When Katya Jones landed Olympic swimming superstar Adam Peaty on Strictly Come Dancing last year, she must have thought the BBC had finally forgiven and forgotten that round of tonsil tennis with Seann Walsh.
Fast forward a year and as Katya bravely prepares to attempt a Charleston to My Old Man’s A Dustman - alongside said old man’s carthorse Tony Adams - she could be forgiven for thinking she still has one bum cheek on the naughty step.
I wish them all the best for Saturday night, obviously. But with Tony a strong favourite to be first out this year the signs are not good.
However, for two particular reasons I’m really hoping they make it through.
One, Strictly always needs at least one comedy act. And two, if you, like me, subscribe to the theory that this show should be all about novice dancers learning how to strut their stuff then Tony deserves a sporting chance.
Not that he’s alone in that. The likes of Kaye Adams, Ellie Taylor, Martin Fowler from EastEnders and, perhaps surprisingly, Matt Goss from Bros are also in Strictly’s Need-Lots-Of-Work holding area.
Luckily the show itself has hit the floor dancing this year. Ignore the murmurs about a slight drop in viewing figures - they will bounce back.
And please treat the tiresome thought pieces about the nation’s favourite telly show being overtaken by box-ticking woke warriors with the disinterest they deserve.
I mean, if people really think it’s weird and discomforting to watch someone with dwarfism trying to ballroom dance then perhaps that’s exactly why Ellie Simmonds should be on Strictly in the first place.
When it comes to encouraging people to step out of their comfort zones and tackle a difficult skill that clearly does not come naturally to them, no TV show does it better than Strictly.
Speaking of which, I really hope Tess Daly is going to continue with her new solo comedy bits.
Don’t worry about all that tumbleweed backing up, Tess. The studio fans will blow it away eventually.
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