I, for one, will be sad to see the back of Strictly...Just before I officially sign-off for Christmas, I thought it best to summarize the Strictly Come Dancing Series 6 Final, between Lisa & Brendan, Tom & Camilla and Rachel & Vincent. In a change to the usual format, I don't have the time for a proper breakdown of the dances (or, if you prefer, the womanly flesh on display), so take this as an open thread to discuss the outcome. Spoilers for anyone yet to see the final, after the jump:
Well, I really didn't expect Lisa & Brendan to finish third. It was sad to see Strictly superfan Lisa go, but she did get to perform a "freestyle" show-dance with Brendan that gave me heart palpitations! Set to Meat Loaf's "I Would Do Anything For Love", it was the cheesiest, silliest few minutes of dancing I've seen in ages – but, holy cow, wasn't Lisa's dress the sexiest garment since Ola's infamous spray-on cat-suit? I won't be seeing that much leg again until my Christmas turkey is served!
In the end, despite Rachel's best efforts, Tom won the show after an admittedly excellent show-dance. Maybe I'm just too damn cynical about the fickle public, but I felt his win was slightly tainted by last week's phone-vote mess up. I couldn't help thinking that Tom fans were voting en masse this week, determined to see him lift the trophy as pay-back for his likely dismissal last week (as I'm sure the judges would have booted Tom out after a dance-off, don't you?)
Oh well. I'm more pleased for Camilla than Tom, anyway. This win marked the Strictly veteran's first trophy after five years dancing on the show. And you can tell her from sometimes insane-looking grins and 110% energy levels that she really, really wanted to win it.
Other highlights? Well, the evening was stuffed to bursting with dances from pretty much everyone, past and present. But I particularly enjoyed:
- Erin & Austin's reprise of that dance where Austin does his cheeky, show-off wriggle in front of the judges.
- The return of saucy Ola Jordan dancing the Cha Cha Cha; a woman who eclipsed traditional hottie Lilia Kopylova this year. Hopefully Lilia will be partnered with a man with more coordination than a shopping trolley next year.
- Rachel & Vincent's Flashdance-inspired "What A Feeling".
- As mentioned, Lisa & Brendan's cheese-tastic "I'd Do Anything For Love" freestyle moment, where Lisa went all-out to wow with that tight costume.
- Bruce's interview with Series 1 winner Natasha Kaplinsky, where he revealed what she said to him just before the first show: "Brucie, Brucie -- can you possibly get me off? Now." Well, it made me laugh, but not even a titter from the crowd.
- The "Dance Of Champions" was good -- featuring Jill Halfpenny, Mark Ramprakash, Darren Bennett and Alesha Dixon (the only woman whose thighs start under her armpits.)
However, it's the BBC's main reality show, and it's proven there's a captive audience willing to spend hours watching every Saturday and Sunday. The phrase "overkill" is clearly not in anyone else's dictionary! Fair enough.
So, was Tom the best dancer in the competition? Can anyone remember anything he did, beyond that Fred Astaire leap a few weeks back? Was Rachel robbed? Is she really related to her "brothers" (the cockney baldies in the audience)? Were people voting for Tom more in protest over last week's semi? Is Tess Daly the most irritatingly insincere blatherer on the box? Did people actually vote to see Camilla win, not so much Tom? Does this mean Tom will be a team captain on the next series of Hole In The Wall? Feel free to weigh in with your own thoughts in the comments below. I will also be updating this post in slow-time, with a smattering of YouTube links.
To close, here's a gratuitous photo of the breakout star of the show, and a link to her greatest moment. Ladies and gentlemen, but mostly gentlemen, I give you... Ola Jordan:
