No Gio - bet he is wherever Georgia is !

Oh ... sausages!! you got my hopes up, can I not retire earlier?!!


I agree!



I do, I do!!!

Here's hoping Georgia is meeting up with them. About time we had a new GG pic.....

Wherever he is, he has just retweeted this

Absolutely loved this group dance, my favourite of last series.

http://twitter.com/StrictlyGio/statu...48705791606789

Strictly party has moved on to dinner but no GG yet ☹️

https://twitter.com/mr_njones/status/760579019746279425

AJ has just put on snapchat that they are on the way home from the strictly meal in a private taxi...looks like the night out is over. No sign or mention of GG anywhere though.

Heavens Loz you are good. 👏🏻⭐️


😂😂😂


Loz . Do you think it was just pros who were invited. If it was that's most of them then isn't it and maybe Gio wouldn't want to go without Geo 😉😉

I would hope that he would want to go even if it was without her. I think it might even be odd if she went - it's probably more like a wotk team meeting/bonding session! Good for him to bond with his new colleagues! It sounds like he was definitely there anyway.

I'm loving the speculation that Ed Balls might be signed up for this series!

I think you're right wicks . What I was trying to say was that because there are so many couples on SCD now, even on a works night out, most of their other half S would be there. Sh.t clear as mud again. Why is it that what your thinking doesn't translate too well when written down 😟😳

He was dressed up to go out so I assume he did go, most of the pros were in the background on AJ's video so I think it was a start of strictly 2016 team bonding night out. I think it was probably just a pros thing and nobodies partner came, other than obviously Karen/Kevin, Janette/Aljaz and Neil/Katya. I'm not sure of AJ and Chloe are a couple or just friends.

It would be lovely if GG had a strictly couples dinner party again soon.

You are right! There are so many couples now aren't there. I do think she'll go on many nights out with them all - she's part of the family and it's lovely that she's good friends with Jo, Janette etc - I just meant that I wouldn't be surprised if she sat this first one out. Or maybe not!

Thank you lozzer it is great having snapchat info too x

Georgia would understand if it was a 'works' do because she was at a cast party the other night in Bristol !
However, this group is odd because there are at least 3 couples - Aj and Chloe are not a couple according to the interviews they have given. Chloe was very clear about that !

From the photographs I have seen it looks like welcome drinks at the rehearsal room and then some of them went on to dinner - I don't know what lozzer is seeing on snapchat but I cannot see many people having dinner !
It looks like it might just be the Jones duo and AJ and Chloe.
Gio was retweeting by 8pm.

So no photograph of GG again - this is getting serious now !

Re Ed Balls - I do hope that is not a false rumour but much as I like him I hope Jo doesn't get him - I think he will be sort of OK in a gung ho way and possibly in ballroom type dances but I can't see him doing the jive for example - she probably won't anyway because he is quite tall - I thought he was about 6ft but I just checked and he is 5' 11",
Please let Jo get Ryan Thomas or Will Young
(just checked Will is 5' 11" too - damn )

Yes, I want Jo to get Will Young too. I think they'd be a good match. Not sure who I could see Ed with. I will mull that over!

And yes, we are due a picture of both G & G soon - come on Georgia, sort it out!

There was a roomful of them, obviously a production 'do'. Neil and Katya Jones' Twitter accounts have a few photo's.

Makes for a very long day, hopefully they'll get a late start t compensate.

Katya's photograph on her twitter was the drinks party retweeted by several people wasn't it ?

Neil's photo is in a restaurant also taken by Katya by the look of it - the other people in the restaurant don't look like Strictly people at all - what do you think ?

In that case AJ and Chloe to get the young twenty something soap star or singer. If they get both get partners this year. I think the Beeb does like a bit of romance around the show although of course they don't encourage it.

Maybe she's just not sure


I'm 'coping' No Corrie tonight, that's why

I'll let you off.. seen as it's you

I genuinely think it was a production do. Without wishing to be difficult, it doesn't look like a restaurant to me and in Neil's photo it looks like Natalie Lowe in the top right hand corner.
It seems like they had drinks and a presentation followed by a meal to me.

Oh OK yes it does look like Natalie and with further zooming in I see what you mean it doesn't look like a restaurant you are right - I was being stupid !
- but where are the rest of the pro dancers ?

On tables behind I guess !

It is very nice - not terribly OTT not obviously opulent, no gold and glitter !
It is furnished like a very good London Town House - with extremely good and very expensive antique furniture which looked Georgian to me which I presume is the same period as the house.
Super fabrics, flowers, paintings and silver etc.
I only ever went into the reception rooms on the first floor but to get there you have to walk up that famous staircase with all the portraits of all the Prime Ministers - I spent a long time on the stairs as it was fascinating.

One thing I found interesting is that when the drinks and canapes were served the waiting staff were all middle aged to elderly women - very Motherly.
Unusual in London.
I don't know if the staff changes with each PM or not - I only went there when Blair and Brown were PMs.
One of the Blair receptions was very informal he bought his new baby down to see us - and chatted for a long time.
I know he is not the flavour of the month right now but I have to say he is one of the most charming and charismatic people I have ever met.
When we went to his leaving party organised by the London Branch the audience were so upset - my daughter, who had disgraced me already by taking a selfie with him, cried.

Brown is a lot warmer and nicer in person than he appears on TV - I really like him.
Not as dishy as Tony needless to say

Thinking about that wedding dress - would you 'like' a photograph of a wedding dress if you hadn't discussed getting married quite seriously ?

Sandy, you are definitely right. A wedding dress is such a specific thing to like. It's something you would only look at for yourself.

We know that both families are traditional (especially Gio's) and that they both love children. So it has to be marriage first and then little GG's.

Maybe the time they've had to spend apart recently has made it crystal clear how much they feel for each other and how they see their future?

Morning all!



Thank you for that wonderfully detailed description, Sandy. It does sound rather nice in there! So you've met two former PMs, that's not bad going! Re Gordon Brown - so many people say that exact same thing about him, and he does come across as a genuinely warm person if you look past the somewhat dour demeanour in public!



Georgia knows how to get us excited, doesn't she?! Will it be wedding cakes next week?!

The 'cup cake lady' will be already designing the wedding cake - she makes very gorgeous ones