STRICTLY Come Dancing star Sara Davies appeared on Good Morning Britain today with Strictly dancer Aljaz, 31, as they spoke about their gruelling schedule.
“We start at 6am every single day to rehearse,” Aljaz told hosts Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard. “And I get to the training room and Sara is ready to go at 6.01. There is no leeway.”
Sarah added that: “I’ve definitely turned him into a morning person. I find that for me, if we train early morning the brain’s firing a lot better and I’m not as physically exhausted.
“Then in the afternoon I’m trying to get into work for five or six hours, see the kids when I can and then try to get to bed at 10-11 o’clock. Back up at 5 to do it all again!”
To help out, Sarah has admitted that Aljaz moved up north to be with Sara and her family, saying: “Do you know what, he comes round for tea and then, if I’ve got interviews or a bit of work, he babysits the kids!
“So he does the school run with us and then he’ll watch the kids, go in the garden with them, have a bit of tea while I can get my work done.”
Read our Strictly Come Dancing live blog for the latest updates….
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Dan and Sara favourites for elimination this weekend
Leading bookmaker Coral makes Dan Walker and Sara Davies the 7-4 joint-favourites to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing this weekend. Tilly Ramsay is next in the betting at 3-1.
In the outright market for the Glitterball Trophy, Rose Ayling-Ellis is now as short as 4-11, AJ Odudu is 5-1, while John Whaite is 13-2.
“Dan Walker and Sara Davies are in the most danger of being eliminated this weekend and indeed could face each other in the dance-off, according to our betting,” said Coral’s John Hill.
“Rose Ayling-Ellis continues to shorten in our betting for the Glitterball Trophy. In a year where the standard has been incredible, she tops the betting ahead of AJ Odudu and John Whaite respectively,” added Hill.
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Just how much do the Strictly judges get paid?
Craig Revel Horwood and his fellow judge Bruno Tonioli reportedly earn £110,000 each series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Former head judge Len Goodman made £120,000 for work on the judging panel, but the star made his last appearance on the show in December 2016.
His replacement Shirley Ballas is suspected to earn the same as her predecessor, however her pay is currently unknown.
The judges make significantly more than the professional dancers, who are said to earn around £30,000 per series
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Brave Eiranedd Munro speaks out (continued…)
Mum-of-one Eiri retweeted the post and added: “2 years ago I was sexually assaulted in a McDonalds.
“I went to get help from the bouncer. His solution was to ask the man who did it to apologise to me and then allowed him to stay on the premises.
“Once the bouncer had left, the man came back to assault me again. So f**k bouncers.”
Eiri, whose dad is reportedly a police officer in Somerset, met Olympic swimmer Adam in 2019 at Loughborough University where she was studying and he was training.
Within months she was pregnant with their son George.
The pair balanced their relationship and pregnancy with Adam’s Olympic commitments and all the hard work and sacrifice paid off as he added two more golds and a silver to his collection in the summer.
There was success for Eiri too, as she graduated with a BA in Fine Art in July.
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Adam Peaty’s girlfriend Eiranedd Munro says she was sexually assaulted TWICE in McDonald’s
ADAM Peaty’s girlfriend Eiri Munro has revealed she was sexually assaulted in a McDonald’s two years ago.
The artist, 23, bravely shared her story on Twitter today after another user posted that security staff need more training on how to keep women safe on nights out.
They wrote: “Hearing stories of girls being thrown out of nightclubs onto streets alone for being drunk when they’ve actually been spiked is terrifying.
“No girl should be thrown out of a venue alone whether she’s drunk or spiked.
“With the world the way it is I just don’t understand how throwing young girls who are not with it whether they’re drunk or spiked onto a dark street with no one around is still protocol for nightclubs.”
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Strictly’s Dan Walker reveals which stars have already quit the group WhatsApp chat
DAN Walker has revealed that some of the stars of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing have already left the group WhatsApp chat.
The 44-year-old is competing in the competition with Nadiya Bychkova, and said that a couple of the people who’ve been voted off have dropped out of the chat.
He said: “We started off with all 15. Most people who have left [the show] have stayed in the group.”
BBC presenter Dan also suggested there are things in the chat history that the stars wouldn’t want being made public.
Speaking to the Daily Star, he added: “There are pictures on there that will never see the light of day. We talk about everything from jam to jive. It’s a fun group and a good release for people at the end of the day.”
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Who is next for the chop?
Dan, Sara and Tilly are in a tight battle at the bookies to face the next elimination from Strictly Come Dancing.
The BBC Breakfast host edges the betting at odds of 2/1, with Sara and Tilly close behind at 9/4 apiece.
Rhys is rated as a 6/1 chance to leave next, while it would be a surprise at 20/1 if Tom was to exit the show this weekend.
Jessica O’Reilly of Ladbrokes said: “As we get to the business end of the competition it’s proving difficult to pick which celebrity will be eliminated. Dan is the worthy favourite to leave next given his poor scoring still, but with a loyal BBC fanbase voting to save him it could well be Tilly or Sara that’s axed.
