All the nations favourites to return very soon!
With the autumn months just around the corner, all the usual suspects are returning or soon to return to our screens.
Back from the scrapheap is the newly named and rejuvenated Cheryl Fernandez-Versini (formerly Cole) who will be sitting on the judging panel alongside Mel B, Louis Walsh and the flat-topped, high trousered Simon Cowell in the new series of talent show mainstay the X-Factor.
There’s been the usual over-hype, pre-season TV ‘specials’ and gossip column filling press to build up the excitement as we reach the new season opener which airs this coming Saturday 30 August at 8pm on ITV. Bet you can’t wait for that one!
BBC will respond ‘strictly’ with a new line up too!
If the exploits of wannabe pop-stars wasn’t enough to whet your entertainment appetite, then don’t forget that the BBC’s mainstay for the past 12 years Strictly Come Dancing will be returning to our screens very soon too.
With the nations favourite Bruce Forsythe now having hung up his dancing shoes and presenters mic for good, the show will be anchored by his long time trusted co-host Tess Daly and results show host Claudia Winkleman; who proved to be a worthy replacement for the departed Brucey last year.
This year’s celebrity contestant line-up appears to be an interesting bunch with a few surprise names in there. Confirmed contestants to date are Steve Backshall, Scott Mills, Frankie Bridge, Mark Wright, Simon Webbe, Jake Wood, Sunetra Sarker, Thom Evans, Alison Hammond and Judy Murray – mother of British tennis player Andy Murray; who has incidentally stated at being “embarrassed” by her inclusion. Who can blame him?
Talking of Grand Slam Tennis…
This week saw the start of the tennis season’s final Grand Slam tournament in Flushing Meadows, New York – the US Open.
With just a few days gone, we are already seeing a familiar picture with lone representative Andy Murray being the only remaining Brit in any of the main draws. Murray however nearly followed fellow Brit Heather Watson out the door on day one as he struggled with severe cramp in the third set against Dutchman Robin Haase, conceding the set 6-1 and looking almost out on his feet. Perhaps the thought of his mother dancing on live TV was taking it’s toll? Who knows!
Somehow the double grand slam and Olympic champion found a way through in four sets and will play Germany’s Matthias Bachinger, a qualifier ranked 235, for a place in the last 32 on Thursday. You catch the live action on Sky Sports 3.
Formula One just got nasty!
This past week’s Belgian Grand Prix just set a new precedence in F1 – the gloves are off! In an unthinkable move on just the second lap of the race, World Championship leader Nico Rosberg attempted to pass race leading fellow team-mate (said in the looses sense of the word) Lewis Hamilton at a point where there was simply no way of making the pass successful.
In a strange and downright dirty attempt at sending a “message” the German failed to pull out of the move fully, clipped his front wing against Hamilton’s rear left tyre and the result was a damaged front wing for Rosberg and a flat tyre and irreparable damage to Hamilton’s car, leading to a retirement.
The whole fiasco led to Rosberg throwing away a potential 1-2 finish for the Mercedes team, with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo taking the chequered flag and the German settling for second place to a chorus of boos from the onlooking fans.
The aftermath however, is what grabbed the headlines. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff described the move as “absolutely unacceptable” and the following internal team investigation revealed that Rosberg “did it on purpose”!
F1 hasn’t seen bust-ups of this nature since the days of Prost and Senna. With seven races remaining in the season, things can only get dirtier as the races unfold. Say what you like about the new race rules and engine regulations – the end of this Formula One season is going to be unmissable. Catch all of the moves, crashes and bust-ups live and uninterrupted only on Sky Sports F1. It’s going to get bumpy!
