early start. Down to London for a series of press interviews, photo-shoots and preparing for TV appearances on “It Takes Too” with the lovely Zoe and “This Morning” on Friday.

For those of you who don’t know I am an avid football fan. Mostly non-league club football. I have regularly been on Radio 5 Live and Talksport. Coming up soon is the first round of the FA Cup and so I am adding my thoughts on who might be the clubs to watch on Football Focus. If you’re a footy fan like me be sure to tune in.

Then it will be heads down and dancing shoes on for some last minute practice sessions ready for Saturday’s show. I am hoping to make it through to the following week’s big show from Wembley. That will be something well worth watching. From what I hear it will be a real spectacular!

More from me on Monday about the Saturday’s show and what the next dance will be.

Thanks again for all your wonderful messages and the encouragement and generous support you send me.

“Thanks for being there!” and Keep Dancing!