Alesha & Matt C, and Matt & Flavia, will be on Breakfast, Friday morning, sometime around 8.40am.

I think Bill said that (some of?) the judges would be there too.

Karen Hardy is also appearing, in a separate feature.

Karen's at an outdoor ice rink (at the Natural History Museum - pop along if you can) with Chris Hollins (Breakfast's Sports reporter).

I think Karen will be taking to the ice with Chris. This feature may be coming up quite soon, before the main feature.

Karen's feature will be coming up at 7.50.

In the preview for this, Karen did half-a-circuit on the ice, hanging on between Chris and Carol Kirkwood.

Will anybody be putting the Breakfast piece on youtube? I'll be on my way to work at 8.40

Thanks so much-will be tuning in

Well, we did get to see half-a-circuit of Karen on ice in the preview.

But Karen's main feature was then pulled by "SCD Health and Safety".

In place of the anticipated solo circuit by Karen, finishing on her bottom, we had a 5-minute lecture from her, delivered standing on the sidelines, about what we should be looking for on Saturday.

Why Karen went: Chris Hollins said: "we had to get rid of Karen, she was skidding all over the place, and the SCD people were not happy".

Summary of what Karen said:

She's sad not to be in the final herself this year.

Usual one-liner sketches: "Good looking, gorgeous, East-Enders star", and "First lady of dance".

Karen said she wanted to give viewers some tips for how they should vote on Saturday: "Now we've got to the final of the competition this is not about personality now. Now it's down to the dancing". For the ballroom, viewers need to be looking for top lines and no sagging, and for the latin, it should be sassy, quick and fast. The show dance should have lots of lifts and energy.

Chris Hollins asked Karen if Matt had deserved his 40, Karen replies: "I think so". Karen explains that 4 10's come from a combination of technique, execution, timing, and chemistry with the audience.

Chris asked, very nicely, for a prediction for Saturday. Karen took a long while to answer: "I'm going to go for....", and then she wouldn't tell us. Oh, she's such a tease.

well I wouldn';t really have called it a lecture meself - she was just saying what she thought.

Idid exect her to have a bit better balance as a dancer though

Where are Matt and Alesha?

Please say they havent been on yet!!

Hi
No-just the judges then how to cook the turkey or something. Must be soon.

Ahhh wicked! Thanks

I dont normally get up this early on a day off...it must be fait!

On in a minute after the local news

Alesha and Matt on now after the regional news .

How lovely was that from them all-just pleased to be in the final.

That really was lovely to see

awww that was lovely and they all seem so happy and relaxed. so looking forward to tomorrow

Ahhh their both lovely! And look really happy and relxed for tomorrow

Ah, just caught them totally by accident!!

ah how lovely are matt and aleasha she adores him, she really is gonna miss not dancing with him ah bless. i loved the bit where Bill said just put him in a cupoard and keep bringing him out, and hn i may be wrong but did Aleasha ask matt could she be his wife and he replied course you can darling or is my brain just wnating to hear those words. Both couples look quite relaxed for the final but i imagine its going to be a very emotional one for Aleasha win or lose.

First they had Craig, Arlene and Bruno.

Don't know why Len wasn't there, probably putting out his dustbins.

Some talk about Gethin's eviction. How luck played a big part in the choice of (difficult) dances Gethin got that week. And Arlene stresses how luck also plays a part in which partners the pro dancers get each season.

Craig is asked why he gave his first 10 to Matt. Craig says he is desperate to give Alesha a 10 too, but her technique still needs a little improvement.

Arlene is asked why she reversed her view about Gethin in the dance-off.

Quite a bit of chat about the judges themselves and their disputes. Bruno says this is because they are so passionate about the show. Bruno says that working on the US show too had been a big strain. Bruno explains how each of the judges brings something different to the show: he looks for performance, Craig for technicality, and Arlene... [Bruno doesn't complete this sentence, we are left to guess that Bruno means Arlene is looking for the raw sex element].

Then there was a break, back to the ice rink at the Natural History museum, and some young performers doing a very funky type of carol.

Then back to the studio. The judges had gone, and had been replaced by Alesha and Matt and co, all joining in with the funky music theme.

Bill: these are the noisiest guests we've ever had.

Alesha starts by saying her body is exhausted and shows us a string of bruises on her arm. They talk about lifts. Alesha calls herself heavy.

Matt dA describes Flavia as being "light and easy to lift". He describes their lifts as being risky, and death-defying.

They talk about the Judges Choice dance (both couples do a different dance to the same song). Alesha gets very animated "we like to boogy".

Some talk about Matt's comeback.

Bill asks Alesha about her "40 tens", gets corrected to 14.

Flavia says that they will go out on Saturday to enjoy themselves and "what happens happens".

Bill asks if Alesha and Matt C will dance again after the show. Alesha gives Matt C a cuddle.

*crosses fingers in desperate hope that this gets youtubed*

just to add a few more bits of detail

Alesha said her bruises came from them to figure out a way of lifting her because she's so heavy (yeh right, she's as slender as a willow reed bless her) and they joked a bit about it and Matt C said he'd dropped her a lot

Bill asked Matt D and Flavia about theirs and Matt said he found the lifts the easiest bit and he was lucky because Flavia is titchy.

Talked about judges choice ad M&F going first doing QS ad then A&M come on and jive

then they did the obligatory bit about the matt meltdown/come back and the 40 for the waltz and that being the 1st perfect core of the series

Bill then said but of course you're up against someone who is technically the best dancer SCD has ever had and who has had 14 tens already

Alesha says she isn't perfect and she knows she still needs to work on footwork bt that the final is a celebration of the whole series

Matt & Flavia agree

I think she said "can I be your dance partner"- I think your brain must have been in romantic overdrive this morning

That bit about putting Matthew in her cupboard was hilarious, you could see Alesha considered it for a second, bless!

Thanks for posting about this, Martyboy - I would have missed it otherwise.

Oh drat and double drat. I missed the whole thing. Thank you to Martyboy and others for describing what went on. If Matthew goes missing after the programme ends, the cops won't have far to look - ie a cupboard in Hertfordshire

I would have loved to see her give him a cuddle on the breakfast sofa. Any chances of some clips later on anyone?

ditto!

*waits hopefully*