I know.

Katie Price is so doing the show next year

Agree,

I was half hoping that they would say.

And the next star is...

Pippa Middleton

Just to see everyone on here go

We were both 'under-whelmed' and posted at the same time!!!

She doesn't need a show like SCD for her 'career'.

She has already got the whole of the media and the GBP wrapped up and fooled, making her millions.

She will do it.

Anything to fill a couple of episodes in "What Katie Did next"

I've got to the point where I really don't care who they dance with either.

Natalie will be with Dan for sure.

Do hope they give a decent young man to Erin ..... would love her to win this one day. She will probably end up with Russell then. Lumbering a sack of potatoes round the floor.

I hope so...I think if she is paired with him we'd get to see more of the relaxed side to Nat! Also, from the clip of him on GMTV (or whatever show it was) with Camilla, he doesn't look like a natural, which will please those that want Nat with a less talented celeb this year

Desperately hoping too that Flav can get either Harry or Jason Just not Russell

I agree, we have to be a bit realistic about it as the truly A-list stars will always quite clearly have other things to be getting on with. Even the big singers and TV stars will obviously be busy all the time with their "day jobs" and wouldn't be able to dedicate the time to the huge commitment that the Strictly training requires.

Also, it's all very well to throw names of celebs around that we'd like to see but there's always the small issue of whether they actually want to take part in the show or not! Never mind the issues relating to whether they can get "permission" from whoever they're contracted to.

Did Adrian Chiles not leave the BBC under a bit of a cloud? Surely it's unlikely he'll be asked to darken their door again!

How about they just leak the code names beforehand? It would be interesting for us trying to guess who everyone is.

It's interesting.... most people want to know who the celebs are and not wait... and yet, once you've discovered a leak and are pretty much certain it's right, or maybe you've seen photographs, then the suspense is all over and the resulting press can be a little disappointing to say the least. I wonder whether everyone would rather just have the names announced the minute they are confirmed and not have this great 'reveal' that seems almost certain to fail as people seek to find out the names.... ? It's such an odd one, as journos like me abide by the embargoes, even though it's often the worst kept secret ever, but the reality is that everyone already knows !

I think some people are missing the point here.

Every year we get posts saying how people have never heard of most of the celebs. Well, this year it seems to be the opposite. The celebs may not be A list, but people do seem to know who they are and since when did the show attract A listers any way?

Also the BBC have made it clear SCD will not be up against X-Factor this year, so there's no point in bring that up.

The age range of this year's celebs is a bit different, but it is a good mix of characters and people will still watch because they like watching the celebs being put through their paces week in week out. It could be that the show will be even more popular simply because the celebs are well known and a bit older.

I generally prefer watching the more mature contestants because SCD is made for them. I'd rather watch a group whereby majority of of contestants are aged between 40 and 65 as opposed to a majority group of 16-30 year olds. Also with the 40+ celebs they are more likely to be given traditional choreography as opposed to some of the crazy stuff that we've seen given to the younger ones and told that it's ballroom style when it's more like gymnastics (e.g. last year's show dances by Matt and Kara).

Even if it's not up against the X Factor I just find this year's lineup so underwhelming. Even Harry Judd, Jason Donovan and Holly Valance they're not even strong A listers. McFly aren't that big in the UK or globally. Jason Donovan what's he done since Neighbours not a huge amount didn't he say that he wouldn't go on I'm a Celebrity Get me out of Here because he 'didn't need to' so what's changed? Holly Valance a few hits since Neighbours.

This lineup is all about budget cuts and fear of the BBC Trust and the government if too high fees are paid out on bigger names. I can't remember feeling at the start of a series of SCD that I just can't get at all excited about the series or who will be in the final.

Who would you like to see on the show?

If Mandy won't do it and Prescott can't forget the politicians anyway for a year. I'm sure Adrian Chiles would go back for SCD. The girl from Waterloo Road she's not a major character in the show there's no-one from EE or who used to be in it. Anita Dobson was in EE years ago it's not up to date.

I've already suggested Rochelle Wiseman or someone like that who would be a better music star than Holly Valance or Lulu. Even Tom Jones would be better than Lulu.

Dan Lobb he's not a big name neither is Alex Jones she's only been on the one show for a year. Robbie Savage was never a big name in football and had his fair share of fallouts with managers at club and international level.

Even if it was another former or present newsreader like Kate Silverton or Katie Derham. There are other soap actors as well why not someone from Corrie or Lorraine Chase?

There are other names but the BBC haven't show much imagination with this lineup I'm afraid.

But as I said, when did the show ever attract A listers?

And who cares if a celeb is big outside the UK when the show is on UK TV?

I think you've got a strange perception of the show which is still one of the BBC's biggest shows.

Sorry friendlyguy but I'd like to know (from other series of SCD) who you would class as A list.

