First night nerves? Former TOWIE star Lucy Mecklenburgh fails to impress the judges with her shaky routine on BBC's Tumble... and comes LAST
PUBLISHED: 20:40, 9 August 2014 | UPDATED: 12:56, 10 August 2014
What do you get when you combine ten daring celebrities, tight Lycra and gymnastics? BBC One's latest show Tumble.
Saturday night's show definitely didn’t disappoint with host Alex Jones explaining this isn't just another run-of-the-mill reality programme. ‘Some of the celebrities hadn't even done a forward roll. But this isn't just gymnastics, we’ll be adding a whole lot of showbiz magic,' she said
Despite all of the celebrities being amateur gymnasts, the judges have high expectations. ‘If their hands aren't bleeding they aren't training hard enough,' the judges warn.
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Nervous: Former TOWIE star Lucy Mecklenburgh got off to a shaky start
The judges are Romanian gymnastics champ Nadia Comăneci, British Olympian Louis Smith, specialist choreographer Sebastian Stellar and former England gymnastics captain Craig Heap.
While she might have been in her element in front of the cameras for hit reality TV show The Only Way Is Essex, Lucy Mecklenburgh failed to impress the judges with her shaky routine but she did get on famously with her pro gym partner Billy George.
Before meeting him she joked: ‘I hope my partner is tall dark and handsome with lots of muscles.’ And it seems her wish was granted. In fact, during training the choreographer says the pair get on so well they sometimes get very distracted. They’ll be doing a floor routine with a challenging helicopter lift.
At least they had chemistry! Lucy gets on famously with her partner Billy George
Their routine is set at the beach with Billy dressed as a lifesaver in red boardshorts and Lucy in a flattering pink bikini. While she plays it safe with less-complicated moves, she delivers a great back angel walkover and a fair helicopter lift and supporting front somersault.
Judge Louis admits he could see her nerves and ‘the gymnastics was a little bit basic.’ Nadia says the helicopter lift should have been higher and she needs to work on her strength and flexibility.
Craig says it’s ‘obvious she’s not from a gymnastics background,’ but he liked the routine because it reminded him of his childhood trips to the beach at Blackpool. However it wasn't enough and the pair are the lowest-scoring duo of the night.
Lucy and Billy's scores:
Seb: 5/10
Louis: 4.5/10
Nadia: 6/10
Craig: 4.5/10
Total: 20/40
Beach babe: The star showed off her incredible figure in a pink bikini
Disappointed: The reality TV stunner was gutted to get the lowest score of the night
Don't lose focus... In training the pair get off course by mucking about with each other
Fast friends: Lucy has wasted no time getting to know her trainer
Sugarbabes Amelle Berrabah is paired with Doug and admits taking on the aerial hoop has been challenging.
Performing to Michael Jackson’s Man In The Mirror she gets off to a strong start, twirling and splitting in perfect time to Doug. The pair receive great feedback from the judges, who praise their control and strength.
The brunette beauty stuns in a bright blue crop-top and high-waisted pants, which showcase her impressive abs. ‘I’m really happy. I really enjoyed it to be honest,’ she says after her performance.
Amelle and Doug’s scores:
Seb: 7/10
Louis: 5.5/10
Nadia: 6.5/10
Craig: 5/10
Total: 24/40
Upside down and inside out! Sugarbabes Amelle Berrabah showed off her extreme flexibility
Training hard... The singer's ripped abs were on full display in a blue crop-top and high-waisted pants
A solid start... 'I’m really happy. I really enjoyed it to be honest,' she said after her performance
The next punter is Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan, who has a positive attitude about his upcoming challenge: ‘I think the older you get, the more physical you should get.’
He will be working with acrobat Kate for a floor routine. The choreographers warn the routine is full of difficult lifts and there could be severe injuries if he drops Kate.
Clad in a suit and waistcoat Peter holds Kate above his head for a solid few seconds before they dance in sync. His cartwheel is a little rusty but he proves his strength with several overhead lifts. The routine ends with a rather shaky pose, as Kate balances precariously over his head in a move called the pigeon lift.
The commentator says they were ‘bang on with the pitch somersault,’ the hardest move of their routine.
