Not ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ but ‘Strictly Be Popular’

Please, please, please use your journalistic skills to tell the BBC from Pendle and indeed, I sense from the whole nation, to change the totally misleading title of their “Strictly Come Dancing” programme to “Strictly be Popular”, or have two awards, the second being for the consistently best dancing couple throughout a series as determined by the four judges.

Natalie Gumede with her dance partner Artem Chigvinstev in Strictly Come Dancing. Photo: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire

I grew up in the 40s when we, in our millions, danced on Saturday nights. It was a relatively healthy activity, from the school hall to the likes of Barlick’s Majestic and Nelson’s Imperial. The “Strictly” dance routines bring it all back in the mind. It was a highlight in an era when poverty and the Second World War shrouded the nation in gloom.

In the “Strictly” final, Park High School’s home-spun Natalie Gumede and affable Artem Chigvintsev blew even the judges away.

The latter struggled to find words to describe their Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers-like performance. Probably the best “Strictly” performance ever. It was not untypical of their achievements throughout “Strictly”. And they still did not win!

And while you are at it, please ask the BBC to phase out Bruce Forsyth. His permanently irritating presence and fifth rate music hall jokes make him an ever increasing verbal carbuncle in the whole proceedings!

Owen Oliver

By email