Let's Dance for Comic Relief 2011

Let's Dance for Comic Relief 2011 pitted a whole new cohort of celebs against each other. The real question was, could anyone other than a male comedian in drag ever win this title? Robert Webb's Flashdance... What a Feeling won the 2009 series, Let's Dance for Sport Relief 2010 was won by Rufus Hound's Fight for This Love and Russell Kane proved a popular option in week one of the 2011 contest with his take on Beyonce's Crazy in Love.

What a Drag

The cross-dressing effect is obviously a huge part of Let's Dance. In 2009 Webb won dressed as Jennifer Beals, while second place went to Paddy McGuinness and Keith Lemon with another 80s movie reference, this time the finale dance from Dirty Dancing. In 2010, Hound won as Cheryl Cole and second place went to Katy Brand as Beyonce - a rare non-gender-swap grabbing the public's collective consciousness.

After week one of 2011 we already had two drag acts in the final - Kane and week one runner-up Katie Price, performing Queen's I Want to Break Free. Week two added Noel Fielding to that list. Although there wasn't strictly any cross-dressing in week three, it's probably no coincidence that Adrian Edmondson went through wearing a tutu.

Comic Relief - Red Nose Day, March 18th

Friday, March 18th 2011 is this year's Red Nose Day appeal, which is what Let's Dance for Comic Relief is all about. The winner should be there on the night to perform their routine for the nation. No doubt Rufus Hound will be there to hand over the trophy - and hopefully lots of money will be raised for deserving causes in both the UK and Africa. But let's not forget - Robert Webb did it first, and best, back in 2009...


Week One

Heat one of Let's Dance for Comic Relief 2011 saw cross-dressers and age-defying break dancers take to the stage.

Eliminated were:

Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan, dancing to Xanadu by Olivia Newton John
Rebecca Front, dancing to It's Oh So Quiet by Bjork
Ed Byrne, dancing to I Love to Boogie from Billy Elliot

Waterloo Road's Phillip Martin Brown and Rebecca Ryan, dancing to It's Like That by Run DMC, made the dance-off but were eliminated by the panel.

Katie Price, dancing to I Want to Break Free by Queen, made the dance-off and was saved by the panel.

Russell Kane, dancing to Crazy in Love by Beyonce, made it through to the final automatically thanks to the public vote.

Week Two

Heat two of Let's Dance for Comic Relief included Lulu, Noel Fielding, Penny Smith, Andi Osho and Jarred Christmas.

Eliminated were:

Penny Smith, dancing to Toxic by Britney Spears
Andi Osho, dancing to Bad by Michael Jackson
Jarred Christmas, dancing to Hung Up by Madonna

Lulu made it to the dance-off, but her performance of Soula Boy's Crank That wasn't enough for the judges.

Noel Fielding's Wuthering Heights, originally by Kate Bush, won over the panel on the night and saw him through the dance-off.

Charlie Baker and James Thornton won on the night with probably the most legitimate dance performance of the series, a genuine tap dance to Puttin' on the Ritz.

Week Three

The final set of celebs took to the stage ahead of March 12th's grand final.

Eliminated were:

Marcus Brigstocke, dancing to Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas
Lee Nelson and Omelette, dancing to Club Tropicana by Wham!
Iain Lee, dancing to Gettin' Jiggy Wit It by Will Smith

Caroline Flack and Joe Swash, dancing to My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas, were my winners for sure but didn't do enough to impress the judges in the dance-off.

The 80s Supergroup rocked it with a performance of Greased Lightnin' and were worthy winners in the dance-off, though it pains me to say it.

Adrian Edmondson gave a pretty good performance of The Dying Swan, complete with actual physical injury at the hands of Rik Mayall, so no complaints that he went through to the final thanks to the public vote.