Strictly Come Dancing’s grand finalé is to be shown on the big screen in 3D for the first time ever this year.

All the dance action from Blackpool’s world famous Tower Ballroom on December 17th is to be broadcast live to Apollo cinemas in London Piccadilly, Altrincham, Burnley, Carmarthen, Leamington, Rhyl, Stroud and Torbay.

It will cost Strictly fans £7 a head to see it plus £1 for 3D glasses if needed. Apollo’s Marketing Manager Nicole Oakley says ” We’re delighted to be able to bring the glitz and glamour of ‘Strictly’ Come Dancing to our screens. We’re calling all budding Len Goodmans, Bruno Toniolis and Alesha Dixons to grab their scorecards, dust off their dancing shoes and join in the fun.

“And while we can’t vouch for the dancing, we can certainly guarantee that the quality of the evening will be a perfect 10!”

Watching the grand final in 3D may well be an experience anyone lucky enough to get a ticket won’t forget in a hurry those looking at the Strictly Come Dancing betting might want to give it a try. The final promises to be a very close-run thing between Harry, Chelsee and Jason. The bookmakers have the celebrities in that order of favouritism as things stand. But Chelsee has been gradually closing the gap and many pundits seem to think she can close it all the way – edging out the McFly drummer on the Blackpool finishing line. Anyone keeping an eye on the Strictly Come dancing winner odds should remember this.

Of course, former Neighbours heart throb and ex star of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” Jason Donovan may have something to say about this being a two-horse race. He’s seeing things very much in three dimensions. The oldest contestant left in the show has been putting on the style with his near perfect “Singin’ in the rain” routine alongside partner Kristina Rihanoff last week and at 7-1 with the bookies, looks like excellent 3d value to me!

Last year’s X Factor winner, Matt Cardle, believes Amelia Lily has what it takes to win the 2011 competition.

The Essex lad, who beat hit acts One Direction and Rebecca Ferguson in the 2010 finals, said he believes the 17-year-old could go all the way in the show.

Amelia was voted back in by the public two weeks ago, after Frankie Cocozza’s premature exit from the programme. However, her popularity waned last week, with her ending up in the bottom two on the show. She narrowly avoided elimination for a second time, with the vote going to deadlock and Craig Colton leaving the competition. People looking at the X Factor odds should remember this.

Matt told the Metro newspaper that he has been watching this year’s series and he really liked Amelia from the start, so he’s pleased she’s back in.
“I’ve got a sneaky feeling she’s going to win it. She’s got what it takes,” he said.

The singer was also asked whether he was worried he could end up like some of the previous X Factor winners who have disappeared after releasing a couple of singles. Matt said all he could do is keep writing, recording, singing and “do the best [he] can”.

When Amelia first came back onto the show, she quickly became the bookies’ favourite to win, but she slipped down the ranks a bit after last week’s performance and her sing-off to stay in the show.

Now, girl band Little Mix are in the lead in the X Factor odds, with Marcus Collins also proving to be a popular choice. With the final just around the corner now, the competition is really hotting up!

James Jordan has appeared on six series of Strictly, and so far he’s not had a winner. However, he’s still in a chance this year with his celebrity partner Alex Jones. One of James’ favourite dances is the Foxtrot – he says it’s a smooth dance, which suits his smooth personality.

Last year, James reached third place dancing with Billy Connolly’s psychologist and writer wife Pamela Stephenson. His other celebrity partners on Strictly have included Cherie Lunghi, Zoe Lucker and Gabby Logan. Those following the Strictly Come Dancing betting will know he didn’t do that well with them.

Born and raised in Gillingham, Kent, James started dancing when he was ten, and was quickly picked out by his teachers for his talent. He began competing at the age of fifteen and had a great deal of success on the youth dancing circuit during his teenage years.

At twenty-one, James took a break from dancing for six months. After that he went to Poland, where he met his new dance partner and future wife, Ola. They got married in 2003 and lived in Hong Kong for a few years, before moving back to Kent.

In last week’s show, Alex and James danced a jive. With Alex dressed as a cheerleader holding a ragdoll, no one was quite sure where it was going. Luckily she ditched the doll – which only got into their routine because it was in the lyrics of the song they were dancing to.

On the Bonfire night show, the duo did a quickstep. During rehearsals that they show before the actual dance, it seemed that James had been shouting at Alex rather a lot, but she was on an assault course and he was her sergeant-major, so it’s not as bad as it first seemed. At the end of their frantic quickstep routine, they tumbled into a heap when the music stopped as if they were kids who’d got dizzy from twirling around too much. Anyone looking for Strictly Come Dancing tips should remember this.

One of James’ best assets seems to be his sense of fun – who can forget last year when he quipped “Nobody puts Granny in the corner” in reference to Pamela Stephenson?!