DANCE FEVER took over Newcastle this week, with the arrival of the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour at the Metro Radio Arena.

Never before has the arena been transformed into the glittering ballroom that welcomed the audience on Tuesday night, with a collection of professional dancers, sports stars and actors taking to the floor to perform the classic routines made famous once again by the BBC1 hit show.

Hosted by Kate Thornton, the night was pure entertainment.

Darren Gough, James Martin, Letitia Dean and Matt Di Angelo were just some of the celebrities who teamed up with their dance partners once again.

The set sparkled just like the TV show, as the mixed audience were treated to Matt's famous shoulder shaking salsa, as well as an outstanding Argentine Tango by World Champions Flavia and Vincent.

The judges didn't let the side down either as Craig Revel Horwood, Arlene Phillips and Len Goodman nit picked the routines to generate the pantomime boo's from the excited audience.

Former EastEnder star Chris Parker took the brunt of the judges criticisms by being told quite simply, he can't dance.

But the Newcastle crowd supported him all the way as he practically ran his way through a Paso Doble, waving his cape in the air.

The first half was a collection of ballroom classics including the tango and the quick step, and things heated up in the second half with every couple dancing a Latin routine.

From the interval the audience were allowed to vote for their favourite, with the most popular couple between the audience and the judges picking up the Strictly trophy.

The celebrities showed just how far they have come from their pre dance days, with actors Louisa Lytton and Matt Di Angelo looking every inch the professional dancer.

As the votes were cast to see who the Newcastle Champion was, the dancers performed a collection of routines to the music from Dirty Dancing, which was a great crowd pleaser, as well as a professional routine.

Louisa Lytton picked up the trophy on the night, leaving the majority of girls in the audience, including me, wishing they could dance like her.

The show was filled with excitement and entertainment, and the fact that every dancer, judge and musician on the floor seemed to enjoy being there just as much as the audience did made it all the better.

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