http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/pro...e-dancing.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/pro...ults-show.html

Doesn't seem to be a 'theme' as there was with the 2010 Blackpool trip or the Wembley shows. The biggest question is probably how well the celebs already pushed for training time will do with an extra 4 hours on their journey...

Take your bets now - who'll be the mediocre dancer who starts saying they really want to get to Blackpool the previous week?

All I care about is if Bruce is going to be there or not.

So, are they NOT going to Wembley???

I can't see it being both, too costly for the Beeb.

no, Blackpool this year

YIPEE!!!!! Always thought the Wembley show was a let down, far too big and poor acoustics!!

Thank goodness.
I cant stand wembley its far too big and impersonal and you can't really tell whats going on

Can't wait to see Artem's face at the coach trip.

Andre Reiu, eh? Lovely.
Would I be fooling myself if I suspected that meant we'd be getting a waltz? Hope so.
Mind, Andre Boccelli didn't so his usual thing when he was on. Maybe they'll have Mr Reiu doing a rap number.

Wembley was a mistake.

So glad the show is going back to Blackpool this year

It's grim up north

Susanna and Ashley will benefit as their daytime work is located in the North West.

Glad to say it isn't and I am delighted that we will be back in Blackpool for at least one night. I wish they would move there permanently. The celebs don't need a passport or vaccinations to go there and it is the home of all things ballroom.

I'm so glad they are hoping back to Blackpool! Goodness knows what they were thinking holding shows at Wembley - too big and no atmosphere, in my opinion.

I seem to remember hearing that there was another dancing competition in Blackpool (British nationals, maybe?) on Children in Need weekend. And, of course, it's because the studio is needed for CIN every year that they need to go to Blackpool or Wembley for one week mid-series. I think it's a case of booking whatever is the best available alternative option to the studio each year and, unfortunately, that's not always Blackpool.

The British Nationals wouldn't make any difference to where Strictly is held because Strictly used the Tower and the Brit Nationals uses the much larger Winter Gardens.

I remember being at the British Nationals, some years ago, when Strictly was held in Blackpool the same weekend. Some of the pros took their celeb partners to the Winter Gardens to watch the morning practices, and again after Strictly had finished to watch the comps. To say they were somewhat gobsmacked would be an understatement.

So pleased it's at Blackpool again.

I think Dave is going to start trotting out the 'It's my goal to get to Blackpool' line fairly soon. I only hope it doesn't work on the public...Cannot bear to see him stay in any longer at the expense of another far superior dancer.

On another note, very glad that it is Blackpool and no wembley this year! Wembley's vast scale made the show so impersonal, IMHO.

I remember that.
Darren and Lilia won the Pro Latin in the Nationals and that was the year Lilia won SCD with Darren Gough.

Imagine the amount of running about the pros had to do, if they were competing at the Nationals and contractually bound to a telly show at the same weekend.

As far as I know, none of the current pros on SCD still compete. Unless you know better, of course.

The pros who were competing then were all Latin pros and their event was (still is) on the Friday night so they didn't clash with Strictly. And as there are never many entries they had no more than 2 rounds to dance.

You're right about current pros not competing; most of them left competing to take part in the more lucrative stage shows.

Has anyone who applied for Blackpool tickets received them?

I'll bet they were, they should take them back in May to watch the open to the world finals, they would probably pull out of strictly through sheer inadequacy...!

I don't think there was a specific Blackpool ticket application, but that date was certainly included in my applications, and I've not heard either way yet. BTW Wembley was my one and only successful ticket application, so I shall forever be grateful for Wembley!

A bump for this thread as it gives the details of the show next week - and to rescue it from page 9.