According to DS, "Ex-cricketer Phil Tufnell could "hardly walk" after his first Strictly Come Dancing training sessions, according to one of his BBC colleagues."

Let's hope the trend continues and the 'w' is replaced with a 't'!

I really like Tuffers and would love him to win. I understand that when he played cricket for Middlesex he was considered to be a good dancer. So perhaps there is hope. On the other hand, he probably won't work as hard as previous cricketers in this competition have done.

The SCD voting public will fall in love with Tuffers the moment he takes to the dancefloor HeidiB, and I agree with you he is a lovely chap and deserves to go all the way, and I am sure he will, surprising many when he takes to the dance floor, all his question of sport fans and cricket buffs will be right behind him.

Oh God AJ are you supporting Tuffers this year instead of John Sergeant? Deos this mean dozens of threads about him.

yep I reckon so!

I'm waiting for the smoking dope on tour incident to come up closely followed by the immortal quote from the Oz cricket fans to Tuffers when fielding
"Oi Tuffers, can we borrow your brain? We're building an idiot."

I think the public will love Tuffers for not taking it seriously

I think his competitive streak will ensure he takes things seriously - whatever his reputation, he still competed at the very highest level of his sport.

So - this is how the theory goes - we have to give some credence to his innate competitiveness.

I think it's his ability to combine this with his natural joie de vivre and sense of fun that will endear him to the public - hope so, anyway.

I like Tuffers too, I think he will be a good laugh I just love him in "Question of Sport"

I guess I'm in the minority, but I find Phil Tuffnell highly annoying.

And he seems to be on every show going. He's like the male version of Mylene Klass.

He'll be very popular with the voters though. So I shan't get my hopes up of an early exit

I'm with you Sid. Find him totally annoying. One of those people who thinks they are funny. I'm gonna get shot down in flames but we like who we like do we not.

Slightly more seriously I cannot see him buckling down to a strict training regime, and that's surely gonna show!

Tuffers 'with his natural joie de vivre' a great description fancynancy, this combined with his competative streak will make him a real contender, and will definitly endear him to the voting public, he could well go all the way.

Who could ever forget the way Tuffers hypnotised the batsmen spinning his googlies.

His dancing skills, competative streak and personal charm could well have the same effect on the voting public, and who could blame them for falling under his spell.

I came on here to say I really like Tuffers.

Not as much as the previous poster though...

He should have good hands.

Not sure how good any of his other bits & pieces are likely to be, but I've got high hopes for his hands.

Tuffers was a world class spin bowler, and needed a very high standard of hand, foot and leg control to bowl his googlies, all these qualities will help him as he gets to grips with the dance moves that he will have to master to progress on the show, all the girls will love him to bits.

You don't get to be MCC Young Cricketer of the year, and claim 11 wickets to win the final ashes test at the oval, without understanding how to perform under pressure at the highest competative level.

As the winner of TV`s "I`m a Celebrity - Get me out of here" Phil has become even more popular, those votes will be rolling in for Tuffers the moment he sets foot on the dance floor, and he could be set for the final even at this early stage.

P.S.

Lets also not forget his role as a team captain on the BBC panel show A Question of Sport, and his involvement in appearing in one of the teams on BBCs Sport Relief Does The Apprentice.

The public cannot get enough of Tuffers, and he is destined to do very well on Strictly Come Dancing, the public will vote and see to that.

I've had more than enough thanks

He's top of my "first out" wish list

Why do you always assume you speak for the public? You did it with John Sergeant earlier in the year and now you're doing it with Phil Tuffnell. You can only speak for yourself not for the public as a whole. And you don't know, and nor does anyone else, whether Tuffers is destined to do well or not. An occasional IMHO might not go amiss.

If he gives a strong impression that he's not trying he'll go home early. If he skips training sessions for no good reason, or legitimately annoys his pro partner, the public will turn on him like *that* unless he's got at least some dancing chops to back it up.

I bet he's going to be this year's smug, irritating one who is crap but gets kept in because "he's so entertaining!!!!!" (at least according to the not-so-"G"-BP ).

IMHO you could be right!