Because they're so close to each other, I always feel that the Xmas special is just a continuation of the series and not very special at all. And with the number of contestants they had in series 6, for example, it just felt like Strictly was never-ending and not in a good way. That's why they need a completely new concept for the Xmas special, that won't be a rehash of what's been done before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nm477BldtU

Ahh, it was so good. And they were so good!

Yeah I see why they want to change it, I just don't think much of what they've come up with.

Last year Chris and Ola appeared on Breakfast the Monday after the final and said they were only starting training that day on a routine for the Christmas Special which was going to be recorded the next day.

I think that the BBC is running out of people they can ask back as nearly all the main contestants have done at least 1 xmas special and I dont fancy an xmas day with week 1 standard of dancing myself unless they are going for the comedy effect. .....mind you I think the same applies to the Pro/Celeb tour they are rapidly running out of people who havent already done a tour and who the public would pay money to see.

I agree, especially when the current celebs do well-known routines and just change to Christmas music!

I would prefer a champion of champions or champion of runners-up show, but I think something does need done to the current Christmas special format - the current series competitiors don't have time to train for it, and their dances are almost always flat compared to what we know they can do - even Alesha's magical waltz wasn't great on the Christmas Special, because obviously she was concentrating more on learning her Viennese Waltz and Samba for the coming Saturday...

Sounds absolutely ghastly - a vanity project for celebs who can't be arsed to put in the blood sweat and tears for the whole series. It's all about.....the journey!!

Love that video of Lilia and Aled - wonderful!


I always think it is unfair on the current contestants, especially if they are not allowed to do their strongest dance.

Alesha's Waltz would have been amazing done to a Christmas ballad.

Didnt Alesha do Cha Cha the year she competed? I thought she did a Waltz the year after.

The Xmas special is a big pile of mehhhhhhhh anyway, after the tension of the series. This is just going to make it feel even flatter, after what's promising to be a tough race to the glitterball.

She did do the CCC and then the VW the following year.

2007
Alesha &Matthew 36 (CCC)
Letitia & Darren 36 (Foxtrot)
Mark & Karen 38 (Jive)
Matt Di & Flavia 39 (Rumba)
Gethin & Camilla 40 (Waltz)
Darren & Lilia 40 (AS) - winners

2008
Tom & Camilla 37 (Foxtrot)
Lisa & Brendan 36 (Quickstep)
Rachel & Vincent 39 (Rumba)
Alesha & Matthew 39 (VW)
Kelly & Brian 39 (Jive) - 2nd
Jill & Darren 39 (AS) - winners

Sorry, my mistake. I remember it was one of her best dances, and that it was completely flat on the Christmas Special - especially when she went on to do it so brilliantly in the final.

I can see the reasons for changing it but yes, this sounds like it'll just be a one off week 1 or 2 standard show, which doesn't appeal all that much if I'm honest. Oh, no doubt I'll watch it and probably even enjoy it but I much prefer the series when the standard of dancing picks up. Even though the Christmas special always is a bit of fun and the celebs who are still competing never dance as well as they could, the ones who are coming back have always provided a higher standard as well as a lot of joy just to be back on Strictly again. I agree, I'd rather have a real Champion of Champions/ runners up or even shockingly-knocked-out-too-soons. At least they all know what they're in for and shouldn't freeze with nerves. I like the other ideas people on here have come up with as well. Team competitions could be fun, or judges dancing and pros judging, or celebs dancing with each other- just something so we get a reasonable standard of dancing! If there's no journey, the standard isn't great and we don't know all the celebs in the show, what will make the programme so special? The casting really will make the show.

Isn't this going to be like the other special episodes they've had: Strictly African Dancing, Strictly Ice Dancing and the Sport Relief Special. The new Christmas Special will be comparable to those one-off specials. Did everyone enjoy those ones?

