Strictly Bibsey ~ Finally!

Finally the final

Joy of joys! I got to watch the final live on telly with a glass in hand, rather than the next day on my MacBook brandishing a potato peeler.

Well nearly. I was at a mulled wine party being thrown by my good friend @chinketta, who thought, rather naively, that her fully stoked guests would melt away before the dance extravaganza of the year commenced. This is not quite how it happened but we battled on regardless and stuck the telly on as soon as respectably possible. So I ended up watching it back-to-front: results show on the night and first half the next day. This did not dim my joy. Neither did the gladiator-based opening number – which must have fulfilled a number of fantasies up and down the country, non? On with the dance!

First round: reprises part I

Happy Harry Joy Joy

Full marks – literally and at last, thanks Craig – to Harry and Aliona for such a joyful quickstep to Don’t Get Me Wrong. I loved it. JDo and Kristina’s tango to I Will Survive was Priscilla bonkers. Chelsee and Pash did the Shrek Jive again and it was brilliant as before.

Second round – Show dances:

For me they were all just a little disappointing. And I think that this is the problem with the show dance… there is a tendency to over-egg it: Harry and Ali with their ‘sticky’ lifts, Chelsee looking a bit untidy to my eye and JDo, while entertaining, bordered on the hectic for me (perhaps that was just Kristina and her race to get her kit off). And I honestly wondered what was going on with the judges when they gave them four 10s when there was clearly some side-by-side timing issues again…

What a little cracker

I didn’t think any of the show dances were worth 40 points. Goodman et al were not so much guiding as steering the audience don’t you think? Thank goodness they were shooting blanks with their points paddles for the final.

Anywackers, no matters, because the public prevailed and this was the exit point for JDo and Kristina as we found out in part II. He’s a great showman and she choreographed their dances very, very cleverly throughout. For my money he deserved to be in the final, but not to win. So far so good then.

Third round – new dances:

Harry and Aliona danced an American smooth based on a Viennese waltz. It was gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. Chelsee and Pasha danced a rumba which was so well danced by sweet Chelsee. It must have been a daunting one to do.

And finally  – reprises part II

Another 40 points from the judges for Harry and Aliona’s Argentine tango. This and his American smooth were joint ‘Dance of the night’ for me. LOVED. Also loved seeing Chelsee and Pash perform their ‘quickstep at the check-in desk’ again. What a great little dancer.

And the rest? Well, the rest is history isn’t it? Harry and Aliona took the glitter ball. The best result. And Chelsee? She danced her way into the final two winning hearts and minds on her way.

The celebrities can go back to their pre-strictly lives feeling maybe just a teensy little bit of a huge, aching, dancey void. And the crafty producers can go about their business chopping and changing the line-up and wooing or fending-off celebrities in preparation for next year.

And Strictly Bibsey? All I can say is ‘Thank goodness it’s over!’  and I can go back to posting about my arse. Thank you ANYONE who has been reading and LASHINGS OF THANKS if you left a comment.

I shall keep dancing in my kitchen… in the hope that one day they do a show for the plebs. What about you? Were you happy with the result? Who would you like to see next year?