Also, Lulu is actually a "big name" as well as Jason Donovan - they're both really popular in the UK.

McFly (for Harry) also come under this category, even though they're not as big as they used to be - they're still doing well even though they've been around for 7 years and aren't releasing stuff as often.

As for Alex Jones and Dan Lobb - I'm pretty sure Christine Bleakley hadn't been on the One Show that long before she got asked to do it, and Dan, well they do have presenters from GMTV/Daybreak sometimes (see Fiona Phillips and Kate Garraway, as well as Andrew Castle). Dan is also a housewives favourite, which is probably why he got asked.

Holly Valance - I sort of agree on that one, but they do usually have someone young and relatively unknown on it, although I thought they would choose a young EE star for this.

Robbie Savage was probably asked for the fiery personality.

They don't normally have people from Corrie or ED on as they're from "the other channel" - the only one I can remember is Craig Kelly.

What the BBC do when selecting a line-up is to try and go for people who are generally quite popular with the public, as well as some "unknowns" as such.

Popular:
Alex
Dan
Anita
Harry
Lulu
Jason
Robbie


Relative unknowns:
Holly
Chelsee
Edwina
Nancy
Rory
Russell
Audley

I think this year has had the most "recogniseable" line-up yet.

The celeb interviews http://balletnews.co.uk/strictly-com...s-interviewed/

There have been various 'A listers' on the show over the different series, until this year. I haven't said that it matters if a celeb from overseas is on the show.

Very good, if not short, interviews.

Lulu a big name maybe there are bigger names. I didnt' say Jason Donovan isn't a big name but only for Neighbours from 20 years ago, a few hits several years ago and musicals in the west end.

Harry from McFly is just about alright but without a present female pop star also in the lineup looks isolated - Holly Valance isn't that female pop star. Christine Bleakley had been on The One Show longer than a year when she appeared on SCD. The previous GMTV stars like Andrew Castle and Fiona Phillips had also been on that show longer than Dan Lobb has been on Daybreak.

Robbie Savage was well known in football for falling out with almost every manager he played for. He rarely appears on Football Focus Five live yes it's laughable. Ray Fearon from Corrie was also on SCD in series 4 and last year Tina O'Brien formerly of Corrie appeared.

If we compare your split of 7 unknowns with 7 popular from last year's line up

Popular
Paul Daniels
Kara Tointon
Matt Baker
Peter Shilton
Ann Widdecombe
Tina O'Brien
Felicity Kendall
Patsy Kensit
Scott Maslen
Matt

Unknowns
Michelle Williams
Pamela Stephenson
Jimi Mistry

Or how about the series before that

Popular
Martina Hingis
Richard Dunwoody
Lynda Bellingham
Joe Calzaghe
Zoe Lucker
Phil Tufnell
Ricky Groves
Natalie Cassidy
Laila Rouass
Ali Bastian
Ricky Whittle
Chris Hollins

Unknowns
Jade Johnson
Craig Kelly
Jo Wood

Point proved I think.

You and me both

Thanks for this - a good read!


You did raise being famous in the UK or globally, which is why I said that doesn't matter if the show is broadcast in the UK. Also, I would love to know who the A listers have been. Maybe we have different ideas of what an A lister is.

I'm not looking to argue by the way, I am genuinely interested.

I do agree with you, but I just want to point out Michelle Williams is not an unknown. She was one third of the world's biggest girl group (and if not, ONE of the world's biggest girl groups). Most famous person in that line-up, not an unknown.

I'd actually disagree a little with your versions of popular v unknowns friendlyguy (no offence)

Putting myself in the mind of the average viewer (and I think the BBC have been trying to cater for a slightly older viewer for the past few seasons)

For series 8, this is how I think it might go (presuming the average viewer is around mid 30s):

Known
Paul Daniels
Peter Shilton
Ann Widdecombe
Felicity Kendall
Patsy Kensit
Pamela Stephenson

Unknown
Jimi Mistry
Kara Tointon
Tina O'Brien
Matt Baker
Michelle Williams
Scott Maslen
Gavin Henson
Goldie

- I'm putting most of the soap stars in the unknown category as they're only known for one thing (and I'd say a fair amount of viewers don't watch some of the soaps)

For series 7:

Known:
Lynda Bellingham
Joe Calzaghe
Zoe Lucker
Phil Tufnell
Ricky Groves
Laila Rouass
Jo Wood
Natalie Cassidy

Unknown:
Chris Hollins
Ricky Whittle
Ali Bastian
Martina Hingis
Richard Dunwoody
Craig Kelly
Jade Johnson

So round about even with this series.

I think the older viewers would recognise nearly everyone in this line-up, but I don't think they would as much for previous seasons (although this could be because there's more "older" celebs in this series)