Strictly Boring

The new Strictly line-up. I'm not a fan and won't be watching, but surely with all the people queuing up to get on the show, they could have done better than this?

Ali Bastian – actress and star of police drama The Bill, who will be dancing with Brian Fortuna

Lynda Bellingham – actress and TV presenter, who will be dancing with Darren Bennett

Natalie Cassidy – actress and former EastEnders star, who will be dancing with Vincent Simone

Martina Hingis – former professional tennis player and women's world No. 1, who will be dancing with Matthew Cutler

Jade Johnson – long jumper and Olympic athlete, who will be dancing with Ian Waite

Zoe Lucker – actress and former star of Footballers' Wives, who will be dancing with James Jordan

Laila Rouass – actress and former star of Footballers' Wives, who will be dancing with Anton Du Beke

Jo Wood – model and businesswoman, who will be dancing with Brendan Cole
For the men

Joe Calzaghe – Britain's only undefeated boxing world champion, who will be dancing with Kristina Rihanoff

Richard Dunwoody – horse-racing legend who will be dancing with Lilia Kopylova

Ricky Groves – actor and EastEnders star, who will be dancing with Erin Boag

Chris Hollins – BBC Breakfast TV's sports presenter, who will be dancing with Ola Jordan

Craig Kelly – actor and Coronation Street star, who will be dancing with Flavia Cacace

Phil Tufnell – former cricketer and TV presenter, who will be dancing with Katya Virshilas

Ricky Whittle – actor and Hollyoaks star, who will be dancing with Natalie Lowe

Rav Wilding – TV presenter, who will be dancing with Aliona Vilani

A little love and understanding.

So Paris and Lyon were great, lots of walking, eating, drinking and relaxing where possible. It was all very autumnal and crips and just...really nice. Paris is so lovely. I realise I've not been for more than a day all the times I've ever been there, so it was good to spend a proper amount of time there.

I did wonder, looking at endless wide boulevards, acres of beautiful buildings, elegant shops and endless restaurants, why I live in London. Even Mrs F-C could live in Paris. It's okay for her, she speaks fluent French, but I may have trouble getting by. I used to think some of France was rather primitive and old-fashioned. Not so Paris. It knocks London into a cocked hat. It so walkable, there's very little construction, it's all so civilised.

On a French-related note, does anyone know of any good compilations of French Sixties singers, apart from the EMI Belle Epoque one, anywhere?

I need more than just Serge Gainsbourg in my life.

(On a song-related note, two songs really remind me of Paris: Under Pressure by Queen & Bowie, which reminds me of a sixth form trip in 1981, and No One Is To Blame by Howard Jones, which reminds me of a college trip by coach and boat, on which a highly-suspicious drunk was among a coachload of students with a huge envelope of cash about his person which fell out of his pocket and onto the floor. When we told the coach driver he was mortified. He was without doubt in cahoots with this person. I've wondered why since '86).

Sorry, I'm boring myself here.