I don’t know about this film, it was a bit of a slog to get through it. I thought we were going for the out-of-place character in the small town vibe, and then she basically almost died in a frozen lake. So that took a turn. After that it got so slow and drawn out, I honestly couldn’t care about the relationship, I just wanted her to be found and to get on with the rest of her life. On the flip side, the two best friends were incredible - I could have watched them all day. The phone call to the police whilst chatting on about weed was exceptional. Overall best avoided though, this one.

The semi-final, and whilst the quality remains incredibly high, and the dancing very entertaining this felt like a bit of a letdown of a show - because the conclusion was so foregone. Given recent dance offs, it was entirely obvious who would be in the bottom two, and thus who would be going home. However, before all that, the dancing had to be done and this time we have two turns per couple!

I listened to the audiobook of this, read by the author, and it is so engaging, I couldn’t stop listening to it. It’s an open and honest story about a difficult upbringing, an overbearing and potentially abusive mother, and the impact that has on a family and the lingering effects after the events. It’s brutal but completely captivating, and so well written and read. I’ve not watched any of the kids shows talked about, but I’m aware of them and it’s continually shocking how some of these young people were treated. I’m very interested in the debut novel that Jennette has published next.

I’ve been obsessing over Matt Haig this year, and this follow up to A Boy Called Christmas was available to read via the library. If I’m being honest, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous one, it’s a bit chaotic, a lot of different elements going on and quite a lot to follow. But I do like the way it’s written, and even the more grown up sad elements are handled so well. It’s good stuff.

Overall this is a good movie, but it’s a very odd vibe. You think it’s going to be a fun, festive family frolic, but it’s actually quite a lot more depressing than that. It is funny, and I love what they were doing with the film references and casting her as the lead rather than the endless male heroes. It’s a great cast, and they work well together as a modern family. It’s just a bit grumpy, I guess, but the perfect film if you’re in that kind of mood. As always, not enough Eva Longoria.

Marvellous Depeche Mode doing what they do best. This is a proper 80s album, all synths and odd noises and experimental beeps and boops - but it never goes too far in that direction. I would say that there isn’t really a stand out song or a great amount of rise and fall through the whole thing, but as a whole it works and I enjoyed the process of listening to it.

It’s taken me a while to get round to listening to this album, but I wanted to squeeze it in this year in case it was a contender for the top five. It didn’t quite reach those heady heights, and first run through I was worried I was going to be disappointed in it. But second listen through, it really started growing on me, and I liked what I was hearing. It’s kooky and intense, honest and stirring, and has interesting lyrics throughout. It just didn’t reach out and grab me the way other albums have this year. But I still really enjoyed it.

I loved this, read it so, so quickly. The idea is chilling, no pun intended. Being stuck as potentially the last person alive in such an inhospitable environment. As soon as the character revealed they had been tormenting the other one, I realised that it was all a setup, but the rest of the twists and turns were a real surprise, and it’s such a brilliant thriller that I couldn’t wait to get to the end and find out how it all worked out.

Emily Henry books are always around somewhere, but it’s been a while since I read one. This one featured two exes who end up having to pretend to still be together while they celebrate one last holiday in their happy place with their friends. Lots and lots of drama between all the different characters, and plenty to unpack. I really enjoyed it, even if I didn’t relate to any of them particularly. Still a good read, well written and easy to picture the locations and get lost in.

The setup and premise of this book is mad - these friends must know that their dear departed friend would not want them to put their lives in danger just to see the Northern lights on that particular day. But if you ignore that, you’ve got a nice festive tale of people stuck together, learning about each other’s lives, opening up to each other, and of course, falling in love. The added elements of a culture that is drifting away, plus the climate issues, alongside all the food notes, make a comforting read.

