Strictly Pairings: The Recs’ Take
Strictly pairings have been officially unveiled on the spectacular launch show but which couple look like cha-cha-champions and who looks ready to rumba?
There’s always a gleeful risk lurking just below the surface of the Strictly Come Dancing Launch show. No, not that the BBC’s fully-automated android presenter Tess Daly might malfunction and take out half the studio in a Westworld style bloodbath.
More that as trembling celebrities are paired off with smiling professionals, there’s the hope that the Strictly producers have got it terribly wrong and at least one couple will be loathe at first sight. Who can forget the instant car crash that was Lulu and Brendan Cole whose red-hot animosity boiled over quicker than a pop tart in a microwave.
Annoyingly the pairs had met before their appearance in the studio, robbing us of that unedited first glance/horror. Amidst the dubious VT declarations that every couple got exactly the partner who they wanted, were there any dancers clearly planning a winter getaway and not to the HOME OF BALLROOM ™ Blackpool? Let’s look at the couples…
Ellie S and Nikita
Ellie S is high-profile and hugely-popular so it’s like Nikita (aka Strictly Twink Mk 2 ™ – whatever happened to AJ Pritchard, oh who cares, that’s showbiz) is being rewarded for looking after Tilly Ramsay so well last year.
Nikita’s ability not to get his hair wet in that lake was impressive.
And instantly the vibe worked!
Tyler and Dianne
Tyler is hot and confident but we’ve been fooled by that combo before. No names mentioned but Adam Peaty is still off The Recs’ Christmas card list. GUTTED…anyway, where were we?
The fact that we don’t understand at all what he burbled about in any of his chat does not bode well.
Kym and Graziano
In theory, Graziano has finally got “a contendah”. While Hear’say were not exactly Pussycat Dolls in terms of choreography, they weren’t Westlife either. So Kym Marsh should be able to move.
His partnership with Judi Love was a joy but he doesn’t seem to be the hardest taskmaster and surely a soap queen like Kym is used to taking direction.
And playing the glamorous granny card already… smart Kym!
Will and Nancy
Another bonkers pairing. Will has a dry, understated Northern wit. Nancy screams LOUDLY a lot.
This pairing screams that you’ve swiped left when you meant to swipe vehemently to the right.
Or we could be totally disproved. Mutters under breath a list of pros we’d have preferred Will to be partnered with.
Helen and Gorka
Helen was reported to have signed up for the show to ‘do something fun’ after her very public marriage split. The producers in a sweat about another “Strictly curse” have paired her with the least available pro-dancer. They might as well have chucked a bucket of cold water over the former Blue Peter presenter just to make sure her ardour was truly dampened.
(Loving Gorka’s new buzz cut)
James and Amy
Milk Tray.
Korma.
“I hope this email finds you well”.
Nice enough, but utterly beige. The producers have gone full milquetoast (or should that be mildly milquetoast) with these two.
James saying “he / she” as his potential partner is probably as edgy as it gets.
Fleur and Vito
Ring-a-ding, ring! Did someone say ringer? The Strictly audience usually has it in for celebs with PDE (previous dance experience) and Fleur feels like the poster girl for PDE.
But Fleur and newcomer Vito look as if they will make a sizzling hot couple. So, not only is this younger Italian stallion on the show, but he’s also got a seriously good dancer. Giovanni must be spitting tacks!
Hamza and Jowita
Remember when the guy who was there for a job interview ended up live on BBC News 24? There’s a faint whiff of that incident about these two.
Well done, Jowita, for summoning up an enthusiasm for someone you have no idea who they are atop a lighthouse.
Well done for allowing Strictly to afford Matt Goss.
Matt and Nadiya
If you watched the film documentary When The Screaming Stops (the Spinal Tap of a 90s boyband), like The Recs, you would be giddy at the signing of Matt Goss to the show.
Never mind the dancing, we couldn’t wait for the unholy conjunction of Claudia Winkleman’s and the Bros star’s replies in the Clauditorium. We are hoping for a latter-day Frost / Nixon. They will write theses on this.
We love that they’ve chosen a dancer mature and stable enough to cope with the madness.
Ellie T and Johannes
Burst open the chardonnay and pop on some ABBA – we have a girls’ night out right here.
Loved her joked that “John Whaite is a hulk” so it would be easy to lift her.
These two have the possibility to be the Thelma and Louise of this year – expect the car to fly off the cliff around Blackpool.
Molly and Carlos
One of the lesser-known celebs getting paired with a brand new pro means they are a blank canvas. Their early dancing will have to do some heavy lifting while we get to know them.
And suddenly Carlos being bold with The Claude makes us wonder where the hell this could go! And to be fair, we are up for it.
Richie and Giovanni
Giovanni is certainly one of the most popular professional dancers and a same-sex pairing fits well with Strictly‘s core demographic. But VERY ENTHUSIASTIC Richie seems to have found Karim Zeroual’s leftover stash of blue smarties.
The Recs wonders if our Italian fave regards excitable Richie as welcome as Parmesan on seafood?
“He’s got a lot of energy” said Giovanni as if on a mission to rival Phil and Holly’s PR in flattening all that unnecessary unwelcome nonsense.
Jayde and Karen
The Strictly pairing pixies are throwing caution to the wind this year with some red pill / blue pill combos that are either going to soar or drop like a dart into the ground.
It’s great to see Karen getting a new challenge with her eleventh partner – but it will be interesting to see how this one goes.
Tony and Katya
Sportsmen are the all-you-can-eat-buffet of Strictly: there seems to be unending availability but discovering tasty is quite the challenge.
Tony might be the Blokey Choice this year following in the surprisingly twinkle-toed dance-steps of Chris Ramsey and Bill Bailey. Then again he might be a leaden-footed early bather like Jason Bell or James Cracknell.
In Katya we have faith that she has enough tricks to disguise any shortcomings…for a few weeks at least.
Kaye and Kai
Well we didn’t see this one coming. Kaye is one of (how shall we say it) the more grounded of the Loose Women, taking a rather Presbyterian approach to fun. Considered one of the Loose Women least likely to do Strictly, on being announced as part of this year’s line-up she repeatedly voiced her hope for a nice, gay partner.
She asked for a bell pepper and end up with a Scotch bonnet. Kai, who spent last year with AJ Odudu singeing the boundaries of family entertainment, is not what Kaye ordered but who knows how this will go. We’re betting that the LW anchor will surprise herself.
Love that Strictly has thrown caution to the wind with their couples. More random and therefore even more thrillingly unpredictable, The Recs cannot wait!
All images Copyright BBC / BBC Pictures
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