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Explained: How did Shirley get her big break?
At 15, Shirley Ballas moved to North Yorkshire to partner British Ballroom Champion Nigel Tiffany. As dance partners, they won Professional Latin at Blackpool Dance Festival in 1983.
Ballas stopped competing in dance competitions in 1996, becoming a dance coach and judge for ballroom and Latin American competitions.
After her time with Nigel Tiffany, Ballas moved on to become Sammy Stopford’s partner. The pair fell in love and got married and went on to become one of the fastest rising couples in ballroom danc
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Strictly’s AJ Odudu collapses after gruelling training session
STRICTLY Come Dancing’s AJ Odudu collapsed during a gruelling training session with Kai Widdrington.
The presenter said she was “hanging on for dear life” as pro dancer Kai filmed her in a heap on the floor.
The duo will this weekend be performing the Paso Doble to Game Of Survival by Ruelle.
And AJ admitted the fast-paced ballroom dance, that’s based on a Latin American style of marching, had gotten the best of her.
She wrote over her photo taken in their dance studio: “Paso’s going well”
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Auntie’s Glitterballs
The BBC is accused of favouritism as its stars have won nearly half of all Strictlys.
The 18 completed series have seen eight Beeb celebs coming out on top.
That is 44 per cent — and includes mainstream presenters Stacey Dooley, Ore Oduba and Chris Hollins plus Holby City actor Tom Chambers.
Two EastEnders actors — Jill Halfpenny in 2004 and Kara Tointon in 2010 — also scooped the title while no equivalent star of ITV’s Coronation Street has ever won.
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Rumours around AJ & Kai continue
Rumours continue to swirl around the AJ and Kai’s growing friendship.
In further proof of how close they are, AJ revealed Kai paid for her most recent trip to the dentist, which she needed as a result of indulging in too many sugary treats between rehearsals.
She said: “I have so much chocolate and so many sweets that one of my back teeth fell out.
“I had to go to the dentist and I forgot my purse, so I was like, ‘Come on Kai, cough up!’. He sorted me right out.”
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When is Strictly next on TV?
Strictly continues November 13, 2021 at 7.10pm on BBC One.
The results will then be read out the following day (November 14, 2021) at 7.15pm.
If you miss any of the action, you can catch up on the BBC iPlayer.
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Who performs the songs on Strictly Come Dancing?
Strictly Come Dancing is not just loved by audiences for the brilliant dancing, but also for the great live music.
Musical director and arranger Dave Arch is the man in charge of the band.
He is a British pianist, conductor, arranger and composer who has enjoyed a prolific career covering a broad spectrum of the music business including albums, films, and commercials, live and television work.
He is also the Musical Director for recent productions of the Royal Variety Performance show on ITV as well as shows like Popstar To Operastar.
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What are the week eight dances?
AJ Odudu and partner Kai Widdrington: Paso Doble to Game Of Survival by Ruelle.
John Whaite and Johannes Radebe: Samba to Acuyuye by DLG.
Sara Davies and Alijaz Skorjanec: Argentine Tango to No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) by Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand
Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice: Couple’s choice routine to Symphony by Clean Bandit ft Zara Larsson.
Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu: Charleston to The Charleston by Bob Wilson and his Varsity Rhythm Boys.
Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin: Quickstepping to I Won’t Dance by Damita Jo.
Dan Walker and Nadiya Bychkova: American Smooth to King Of The Road by The Proclaimers. to ‘Classic’ by MKTO.
Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden: Viennese Waltz to Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls.
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Recap: Strictly last week
AJ topped the leaderboard last week with her energetic Charleston to Don’t Bring Lulu by Dorothy Provine, Pinky and The Girls, which gave her a score of 39 out of a possible 40.
Social media star Tilly Ramsay and partner Nikita Kuzmin narrowly avoided exiting the competition after finding themselves in the bottom two following the public vote, but survived a dance-off against Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty and Katya Jones, who were eliminated from the show.
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Rumours continue to circulate
Rumours continue to swirl around the AJ and Kai’s growing friendship.
In further proof of how close they are, AJ revealed Kai paid for her most recent trip to the dentist, which she needed as a result of indulging in too many sugary treats between rehearsals.
She said: “I have so much chocolate and so many sweets that one of my back teeth fell out.
“I had to go to the dentist and I forgot my purse, so I was like, ‘Come on Kai, cough up!’. He sorted me right out.”
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Strictly’s AJ Odudu collapses after gruelling training session
STRICTLY Come Dancing’s AJ Odudu collapsed during a gruelling training session with Kai Widdrington.
The presenter said she was “hanging on for dear life” as pro dancer Kai filmed her in a heap on the floor.
The duo will this weekend be performing the Paso Doble to Game Of Survival by Ruelle.
And AJ admitted the fast-paced ballroom dance, that’s based on a Latin American style of marching, had gotten the best of her.
She wrote over her photo taken in their dance studio: “Paso’s going well”
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One more sleep!!!
Strictly continues on Saturday (November 13, 2021) at 6.40pm.
