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Rowland Rivron and Fatima Whitbread & The Cuban Brothers through to final of Let’s Dance For Sport Relief

BBC Press Office

3 October 2012

Presenters Alex Jones and Steve Jones announced that viewers had voted Rowland Rivron through to the final on Saturday 17 March, after his impressive performance of Fatboy Slim's ‘Weapon Of Choice’.
Runners up Suzi Perry & Ortis Deley and Fatima Whitbread & The Cuban Brothers then faced the three panellists, Jo Brand, Russell Kane and Lee Nelson, who were left to decide which act deserved to win the last remaining place in the final, after their performances of 'Livin' La Vida Loca' by Ricky Martin, and The Bee Gees’ ‘You Should Be Dancing’ respectively.
Panellists Russell Kane and Jo Brand both voted for Fatima Whitbread & The Cuban Brothers giving them the majority vote and a place in the final alongside Rowland Rivron.
Following Rowland Rivron’s winning performance, the panellists said:
Russell Kane: “That is the dance to beat tonight. That was absolutely unbelievable. The choreography was spot on. It was like someone had fed one of my uncles a bottle of cod liver oil or something. It was fantastic. Amazing dancing. Well done – you should be really proud of yourself.”
Jo Brand: “It was brilliant. Rowland – I’ve secretly loved you for years and now I openly love you and you are going to be corralled by every menopausal woman in the country after this and I’m leading the charge."
Lee Nelson: “Rowland, my man, that was qualiteee. Unbelievable. I would phone myself but I ain’t got no credit… he needs an ambulance – he looks like he’s going to collapse.”
On confirming his place in the final with a fantastic performance Rowland said: “I’m underwhelmed… I’m very chuffed. Well done to these other guys. I was a contender, I was a contender but there you go.”
Tonight’s show was the last of the heats and saw Watson and Oliver, Patrick Monahan, and Suzi Perry and Ortis Deley eliminated.
There were also performances from LMFAO with ‘Sorry for Party Rocking’ and Will Young who performed his latest track ‘Losing Myself’.
Next week, all eight celebrity acts: Eastenders’ Tameka Empson and Laurie Brett; comedian Terry Alderton; former Olympic ski jumper Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards; comedian Miles Jupp; actors Dani Harmer and Tyger Drew-Honey, comedian Omid Djalili; join tonights winners Rowland Rivron and Fatima Whitbread & The Cuban Brothers as they return to take to the floor for the last time in a bid for the Let’s Dance For Sport Relief 2012 title. Next week’s grand final will air on BBC One and BBC One HD at 7.10pm to 8.45pm.
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