wallpapers desktop grils: Strictly Come Dancing 2010

By NATALIE WAIN

Eat your heart out Kate: Anne Widdecombe turned out yet another hilarious performance as she attempted a Titanic-themed rhumba on last night's Strictly Come Dancing

'There are three types of people left in this competition - the good the bad and the Widdy', declared a confident Anne Widdecombe at start of last night's Strictly Come Dancing.

And after being likened to a yellow canary, all eyes were on this year's underdog to see how on earth she could top last week's toe-curling performance.

The outfit may have been toned down and there definitely no feathers, but Widdy thrilled the Striclty audience as she and dance partner Anton Du Beke channeled Kate Winslet and Leonado Dicaprio in the film Titanic with their rendition of a raunchy rhumba.

In what could loosely be described as her her most 'passionate' performance to date, the usually reserved Anne even locked Anton in a romantic embrace, planting her hands firmly on his chest, drawing cheers and laughter form the delighted audience.

Although she remained largely wooden and immobile throughout most of her routine, Anne threw caution to the wind for the dance finale as she and Anton collapsed in a heap on the floor, locked in another passionate embrace.

Look familiar? Anne Widdecombe would be the first to admit that she's no Kate

Winslet but she did her best to re-create the romantic scene from Titanic with dance partner Anton Du Beke

Emotionally charged? Well almost. Anne 'Widdy' Widdecombe evokes the romantic scene from Titanic where Kate Winslet and Leonado Dicaprio's characters share a tender moment

The judges were less than moved by their watery-themed efforts though.

A stony-faced Craig said her performance was passionless and said: 'that iceberg showed more emotion'.

It was a 'a testament to bad dancing', he added before awarding her a measly 1 point.

Passionate: Usually reserved Widdy got to grips with dance partner Anton as they tried to evoke the romance of Titanic

Len was equally uncomplimentary, declaring that he was 'shaken not stirred' by their routine.

'Eat your heart out Kate', said a more generous Alesha Dixon, before adding cheekily: 'I could really see genuine love between you'.

But the plucky politician still managed a respectable 14 points, beating her toe-curling performance from last week.

Embrace: Anne and Anton were largely derided by the judges for their performance, but the audience were delighted by their efforts and they still managed to beat last week's score with a respectable 14 points (for Widdy anyway)

Meanwhile, the other contestants scored somewhat better than Anne, who's languishing at the bottom of the leaderboard.

First up this week was EastEnders star Kara Tointon who danced an energetic version of the jive with her partner Artem Chigvinstsev, who guided Kara to a healthy score of 34, despite recovering from tonsillitis.

Head over heels: The judges were impressed by Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvinstsev jive which earned them 30 points

An enthusiastic Bruno told her that she lit up the room, and called her 'Kara Von Teese'.

Judge Craig praised their precise attention to detail but drew boos from the audience when declared that the routine was 'haphazard', before awarding them 7 points.

Last week's survivor Patsy Kensit and her dance partner Robin Windsor were next, performing a smoldering Argentine tango.

Patsy danced through a foot injury but the pair criticised by Bruno for their lack of 'spunk', whilst Craig told her they 'lacked flair and attacked'. 'But it did have intent and purpose and I think you that danced very well' he conceded. They scored 30 points.

Surviving: Patsy Kensit smoldered with dance partner Robin Windsor during their Argentine tango. They scored a healthy 30 points

Exhausted Eastenders star Scott Maslen got off to a rocky start with the American smooth making errors with his fancy footwork. He and dance partner Natalie Lowe still managed to score 31 points after recovering well.

'You're a class act', Len told him, 'but you didn't do yourself justice tonight'.

Smooth operator: Scott Maslen and partner Natalie Lowe recovered well from a rocky start and were awarded 31 points by the judges

Shake it: Jude Craig was unimpressed by Gavin Henson's bottom wiggle during his routine with partner Katya Virshilas and scored a disappointing 22 points

Next it was Gavin Henson's turn who danced the jive with his partner Katya Virshilas. It was a largely wooden performance which saw Gavin approach the judges to wiggle his bottom at them in his very tight tartan trousers at one stage during the routine.

Unimpressed, Craig told him: 'That bottom wiggle was completely unneccesary. It smacks of desperation and I think you're giving Anne Widdecombe a run for her money.'
The tanned rugby star only managed 22 points out of a possible 40.

Matt Baker and partner Aliona Vilani dazzled with an emotionally charged American smooth. The chemistry between the two was palpable and they pulled-off a number of flamboyant moves with apparent ease earning them a standing ovation from the delighted audience.

