Somehow I seem to be watching less and less TV these days. Not sure why, possibly spending far too long on the laptop looking at (and playing at) online bingo sites. Even the soaps don’t draw me in like they used to. For the first time ever I can tune in and most of the characters are strangers to me in all the main ones – Coronation Street, Eastenders and Emmerdale. Please don’t ask about Hollyoaks!
There is one programme I definitely make an exception for though and that started again this weekend. That is Let’s Dance for Sport Relief or Comic Relief or whatever ‘Relief’ it is this year. I don’t really care which Relief it is, I just know that this programme makes me smile …. no scrub that… makes me laugh out loud, most of the way through.
All right, the comedians in drag might be getting a bit old, but you can’t fault the effort they are putting in to the routines and to the sketches before the dancing even starts.
This weekend we saw Eastenders and veteran DJ’s go up against ex cricketers, comedians and stick thin TV presenters.
Darren Gough polished up his dancing shoes again from his stint on Strictly a few years ago, but didn’t make the grade with a routine from West Side Story. He has however probably secured himself another career as a Terry Scott lookalike. It was scary. Ulrika Jonsson and Angelos Epithemiou from Shooting Stars did a tango and ex King of the Jungle Tony Blackburn got together with ‘Diddy’ David Hamilton to do a comedy turn on the dancefloor. Comedian Terry Alderton made it through to the final with an energetic Tina Turner, in which his face did as many contortions as his body – and he was in a dress of course.
But it was the Eastenders girls Tameka Empson and Laurie Brett (Kim Fox and Jane Beale) as Beyonce and Lady GaGa that stole the show. However, Laurie Brett might want to tone down the make up next time. I came to the show after their dance had started and it wasn’t until they go to the judges that I stopped trying to work out which Eastenders character the man in drag was! Ooops!
It was however, a brilliant and energetic routine and the girls were well deserved instant finalists. I can’t wait for next week.
