COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Coronation Street star Craig Kelly has become the latest celebrity to be voted off BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing.

The show's judges voted unanimously to save EastEnders' Ricky Groves and partner Erin Boag, who faced Kelly and Flavia Cacace in the show's dance-off.

Afterwards, Lancashire-born Kelly said it was "great" he had lasted until this edition of the programme, broadcast from Blackpool's Tower Ballroom.

Eight celebrity contestants remain in the latest series of the hit show.

Kelly found himself in the dance-off after registering his lowest ever score - 17 out of a possible 40 for his cha-cha-cha.

But after hearing the judges' scores, he had complained: "That's disgraceful, I can't believe that."

The Tower Ballroom was home to the BBC's long-running Come Dancing show, which ran from the 1940s to 1990s.

As part of Strictly's visit to the town, the BBC staged mass dance events in Blackpool's Winter Gardens.

The contestants also paid a visit to Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire, to meet troops in training for deployment to Afghanistan.

I don't normally watch Strictly- but did keep flicking over to it last night for the simple reason it was from Blackpool Tower ballboom and because I've been there many times and it's a fabulous place - but I didn't watch any of the voting.

I know it's incredibly popular with many folks - but it seems to have been going on forever, but not my cup of tea

I used to love the National Lottery shows - but that's been relegated to a 10 minute slot now

The trouble is Pollyanna, is that the BBC do not cater for the licence payers as they are not of relevance asmuch as the execs and the supposedly A rated stars are but one of these days the turtle could turn

Couldn't agree more Redrum - the licence fee goes up every year - but the service gets worse