X Factor singer Janet Devlin is already on her way to superstardom if reports are to be believed that she’ll be taking to the stage with Coldplay.

The Northern Irish hopeful, who is being mentored by Kelly Rowland in the show, is set to sing with the hit British group if she gets to the final of the programme next month, according to The Daily Star. Anyone placing an X Factor bet should remember this.

Chris Martin’s band are said to have been booked to sing with one of the three finalists and, if Janet’s still in the competition, it’ll be her.

With her mentor Kelly away, yet again, though, Janet’s days in the competition could well be numbered. The Destiny’s Child singer is currently in Paris, shooting a video, but is said to be back later this week.

According to sources, producers believe Janet’s voice is the only one which will complement Coldplay.

“There isn’t anyone left in the show who would suit Coldplay’s music apart from Janet. She wowed everyone when she sang Fix You. It shows how confident everyone is that Janet will make the final,” an insider told the newspaper.

Coldplay aren’t the only big-name act said to be taking to the X Factor stage either, with Michael Buble along the stars being suggested for a duet with Marcus Collins. Those looking at the X Factor odds should bear this in mind.

The third act isn’t known yet, but Olly Murs admitted he’d love to sign with Little Mix if they get to the final of the show.

However, Little Mix apparently aren’t sure whether they’d want to sing with the Xtra Factor presenter, with Jesy Nelson telling the tabloid she would love to duet with Jessie J.

Like a number of the Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers, 26 year old Aliona Vilani originally hails from Russia, but her family moved to America when she was just thirteen.

When aged 5, Aliona enrolled in Arts Gymnasium for classical ballet and performing arts and started ballroom dancing when she turned 11. She was a natural and soon excelled in Eastern European competitions.

In 1997, she was asked to go to America to become a member of the Kaiser Dance Academy in New York, where she started learning Salsa, Hip Hop and Jazz in the Broadway Dance Center.

Regular Strictly viewers will be able to confirm that Aliona’s speciality is Ten Dance at which she simply excels, although she is also skilled in Salsa, Hip Hop and Jazz. Anyone looking at the Strictly Come Dancing odds should remember this.

But last week with her partner Harry Judd of McFly drumming fame, Aliona produced a quite superb Argentine Tango. Craig somehow thought Harry had delivered a little passion, and Len shouted at him for being a “silly little sod”, while Bruno told Harry he’d never been more attractive.

All this resulted in the first real 10 of the season for Harry from Bruno (“real” on the basis that Alesha 10s don’t count!).

It also helped lift the pairing into the top spot with the nation’s bookies. Aliona and Harry are now only available at around 5/4 in the Strictly Come dancing winner odds.

Aliona first appeared on Strictly Come Dancing two years ago in 2009 when she and partner Rav Wilding survived only until Week 3. But last year, with Matt Barker, she made it all the way to the grand-final and impressed with a final Samba, but missed out on the overall win to  Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev.

It looks like the Russian temptress could go one better this time around.

Last week, former Destiny’s Child star turned X Factor judge Kelly Rowland had been accused of falling out with schoolgirl entrant Janet Devlin, and that the stress of this endangered Janet’s live performance at the weekend.  However, Janet’s mother and a representative from Rowland’s camp have been busy scotching the rumours of any rift.

Apparently Janet had felt sidelined by mentor Kelly Rowland, who had been spending more time coaching Misha B – her other act left in the contest.  They’d also disagreed on outfit choices.

Leading up to last week’s show Janet had missed two days of rehearsals as she was in bed, apparently suffering from exhaustion.  She has said that preparing for the Gaga show had been really stressful, but that she’d done her best to make her Lady Gaga song her own. Those looking at the X Factor odds will have been impressed.

Judge Gary Barlow slammed her performance on Saturday. He felt that her version of Somebody to Love by Queen was dull, and that he was ‘starting to lose interest’ in Devlin’s singing. Instead of getting behind her act, Kelly just said “Janet worked really hard this week and went back to her roots. I respect her for that.” Despite the negative comments by the judges, Janet was voted straight through by the public.

