A Ticket To The Stars!
A Ticket To The Stars! |
Every Saturday night for the past month, our front rooms have been invaded by the bright and brassy BBC dance show Strictly Dance Fever. But what is it like to be there when it's filmed? On Saturday 7 May, I got the opportunity to find out.
The show is broadcast live from The Fountain Studios in Wembley, just a swing out away from the famous stadium. I arrived with friend Val Wilson just before 5pm to see a long queue that included previous contestants Katie and Alex.
Taking one look at my zoot suit and Val's gorgeous black dress, the BBC check-in girl directed us to the front, where we met up with Tony and Paula Levy, organisers of Camp Savoy, and Mehmet and Christine Adahli. Mehmet used to run Ryan Francois' dance troupe, The Illinois Jackets.
Around 5.30pm we are let into the studio and ushered to our seats. The reason for the preferential treatment becomes clear: because we were all dressed up, the production assistants want us sitting in the prime position between the dancers' entrance and the judges' table, so that the cameras can show what a classy audience they have.
The first impression of the dance floor is that it's much smaller than it looks on TV. There's room for around 200 people in tiered seating surrounding the floor, with some tables and chairs for privileged guests around the perimeter.
 The Francois' with The Levys (L) and Adahlis (R) |
Andy the warm-up act comes out to explain what is going to happen. We are told to whoop and cheer at even the most minor achievements of the contestants. He gets a few laughs, and with 15 minutes to go, everyone looks remarkably relaxed.
Ryan and wife Jenny Thomas have been training the Lindy Hop and Jitterbug couples this week, and they both find their way out of the Green Room to say hello. Ryan is one of Zoë Ball's guests on tonight's 7pm BBC3 show.
The Axis of Evil, sorry, judges appear, and take their places. I'm delighted to say that the first thing Jason Gardiner did was to pick his nose. Oh yes indeed, folks, there was some serious nasal excavation work going on, which saves me the bother of having to make up something about him.
It's 6pm and Graham Norton bounces onto the floor with his usual pizzazz and we all go wild. Nothing's happened yet, but already we are all behaving like demented banshees. Surely we can't keep this going for another four hours?
What you see on TV is pretty much what we see in the studio. The video clips of happenings in The House are projected onto big screens. As they end, the floor manager signals for more applause. I realise this is going to be a regular occurrence and although I arrived with hands it looks like I'll be going home with two slabs of raw meat.
The dances look different live, because you aren't restricted to seeing the designated camera shot. Next series maybe the BBC will have a Sky Sports-like red button, so you can decide which view to see.
It all goes pretty much as I expected, with Joseph and Sadie at the top, and Paul and Natasha at the bottom. The judges have done their best to evict P&N from the competition since it started so no change tonight.
Graham gives lots of plugs for the phone and text numbers, and reminds us of the scores. Most of what he reads is on autocue, but I can see that he doesn't always stick to the script and improvises from time to time. With his quick wit, great timing and delivery, he's the consummate professional and one of the stand-out successes of the show.
At 7pm we go straight into the BBC3 broadcast. Zoë Ball interviews Graham in a raised studio opposite the judges, and then comes down to the dance floor to talk to the contestants. My, she's a tall lady, and about two-thirds of her is legs.
There's no rehearsal for this section of the show, as you might have guessed if you saw it on Saturday night and recall the video tape failure and Zoë’s impromptu busking. She soft-shoes her way over to the judges' table and schmoozes Jason. I'm thinking if only she would get out of the way, I would have a clear shot.
It's a bit ramshackle but very relaxed. The programme ends at 7.50pm and the studio echoes to the sound of mass rustling, as bags previously hidden under our chairs emerge into the studio lights.
Luckily, Ryan had told me to take food and drink. Some people had been queuing since 3pm, and The BBC only provides a two-finger KitKat and a little carton of orange [What? No Jason joke? - Ed]. But our group has come prepared, and to the amazement of Andy the warm-up, produces what amounts to a full picnic, with fruit, drinks, crisps, sandwiches and dips.