I love, love, LOVED this film. Right from the start and every minute of it until the end. The trailer looked fun but I wasn’t really expecting a lot - a sort of Jonas brothers rip off of Planes, Trains and Automobiles. And it was that, but it was also so much more. It was hilarious, right from the start, I laughed a lot. They don’t take themselves too seriously, and stack the whole thing with great jokes and self-deprecating moments. The songs are good, maybe not as Christmassy as I hoped, but still excellent for a modern musical.

Just as a change from the festive books, I’m dipping back into the Doctor Who audiobooks. I like this one, obviously, being set somewhat on the moon. This time we have a moonbase and some quantum science allowing super quick travel, all of which is being misused by the big bad aliens. Good book, great Doctor - we’re onto the Eleventh now, with Amy Pond running around beside him - so a thumbs up from me.

Musicals week, the final theme before the final and oh, it’s always a good one. This time, there was a big opening number where each of the couples took a turn in the spotlight. It was so much dancing before the proper competition had even begun - where they just bored this week or what? I loved it though, a great medley! George & Alexis - Argentine Tango (Phantom of the Opera) I feel like this was really difficult music to dance to, but George did an incredible job. There’s no way he could have done this a few weeks ago, before the serious side of him came to the fore. It was really good, some tiny wobbles, but very impressive.

This is a classic festive read - two characters start out not enjoying each other’s company, are forced together over the holiday season, and end up falling in love. It felt like it took a really long time to get going, and was sort of contrived to start with, but go with it all and it makes for a cosy comforting and Christmassy read. I hadn’t realised I’ve already read a Wynbridge book before, and that there are so many others. I’m definitely going to have to check out a few more!

I was on a car journey recently and was instructed to test out the Vehicle Motion Cues on the iPhone. This was a feature that I had no idea existed and it blew my mind a little bit. If you switch on this Accessibility motion feature, it adds some dots to the side of the iPhone screen, which move around in relation to what the vehicle is doing, and somehow, magically it lessens any motion sickness you might be feeling.

This is such an implausable and strange movie - and that’s even by Christmas nonsense rom-com standards. I feel like in this day and age there’s no reason a woman couldn’t be considered for a santa job. If she went in and did the impression she can clearly do, and they were so desperate to hire, why wouldn’t she get the job? And the HR for this hotel is clearly lacking if they didn’t do any background checks on this very strange individual. How did she get the discount if she was signed up under a different name? It makes no sense! Ryan Eggold is adorable in it though, particularly when he’s wrestling with why he has feelings for Santa… before he finds out what’s really going on. It’s all very weird.

Gotta love a bit of Billy Joel. There’s a good few classics on this album, and the flow is really nice - highs and lows, a little bit of arty stuff in the middle, but generally some good soft rock music. I can’t see a single called Vienna and expect anything other than Ultravox but apart from that, this is a great album from start to finish.

I know Demi has previously sworn off pop but this was a return to what she does best. It’s a bit more edgy than some of her past material, and it has that vibe of what I like to call ‘Charli XCX but listenable’. Inventive but not obnoxious, some good tunes, interesting subjects, great vocals as always. I really quite liked this one.

I love Stephen King’s writing, so I had no problem whizzing through this book. I’m in two minds about it though - because the big picture mystery and crime was fascinating and well crafted (if a little unbelievable), but there was so little of Bill and Holly that it didn’t feel like a Mr Mercedes follow up really. They were barely involved until right near the end and had very little impact on any of it. But I enjoyed reading it and will definitely be reading the next one, so it can’t have been that bad.

This book paints such a great picture, that old school department store decorated for Christmas. I could picture all of it, and it felt like a Willy Wonka scenario gone very wrong. Once the murder mystery part of it started, it got really interesting and I ended up really enjoying it. As the different characters started to fall into place, it was great. The only issue I have is that the big twist wasn’t quite so impactful because there was a namedrop earlier on that made it really obvious. But I still loved reading it.

I loved the Satsuma books by Bob Mortimer, and I was curious what a different story would be like. It was good, still quirky and featuring conversations with animals that you wouldn’t expect. I don’t think it quite hit the highs of the first couple of books, but if you like Bob’s style then you’ll like it. The idea was interesting, being in a building and forced to spy on your neighbours - but did we explore that enough? Not sure. It was good but I think I wanted more.