The sixteen year old Northern Irish singer from County Tyrone finished her GCSEs this summer.  Given her young age, she seems to be handling the pressure of life in the spotlight.  She got onto the X Factor with her amazing folksy rendition of Elton John’s Your Song at her Liverpool audition.

Amelia Lily and Marcus Collins are currently the bookies’ favourites to be the X Factor winning act, with odds around 3/1, and Janet Devlin and Little Mix are just behind them at 9/2.  Looking like the most likely to be eliminated next is Misha B, whose odds are now 14/1.

Strictly’s 12th of November show – the last before the Wembley extravaganza, more than lived up to its billing as the most exciting yet in the current series.
Alex and James were up first with a jive. Alex, dressed as a cheerleader, then picked up a ragdoll and did a little girl act. But the doll quickly went, thankfully, and Alex started throwing herself around and Bruno loved it all.

Robbie and Ola’s smooth American number came up next. Robbie was a touch wobbly here and but somehow pulled it off and Bruno gave Robbie’s ability to sway the thumbs up.

Audley and Natalie’s Cha-cha failed to impress, unfortunately, and Bruno came down hard on the unfortunate boxer, whilst Len was hard but fair saying: “…the only way you’re going to Wembley is on the Jubilee line”. Those looking at the Strictly Come Dancing odds wouldn’t have been impressed.

Then Harry and Aliona’s Argentine Tango saw fake moustaches but, despite the cheesiness, the dance came off very well indeed; the first 10 score of the current series from Bruno – and yet another 10 from Alesha!

Next, Jason and Kristina’s Viennese Waltz saw the Australian back (well almost…) to his best, and the judges loved it yet again. Anyone looking for Strictly Come Dancing tips should bear this in mind.

Chelsee and Pasha’s Foxtrot was a nice surprise. Chelsee’s preview claim not to be at all elegant wasn’t reflected in her routine and the judges loved it.

Anita and Robin also went for an Argentine Tango. It was an intense and highly dramatic number but the judges didn’t award highly dramatic scores and Anita’s hanging on to her place in the competition by a slender thread; much like some of her costumes.

Holly and Brendan, meanwhile, came in with a daring Rumba as Artem wasn’t fit to dance. The good news for Holly is that there wasn’t a lot of footwork involved, and the judges were a little mixed in their opinion.

Russell and Flavia yet again provided the best entertainment if not the best dancing ability. Another American Smooth saw a mixed performance and Len summed it up well, saying – “The music was ‘I am what I am’, you are what you are, and that was what that was”. Craig added: “Immortal dahhling”.

In the end, Harry finished top with poor Audley at the bottom, so no Wembley appearance for the big man, sadly.
Off to Wembley we go…

After failing to pull off a convincing enough impression of a dancer, TV impressionist and funny man Rory Bremner is the latest celebrity contestant to get the boot from Strictly Come Dancing 2011.

Rory and his partner, professional dancer Erin Boag, landed at the bottom of the score board this weekend, along with the indestructible Nancy Dell’Olio and her professional dancing partner Anton Du Beke.  Those looking at the Strictly Come Dancing odds will know neither pair have looked good.

Despite a gallant attempt at the Cha Cha Cha, Rory failed to make a good impression with the Strictly judges, and was told by Italian firebrand Bruno Tonioli that he looked like a ‘cocky rooster chasing a hen around the yard. Strictly stalwart Len Goodman described Bruno as being ‘like the government – there’s a lot going on and not all of it is good’. Ooh, political!

Although Nancy and Anton received less votes than Rory and Erin, coming away with the lowest score of the night with only 18 points, the public seem to have warmed to the Italian siren (as Nancy describes herself) and kept her and Anton in to dance another day. Those looking for Strictly Come Dancing tips won’t be expecting them to hang round though.

