Review: Strictly Come Dancing, The Live Tour 2012, Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle (From The Northern Echo)

Review: Strictly Come Dancing, The Live Tour 2012, Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle

11:18am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Reviews By Lucy Richardson

FAKE tans, plunging necklines and sequins galore, the costumes dazzled on the opening night of Strictly Come Dancing – The Live Tour 2012 in Newcastle...

and that was just the men.

Taking to the floor for this year’s show were reigning champion and boy band hunk Harry Judd, actress Chelsee Healey, Eighties heart-throb Jason Donovan and former Premier League footballer Robbie Savage.

Coupled with their professional partners they were joined by actress Anita Dobson, ex-Olympic swimmer Mark Foster and Nancy Dell’Olio, who is better known as the former girlfriend of Sven-Goran Eriksson than an Italian property lawyer.

The enormous glitter ball twinked over the audience of nearly 11,000 fans and, as the theme tune sounded, everyone from little girls to grandmas, clapped along excitedly just as they had in front of their televisions every Saturday and Sunday night for months.

Favourite routines were lapped up by an appreciative crowd, including Chelsee’s air hostess-inspired quick step and Harry’s passionate Argentine tango, which attracted rapturous applause.

But dancing is only one of the vital ingredients that has made the BBC1 show such a hit, and after nine series, Strictly is more popular now than ever.

Head judge Len Goodman has somehow managed to give the numbers “seven” and “'ten” a life of their own, hyperactive Bruno Tonioli supplied more innuendo than a Carry On film and Craig Revel Horwood frequently consulted his dictionary of one-word adjectives to the delight of the crowd. It was fab-u-lous.

• Until tomorrow. For tickets call 0844-4936666