Strictly Come Dancing 2012

I am a big fan of this show, but am I not right in thinking that the contestant reveal is usually done in one day - a red carpet thing at Television Centre?

I was surprised to see that three contestants have been announced. Thus far its Dani Harmer (Tracy Beaker), Nicky Byrne (of Westlife), and Richard Arnold (who presumably will be reducing his early mornings on Daybreak, no?).

Anyway, I don't intent to Tumble Tower you with detail you can easily find yourself - I just found today's press announcements to be odd.

Is it still TC1 at TVC, out of interest?

Aren't those just leaks? Nothing's been officially revealed yet, has it, except that we found about about Dani because she blabbed on Twitter, so the BBC admitted it was true.

That's exactly what I thought, except they've started uploading videos via facebook which link to the website. The three mentioned are captioned, "contestant revealed".

Damage limitation maybe?

Maybe like some of the other reality competitions, they've decided to drip the names out, we'll probably have announcements every day over the next week.

Creates more interest I expect than announcing them in one job lot.

Nicky Byrne was announced on The One Show tonight.

Did Bill Turnbull reduce his Breakfast commitments when he was on Strictly?

I forgot he was on it. Dunno, noggin.

I'm sort of hoping Richard will. I noticed he did a Strictly bit on Daybreak this morning, so I suspect not.

They're releasing "cryptic clues" about each celeb.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006m8dq/profiles/celebrities

Looks like the latest one is Lisa Riley.

The Mail Online have, somewhat spitefully, revealed the lineup in greater detail, by sending their reporters and paparazzi to a rehearsal hall in London to observe the cast emerging from cars with "blacked out windows".



It would have been, but for your reporter peering through the toilet windows. Urgh.

So that none of you have to search the Mail Online and line their pockets further, I've listed the revelations in a spoiler box below.

I don't mean to defend the Daily Mail, but the BBC obviously didn't care that much about keeping the list of contestants secret if they were wearing Bruce Forsyth masks, being driven in cars with blacked out windows and all appearing in the same location. The BBC gave the Daily Mail something to photograph and report on and I doubt it was by mistake. I wonder who told the photographer to wait outside that particular hall anyway. If these people had just turned up at BBC Television Centre in normal cars without Forsyth masks, there would not be a story.

Where would you suggest a group of dancers rehearse a group number? Each in a different county?

As the BBC is incrementally teasing and announcing contests, having that spoiled when only 4 of 14 have been revealed would be pointless for them. The Mail have more to benefit here - being as Strictly is very, very popular.

Your cynicism does not follow any logic.

I don't know but a dance studio in the same city as most tabloid newspapers/photographers are based would seem like a good choice if you wanted to maximise publicity. Alternatively, not there, if you wanted to keep it a secret.



The Sun also has pictures, credited to a different photographer (I guess the BBC invited a few). You can also see what is probably the BBC's own crew along with a sign which could well be saying "We are filming Strictly Come Dancing here, if you hang around you may be on television" as I have seen before in public places that the BBC has been filming in. Most of the country doesn't read [Sunday] newspapers, the BBC haven't lost anything by revealing the contestants in the press the day before they reveal them on television. The promotion on The One Show is aimed at people who aren't massive Strictly Come Dancing fans who have gone out of their way to find out who the contestants are but more the casual viewer who might watch Strictly Come Dancing because they are interested in one or more of the contestants. It doesn't really matter how they find out who the contestants are.



It is not cynicism at all. I just don't believe everything I read. Of course it makes it more exciting for the papers to pretend they used covert techniques to find out about the contestants, but you only have to think about it for 30 seconds to realise this obviously wouldn't happen, If the BBC really wanted to hide the identifies of the contestants, why would they provide them with Forsyte masks? Both papers tell their readers when the show starts, it is the perfect pre-publicity for the programme and a cheap way to fill a page in a newspaper.