Tommy Blaize announces swing tour and backs new Strictly presenting line-up
Strictly Come Dancing singer Tommy Blaize discusses his 23 years on the show, his Golden Age of Swing tour and his support for the new presenting line-up.
The Full Story
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Tour and music
Tommy Blaize, a singer with the Strictly Come Dancing orchestra, has announced a new swing tour and spoken about his long run on the show.
The tour is called The Golden Age of Swing. It will start in Manchester on 4 March next year and travel up and down the country before finishing at Cadogan Hall in London around 17 July. Blaize said the show will feature big band numbers, swing and full versions of songs. On Strictly, he often sings one minute edits, so he is looking forward to performing them from beginning to end. He said the music is deep in his heart and he has always sung it on Strictly alongside soul and blues.
Strictly memories
Blaize has been part of the Strictly band since the pilot. He said he got a call from Carol Kenyon, who told him Laurie Holloway was putting together a band for a new programme based on the old Come Dancing. He was asked to sing at the pilot and thought the show would not last long. He said it was nearly 25 years later and the show was still going strong. He also said the only other people who have been there from the start are Craig and Anton.
New presenting line-up
He also addressed the scrutiny of the new presenting line-up. Emma, Johannes and Josh have faced some unkind comments. Blaize said it was unfair and that new starters need a couple of weeks. He called all three absolutely fantastic, said Emma seems a natural, Josh is funny and Johannes is a friend. He said the show is slowly getting there and will only get better.
Career highlights
He looked back at his career. He has shared stages with Amy Winehouse, Robbie Williams, Stevie Wonder and Queen. He sang at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebration in Hyde Park and later in New York for Mandela's 95th birthday, where Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder performed. He said Spike Edney, Queen's keyboard player, put together the band for the 90th birthday event.
The show's appeal
Strictly Come Dancing remains a live Saturday night show with a large audience. Blaize said the appeal is the same as it was 23 years ago. He described the Saturday schedule, with the band starting at 8am and still playing at 10 or 11pm, the lights coming on and the show feeling like a beautiful extravaganza.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Tommy Blaize announced a tour called The Golden Age of Swing with a big live band, starting in Manchester on 4 March and ending at Cadogan Hall in London around 17 July. | |
| Tommy Blaize described scrutiny of the new Strictly presenting line-up as unkind and praised Emma, Josh and Johannes. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The segment was a friendly end-of-bulletin showbiz interview. It focused on Blaize's swing tour, his memories of Strictly and his defence of the new presenting line-up. It did not challenge his account or add outside reporting.
- “you close your eyes you can probably hear that voice you hear it every single saturday night”
- “it's the stuff that is really deep in my heart and i've always sang this stuff on strictly”
- “it is unkind and it's like anybody goes into a new job you have to give them a couple of weeks and whatever to get i think they're absolutely fantastic all three of them”
Broadcast Timeline
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