Dancing On Ice: it's the semi-final!
The four remaining celebrities in Dancing On Ice 2009 have performed in a nail-biting semi-final, in a bid to remain in the competition. And once again it was a triumphant week for Ray Quinn who topped the judges' scoreboard with his flamenco-inspired routine. The former X Factor finalist scored 28 out of a possible 30, with judge Nicky Slater describing his performance as "awesome". "You captured the flamenco perfectly - all of it," Nicky told him. "I look at you the way I look at a top ice dancer." There was also good news for Jessica Taylor who finished in second place with 26.5 points for her graceful routine to Annie Lennox's Why. "You just booked yourself a place in the final," said Ruthie Henshall. Meanwhile the two underdogs, Donal McIntyre and Coleen Nolan, had mixed fortunes. Donal was praised for his performance, scoring an impressive 22.5 points. "You've put the most in and you've seen the most," said Robin Cousins. "You deserve to be here in the semi-final." But it wasn't such good news for Coleen, who was adrift at the bottom of the scoreboard with just 16.5 points for her routine to Shania Twain's You're Still The One. Despite having battled injuries - including a broken bone in her hand and a dislocated disc - to make it to the ice, the TV presenter received little encouragement from the judges. "Obviously you're popular with the public," Jason Gardiner told her, "but we're in the semi finals now and we have to put people through who deserve it. That was your most boring performance so far."
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.