Judge Nadia remarks how fit the pair are and worked with ‘a lot of confidence. I was amazed.’ Craig says: ‘I was so impressed with that back pitch somersault' before declaring his love for Pete.
Peter and Kate’s scores:
Seb: 6.5/10
Louis: 5.5/10
Nadia: 7/10
Craig: 4.5/10
Total: 23.5/40
Tricky business: Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan balances his partner above his head
Next up is Loose Women presenter Andrea Mclean who jokes her main goal is ‘to do a roly-poly.’ She’s paired with gymnastics champ Alex, who will teach her an aerial hoop routine.
In training the 44-year-old is struggling with the intense spinning of the hoop, which makes her feel sick. But the telly star combats the nauseousness with medication. The routine kicks off in a domestic setting, where Alex rips off her long dress and plays the role of a sexy housewife.
She struggles turning upside down on the hoop but quickly regains control. Her partner lifts her up into his hoop and she shows off her flexible legs, before she demonstrates an impressive forward arabesque and a one arm hang.
Judge Nadia says she was confident but ‘I know you can do so much more,’ with the rest of the judges agreeing.
Andrea and Alex’s scores:
Seb: 6/10
Louis: 5/10
Nadia: 5.5/10
Craig: 4.5/10
Total: 21/40
Cute costume: Loose Women presenter Andrea Mclean conquered her fears with an intense hoop routine
Point those toes! The 44-year-old put her all into the performance
Pure power: Despite struggling with the tricks earlier in the week the presenter was confident on Saturday night
Steps singer H, aka Ian ‘H’ Watkins, is teamed with circus star Holly. His choreographer says he’s been negative and moaning about his floor routine, but after the warning he changes his attitude.
Their performance is set in a 1950s American diner and from flipping burgers to flipping backwards, the routine is fast-paces and energetic filled with complicated lifts, swing dancing and backwards rolls which excite both the audience and judges alike. ‘I want to do it again,’ an enthusiastic H screams after his performance.
Judge Craig says it was ‘very good’ and he wanted to get on his chair and dance along but points out H shouldn't have put his hands down when getting up from the forward roll. Louis says ‘that is Tumble. That is what this show is about. There was some really nice gymnastics in there.’
H and Holly’s scores:
Seb: 8/10
Louis:6.5/10
Nadia: 6.5/10
Craig: 5.5/10
Total: 26.5/40
He's got the right steps! Nineties star Ian H Watkins came in second place
Instant connection: Actor Bobby Lockwood strikes up a rapport with his trainer Kristen
Actor Bobby Lockwood from Wolfblood is paired with acrobat Kristen, and the pair seem quite flirty during rehearsals. They’ll be performing a romantic hoop routine. ‘I love performing with Kristen, she’s great. It’s lovely sharing a hoop with her.’
Despite some initial nerves, Bobby settles in and indeed there’s no trouble portraying the romance element of the piece and Bobby does a great job of his upside down eagle and double fish hang.
Seb says he ‘did feel the love.’ Louis says it was ‘amazing’ and it made him feel ‘gooey.’ Craig says Bobby has more to work on with his acrobatic skills and wants to see him up his game.
Bobby and Kristen’s scores:
Seb: 7 /10
Louis: 7/10
Nadia: 6.5/10
Craig: 5.5/10
Total: 26/40
He's got the giggles... ‘I love performing with Kristen, she’s great. It’s lovely sharing a hoop with her'
Dark and moody: The pair delivered a romantic routine on the aerial hoops
Don't look down! The 21-year-old clearly has been hard at work perfecting his moves
Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding is paired with tumbling pro Leon. They’ll be tackling the aerial hoops, which Sarah says is ‘scary.’ Her choreographer thinks Sarah needs to be more confident and not so hard on herself.
It seems her nerves have all but dissipated as she elegantly navigates her way around the hoop. They conclude their performance with Sarah hanging from her partner’s neck in a move called a double stag hang.
Nadia says she needs to work on her flow and connecting the moves together. Craig says he loved it and it was ‘action packed with great chemistry’ but she needs to smile more while she performs. Louis says ‘when she settled into it, it was fantastic.’
