Just read this in todays sun ! so obv take it with a pinch of salt!

if its true its put me right off her!!




EX-EASTENDER Jill Halfpenny has pulled out of Strictly Come Dancing’s Christmas special after a row over cash.

The 30-year-old, who won the Champions of Champions title last December, threw a strop when BBC1 offered her £5,000.

Bosses upped her fee to £6,000 but she still refused.

An insider said: “After all the show has done for her it seems miserly.”

Jill has admitted she owes a lot to the dance show.

She said last year: “By the time Strictly Come Dancing finished, when people saw me in the street they’d say, ‘There’s Jill Halfpenny’ not ‘There’s Kate from EastEnders.’”

After winning the series she landed a part in West End musical Chicago.

As The Sun revealed, Rachel Hunter and Evander Holyfield will appear in the Christmas special — after starring in the US version.

They will compete with the top three couples from the 2005 show and a pair from a previous year.


Saturday’s show pipped rival X Factor. It peaked at 10.9million viewers compared to ITV1’s 9.5million.

T care
Jackie xxx

Is there any person the tabloids won't drag through the mud?

I still think Jill is tops and the xmas show will be lesser without her (IF it's true).

Is it maybe more to do with the fact that she is appearing in panto in Newcastle?

but its the series that made her, and she cant find a few days to practice and turn up!?? i think its a bit much!

Probably, but there's no drama in that, is there Peach?

I suppose her understudy could go on for one night but maybe the theatre is throwing a fit about that and saying she's breaking contract or some such.

The details about the Xmas special are so sketchy still. I don't think they're deciding upon anything too drastically until they see who gets to the final of this series.

I think it will maybe depend on the contract she has with the panto production.. it may be that she can't break the contract to film the Christmas Special? I don't know.. just speculating.. If it IS a money thing.. then she is probably making more money out of performing the whole panto season than performing one night on Strictly. I know which I'd plum to do (but that's why I have no money!) but we don't know what she is thinking or what the situaton is.

doing a lot of news stuff for another site before any show there is always false stories laid in the press by itv or the beeb whats the betting in a few days or weeks they will be reporting she has been coaxed back in it without natasha taking part the beeb will definitely want Jill in it

OR.... how about they coax Natasha into doing it with Brendan

I do hope Jill will come back, she was another magical dancer, and such a very nice person.

Nah, Camilla won't allow that.

Nope it def brendan with rachel hunter, its on his site!! bummer!! i wanted that too!!

I would have loved to have seen Lilia dancing with Aled again, but I should imagine that if she's doing it she will be with Darren.

(Not that I don't like him, but Aled and Lilia are one of my favourite couples from all three series)

Lesley & Anton then

Yes please! Definitely my favourite couple - closely followed by Aled and Lilia

ok im also scared!! evander holy whatshis face!!?? arghhh!!

Cinderella runs from 10th December till 21st January with a matinee and evening performance everyday apart from Mondays, Christmas day & new years day. When, realistically, would would she practice or film?

The suggestion that she could have her understudy perform that night is ridiculous ~ understudies are ONLY for when the performer is unable to go on due to illness/injury, etc, not because they got a better offer so went off to do that instead . If she did that she would wreck her professional reputation, be in breach of her contract and jeopardise future projects due to a reputation for being unreliable. As a jobbing actress she cannot risk her professional reputation for a one-off performance. And the theatre has sold the majority of tickets on the strength of her appearance ~ what about the people who have paid the same price as everyone else to see her & get fobbed off with the understudy. Hardly fair, is it?

Sorry, but the Sun article is total cr*p.

That's crap!! There's no way! It was for charity, I can't believe anyone would demand paying!


Mwaha!!! I don't think she'd be too bothered!!! But I don't think Natasha and Brendan would want to dance together again!!

I could quite happily live my life without hearing them both mentioned in the same sentense again!!

Perfect, especially as she is still dancing and taking lessons.

Cat123 - you are so funny (meant in a lovely way )

Im sorry i still love watching the old series one!! they were fantastic!!

dancingbearbear, I totally agree with you. It really seems unlikely to me that Jill would pull out over money issues. Has she ever struck anyone as the greedy type? It seems far more likely that her schedule is the problem, especially when she's in something that requires as much time commitment as a panto. We know that Darren B and Lilia have been competing again - I think that shows that a return of Darren and Jill was never really expected. If it was, he would have been working on choreography for them, and travelling to Newcastle to rehearse.

For an actress like Jill, without any fixed roles planned for the next year, a season in panto can provide enough money to see her through the rest of the year. Any question of unreliability could prevent her being booked next year - after all, there are dozens of ex-soap stars wanting her gig. Her prior commitment - to the panto - is just too important to mess up.

I don't think the Gill saga is solely about money. She's gained a little bit of weight since last year and apparently has been desperately trying to shift it in time for panto season.
She's probably got a heck of a lot of commitments around Christmas time and finding it difficult to fit everything in. SCD gave a huge boost to her (then fading) career, i doubt she'd be so mercenary. You never know, she may still turn up. I hope she does.

If I had bought tickets for the family to see her in panto I would not be a happy bunny if she decided to go on TV instead.

I agree. She would not pull out over money - this is media hype to start interest in the Christmas ~special! Does anyone really believe anything in the Sun, for heavens sake. If she is unable to do it, however, I do hope they pair Darren B with someone else, as he is the reigning Champion of champions and should have the opportunity of defending that title. It would be good to see him go head to head with Lilia as well.

Darren is not quite so busy as Lilia at the moment,, so could be doing choreography for all we know, and it would only take a week of practicing to do a dance for the special, which is all anyone has, so they would not need to be practising in Newcastle yet. Hope Jill does appear, she is our best chance of winning!

Hi, I just had a thought, neither Jill, her agent or the BBC have actually confirmed she isn't taking part in the Christmas Special. Surey the BBC would have confirmed it straight away, or they are still trying to get her to take part. She never came across as the sort of person who would pull out over money matters either.
Michelle x