Bruce Forsyth is a man who needs no introduction to British television viewers. He’s been entertaining the nation on a Saturday night for as long as we can all remember.  He made his television debut as a child on a talent show in 1939, so he’s been on TV nearly all his life.

Back in the 1970s it was as host of the game show the Generation Game. He then went on to present other shows like Play Your Cards Right and The Price is Right.

But younger viewers may only know the recently knighted Sir Brucie in his role as host of Strictly Come Dancing, and they may be a touch perplexed when he yodels “Nice to see you…” and the audience all call back “to see you nice!” Anyone following the Strictly Come Dancing odds will know about this.

After a quiet period without Bruce on British screens during the late 1990s, he made his comeback with a stint as a guest presenter on Have I Got News For You in 2003.  He obviously impressed the right people at the BBC, because just a year later he started as host on the new show Strictly Come Dancing. Bruce has a lifelong love of dancing – when he was a child in Edmonton, he used to watch his hero Fred Astaire dancing on the TV.

Bruce’s appearance in a Christmas TV ad for Morrison’s has caused a flurry of interest as the first airing of the ad went out last week, halfway through Strictly’s rival show the X Factor. Those looking at the Strictly Come dancing winner odds may have been surprised by this.

Out of the limelight, Bruce has six children – five daughters and one son.  He loves golf and lives in Virginia Water, close to Wentworth Golf Club. He has been an Arsenal supporter since childhood, and also supports Tottenham Hotspur.

One of Bruce’s best known catchphrases goes down well with all the dancers on Strictly – “Didn’t they do well?” This is the ninth series of Strictly, and Bruce was ever the professional host, reassuring Chelsee Healey that her modesty remained intact when she feared that her dress had revealed more than just her cleavage.

Marcus Collins wants to win X Factor – of course he does, or why would he be taking part?  But, unlike some of the other contestants who want to do it for the glory, big-hearted Marcus wants to do it for his mum.

Collins was brought up on Waterloo estate, Merseyside, by his mum Ann.  His dad left home and Ann had to raise her son all on her own. Marcus sees winning the X Factor as a way to make life easier for her.  In an interview with the Sun he said: “It’s been a struggle. This could change everything for me and my family. I wouldn’t have to scrimp and get by.” People looking at the X Factor betting should remember this.

His boss at the hairdressing salon is fully behind Marcus – saying all the clients love it when he sings at work. Those following the X Factor winner odds should remember this.

Collins’ rendition of Reet Petite won him the top spot in Digital Spy’s poll for which X Factor contestant performed the best club classic on Bonfire Night.  Collins’ version of the Jackie Wilson classic got 36.5 per cent of the votes, and Little Mix came second with 17.6% for their song – Don’t Stop the Music by Rihanna.

Like fellow contestant Craig Colton, Marcus is openly gay, and hasn’t let the jibes made a few weeks ago by eliminated group Nu Vibe bother him. Just after their exit from the show, the boy group attacked the two solo acts for being ‘bum boys’.

On last week’s show, Marcus sang Another One Bites the Dust by Queen, but the judges weren’t so keen on his performance.  Tulisa slammed it as ‘predictable’ and Kelly Rowland suggested he needed more ‘freedom on stage’.  Despite the judges’ opinions, Marcus is still tipped as one of the favourites to win the contest, with odds of around 3/1.

When Strictly’s Artem Chigvintsev was forced to pull out of the show because of his back injury, New Zealander Brendan Cole was quick to step into Artem’s shoes.

Now Brendan is well-known to Strictly Come Dancing fans and dance fans generally throughout the UK – and, let’s face it, he’s a lot more fun than Artem.

But he was quick to say that the circumstances weren’t welcome, saying “it’s never nice under the circumstances, but I’ll do my utmost to help him and Holly out.”.

Specialists discovered that the damage to Artem’s spine wasn’t as bad as had previously been feared. But he still had to rest, paving the way for Brendan to partner Australian star Holly Valance. Those looking at the Strictly Come Dancing odds should remember this.

Artem had been diagnosed with a transverse process fracture of the lumbar spine at first. But the latest news indicates that he’s suffering from a combination of joint and soft tissue injury.

The ex-Neighbours actress Holly, 28, and Artem, 29, scored 34 points from a possible 40 with their jive on Bonfire night, as Artem danced on through the pain barrier. Anyone looking at the Strictly Come Dancing betting will have been impressed.

The following week, Holly and Brendan did a Rumba number, to Artem’s choreography. The dance looked like an excellent match for Holly’s abilities, as there wasn’t too much footwork involved!

Holly’s overall effort lacked a little pizazz – but it did include her having a go at the splits at one point (though in a rather “limited” way!).

Nevertheless, she scored well yet again partly because she was so expertly shepherded by Brendan.

Brendan has appeared on all the Strictly Come Dancing series and has been known to clash with the judges over their marks and comments. He’s also broken the dancing rules deliberately now and again, which is why the New Zealander has something of a reputation as Strictly’s bad boy.

Coronation Street is the longest running television series to be still in production, and it is astonishing how the fan-base of the show is renewed as time passes.
There is always plenty going on in Weatherfield, but the action is not just confined to what we see on the screen. Sometimes, the drama happens when the cameras have stopped rolling.

Helen Flanagan collapsing on-set. Rosie Webster has been played by Helen Flanagan since 2000 when she was still 10 years old. Just this summer, Helen took a three-month break from work and returned for the September 26 episode of Coronation Street. She is not short of work upon her return and although that may seem like a good thing, the stress of her work appears to be taking a toll on her health. She appears regularly in Corrie episodes, and does photo and video shoots for the “Just Rosie” spin-off website. Because of all these work anxieties, she’s been experiencing panic attacks on set and it alarmed everyone on the set of Coronation Street. Someone needs to take it easy on that girl.

Eileen Derbyshire’s dress catches fire. While filming the Coronation Street’s “Bonfire Night” episode, Eileen Derbyshire’s clothes caught fire causing her to be immensely shocked. A crew member said that Eileen got too close to the candle and immediately her clothes went up in flames. Poor Eileen had to be sprayed with fire extinguisher to put off the fire on her garments. And then she was taken to a doctor at once. The incident gave everyone a day off but now the actress has recovered is back to work.

It seems like these days have been hard for some of the Coronation Street cast. Let’s wish them luck so that the Coronation Street legacy keeps running.
Written by Alex Corcoran, a fan of free casino games and Coronation Street.