Strictly Come Dancing / Alan Dudman / 18 December 2009 /

After 14 weeks of blood, sweat and tears Strictly Come Dancing reaches its conclusion on Saturday night. Alan Dudman selects the best bets.

Remember that Paul McCartney song? It went something along the lines of: "We're so sorry, Uncle Albert". Well, I have re-worked this into a rather catchy tune of my own, and the lyrics are thus: "I'm so sorry, Ricky Whittle."

You see I nearly deserted the big guy when it mattered, and I wasn't alone. I saw the headlines, I saw the price (out to [6.00] at one point), and I saw the support for Hollins. And before I look at the final this Saturday I would like to apologise to Whittle. I was with him at the start, I was with him every week bar last, and I am never going to leave you again.

Enough of such metrosexuality.

Having tipped Ricky to win it before the series started, I am ever so chuffed he has made it to the final. Ali Bastian ought to be there with him instead of old 'gurning features'. Again, shock of shocks last Saturday....Ali with a perfect 50 point American smooth, headed out of the exit door.

So, we have our final. After 14 weeks of blood, sweat and tears, we are about to reach our climax
(something I was always hoping for with such great dancers as Ola, Flavia and Laila). Brucie has promised a grand finale and hopefully the greatest dancer will win. It's the champ v the chump, the class versus the arse, the King against the Joker, and the hunk battling the hobbit.

Whittle has responded magnificently to some adverse headlines. He has got up and moved on, and it appears the public may have forgiven him. A quite ludicrous [6.00] was there to be taken during Ricky's moment of darkness, but he's now back as favourite quite rightly at [1.71].

If I'd had a free poke with a tenner after week five, it wouldn't have gone on Hollins. How he has made it in to the final is bemusing. I for one won't be backing him at any price - and the 'yeah
baby' lovers out there are welcome to him at around [2.40].

Hollins and the lovely Ola have chosen the foxtrot and the Charleston for the final. The foxtrot represented a turning point for Chris in Blackpool, and it gave him the belief he could do it. His Charleston was a lot of fun a couple of weeks ago, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It's fun, giggly and lively...all suited to Hollins and his funny little mouth. However, the bare facts are he has never scored a 10.

Let's talk turkey with 10s. Ricky has a plenty. His two dances of choice are the quickstep and the cha cha cha. The former was his best dance of the competition and Len loved it. It was fast, furious and very intricate. His cha cha cha wowed the ladies last time out and I reckon he is going to blow us away this weekend. His partner Natalie is ace at the quickstep too, this will be the clincher.

There is also a group dance involving the two finalists and their partners. They'll be strutting the
lindy hop, a fascinating routine full of flips, aerials, lifts and timing. Ricky can do all those, and I
am not sure Chris can.

I also think Hollins may be in awe of dancing against the Hollyoaks man. He already revealed his slight embarrassment at making the final at the expense of Ali, and using the word guilty hardly reflects the best frame of mind. Whittle knows he deserves to be in the final; I don't think the pocket rocket does.

So there we have it, Ricky is gonna win, his quickstep will get 49 points and we'll all be happy bunnies until the next series! I can't really tip him up at [1.70] to win it, having advised all sorts of other prices, so let's get at the little guy.

Recommendations: Lay Chris Hollins in the winner market @ [2.48]

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