It was week ten on Strictly Come Dancing last Saturday and for some reason best unbeknown to me, it was entitled ‘AROUND THE WORLD’ week. Now up to this point I’ve always been a fan of themed weeks such as when they do a ‘Film Week’ and make a big fuss over Halloween, but for me this theme didn’t work or add anything at all. It was full of national stereotypes to me such as the Greek dancing plate smashing and off course when Ireland was touched on, the RiverDance brigade were wheeled out for crying out loud argh. All week I’d been looking forward to watching my favourite celebrity contestant Jake Wood do a steamy Argentine Tango. Instead of this, we got a Argentine Tango/Greek Traditional dance fusion which looked ridiculous. All the emotional intensity and drama that this dance brings in it’s purest form was lost. I know the Strictly producers must try and keep a fresh feeling to the show but they messed about with it way too much this week in my opinion.

This year when they went to Blackpool to do a show we saw the inclusion of backing dancers. They didn’t get on my nerves that week but their inclusion again in this show, really annoyed the hell out of me. I’m not sure if I noticed the backing dancers more this time because the usual studio dance floor is smaller than the one at Blackpool, but I just found them an utter distraction. Sunetra Sarker was there trying to get all seductive doing her Rumba and I just couldn’t lose myself in her performance because the backing dancers kept getting in the blooming way. Worst was to happen when Jake did his Greek themed Argentine Tango. There was that many people on the dance floor that a female backing dancer disastrously collided into him and his partner Janette Manrara. I get why they were included in the Blackpool week but it was a massive error to wheel them out again, they hindered instead improving the couples performances.

I found the presenters Tess Daley and Claudia Winkleman really irritating too this show. I don’t mind Tess when she is just doing straight forward presenting but when she tries to do comedy she is like a fish out of water. I know some of Sir Bruce Forsyth’s jokes were a bit cringe worthy  in previous years, but they made me laugh exactly because they were so poor. He delivered them with ease like the old pro he is, looked comfortable doing it. There was this segment where Tess was offering fudge to the audience and one was Frankie Bridge’s Dad, it was about as amusing as a cold wet kipper. This was topped in the dire stakes when Claudia did her regular ‘acting the fool for five minutes with Tess bit’……when she kept asking her if she wanted cheese or something(I can’t remember exactly). I just remember thinking, STOP TRYING TOO HARD TO BE FUNNY, IT’S NOT FUNNY. Although I’d prefer a male comic to co present with Tess, I haven’t minded Claudia Winkleman on the whole this year. She is genuinely  witty at times especially when poking fun at the contestants. I just feel that when she ‘acts the goat’ too much it’s not funny and rather embarrassing.

Regarding how the actual celebrity contestants did, my favourite performance of the week was Carol Flack’s Charleston. Unlike Frankie and Pixie Lott who bore me too tears(already trained dancers and so shouldn’t be doing it), I’ve really warmed to Caroline. She seems a lovely young woman with bags of personality and I hope her and Jake make it too the final. That said about Caroline and how good her Charleston was, what the hell has it got to do with the country of Turkey(their theme, and another reason why the theme of the show didn’t work)????? Pixie Lott and her partner Trent Whiddon bore the hell out of me and Frankie Bridge isn’t far behind her on that score either. I’m sure Pixie is a lovely sweet girl away from Strictly but she has zero charisma here. Even when her and Trent celebrate getting through to another week it’s almost painful to watch. A slab of concrete has more charisma in it than she has in her whole being. I also hate trained celebrity dancers like her coming on and taking part in the show. It is an unfair advantage over the other celebrities who don’t come from a dance background.  This is the reason I disliked Natalie Gumede and Denise Van Outen doing it previously, I’m just unable to get behind and root for such celebs.

The dance-off last night came down to actress Sunetra Sarker vs Mr Verbal Diarrhoea himself, TOWIE’s Mark Wright. Although I didn’t want him to get through, Mark deservedly won the battle and Sunetra was voted off. The issues I have with Mark Wright is that he is too eager too impress and talks absolute shite. As he regular admits, ‘he’s loving every minute of the Strictly experience’, but so much so that it makes it/him uncomfortable to watch. He’s taking it miles too seriously and to have broken down once and nearly done so again several times due to nearly being voted off is a joke……….GROW SOME BALLS MAN AND GET IT INTO SOME PERSPECTIVE! Oh and if we see another reaction shot of his ex-Corrie actress Fiancee Michelle Keegan in the audience, THEN I AM GOING TO SCREAM! Over the course of the last ten weeks we’ve been introduced to all his ruddy family, I DON’T BLOODY CARE……without meaning to sound harsh ha ha.

There we have it then people that is my review done of week ten on Strictly. I love the show but this was definitely the weakest show of the series so far. I want Jake Wood back on form in the quarter final next week because I really don’t want BORING PIXIE or BORING FRANKIE WALTZING OFF WITH THE TITLE……….now that would be a DANCE DISASTER DARLING!