So it’s goodbye, so long, auf wiedersehen and farewell to Rory and Erin, who leave this year’s Strictly Come Dancing with eleven remaining couples. Next week the remaining celebrity contestants, who include Jason Donovan; Holly Valance; Harry Judd; Chelsee Healey; Alex Jones; Audley Harrison; Lulu; Russell Grant; Robbie Savage; and of course Nancy Dell’Olio, will perform Halloween-themed routines.

Who will cast a spell on the Strictly judges and the voting public next week, and who will face the curse of the low scores? It should be a magical evening of entertainment all round, and we will be watching entranced as always.

Last week on Strictly Come Dancing, tubby and loveable star-sign fan Russell Grant embraced his role as queen of the dance floor, putting the ‘boy’ in flamboyant and shaking his stuff with gusto like an overenthusiastic uncle at a wedding.

‘Give me a theatre, and I’m happy’, said ‘Royal Astrologer’ Russell to his ever-smiling professional dance partner Flavia Cacace, before this week’s Broadway special, which saw Russell don a cream top hat and suit in a what we can only guess was an attempt to channel a leading man, but instead had the effect of making him look more like an overweight canary attempting to flee the bird cage. God love him. People looking at the Strictly Come Dancing betting will know he is something of a figure of fun.

Flavia danced and Russell jiggled some kind of foxtrot to the tuneful sound of ‘Don’t Rain on my Parade’, and got yet another (clearly not impromptu) standing ovation.

Alesha Dixon called Russell her guilty pleasure, and Bruno Tonioli said he had the uplifting quality of blazing sunshine, brightening up our days. Craig Revel Horwood advised a more masculine approach (a little less Barbara and a little more Rambo) while Len Goodman said Russell looked like a little white cloud floating across the stage and his ‘little yellow dickie’ (thankfully he meant Russell’s bow tie) was the sun. This week, Len said, Russell Grant had ‘put the show in showbiz’. The Strictly Come Dancing odds show he could be in for the high jump soon.

As he left the stage, Russell attempted to follow Craig’s advice and take on a more masculine persona, but instead managed to look as though he’d soiled himself. Perhaps he had; it’s difficult to say.

This year’s Strictly Come Dancing is as full of sambas, sequins, temper tantrums and tiaras as ever before, and we love every minute of it.

And as if the main shows weren’t good enough on their own, there’s red button commentary for even more hours of Strictly Come Dancing entertainment, you lucky, lucky people.

Each week, Strictly aficionado Karen Hardy is joined by a super duper celeb guest to chat all things celebrity and salsa, for the red button alternative commentary. It’s a little added extra for people flowing the Strictly Come Dancing betting.

Guests sharing their views with Karen so far on what they think are the loveliest lambadas, the fanciest foxtrots, the wackiest waltzes and the raunchiest rumbas include comedian Katy Brand (she was also in Peep Show you know), former comedian/current psychologist/Billy Connelly’s missus, Pamela Stephenson, and Henry Winkler, aka Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli aka The Fonze aka Fonzie, off of Happy Days. People may also pick up some Strictly Come Dancing tips.

The celebrity guests share their thoughts and musings on all the latest goings on in the sparkly world of Strictly Come Dancing 2011, from Russell Grant’s roly poly appeal, Holly Valance and Artem’s on-stage chemistry, Nancy Dell’Olio’s love of posh bubbly and hatred of feather boas, and Jason Donavan’s smooth moves on the dance floor, to Sir Bruce Forsyth’s wig, Tess Daly’s blandness, Alesha Dixon’s inconceivably small head and Bruno Tonioli’s ever-ready batteries.

And if they don’t talk about all that stuff, well then we reckon they should. Guests we’d like to see on future red button commentary include Ricky Gervais (he’d be rude and hilarious), Frankie Boyle (it would be totally inappropriate), Jodie Marsh (she’d make the dancers look positively pale with her Ronseal Wood Stain-hued skin) and The Chuckle Brothers (just because).