Apart from drink and sandwiches, I'd brought two satsumas, one to eat, and one for colour comparison purposes [Ah! Here it is! Ed]. During the break, they'd obviously sent out to the local Homebase for a tin of orange paint, as the make-up girl is now applying it to Jason with a trowel. His previously expressionless face is now filled with emulsion.
The next broadcast is the live results show at 9.25pm, so plenty of time to kill. A substantial part is filled by the recording of Anton du Beke and Erin Boag's Foxtrot.
Elegance and grace personified, they have to perform the routine four times, as something always seems to go wrong. Not with the dancing, but either getting the right camera angle, or in one case, the singer getting the words wrong. We are required to applaud every time, and by the end you could fry eggs on my palms. Not that you'd want to.
There's also a loo break, and security staff allow us out in groups. Somehow I get lost and end up in the dancers' changing room. Sadly, nothing of any interest to report from there, and understanding supervisors direct me to my intended destination.
Graham reappears to film the links. He keeps getting the telephone number wrong, swears and is highly entertaining. There's also a weird rehearsal of the ejection, where floor staff sit in the judges' seats and say who they think is the worst couple that night. Names are then read out until one is 'ejected'. This week it's Danny and Jodie.
No idea why they did that. Perhaps as there's one less couple each week, it's to estimate the timings. When it comes to the real thing, Graham tells us that the long pause before he says anything is down to him waiting for the scorers’ verdict in his earpiece. Right. So the fact that this adds elements of drama and tension to the proceedings must just be coincidental J .
It's 9.25pm and we're live to the nation once more. The dancers are all dressed up and ready to Shag. Jeez, could Graham have squeezed any more double entendres in during the programme? The routine looks good, and dance captains Paul and Natasha have done a fine job marshalling the troupe to Ryan's choreography.
Then we cut to the recorded Foxtrot, and while you at home are watching it, we in the studio are nibbling at the last of the sandwiches. Meanwhile, the dancers race off to get changed out of their Shag gear into their previous frocks for the final line-up.
The dramatic music plays, and one by one the couples retreat to the safety of darkness that means they have been voted through to next week. It's down to Paul and Natasha and Adam and Rebecca. You know the result.
Graham comes forward to console them but they hardly need it. And when it comes to the last dance, Paul and Natasha put on a great display. Previous departees have just swayed gently from side to side, having no idea how to improvise to a slow tune. They've then been rapidly surrounded by the others for a group hug.
This time the remaining contestants can't get anywhere near them! Paul is sending Natasha out this way and that, turns, spins and showing everyone what they can do. Only after the TV broadcast has ended can the other House members get close enough to offer their condolences.
Those sitting near the judges overheard Jason and Stacey saying that they were flabbergasted; "NOW they show us they can do that!" was one comment. Perhaps the SDF producers should consider asking contestants to improvise a dance to previously unheard music?
The dancers disappear into a backstage area for the final BBC3 programme. Jenny Thomas arrives and takes our group into the post-show bar. Ooh, get us! Hob-nobbing with the stars!
I accost Anton as soon as he appears and tell him how grateful I was that he was chosen as Paul and Natasha's celebrity sponsor. At least he could impart some useful dancing advice, unlike some of the minor pop and soap stars that some couples were saddled with (ok I didn't actually say that last bit).
 Jenny and Ryan with Joseph and Sadie |
Instead of just saying thanks and rushing off, he stays and chats for some time. I am joined by Val, who will tell you that, yes ladeez, he's everything they say he is - and he's still wearing that "Foxtrot smile".
P&N arrive and they are fine. It was a good night to go, not only, as Paul said, because it was VE Day, but also because there was an enthusiastic posse of Lindy Hoppers to greet and support them - not, as it turned out, that they needed it.
While we're sorry to see Paul and Natasha leave, their departure this week has saved them from a fate worse than Salsa - The Mambo. I thought that was a venomous snake - but then I realised I was thinking about Arlene Philips.
The talk is mainly of how much they are looking forward to getting back to their normal lives, and go out social dancing again. It's after 11pm, the bar has closed and it's time to go. It's been a great night, and we leave with some photos, happy memories, and a question - who do we vote for now?
© Andrew Winton May 2005.
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