The Keep Dancing Podcast

A Stumble Away From Perfection PLEASE NOTE: This episode was recorded on Sunday evening just after the Results Show, and completed just after Rebecca Humphries released her statement on Monday evening. We haven’t addressed anything in this episode, because the only information available at time of recording was either gossip or in a paper we’re boycotting. We’ve upgraded our recording setup, and n...

Ellie talks to new media storytelling expert Ewan Spence about how to construct a storyline, why planning a series of Strictly is like making an hour of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show and why we’re all in danger of a catastrophic narrative collapse. Plus, we’d love to hear your questions about the over-arching meta narrative of Strictly, whatever that turns out to be.

Anton Du Not Come Beke The combination of a weird atmosphere on the show, a few puzzling dances and a dawning realisation that Joe is probably unstoppable made Week 2 a bit… odd. Are we seeing the first signs of a seismic shift in Strictly voting patterns? For the first time ever, the Antonettes desert their hero at the first hurdle. What does it all mean? In this episode: - Is maroon a legit colo...

No mess, no fuss, just fifteen dances and a whole new fresh series of Strictly stretching out ahead of us. It’s all downhill to Christmas from here. Polish the mirrorball and get your spray tan on. It’s time. In this episode: - We’re angry with Anton, but not all that surprised - Graeme Swann’s surprising pants - Someone needs to explain The Internet to the grownups - Who’s got the biggest voting...

We’re back on Planet Glitterball for another series of Strictly! Ellie, Emily, Elliot, Anne and Lisa cast their eyes over the class of 2018. Who do we think will struggle? Who’ll be on an improvement arc? Who do we think probably meant to go on Celebrity Masterchef?

Hello! It’s the middle of the summer but the dancing never stops. Ellie went to give Oti’s new dance class Shake It a try. We gave everything a good shake for 2 glorious hours, then sat down for a bit of a chat about the joy of teaching, the Strictly year and the importance of a good bra. Oti’s classes are on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/oti-mabuse-16997034174 Keep up with Keep Dancin...

The Chalkley family go to see the Strictly Live tour en masse, and have views on glitter, merchandise and problems distinguishing badgers from badges.

We round off the competitive part of the 2017 Strictly series with some hot takes from the night that Joe’s spirited execution of Katya’s choreography claimed the glitter ball! Featuring Ellie, Emily, Elliot, Ann and an extra special guest.

It’s semi finals week and we’ve got the whole podcast gang on at once. Chaos reigns and hilarity ensues. Which thing is not a thing? Who is launching a range of body washes? Who is wearing the wrong trousers? And have we got the right finalists?

It’s the shortest show of the Strictly year and we’re off to the musicals, darling. We’re also very cross about the animosity towards two of our leading ladies in various dark corners of the internet, so buckle in. Also covered: - Mollie King’s playlist for her crush https://open.spotify.com/user/ellielabelle/playlist/2FdhhgNu5v1i1R4HfzbXny - The difference between a sticky wicket and a shoogly pe...

We pick up the pieces after Susan and Kevin are knocked out of the competition and it looks like we’ve got a new winner elect. Also featuring: - Do you need a risk assessment to go up a girder in culottes? - Who is dressed as Alan Partridge? - Debbie sends Ellie into a polysyllabic meltdown - A dismissal of the ‘thon’, if we must call it that - Blubbing

Blackpool time comes around again and we begin by deconstructing the iconography and symbolism of Northernness as displayed in Strictly. - Which podcast team member hasn’t actually seen Strictly Ballroom? - 90s memories flood back with Debbie’s alleged samba - Deep confusion about Davood’s Paso - An in-depth discussion of acid house fashion - A highly recommended google image search string With El...

One Lift Short Of An American Smooth After Strictly finally take Mum’s advice and ditch the theming and comedy VTs, the Keep Dancing Pod team have gone mad with power. We swoon over Susan’s emotional connection with the public, decide which dance is which Sweet Valley High character, ask which pro should retire first, liken ballroom dancing to manned spaceflight and coin the phrase: ‘Debbie, but w...

After a troubling, yet exciting week the Random Theming Crisis of Strictly 2017 claims a big name in nailed-on finalist Aston Merrygold. Ellie, Emily and Mum Julia analyse the dances, the frocks and the hoopla. There is quite a lot of hoopla.

We lost some of the podcast during recording, and then found some of it during editing. So Ellie frankensteined the two files into a single show and now we’re here for the hoopla. Apologies if there are any logical inconsistencies, spooky time travel interludes or unexplained half jokes. Or more than usual anyway. Ellie is joined by Lisa and Jon to lurk in the shadows and discuss Halloween week. T...

Strictly is working its way through the stragglers, like raptors in Jurassic park. In this week of random theming and random Bruno disappearances, we struggle with AJ’s dock, adore Jonnie and Oti’s supermarket sweep and come up with a new and exciting theme week that involves a Charleston to the theme to One Foot In The Grave. Ellie, Lisa, Ann and Richard also go on a lengthy digression about stea...

Is it really never too early for a ten from Shirley? That's just one of the questions we seek to answer this week. Ellie is joined by Lisa, Ann, Richard and new voice Jon for almost 2 hours of Strictly analysis, deconstruction and general larking about. With pirouetting bananas, inexplicable doorframes and Charlotte obtaining her freedom.

Movie Week! We take our film criticism very seriously indeed and get into Jonnie's posterior positioning, swoon over Susan's samba, debate Debbie in-depth and get swept away to the Russian romance of Joe's VW. And who will win Frock of the Week? Or for that matter, Wig of the Week?

After week 2, we've got all sorts of strong views, especially about the end result. We're sorting the Improvers from the Dead Ringers with the help of new crew member Ann - she's sort of like our Shirley Ballas. Emily still likes Davood, Richard ventures views on frocks and Ellie has plans to start a commune with Susan, Susan's wife Lee, Jonnie and everyone else who loves Jonnie. And just in case...

After the first live show, we try to work out who meets our expectations, who confounds our expectations and what our expectations were in the first place. Ellie is joined by Lisa, Emily and Richard to discuss the dances and by Ewan to try and work out the storyline of the whole series.

In our 2017 Strictly Come Dancing preview show, Ellie, Lisa and Emily assess the new contestants, make tentative forecasts on who would be their most suitable partners, bid a fond farewell to Bruce Forsyth and have the most incredible trouble remembering the names of the male pros.

We're back for more Strictly chat with a new judge, three new dancers and the first hints of the Strictly Class of 2017. Ellie and Lisa are your hosts and there's a couple of special, unexpected cameo appearances.

In Episode 18, we're recording straight after the result and we have a special guest - Ellie and Emily's mum, Julia. - Did we approve of the judge's choice selections? - Was the big prop in Ore & Joanne's show dance too big? (No!) - The rules of the Eurovision drinking game and how they apply to Strictly - Ellie & Emily's mum shaming them for being mean to Kevin - Dawn leaves us a voicemail As wel...

In Episode 17, it's the Semi Final and we're not so much angry as disappointed. Between the baffling scores and random judges comments we didn't get the best possible final line up. Also this week: - The most ridiculous prop of the series - Claudia treated as an adult by everyone except Tess - Ore rediscovers his charisma - Danny and Oti created a perfect moment - Louise fails to go Full Pineapple

Musicals week showcases the very best and very worst of Strictly's theme week excesses. In homage, this podcast contains some of our very best and very worst jokes. We're sad about Rob Rinder leaving the competition, we're angry about the general concept of jukebox musicals and we are prepared to be slightly more patient with Louise. This lasts about thirty seconds. Who wins Frock of the Week? Who...