This is a lovely book, spanning generations of a Welsh family, with their own issues, relationship drama, ups and downs and and secrets. It’s very well written, easy to read, and you can quite easily get into the characters and the family. I liked this far better than the last Ruth Jones book I read, and I’m glad because I love her so much.

Back from Blackpool and everyone has been talking about their being a dip in energy, so I wasn’t expecting absolute perfection from this week’s performances. Plus there’s that new gimmick, Instant Dance, in which the couples get a dance style, a new piece of music, quick choice of clothing, ten seconds to think about it, and then go go go. It’s going to be a disaster.

I finally made it to watch Jingle Bell Heist after getting distracted by the previous film on the last attempt. This was a bit of a slow starter, it took a while to get going and to really care about these characters to any large degree - despite their situations being quite clearly shouted in your face. But as the heist activities started, it got better and better. The relationship developed, the banter improved, and the twists started coming.

So look, I’m not a particularly big fan of Prince, but after he had a dedicated theme week on Dancing with the Stars, that gave me a nudge that I should probably check out another classic album from the artist with many names. You know what? I quite enjoyed it. Obviously it starts out with a couple of proper tunes, and then the rest of the album was new to me - it definitely starts getting more widdly and experimental towards the end, but not so much that I was put off. Nice work!

Olly Murs has had some proper hits in the past but I’ve been disappointed with more recent work as it’s been quite middle-of-the-road. I didn’t have high expectations for this album but I was blown away. It’s so good and so unexpected. It’s a great mix of pop and ska, kind of like if Madness released a new album, but in the best possible way. It’s fun and scatty and honest and has good highs and lows, I loved it. It’s another year where I’ve got a super late contender for the top five list!

So I was on my merry way looking to watch Jingle Bell Heist when this popped up - I hadn’t heard of it and watched it purely on the strength of Minka Kelly being in Friday Night Lights that I loved so very much. And what a brilliant find this was! Okay, it was entirely predictable and ok the guy from Drops of God was in a film about wine that also included a wine challenge, but put those things aside and it was brilliant. The rom-com at the centre was over-dramatic and entirely wonderful, great chemistry between the two leads. The family drama was also brilliant, the big business plot set a nice backdrop and then you had the exceptional bromance brewing between Roberto and Otto. Fantastic. Plus there was a lot of French in there and it was all gloriously Christmassy. LOVE.

This has so much going for it that I should love - it’s a musical version of A Christmas Carol featuring Albert Finney and with input from Lesley Bricusse. It should be ticking all the boxes but somehow it doesn’t. Firstly, it feels pretty drawn out and long, and so much is on Albert Finney’s performance which is an acting masterclass but doesn’t really fit the rest of the film. The songs are kind of upbeat (even I Hate People is actually quite a fun number), the mood is pretty sombre, and I just wasn’t too sure where I stood with it. It’s a shame, but on the other hand, I’m very glad I watched it because I had no idea this is where Thank You Very Much came from!

I’m all for a cheesy Christmas movie, and I thought with the addition of Mayim Bialik, this might be pretty good. Sadly, it was terrible. The two leads do an okay job individually, especially given the terrible script they’re working with and how awful the characters are, but they have no chemistry and so there’s no chance they fell in love overnight. Meanwhile, the plot is bonkers, why is she so mad that he’s going to propose to his girlfriend based on one overheard conversation? Why did he go all the way to the airport and bottle it? It’s really just a bit of a mess, and Mayim deserves better.

I loved this one. It felt like a reset of sorts, and although one of our number was put in jeopardy, thankfully there wasn’t too much to be sad about. Instead, we had a short, sharp story that introduced a new conspiracy opening up and plenty of interesting twists to think about. Also enjoyed bringing Ryan’s parents into it, they’re two very different people and will add something to the coming stories, no doubt.