The results show will air the following day on Sunday (November 14, 2021) at 7.20pm.
You can also catch any missed episodes on the BBC iPlayer.
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Distracted with excitement
Strictly Come Dancing fans have been left distracted by one couple ahead of Saturday’s show.
After the upcoming routines were revealed on Strictly social media pages, fans could only talk about one couple.
“Yay for rose and Giovanni’s couples choice and what a poignant song choice. Brilliant,” one said.
Another commented: “Omg Gio & Rose’s couples choice is gna be amazing.”
“Rose & Giovanni’s couples choice will be epic,” a third added.
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We hope he’ll be back this weekend too…
Strictly Come Dancing fans were left stunned over the weekend after they learned dancer Kai Widdrington’s dad is football manager Tommy Widdrington.
The 26-year-old and his celebrity partner AJ Odudu were being interviewed by show host Claudia Winkleman after their impressive Charleston when the camera panned to Kai’s father in the audience.
After showing Tommy on-screen, viewers of the BBC ballroom stalwart instantly recognised him due to his famous sports background.
One penned: “I love AJ and Kai so much that Charlestown was brilliant, they’re so hot, plus his dad works for my football team so we have to stan them for that !!! #Strictly”.
“Tommy Widdrington Kai’s dad. Director at Bristol Rovers Football club @Official_BRFC,” another simply wrote.
While another cheekily commented: “Kai’s dad is a DILF. Pass it on #Strictly”.
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Audience banned from clapping
SHIRLEY Ballas has revealed Strictly’s studio audience is banned from clapping during Rose Ayling-Ellis’s performance.
The head judge, 61, gave the interesting nugget of backstage info on Good Morning Britain.
Speaking about the 26-year-old contestant, who is Strictly’s first deaf celebrity to take part in the BBC dance competition, she said: “I think first of all Giovanni has done an absolutely immaculate job.
“And we have a translator off to our left helping her to understand what is being said and the criticism and the critiques.
“And nobody is allowed to clap while she’s dancing so that she can feel the vibrations, and the music. So her other senses are really highlighted.”
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A huge Strictly clue
STRICTLY fans have spotted a clue which they think gives away who will win the Glitterball – as well as the celebs most likely to be axed next.
A Reddit thread titled “who do you think is going to win?” features some fine Strictly sleuth work.
User BellesNoir tallied up the viewing figures on the Strictly YouTube channel ahead of last night’s elimination show and noticed there was a huge discrepancy between the acts.
Based on what they’d seen, Belles said: “I think Rose and Giovanni are going to win, and it isn’t just wishful thinking on my part.
“I’m basing this on YouTube views. If you go look at BBC Strictly’s YouTube channel, there’s massive differences in views.”
EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis is by far and away the most-watched with 190,000 views, 90,000 more than AJ Odudu who has the next most and 99,000 more than John Whaite in third.
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Adam Peaty admits he’s ‘not okay’ after exit
Adam yesterday revealed that he was “not OK” after his emotional exit, saying on Instagram: “It’s crazy to me because I thought I was ‘ok’ but I am not.
“We all have to wear a piece of armour to get the job done and it wasn’t until this week that I knew I could let it go.
“”I’m still healing from the trials and tribulations that elite sporting athletes go through but with that I’m also adapting and learning from life.”
AJ Odudu topped the leaderboard on Saturday with an incredible 39 points after her impressive Charleston.
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Who’s in for the axe this weekend?
Dan, Sara and Tilly are in a tight battle at the bookies to face the next elimination from Strictly Come Dancing.
The BBC Breakfast host edges the betting at odds of 2/1, with Sara and Tilly close behind at 9/4 apiece.
Rhys is rated as a 6/1 chance to leave next, while it would be a surprise at 20/1 if Tom was to exit the show this weekend.
Jessica O’Reilly of Ladbrokes said: “As we get to the business end of the competition it’s proving difficult to pick which celebrity will be eliminated. Dan is the worthy favourite to leave next given his poor scoring still, but with a loyal BBC fanbase voting to save him it could well be Tilly or Sara that’s axed
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Just how much do the Strictly judges get paid?
Craig Revel Horwood and his fellow judge Bruno Tonioli reportedly earn £110,000 each series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Former head judge Len Goodman made £120,000 for work on the judging panel, but the star made his last appearance on the show in December 2016.
His replacement Shirley Ballas is suspected to earn the same as her predecessor, however her pay is currently unknown.
The judges make significantly more than the professional dancers, who are said to earn around £30,000 per series.
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Dances (Continued…)
BBC Breakfast’s Dan Walker and Nadiya Bychkova will dance an American smooth to The Proclaimers’ King Of The Road.
While BBC presenter Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu will perform a charleston to the song The Charleston by Bob Wilson and his Varsity Rhythm Boys.
Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and Johannes Radebe, who are the dance competition’s first all-male couple, will perform a samba to Acuyuye by DLG.
McFly singer Tom Fletcher and partner Amy Dowden will dance the Viennese Waltz to Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls on Saturday.