Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone set to quit BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing

The last tango: Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone set to quit BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing 

By J J ANISIOBI

PUBLISHED: 15:19, 1 June 2013 | UPDATED: 16:21, 1 June 2013

The BBC confirmed on Saturday that Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone will be leaving Strictly Come Dancing.

In total four of Strictly Come Dancing's professional dancers are leaving the show, including Erin Boag, who has been dancing with celebrity contestants since the programme began in 2004.

A BBC spokeswoman said Boag, along with Flavia and Vincent, were all leaving 'to focus on their careers outside of Strictly and for professional reasons'. 

Over and out: Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace have announced they are to quit Strictly Come Dancing

Dance partners Cacace and Simone said they would take part in the show's Christmas special, and described themselves as being 'part of the family'. 

Cacace, who won last year's series with gymnast Louis Smith and is engaged to former Strictly contestant Jimi Mistry, said: 'After an incredible and unforgettable 2012 on Strictly Come Dancing for both Vincent and I, we have decided we won't be partnering a celebrity on this year's show. 

'However we look forward to continuing to perform on our favourite show and remain a part of the family including partnering a celebrity in the Christmas Special.

The winner: As reigning champion Flavia will be sorely missed from the BBC show

'We feel it's the right time to invest in our dancing knowledge and become better at what we do and keep providing our audiences and supporters with continued excitement through our dancing. 

'Aside from hopefully performing on Strictly we have lots of new projects ahead which we are very much looking forward to working on.

'We have exciting times ahead with Vincent having his second child and me being newly engaged. We thank our supporters for always being there and hope that together with us they look forward to exciting times ahead.'

Fan favourite: Partnered with Russell Grant in 2011, Flavia proved to be good at making weaker celebrity dancers entertaining

Day job: Flavia's partnership with Louis Smith saw them take the Strictly crown last year, while Vincent and his partner Dani Harmer also got far in the competition

The dancer was named joint Rear of the Year with Simone last week and said at the time that the show was 'kind of in our blood'. 

Simone described it as 'such a hard job', adding: 'It's probably the hardest thing we have ever done in our career.'

The BBC said the pair would also perform tango routines on the 2013 series of Strictly, to be televised this autumn. 

Former Strictly champion Aliona Vilani, who won in 2011 with McFly's Harry Judd, will not be returning for the next series either. 

She had not competed in the 2012 show due to injury, but no reason was given for her departure.

Gone too soon: Aliona Vilani, pictured with winning partner Harry Judd in 2011, is also saying bye bye to Strictly

Boag, who has danced with Olympic medalist Colin Jackson and impressionist Rory Bremner, said: 'After 10 wonderful years, and with a truly heavy heart, I have decided to decline the BBC's very kind offer to compete again in series 11, and have withdrawn from being a competitive dancer on Strictly Come Dancing.

'It's been so much fun making new friends, meeting wonderful people, and of course being partnered with such lovely celebrities year after year. 

'I'm going to miss spending so much time with my amazing fellow professional dancers - it's true what they say, Strictly really is just like a great big family!

'It's been a very hard decision to make, but it's time for a change and to focus my attention on new challenges. That said, it's not necessarily farewell to Strictly, as I do hope to continue being a part of the show.'

Boag said she would continue to dance with professional partner Anton du Beke, and told fans on her blog: 'I'm certainly not hanging up my dancing shoes and retiring from the ballroom... far from it! 

'I'm going to be doing more television work, choreography and teaching (news on that to follow!), and Anton and I will still be performing at shows and events across the country as usual.'

Flavia and Vincent show off their winning rears

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2334147/Flavia-Cacace-Vincent-Simone-leave-Strictly-Come-Dancing.html#ixzz2UzFo4ri0
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Rear of the Year History and past winners

The very first ‘Rear of the Year’ award was presented in 1976 to Barbara Windsor but it was a further five years before the award became an annual event with a presentation to actress Felicity Kendal in 1981.

Rock singer Suzi Quatro won the award in 1982 and three singers followed her to win the title – Lulu in 1983, Elaine Paige in 1984 and Lynsey de Paul in 1985.

