Spare a thought this morning for Erin Boag. The professional ballroom dancer has drawn what appears to be the short straw of being paired with "snooker ace" Willie Thorne for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing. But what do you think of the other contestants - people like John Barnes, Kenny Logan and yes, Stephanie Beacham and Letitia Dean? Will 80's nostalgia keep the show alive?
Well the media interest is certainly there - the Mirror splashes the line-up all over its page three this morning.
But while the tabloids salivate over the prospect of "lothario" and "charmer" Brendan Cole teaming up with lissome Kelly Brook, isn't some of the thinking behind the new line up a little, well, obvious?
Kenny Logan, the Scotland winger is also in the line-up, as is his wife Gabby Logan, with executives hoping that the former rugby player will provide the same level of interest as former England scrum halves Kyran Bracken and Matt Dawson from previous runs. And let's not forget Rugby League player Martin Offiah who teamed up with the unfortunate Ms Boag in series one (they came fourth by the way).
As for La Boag's new partner, Willie Thorne seems a direct replacement for Dennis Taylor, bald head replacing big specs. And so on.
Has it become forumulaic?
This summer's tiresome and dull Big Brother perhaps has a lot to teach entertainment producers and excutives about the danger of sitting on one's laurels and getting complacent. So will Strictly do as well this year in its regular autumnal ratings tussle with The X Factor? Or is the Beeb's thinking that if it aint broke don't fix it going to work once more?
