Is it just me or is ITT getting better this year?

Monday was another cracking show, still slightly rushed, but with much less time spent on a seemingly endless recap of events that happened just two days previously.

This gave much more time to a proper exit interview with the lovely Richard and Lilia. Such a shame that they had to leave! I know it was pretty much their time, but they truly gave it their all and seem to have enjoyed their time together. Lilia is always so positive about her partners (bar the one gnome-like horror with which she was inflicted), and I love the way that she spoke about "we", in terms of "we had so much to learn; we had to learn to walk and talk, then we had to learn how to count", instead of "I had to teach him so much; he was starting from such a low level" etc. Lilia brings so much to the show, and I hope that she makes regular appearances on ITT and behind the scenes.

With Camilla and Karen leaving, Matthew and Lilia out so soon, and Darren and Brendan looking likely to follow fast behind them, non of the pros looks set to do the double. It is always nice that someone else gets a shot at the trophy, but let's hope that the remaining pros can step up to the plate in terms of personality and contribution to the show.

Ricky and Natalie were on next and I have to say that as a couple, I admire their undoubted talent, but as a partnership, I have yet to be drawn to them. Ricky did actually show a very humble side to him, admitting that he was lucky enough to have a head start by possessing natural rhythm, but being absolutely clear about how much he had yet to learn. I admire him for his honesty, but worry that the voting public won't be able to perceive his improvements, when set against some of the much more obvious improvements achieved by others.

When it comes to Natalie, I am unsure as to how she is coming across. If she has done her homework, she will know how Hayley Holt seemed to fade into the wallpaper last season and be determined to avoid that fate. It must be tough for the new pros to make a mark in a series where there is only one new girl that the press and viewers are interested in, especially with last year's IT girl still occupying more than her fair share of the headlines.

To add fuel to the fire, Aliona has stolen a march in terms of brand identity, by dyeing her tresses red, staking her territory as the "non-blonde" new pro. Worse still, she managed to be the first pro to stage an illegal lift, and to garner a telling-off from Len, grabbing attention for herself, all whilst the other newbies, Katya and Natalie, had yet to make it to the starting line.

So what's a girl to do? Set out her stall as the first person to get a 10 for the first dance. But hang on there, this isn't Dancing with the Stars. That might go down with the US viewers, but not with us bitchy British. A pro seeking a 10 for her teaching and choreography on her very first show - the internet has gone into meltdown for far less!

I hope these two do go a long, long way, but the GBP seem to prefer a trier, a duffer even, rather than a success story. And today the news has broken that Ricky has had previous dance training - shock, horror! Turns out that he had 5 salsa lessons (a total of two and a half hours of teaching time) in a rather stop/start fashion over a period of 7 months. And this all seems to have happened two years before he even set foot on the Strictly dance floor. (And no, it won't help at all with the ballroom, or the other latin dances, or even very much with salsa, if he had such a limited taste of it). Oh well, I am sure that the tabloids and the more rabid fans of other couples will not let a little matter of the truth get in the way of a good story/bitching session.

Moving swiftly on, I am quite enamoured of Brendan in knight in shining armour mode. If only he had been this protective last year of Lisa Snowden, things may have turned out very differently. Jo does seem such a lovely lady, but somewhat too fragile for such a tough show. I genuinely hope that she is not too devastated when the inevitable happens, and I hope that the judges can allow her to retain her dignity next Saturday.

Moving on to Tuesday's show.....

Craig and Flavia have put so much into training, but the results just aren't coming through. He seems to work hard, but is not just a natural. Something is really putting me off about his topline - the problem is usually in hunching the shoulders, but Craig seems to somehow drop his shoulders down and go all floppy (technical term, there). I wonder also whether he is too loose in the lower back.

Choreography corner - I love Len; he is a real blast from my past. But I prefer Karen! She has a way of translating technical terms so that the non-dancer can understand and take something concrete away from her comments. Len's slot comes across as more about him, than about the couples he is critiqueing. Bring back Karen!

Next up - Zoe and James. I am loving the way that Zoe is coming across! All these preconceptions that you can get about an actor, on the strength of one role that they have played, and then...all the preconceptions come tumbling down in the best possible way. I really think though, James, please let Zoe do the talking! Although it is quite interesting to hear James admit to a weakness - that he is a better teacher than choreographer. It shows a level of self-awareness that he hasn't previously shown, and I would say that he is spot on there - apart from his stunning rumba last year with Cherie, I have never seen him put together a real stand-out routine for a celeb.

Here he is! My fave of the show.....If I could pick up the phone and start voting now, I would! He has got it all - charm, humour, the ability to take the dancing seriously, but himself never...even a modicum of dance talent. And his very own dance step - the Tuffers Shuffle - what is not to love? And if he can combine his precision footwork, with the cheeky chappie persona for this week's quickstep, then surely my man is on to a winner!