The first award to a male celebrity was in 1986 when comedian Michael Barrymore joined Anneka Rice in the media spotlight.

Actresses Anita Dobson and Su Pollard won the title in 1987 and 1988 respectively but, in 1990, the ‘Rear of the Year’ went to the first Royal on the growing list of celebrities when Marina Ogilvy, the daughter of Princess Alexandra, walked away with the title.

Following a two year’s break in the presentations and a major change of format, Ulrika Jonsson’s rear asset took the title in 1992, followed by actress Sarah Lancashire in 1993. Mandy Smith and Richard Fairbrass were joint winners in 1994, after which the competition switched to a mid Summer format in 1996 with actress Tracy Shaw receiving the public vote.

Since then the ‘Rear of the Year’ award has been presented each and every year to both a male and female celebrity.

1997 Melinda Messenger & Gary Barlow 1998 Carol Smillie & Frank Skinner 1999Denise van Outen & Robbie Williams 2000 Jane Danson & Graham Norton 2001 Claire Sweeney & John Altman 2002 Charlotte Church & Scott Wright 2003 Natasha Hamilton & Ronan Keating 2004 Alex Best & Aled Haydn-Jones 2005 Nell McAndrew & Will Young

2006 Javine Hylton & Ian Wright 2007 Sian Lloyd & Lee Mead 2008Jennifer Ellison & Ryan Thomas 2009 Rachel Stevens & Russell Watson 2010 Fiona Bruce & Ricky Whittle 2011 Carol Vorderman & Anton du Beke 2012 Shobna Gulati & John Barrowman 2013 Flavia Cacace & Vincent Simone 2014 VOTE NOW!

The 19th Century bustle, worn with a tight-fitting corset, first focussed attention on the exaggerated

but fashionable female rear and, as they say, it’s never looked back.

1940’s and 50’s Hollywood film stars Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, and Jane Russell then popularised the well-rounded rear of the period, quickly reversed in the 1960’s by a neater, more boyish rear, typified by top models of the decade Jean ‘The Shrimp’ Shrimpton and ‘Twiggy’.

The 1970’s and 80’s brought with them a gradual increase in the size of the fashionable rear until the 1990’s when health and fitness became the major fashion influence – slimming down the general rear ‘look’ once again.

Following the 2012 Olympics, the fashionable rears of both men and women have become more toned as a result of specific exercise regimes to trim the gluteus maximus – the largest and most superficial of the buttock muscles – to resemble the rears of the Olympic Gold Medal celebrities.

The rear will probably always exert a major influence on fashion and the way men and women want to look – which is why the annual ‘Rear of the Year’ awards are a clear and positive indicator of the very latest trends in body shape.

Why not cast your vote on what you think the Rear of this year should be? Contact us today with your vote.

Strictly Come Dancing stars Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone are crowned winners of Rear Of The Year

Winners ... Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace

Published: 30th May 2013

40

STRICTLY Come Dancing duo Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone have been recognised for their toned bottoms - being crowned Rear Of The Year award winners.

The pair - the first professional twosome to win the annual accolade - spoke of their “delight” at having their pert bums celebrated.
And Simone joked that his colleagues on the show would be envious at his and Flavia's triumph.
He said: “They’ll be devastated. They’re going to be so jealous. I can’t wait for them to find out."
Cacace, 34, joked that she and Simone would have to pass on tips to the other Strictly professionals to get them in the running for the award next year.
“I think they’ll be laughing,” she said.

A rear-l compliment ... Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace

The petite dancer - famous for her Argentine Tango with Simone - said dancing is what makes their bottoms award-worthy, and she said she believes it will continue to keep them well-toned.
“I think we will always dance, whether we can actually still perform full on, we will always do some form of dance, even if it’s social or teaching, so hopefully that will keep them nice and compact,” she said.
Simone, 35, joked that he had been waiting for this award “all my life”, saying: “I think it was about time.”
The dancing star, who appears in stage show Midnight Tango with Cacace, said: “I haven’t seen any other men with amazing rears like me, so I don’t have much competition.”
Confident that his behind will remain in great condition, he added: “My bum is eternal. It will last forever.”
Previous winners include Felicity Kendal (1981), Lulu (1983), Anita Dobson (1987) Carol Smillie (1998), Denise van Outen (1999), Claire Sweeney (2001), Rachel Stevens (2009), Ricky Whittle (2010) and Carol Vorderman (2011).
Votes were cast at www.rearoftheyearcompetition.com.

