Alesha Dixon and Strictly Come Dancing

This post may only seem relevant to British people as it applies to a British television show and a British celebrity. I believe the US has a similar show to our Strictly Come Dancing called "Dancing With The Stars".

Anyway, the reason for this post is that I cannot take it anymore. In case you haven't heard, Alesha Dixon is to be made judge on Strictly Come Dancing; replacing Arlene Phillips.

Before I start whinging, let me take this opportunity to say that I think Alesha Dixon is clearly a lovely person who has been through a lot over the past few years and behaved admirably since coming into the limelight.

Alesha also performed reasonably well on the series of Strictly Come Dancing on which she competed for the title, which she went on to win. I say she performed reasonably well. As a (sometimes) voting member of the public and someone who has spent years learning the wonderful artform that is Ballroom and Latin dancing, I feel I have the right to say that I don't think she deserved to win. I think Matt Di Angelo (who came second) deserved that honour.

Her footwork wasn't too tight and her arms were a bit all over the place. The main reason for my opinion is that she was already a dancer. She'd danced in her music videos with Mis-teeq and N*E*R*D, whereas Matt hadn't done much dancing at all previously.

The judge that Alesha will be replacing, and indeed her fellow judges, are all extremely experienced and qualified dancers and choreographers, ranging in age from their 40s to their 60s. Basically, they do know their stuff. And I'm sorry Alesha, but you don't. And winning one reality T.V. show doesn't really change that.

Even Bruce Forsythe is an accomplished dancer with an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the history of dance.

The professional dancers who coach the celebrities on the show are also highly experienced, both in dancing and choreography; most having danced in competitions since childhood. Not only do they have to teach their charges to dance, they have to create the choreographies.

I'm afraid that in hiring Alesha Dixon as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC is insulting the professional dancers and the dance world in general.