We make quite a lot of fun of the build up to Blackpool but I feel bad for that now because this weekend’s Strictly Come Dancing show was spectacular and worth all the hype. You kick things off with an incredible Steps medley with professionals, contestants, extra dancers, and the judges all taking to the sprung floor, and you know you’re on to a winner. Then you have the downside of the judge’s dance. It’s terrible every week but when you add in Shirley desperately trying to get Claudia to go in the right direction and failing, well that’s next level.

I know very little about sailing but I’ve heard of Ellen MacArthur and reading about her early career was fascinating. I couldn’t believe how much hardship Ellen went through to get where she wanted to go - no money, often homeless or sleeping in cars, saving every penny on boats, and doing anything possible to reach a goal. I wish I had that kind of desire for something! And then when the sailing and races start taking off, it’s fascinating to understand that mix of desire to be out there alone but also to revel in the joy of working as a team. Fascinating read and very well written.

If you said getting a handful of celebrities and their parents and asking them questions in a quiz show, you wouldn’t think it would make a particularly good television show. But throw in the twist that the parents have to decide whether they think their child knows the answers or not, plus the joy of Romesh Ranganathan and his mother hosting, and you’ve got a hit.

I was really enjoying this book and could feel the tension and isolation as it ramped up and up, the levels of confusion building and a deep desire to know what was going on. I’ll be honest, initially I was a bit disappointed by the twist ending because it’s a trope that I’m worried is starting to be over-used and isn’t particularly sensitive to the topic. But the more I think about it, the more I think this was well done, neatly handled, and overall a really good read.

There was so little Christmas in this, I feel a bit robbed. A little montage of Christmas in London does not a festive movie make. So I was already a bit grumpy with the whole thing and when it turned out to not be very good, that was the final nail in the coffin. It’s not really a good sign that the best characters were not in the family… There was the occasional funny moment but generally it was just a mediocre spy thriller with some lazy plotting. I’m sure there’ll be a third one though - which member of the family can we drag out of the past next time?

Dream On appeared on both Dancing With the Stars and Strictly in very quick succession, so it seemed appropriate to pick this album for a classic listen. I can’t believe Dream On is on their debut album, it is SO good. I also can’t believe Aerosmith are a 70s band, that doesn’t compute! But it’s a great rock album, the right side of hard rock for my tastes, and a great kick off album for an extended career.

I was somewhat disappointed by this album but I can’t quite put my finger on why - I guess it was a bit more rock than I was anticipating, and I love rock but this didn’t quite do it for me. The guys are talented and the songs objectively are good, it just as a whole was not my cup of tea.

This was so good, I absolutely inhaled it. I really enjoyed a Man Called Ove so was expecting this would be good and it didn’t disappoint. Considering it’s a world I know very little about - that lonely foster home upbringing on one hand, and the rich superficial art world in the other - it was captivating. The characters were great, the way the stories were sort of drip fed really kept you engaged, and there were twists but they weren’t signalled or highlighted, they were genuine surprises. I loved it.

I’ve finally caught up with all Liane Moriarty novels so far, and this was probably the one that propelled her into the limelight after the TV adaptation was made. I sort of knew some bits about the story, and have watched the first episode of the show, but I don’t think I finished it because a lot of what happened was new to me. As with all Moriarty books, it’s well written, dipping back and forth in the timeline, and gradually revealing some big dramatic moment and the effect it had on everyone involved. Great stuff.

I was bound to read this one given my obsession with the TV show under discussion, and this is a great oral history of it, told by the creators, writers and stars. It’s in the form of a conversation, or as though they are both sitting there by the fire, telling you how everything came to be, each taking turn and adding bits here and there. I’m not sure there was anything hugely new in there but it was still joyous to read and revel in this slice of British televisual history some more.

