‘Christmas is cancelled – boring line-up means this year's Strictly has lost its sparkle’

Normally profoundly invested by the BBC's yearly glittering ballroom contention and each its intrigue by this stage, Mirror columnist Polly Hudson says the magic is missing with this year's line-up of precise mean contestants

There utilized to beryllium 3 things of which we could beryllium certain: death, taxes, and Strictly providing a guaranteed unmissable, exciting, cosy way to Christmas. But this clip round, something’s wrong.

Asking with an highly dense bosom – is it conscionable maine oregon is Strictly lacking its sparkle this year? Ploughing done it has truthful acold has felt similar a chore, a punishment, alternatively than the pure, overmuch anticipated joyousness it usually is.

This has thing to bash with the allegations, the scandal – nary of that has been addressed connected screen, and my main viewing companions person been small kids, who weren’t alert of it anyway. It’s a bigger occupation than that, unfortunately.

The amusement is missing immoderate important constituent you can’t rather enactment your digit on. It feels empty, soulless, similar everyone’s conscionable going done the motions. The magic isn’t happening.

Of people each casts can’t beryllium incredible, and we were spoiled past year. Bobby Brazier, Layton Williams and Ellie Leach were each talented contestants we could happily basal for, and determination was besides the life-affirming healing travel of precocious widowed Annabel Croft, successful the gentle hands of Johannes Radebe.

But usually adjacent if you’re a spot nonplussed erstwhile the line-up’s announced, there’s idiosyncratic who unexpectedly steals your heart. This year? I mean, unsighted Chris McCausland is evidently precise impressive, but beyond that? Meh. They’re each so… normal.

Even the atrocious dances are boring. Think backmost to Anne Widdecombe being dragged on the level by Anton DuBeke, Ed Balls’ Gangnam Style, Russell Grant being fired retired of a cannon. Paul Merson isn’t adjacent successful the aforesaid shot park.

Where are the surprises, similar Bill Bailey being a superb dancer against each odds, Angela Rippon’s limb going up that high?

Where are the moments that supply genuine happiness, similar seeing personage superfan Clara Amfo having the clip of her life, Seann Walsh having to travel backmost and creation with his process betwixt his legs and getting his comeuppance, Rose Ayling Ellis gracefully defying expectations?

This clip there’s nary 1 to attraction about. No-one to love, no-one to hate. And yes, it’s conscionable a TV amusement but really this truly matters.

Strictly is 1 of the times the state feels united. It’s tradition. It’s household viewing no-one is watching done gritted teeth. It’s getting unneurotic with friends for ticker parties, bringing home-made voting paddles and cupcakes that person “Bobby Brazier” connected them successful hardly legible icing due to the fact that it turns retired icing is truly hard to do.

It’s an progressively uncommon occurrence: old-fashioned, genuine lawsuit TV. A glittering item of each week successful the coldest, darkest months of the year.

Not being bothered astir Strictly feels similar a loss, similar thing precious has been stolen from us. As though Christmas has been cancelled, oregon you’ve arrived connected vacation to find the edifice not yet built. When Strictly triumphs, we each do. And erstwhile it doesn’t, it’s hard not to consciousness arsenic overmuch of a loser arsenic whoever that bloke was who got voted retired first.