Strictly The Tour
Leeds Arena and touring January 2026
Producer: Craig Revel Horwood
Pure showbiz magic and pizzazz is in short supply within 21st century UK light entertainment, as least according to show business purists.
I am fortunate enough to go along to the ‘Strictly’ tour every year, where a hugely impressive orchestra, complete with a gaggle of great singers is augmented by tip-top lighting and technical specifications. This is all before we even begin to mention the great dancing!
Surely any of the creatures who inhabit Planet BBC and who happen to possess even the merest scintilla of acumen, should stop messing about with ‘celebrity auto-cue readers’ and appoint Janette Manrara as a main presenter for the telly show. Now that the one with the annoying fringe and the blonde who squints as she reads, have both departed, they should surely be replaced in all haste by Ms Manrara and some kind of comedy sidekick, such as Bradley Walsh or Brian Conley. In fact, anyone but Alan Carr!
The judges, on this tour, Anton Du Beke Shirley Ballas and the divinely and comically acerbic show director/producer Craig Revel Horwood, bring all the fun. My main observation however is that ‘Strictly’ is true and proper quality live entertainment, featuring an awesome orchestra and top-drawer singers.
The tour must have presented quite a strain to producers, as so many who took part in the 2025 TV competition, were either unable or unwilling to go on tour. TV winner Karen Carney sent a nice video message and special guests appeared, in order to to strut their stuff and pad out what could have been a somewhat truncated affair, this time around. Completing the padding out process was a solo spot from drag performer La Voix, who seemed to go down a treat with the thousands of fans watching and loving it all.
Finally and crucially, we really should praise to the hilt the wonderful Strictly singers, namely Tommy Blaize, Andrea Grant Tara Mc Donald and Patrick Smyth.
For Orchestra Leader Allan Rogers, this is his 18th Strictly tour and for those us who appreciate the purity and authenticity of true live music, this really is Such Fun!