Terrible idea. Its basically saying we couldn't get the people we really wanted so here they are in short version of what might have been. By the way we know most of them are not very good after 2 weeks training, but at least you get to see someone more famous not being very good. On the other hand some of them are amazing after 2 weeks so imagine how good they would have been if they had been on the main show.

Meanwhile the viewer is sitting there wondering why he's not watching anyone who he has been watching for 12 weeks or anyone they liked in the past and wondering if this years now invisible and forgotten winner could have beaten their runner up again or any past finalists.

Its celebrity name TV taken to its ridiculous extreme - show them ten minutes each of 6 famous people and call it a show.

Personally I find the Xmas specials dull and I'd rather watch a 'week 2' standard show. The Xmas dances tend to be rehashed and its unfair on the current celebs.

I think its a pretty good idea. At least with a crop of inexperienced dancers a clear and deserving winner should emerge. As mentioned by others it should also give pros who are knocked out early a second competition to focus on.

If it doesn't work or isn't popular they could always change it. I doubt this will be the end of the Champion of Champion competitions and wouldn't be surprised if it appears at a different time of year (maybe as part of Children In Need or some such). Maybe it could be scheduled to be at the start of the series run? I enjoyed the introduction of last weeks show but am disappointed to have to wait two weeks... they could have had a show with the old Celebs the weekend just gone.

Thats their problem, They want the main series to end close to xmas and the worn out current year finalists then have no time to prepare for the xmas show . They could put it off a week and have an xmas week show or a New Year's day show but that doesn't help because they would have to get and pay people to work around xmas. They can't avoid the issue unless they don't have live voting on SCD (and run it like the Apprentice or Masterchef) which changes the format completely. Basically they either end the main series earlier and have a big properly worked up xmas show or they have a problematic xmas show on top of the series or they come up with something like this which is a solution, but a silly one.

Another way to make the Christmas special different would be to have t 6 celebs in the current series take part, but with different partners..

One week before the show is recorded (usually on the Monday after the final) put the names of the male pro dancers in one hat, the female names in another, and grt each celeb to pick a name.

Then put 6 dances in the hat, and get the pro dancers to pick a dance. The resulting partnerships could be hilarious and great fun.

I couldn't agree more...How depressing

Thank you for the link to the Aled and Lilia dance, it was lovely to see that.

If they got really interesting, surprising celebs I can see this working as a Christmas bit of fun. The dancing wouldn't be much good, but we'd only have to see them once - it would be more about curiosity value more than anything. I've always minded the finalists having to learn a dance for the Christmas special when they're exhausted, as well as everything else they're learning. As long as they aren't using pro dancers who are also still in of the real show, which I presume they wouldn't.

But if it's predictable celebs who've been on every other reality show, like Sharon Osbourne and Peter Andre, it won't be interesting. It's much better show with people who aren't so used to self-promotion, so you do get to see a bit of the real person, and might be surprised.

I agree with all of this, it doesn't have to be that bad. In fact it could be quite good, but like the main show will depend on the quality of the celebs. You never know, there may be one or two who are already half decent dancers and would pick up a routine quite quickly. I think it would be more acceptable here than in the main competition, as it's only a one off and it would be a different discipline. I much prefer it if the pros choreograph a more simple routine with basic technique for the early learners anyway, rather than go for flashy showdances or soft porn. It would also give an opportunity for some different pros to have another chance of competing, such as Ian, Matthew, Darren & lilia. Maybe even Karen or Camilla. As it is I have found the recent format for Xmas specials an anti-climax.

Bet you wouldn't say that if Camilla was one of the pros

How about the first six eliminated this year do the christmas special (with the dance they were eliminated on)? Could be interesting!

Be careful what you wish for - that might well mean Paul Daniels and Ann Widdecombe!

Sports Relief was good and that had Jade Johnson, Kara Tointon and some other celebs. Whats the big deal, you want big names, well you'll probably get to see them! Maybe (like Jade and Kara) it'll attract them for a later series!

Sharon Osborne