Tanssi tähtien kanssa

The Finnish Dancing with the Stars (Tanssii tähtien kanssa) has started - viewable on Sunday nights on tvkaista. As I recorded it and watched it later I don't know if you can vote from Blighty. I suspect not. First week they did waltz and cha-cha. Laura Voutilainen was top scorer and was also easily the readers' favourite on the Iltalehti newspaper's online poll (I voted for Satu Silvo). One of the judges, Jorma Uotinen, bears a startling resemblance to Dancing on Ice's Jason Gardiner and is similarly unafraid of handing out low scores. In fact all of the judges have a lack of compunction in this regard: the lowest scorer, Anna Perho, got 2 + 4 + 2 + 2; and Juha Veijonen got 3 + 5 + 2 + 2. Next week is jive and tango. Can't wait! Even though it will be ballroom, not Finnish, tango.

In fact tv dance competitons are a bit like buses: nothing all summer then three come along at once. As well as Tanssi tähtien kanssa on Sundays, we have Dancing with the Stars from the USA on the Watch channel on Thursdays, and our own Strictly Come Dancing starts on Friday: also with waltz and cha-cha. I don't know if the producers are getting instructions from Finland or not.

Jorma Uotinen

Jason Gardiner