I loved this. The sets were a bit cheap and there wasn’t enough Melissa Joan Hart, but apart from that I can’t find too much to complain about. The cast were fab, the story fun, and the rom-com element of it was really good. I thought I’d be annoyed that she didn’t end up taking the big job and moving to Boston, but actually it wasn’t too bad, because she found that she was making a difference where she was… it wasn’t all just for the guy. A lovely feel-good Christmas movie.

Hmm, in case you hadn’t realised, next week is Blackpool. I tried to count the mentions during this episode and got to 27 - half of which were within the first ten minutes of the show. A very good job I didn’t go for the drinking game I was considering! On with the pre-Blackpool show, then. Balvinder & Julian - American Smooth The technique seemed to have improved, there was good footwork and it felt nice and gentle. The lifts were either wrong, or just lacking in confidence, but the performance was good and fitted the song perfectly.

If you haven’t already started (and finished!) watching Riot Women on the BBC, then you must stop what you’re doing and do that instead. It’s absolutely brilliant TV. Of course, the elements are all there to make it magical - the cream of the crop of British female actors (of a certain age), the writing skills of Sally Wainwright, the gorgeous Yorkshire backdrop, and a story about these women putting a rock band together. The music is provided by ARXX and it’s all entirely credible and in some cases brilliant.

I’m working my way through the Elvis albums nice and slowly, so this is a very early one. It’s split into two halves, the first half being ballads, the second a bit more up-tempo. I don’t know why but particularly on this album I really felt astounded by Elvis’ talent - the voice! So deep and resonant, engaging and moving on the slow ones, but then poppy and fun on the faster tunes. It all just shone through on this. There weren’t any of his super-famous classic tunes on here but it was still a really great listen.

Like so many people, I’ve only become aware of Cat Burns since her incredible stint on Celebrity Traitors, and what a perfect time to have a new album out. I loved it. It’s got a unique style to it, bringing that singer/songwriter energy with layers of gospel, and the occasional Lily Allen talk-singing vibe. But it’s a gorgeous album, great songs on top of difficult subjects - love and grief and the intersection of both - I really think this is a top five contender.

Rounding out Alice’s trilogy of books focused on what we can find out from the bones and burials of the past, this one brings us even closer to the modern time - but also leans in to topics around illness and disease. There are obvious big topics covered, like the plague, but also very interesting insights into leprosy and sexually transmitted diseases. It’s all just tremendously fascinating, sometimes frustrating because you can only guess at what the findings mean, but also amazing at how far we’ve come in our understanding.

I’ve been getting into the Stephen King and Linwood Barclay horror books recently, and this one also featured model trains so it was definitely going to get picked up. I quite enjoyed it, although it was very, very slow to get moving. A bit like a model train, it started off slow and ramped up and up to get to a thrilling conclusion. The big bad was slightly odd, it sort of felt like the author wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but the concept was enough to propel the story. I liked it!

We’re into the last few books of this Saxon Stories series now and finally, FINALLY, Uhtred has his sights firmly set on his home castle. He’s been banging on about it for ten books and we have reached the battle to end all battles - does he manage to retake it? I won’t spoil it for you but I’m sure you can guess the answer. I enjoyed this read a bit more than some of the previous ones, and it’s great revisiting these characters and progressing the story. I’m looking forward to the next one!

We’re halfway through the series and the quality of the dancing is getting better and better each week, as you would expect. But how can we live up to the highs of last week, where we saw the first 40 of the year? Let’s find out! Lewis & Katya - Cha Cha Cha This was good, obviously, and not annoyingly good - it was completely watchable and a great dance. The technique looked pretty impressive, considering the cha cha is notoriously tricky.

I’ve read one Lucy Foley book before and it had that traditional modern thriller vibe where there are a bunch of people gathered together and someone is murdered and you have to figure out who it is alongside whodunit with trips back and forward in the timeline. This is exactly the same premise, a pretty good read, although I have to say none of the characters were particularly sympathetic, so I really wasn’t bothered by who it was or what they’d done by the end. But a good read nonetheless.