Strictly Come Dancing 2014

This is not an exhaustive list,but the odds are out on Paddy Power,which I post here with comments. The contestants will be allotted partners on Friday 5 September and will have three weeks to practise. With the absence of Bruce Forsyth the show moves into uncharted territory and will rely more heavily on the force of personality of Head Judge Len Goodman than ever before,who already carries the American version Dancing With the Stars on his shoulders.

The confirmed participants are:

1) The Only Way is Essex star Mark Wright has been made favourite in the betting,but his nickname as "Marky no-moves" suggests their confidence in him may be misplaced. He's the right age though,at 27. 5/1

2) Blue boy band member Simon Webbe is a more realistic possibility. He has form from the Christmas 2011 special and will take the competition seriously. Aged 36. 6/1

3) Singer Frankie Bridge will be hoping to follow in Abbey Clancy's footsteps,and she certainly has the accoutrements to dazzle. She's the right age at 25,though her previous dance experience is unknown. 6/1


4) Eastenders' Max Branning aka Jake Wood fulfils the BBC employee role,though at 42 he's older than Scott Maslen,who found the latter stages hard going in 2010 at a younger age. 8/1

5) Rugby star Thom Evans will hope to do better than predecessor Gavin Henson. These sportsmen don't have the greatest track record in the competition. 8/1

6) Award-winning naturalist Steve Backshall might pull a surprise at 41 years old,having the physical stamina necessary to reach the final rounds. 10/1

7) Casualty star Sunetra Sarker has last year's flawless performance of co-star Patrick Robinson to live up to,but I can't see her standing out in a crowd and at 41 it's asking a lot of her. 10/1

8) Similarly with Alison Hammond,the producers love to find an overweight actress who surprises the likes of Lisa Riley,though this television presenter is more likely to be an also-ran. 16/1

9) With the Scottish referendum not far off the BBC executives will want to be seen to be all-inclusive,and self-publicist Judy Murray fulfills this role perfectly,though at 54 she'll just be there for the ride. 25/1

10) Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills is the latest celebrity to be confirmed as participating,but again I don't see him standing out in the talent crowd to threaten the top places.

By rights there should be five more contestants confirmed shortly,including the "fading starlet" and the "boring old fart" category. After Vanessa Feltz's untimely remark last series that "Jews can't dance" it wouldn't surprise me if the talent scouts are out as I speak looking to prove her wrong.

The final contestants have been announced today. They are:

11) Singer-songwriter 23 year-old Pixie Lott must have a good chance,and has been made 9/2 favourite with William Hill.

12) 34 year-old TV presenter Caroline Flack is excited and enthusiastic and will want to do as well as Susanna Reid last year.

13) 49 year-old MasterChef judge Greg Wallace will be making up the numbers and fighting to avoid the first vote-off with 14) 61 year-old Bargain Hunt presenter Tim Wonnacott,one of the more acceptable public school toffs on television.

15) Actress Jennifer Gibney,57, brings up the rear and fulfills the mutton dressed up as lamb role.http://www.express.co.uk/news/showb...ced-on-The-One-Show-complete-Strictly-line-up

Week 2 for Strictly tomorrow with Frankie Bridge taking a lead forward from the first week's show. She has the natural flow of Chelsee Healey with a touch of Kelly Holmes and is the favourite to top the leader board by the end of the night. More difficult to judge is who will be voted off first. There are a plethora of candidates in the running including Tim Wonnacott, Judy Murray, Jennifer Gibney, Gregg Wallace and Scott Mills,all of whom are pretty dire. Tim may survive being a BBC employee and a favourite among the more elderly voters,Scott should pull himself together in time,Judy Murray is not the worst dancer and Jennifer Gibney at least exudes enthusiasm. I can't see Gregg Wallace stepping up to the Charleston so he's the favourite to go.

Next elimination: Gregg Wallace 7/4 Tim Wonnacott 3/1 Jennifer Gibney 5/1 Judy Murray 5/1 Scott Mills 7/1

Top female: Frankie Bridge 6/4 Pixie Lott 7/4 Caroline Flack 3/1

Top male: Simon Webbe 13/8 Thom Evans 5/2 Mark Wright 7/2 Jake Wood 6/1 Steve Backshall 8/1

Jake Wood tops the leader board with Gregg Wallace out after a dance off with Jennifer Gibney.

Sunetra is out after a mediocre rumba,with Mark Wright surviving possibly his last week. All the old fogies have long departed and the odds are now: Pixie Lott 2/1 Frankie Bridge 5/2 Jake Wood 11/4 Caroline Flack 7/1 Simon Webbe 10/1 Mark Wright 16/1.

All remaining contestants have had their moments and none will leave the show disgraced. It really is a very even year,with possibly Pixie Lott just slightly ahead,though difficult to rule out Jake Wood as the Eastenders star,BBC employee and housewives' favourite,even after his comparative disaster this evening.http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/e.../Strictly+Come+Dancing+2014+%2d+Outright.html

There was high drama last night(why they have to go on with the pretence of the two-night format now Bruce has gone I do not know),when favourite Pixie Lott was eliminated after Head Judge Len voted to keep Simon Webbe in the competition. It now looks as if Jake Wood is the new favourite to take the title.

Jake has gone,victim of his age at 42 as Scott Maslen was several years back. The remaining four couples are evenly matched,with possibly Frankie Bridge the new favourite.

I wouldn't bet on Caroline Flack at 8/13. The outsider Mark Wright could well win it at 12/1 given that he's 27 years old to Caroline's 35,with three dances to get through tomorrow. Frankie Bridge at 2/1 might pull a surprise. Simon Webbe is also an excellent dancer and in many other years would have won it. He's the most physical of all of them and is worth a punt at 9/1.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...ourite-steal-Strictly-Come-Dancing-crown.html

So you're saying back three out of the four finalists?

Think I'll lump on Caroline then (although I have no idea who she is)

Caroline Flack is the current favourite because she achieved a perfect score last week. But people are fickle and so are their memories. Last year Abbey Clancy was in the dance off one week and was lucky to win,but a comment from Len Goodman on the night that he had never seen a better woman in hold won it for her. This tells me that people are still swayed by the judges' comments. I think Frankie Bridge might well pull it off with Kevin from Grimsby,but it's a matter of three dances tomorrow night and who makes the fewest mistakes. It's all down to the voting public tomorrow with the judges not having their usual 50% weighting,but even so the judges' comments still carry enormous influence.

Caroline Flack.the favourite in the competition in the latter stages has won the 2014 Glitterball Trophy after beating competition from Frankie Bridge,Simon Webbe and Mark Wright. She had the most perfect scores throughout the series,and who could bet against her "Angels" dance with the best music of the night and a Christmas theme to boot. I felt sorry for Frankie and Kevin,who for my money had the best dance on the night with their Showdance to "Get Happy",but Caroline's Charleston may have stuck in people's minds.