"I would love to come out and do a salsa like that"

Anton, I think the whole audience were with you at the prospect of Laila imitating Kate Garraway's salsa. Best not to eh?

Highlight of the backstage footage so far - Ola running screaming backstage, emitting the most high pitched "yeah baby" ever heard by the human ear. Love hearing that Spandau Ballet liked the charleston too - Chris is now up there with the big boys! And how sweet of Karen Hardy to text him that they stole the show.

This is what I love about Team Cola's interviews - they are really comfortable with themselves and the interview, they have fun, but they have realistic expectations.

One of the best laughs so far has been their little VT on the training video by "The Jordan (not that Jordan) Ola Jordan". We are reassured that no Hollins were harmed in the making of this video. Brilliant! Someone on the ITT staff has been on humour overdrive this week.

Was it really wise of Natalie Lowe to say that if she hadn't become a professional dancer, she would have become a policewoman? Really - with all that has gone on with Ricky?

James on mid week training doesn't really pull any punches, especially when talking about "my wife" and Chris. I sometimes feel frustrated that so much of the footage is from so early in the week, and he really can't comment properly. But I suppose it is part of the BBC spin - to show how much improvement has been made from "mid week" to the big night.


So Ali's samba is looking nice - but as we all anticipated, samba shouldn't look nice. Bit worried to see Ricky doing heel leads in latin - surely that should have been drilled out of him by now. Neither Anton nor Laila were looking any good with the salsa - I saw absolutely no sign of dancing into the floor, nor of cuban motion. How on earth are they going to pull this off as a quarter final dance? Well, sympathy vote of course (and Laila referencing Kate Garraway is just pointing the public in that direction).

Glad to hear him criticise Ali's arm position in ballroom hold, and mention that she really needs to be using flexed knees throughout in the tango. Proof again that her ballet training is holding her back. Funniest remark of the programme "Obviously Anton isn't that strong"....

And contrast all the other attitudes in training (especially Brian and Natalie who are so scary!) with Team Cola hurtling merrily round the dance floor chanting "pivo, pivo, pivo" or "chass a sey, chass a sey, chass a sey". Who do you reckon might win this?