Sarah and Leon scores:
Seb: 8 /10
Louis: 5.5/10
Nadia: 6/10
Craig: 5.5/10
Total: 25/40
That's an entrance! Dynasty actress Emma Samms kicked off her routine balancing on her partners head in this eccentric coat
Dynasty Actress Emma Samms says she’s ‘representing women of a certain age. I’m 53 soon to be 54 and I’m not ashamed of that.’ She’s teamed with gymnast Ivan and will be taught a floor routine. ‘It’s asking a lot to learn an entirely new discipline,’ Emma worries in training.
The routine is a little clunky to start but Emma eventually settles in, delivering an elegant blue bird lift and a back angel spiral.
Craig says it ‘wasn't very acrobatic but it was glamorous and beautiful.’ Louis says she showed great control in her handstand but needs to challenge herself more.
Emma and Ivan scores:
Seb: 5.5 /10
Louis: 4.5/10
Nadia: 6.5/10
Craig: 4.5/10
Total: 21/40
Still a long way to go: However the judged gave her routine a low score of 21/40
Determined: ‘I'm representing women of a certain age. I’m 53 soon to be 54 and I’m not ashamed of that'
Boxing champ Carl Froch is paired with professional acrobat Sita. They’ll be doing the aerial hoop and Carl admits he’s very stiff and lacks flexibility.
Clad in nothing more than denim jeans, Carl’s amazing physique sends the audience wild and he has no trouble holding his own on the hoop as he plays the role of a sexy window cleaner. He delivers a perfect back planche and a leg-to-leg catch.
Louis says the routine was rugged but it suited Carl’s style, however he needs to work on his flexibility. Nadia says the routine was difficult and well-executed.
Carl and Sita’s scores:
Seb: 6.5/10
Louis: 6/10
Nadia: 7/10
Craig: 6.5/10
Total: 26/40
Muscle man! Boxer Carl Froch demonstrated his upper body strength with this back planche
Sexy threads: Clad in nothing more than denim jeans, Carl’s amazing physique sent the audience wild
Feedback: The judges told the 37-year-old he needs to work on his flexibility
The final performer of the night is John Partridge, aka Christian Clarke from EastEnders, who confesses he went to the Royal Ballet school when he was ten and is hoping that will help. His pro partner is elite gymnast Kat. ‘I’m clearly not a natural gymnast and I’m starting to worry I never will be,’ he frets during rehearsals for their floor routine.
But it seems his background in dance all those years ago have paid off and he delivers a confident forward tumble and slides into the split, among many other tricks in their energetic and highly-skilled show.
Louis says their routine was ‘unbelievable.’ Nadia says he has defied the odds of being tall and good at gymnastics. Craig says he’s the best performer of the batch and John and Kat walk away with the highest scores of the night.
John and Kat’s scores:
Seb: 8/10
Louis: 7/10
Nadia: 7/10
Craig: 5.5/10
Total: 27.5/40
This is how it's done! EastEnders actor John Partridge was the highest-scoring star of the night
Muscle memory? The former ballet dancer was given 27.5/40
Splitting stuff... He might be an actor but if he ever wanted a career change it looks like he could still cut it as a gymnast
Luckily no one is booted off in the first week so Lucy is safe for now but next week’s bottom two contestants will face off on the vault and head judge Nadia will decide who stays. The debut show concludes with a show-stopping performance from judges Louis and Craig.
Craig demonstrates to the team how to do the vault, which receives some constructive criticism form judge Nadia and the commentator points out he didn’t land perfectly and held his fly-swing for too long.
The final rundown of the first show's scores are:
John and Kat: 27.5
H and Holly: 26.5
Bobby and Kristen: 26
Carl and Sita: 26
Sarah and Leon: 25
Amelle and Doug: 24
Peter and Kate: 23.5
Andrea and Alex: 21
Emma and Ivan: 21
Lucy and Billy: 20
Crunch time! Host Alex Jones explains next week the bottom two will face off in a vault competition
Watch the pro: Judge Craig Heaps demonstrates to the team how to do the vault
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2720799/Former-TOWIE-star-Lucy-Mecklenburgh-fails-impress-judges-shaky-routine-BBC-s-Tumble-comes-last.html#ixzz3A0BImc3X
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