Alesha was booed when she said the pair that was disappointing.

Len agreed, telling him: 'Normally you're really good, tonight you were nearly good...there was just something missing tonight.'

But the best performance of the night was definitely saved till last when Pamela Stephenson defied her 60 years of age to give an acrobatic performance that wowed the judges and the crowd alike.

She performed a very cheeky charleston with partner James Jordan, incorporating cartwheels and even the splits into their energetic routine which won them universal praise from the judges.

Energetic: Pamela Stephenson won praise from the judges for her age-degying routine which delighted the audience. Pamela will celebrate her 61st birthday next week

Even Craig was excited by their performance, telling them: 'It was risky, perilous lifts, performed without any trepidation, I loved it.'

Alesha agreed: 'It was the best dance of the night' she said.

The pair were rewarded with incredible 38 points - the highest score of the night.
It remains to be seen if Widdy will be saved again. The results show will be shown later on Sunday night.

source: dailymail

By PAUL REVOIR

Farewell hug: Felicity Kendal was finally given the boot from Strictly Come Dancing tonight, seen here hugging dance partner Vincent Simone

Her time on Strictly Come Dancing has seen her win plaudits for her ability to perform the splits at the age of 64.

Tonight, however, proved a stretch too far for Felicity Kendal, as the actress became the seventh celebrity to be voted off the show.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the Good Life star insisted she had been surprised to get as far as she did – and countered suggestions by some critics that her youthful looks were down to cosmetic surgery.

Miss Kendal – dubbed ‘Flexible Felicity’ – said: ‘I’m afraid the bad news is girls you’ve got to do the work in the gym. I haven’t suddenly morphed into looking in the last week how I look now.

‘That’s how I look. I am used to looking good. In a way if I thought I looked like the back end of a bus I probably wouldn’t have done Strictly Come Dancing and gone out there in public.

‘It is a kind of being comfortable with yourself – you have to be to take this job on.’

End of the road: The actress had been odds-on favourite to be eliminated from the competition after ending up in the bottom two twice - including last week

Miss Kendal and dance partner Vincent Simone left the competition after their American Smooth routine at Blackpool Tower Ballroom scored the lowest combination of viewers and judges’ votes. She was joined in the bottom two by fellow actress Patsy Kensit.

She refused to criticise Ann Widdecombe, who has outlasted her in the competition despite consistently poor marks from the judges because of overwhelming support from viewers voting at home.

Decision time: She came in the bottom two with Patsy Kensit, right, with dance partner Robin Windsor

On Saturday night, the former Tory MP scored one of the lowest marks in the show’s history with 13 out of a possible 40 points for her samba, which head judge Len Goodman described as being as painful as haemorrhoids.

Asked about Miss Widdecombe’s continued presence on the show, Miss Kendal said: ‘This show is actually for the public and the judges to decide what goes and who goes where. I don’t think it is appropriate for somebody who is in it to start brandishing opinions.’

Entertainment: Cirque Du Soleil performed on the results show

While she would not publicly back anyone to win the show, she did say she thought Kara Tointon was an ‘amazing dancer’.

Miss Kendal’s departure came despite judge Craig Revel Horwood describing parts of her dance as ‘great’ and positive comments from Goodman and other judges.

Flying high: Members of the circus troupe were suspended in the air

She said: ‘I absolutely loved the last dance and I think the nicest possible way to end it is to do it with a dance that you were pleased with, that the judges liked, that the people liked, what can be better?

‘I am sitting in a pot of honey and I am fit – so what could be better?’

The actress said of the physical effects of her time on Strictly: ‘I have definitely lost a size. But what happens is that you tone up. So you lose a size but what happens is you get muscle instead of everything else. It is the most fantastic exercise.'

She put her ability to do the splits down to regular workouts, saying: ‘There’s no secret. I have always exercised so I already had that. Although I can’t dance I am quite flexible.’

She said: ‘I think the public really took to me much more than I ever hoped. I was absolutely thrilled to bits getting as far as I did. I really came out of it thinking, “Wow! That was a total success” as far as time and experience. I couldn’t actually have been happier.’

Miss Kendal also hit out at Strictly’s Saturday night rival The X Factor, saying: ‘I have to say I am a Strictly fan which is why I am in it. I’ve always watched it for years.

‘I am not an X Factor fan and I just think it is a different show.
‘One is about learning something new and having a great time and the other is rather desperate.’
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