I'm confused because last Friday Zoe said to Craig that he had been doing the show for 12 years, to which he said yes. So maybe that is why the scores are not tallyed up for Natasha if 4 judges weren't around right from the begining when she took part.

I didn't watch the show in the first two years, so can't remember.

The first series of Strictly aired in Spring of 2004, hence 12 years. There have always been four judges (except the last few weeks of Series 7 when Darcey joined in and bollocksed up all my spreadsheets).

It's been running since 2004, so that's 12 years.

I thought we were on series 14?
That's what it says on the website.
I didn't watch from the begining so I don't know when this show started (though I do know the first winner because everyone somehow knows Natasha/Brendan first won it) way back when.

If we're on series 14 and Craig has already done 12 (or is on his 12th) then he wasn't here from the start, unless the website is wrong?

There have been 13 winners...
Natasha K,
Darren G,
Jill H,
Mark R,
Chris H,
Alesha D,
Kara T,
Tom C,
Abbey C,
Caroline F,
Harry J,
Louis S
Jay
... and we are now on the 14th year, aren't we?
So if Craig has done 12 years, he's at least one short?

Craig has been here from the start. We had two series in 2004, so that might explain why we're on 14.

Early 2004- Series 1
Late 2004- Series 2
2005- Series 3
2006- Series 4
2007- Series 5
2008- Series 6
2009- Series 7
2010- Series 8
2011- Series 9
2012- Series 10
2013- Series 11
2014- Series 12
2015- Series 13
2016- Series 14

Thanks for the clip jiroos . That was an appalling lazy jive by Natasha with hardly any dance steps . Cole was a right prat in the early years . Some say he still is .

Oh, I see, they put two in one year. I was counting the series by winners (presuming it was one per year). That makes sense now.

Early 2004- Series 1 - Natasha
Late 2004- Series 2 - Jill
2005- Series 3 - Darren
2006- Series 4 - Mark
2007- Series 5 - Alesha
2008- Series 6 - Tom
2009- Series 7 - Chris
2010- Series 8 - Kara
2011- Series 9 - Harry
2012- Series 10 - Louis
2013- Series 11 - Abbey
2014- Series 12 - Caroline
2015- Series 13 - Jay
2016- Series 14 - Probably Danny Mac.

That was a jive? Well Brendan was jiving, I've no idea what Natasha was supposed to be doing, she'd be laughed off the dance floor dancing like that this year.

Haahahahha.. I was going to say the same thing Sarah!.... I think she was well embarrassed after all the talk it created with Brendan and his dance partner/fiancé Camilla breaking up over it, and she tried to deny it ever happened eh!.....


Wow thanks for that clip jiroos How young they all look for a start!, and!.... the audience all sitting at tables, lol....... It's great to see it all and how it has changed now..

She's definitely the best mover of all the news presenters to have appeared.

Totally agree with you, Mklass . She is a reserved person and she really regretted the whole Brendon saga.

Natasha wasn't bad. This is her Freestyle (basically it's the Dirty Dancing finale dance).
Back in the early days they actually danced pretty much the full 90 seconds with no faffing about and danced "proper" routines with recognised steps.

When you consider Chris Parker was the other finalist, it becomes clear why Natasha & Brendan won Although Chris' paso doble with Hanna Karttunen is possibly one of my all time favourite routines, sadly seems to have gone from YouTube now.

This is the nearest you get now, when he did it on the tour with Nichole Cutler.

Truly turbulent times for her - forced to go on show in the first place against her wishes, affair, wrecked home thereby kick-starting the infamous "Strictly Curse", repeated denials and finally won the contest she never even wanted to enter. You couldn't make it up!!! Imagine if that happened these days...


Your welcome mklass. It has changed dramatically!


Except Katie Derham? (yes I know she technically wasn't a newsreader when she did Strictly - but neither was Natasha...they were both presenters).

Talking of newsreaders and Strictly, back in the day, I'd always wanted Anna Ford to take part. And I wished that Angela Rippon had done Strictly instead of DOI.

Thinking about it, Selina Scott would be a good call for next year. She recently made a very rare TV appearance on a live Brexit debate.

Karumba - how young Craig/Len/Bruno all look!

She was pretty good really - you do forget just how good some of the early dancers were!

Brendan designed that dress?
That was a jive?
That dress was short?

so many questions.......

Looked better than Katie's jive, which was a bit wild.

Ok jive-wise only - I thought you meant Natasha's general standard of dance.

Natasha wearing the least jive-y dress ever; more like Argentine Tango.

'Dress designer' Brendan clearly didn't give a damn about its "jive-y-ness"...he just ensured it was as short as decently possible!!!

Thanks for the clip jiroos, brought back so many memories and I agree with others, it's amazing how young the judges look!

I agree that Natasha has tried to distance herself from Strictly, however she did appear in the winners review in the 2013 final:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvZ6QdP07Vo

doesn't say much, just mentions how terrified she was.

Don't forget Donny week! (I know, we are all trying to...)

I didn't even know who she was until I googled her.

I love the bit at the start of the dance when Brendan tries to count the band in and they don't come in so he has to try again!

I also like the small tables around the edge of the dance floor. I'd forgotten they used to be there and how differently cosy and intimate they make the set look.

Only today, Natasha was mentioned in a print interview with Brendan.

Weren't they there because they were in Blackpool that week? I don't remember them having them in the studio.