The Y Factor

What’s Jeremy Hunt MP, Shadow Culture Secretary, discussing here? Read more

Strictly switch-around for BBC1 autumn

Strictly ‘refreshed’, 16 celebs going around the world in 80 days, Take That headlining a Children in Need concert at The Albert Hall and Totally Saturday “not as good as it should be”: Today’s press launch for the autumn season on BBC1.

BBC1 Controller Jay Hunt was on confident, bullish form as she unveiled BBC1′s new season line-up (joshing the event was quite nerve-wracking for her “given what happened to my predecessor… I’ve looked at all the pictures you’re going to see today, and I didn’t see someone walking backwards when they should have been walking forwards… but I might have missed something”). Read more

Ball of confusion

Simon Cowell didn’t get all the column inches he was expecting this morning. Read more

“I’m in charge”

Last night, it was off to Television Centre, courtesy of a Beeb PR, who’d very kindly sorted me out a couple of tickets to see a recording of Strictly Come Dancing. Read more

Sunday trading

So, from Sunday 7 October (the day after the first episode proper) Strictly Come Dancing gains a regular Sunday edition, in which the losing dancers are booted out of the show. Coincidentally, that same weekend, The X Factor sprouts a one-off Sunday episode…

Operation Winkle

So, blog favourite Strictly Come Dancing is back, but as someone whose enjoyment of daring routines is tempered by the desire to avoid all potential for car-crash telly (I always left the room when Fiona Phillips took to the floor last year), I find myself in my usual mixed state of enthrallment and discomfort when it transmits. Read more

“You’re my favourites!”

12 hours later, and I still can’t quite believe it. In case you were watching a load of singing binmen on the other side, the finale of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1 proved to be an unforgettable experience, largely for all the wrong reasons. Read more