Former couple ... Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/4948039/Which-former-couple-have-danced-their-way-into-being-crowned-rear-of-the-year-winners.html#ixzz2UpB2mpxW

Rear of the Year for Cambridge Students

Rearly, girls! How unedifying that our brightest and most privileged students should want to display themselves like this

By ANDREW LEVY

PUBLISHED: 12:03, 22 May 2012 | UPDATED: 10:43, 23 May 2012

They are the cream of the  academic crop, the brightest young minds in Britain.

But when it comes to extracurricular activities, these Cambridge students appear to have hit rock bottom.

While their predecessors have amassed dozens of Nobel prizes and other intellectual accolades, the current crop of undergraduates is focusing on a rather less taxing competition – rear of the year.

There's more to life than books, you know: Daring student 'Meredith' poses in the prestigious University Library

Female students at the university have submitted risque photographs of their behinds in the hope of clinching the title.

They insist it is innocent fun – and male classmates are quick to agree – but critics have accused them of harming the feminist cause and the university’s reputation.

The pictures have been sent to independent student website The Tab by women using pseudonyms and hiding their faces from the camera to protect their identities.

Each gives a brief tongue-in-cheek biography with her photograph. While other students are using the university library to revise for their impending exams, one going by the name of Meredith stripped down to her underwear to be pictured on tiptoe taking a book from a shelf.

Saucy: Blonde entrant 'Elizabeth' wore revealing purple knickers for the contest (left) and the website claimed 'Leila' loved 'nothing more than rubbing her bosoms on the smooth sand-blasted doors of Emmanuel College'

Rear view: Competition entrant 'Bella' wore a black pair of knickers to match her top, but not a lot else

The Wolfson College undergraduate jokes she ‘lures unsuspecting students’ into the labyrinth of shelves where they are relieved of their wallets by ‘heavies’.

Bella, who poses in frilly knickers and nude stilettos with her long dark hair tumbling down over a tight-fitting jumper, said: ‘The trick to looking good in knickers is to wear high heels.’

Leila sports see-through white pants with beige trim, while Lynette is seen in her digs wearing a ‘dark-elf dominatrix’ outfit of black leggings with a festive rosette.

Elizabeth, from Homerton College, whose alumni include actress Cherie Lunghi, claims her ‘first sexual thoughts were of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’.

The entrants were found through ‘word of mouth’ at the university and the photos sent in through anonymous email accounts. Student women’s officer Ruth Graham, 23, said: ‘As members of the Cambridge community, we have a responsibility to speak out against the portrayal of women as sex objects, given that extensive research by bodies such as the UN and the End Violence Against Women coalition has repeatedly identified links between these portrayals and attitudes that underpin violence and discrimination.’

Leggy: The fifth contestant, named 'Lynette', opted for high heels and a shiny gold bow on her bottom

A university source added: ‘We can’t stop what they’re doing but it would be fair to say we don’t approve of it. It is not the kind of image we would want to project.’ Male students were generous in their praise, however. Comments posted online included: ‘High-definition pics from multiple angles would’ve provided a better comparison.’ Another, referring to The Tab’s rear of the year competition for men which was launched in April, said: ‘The boys’ bums were naked – this isn’t fair!’

And ‘Leila’ joined the debate herself, saying: ‘It’s given me a bit of a confidence boost. I don’t think it’s got anything to do with feminism really. I certainly wasn’t trying to make a point, nor do I think I’m being objectified by men.’

The Tab’s editor Joe Bates, 20, who is reading music at Gonville and Caius, defended the contest as a ‘bit of fun’ and said the men’s rear of the year competition destroyed accusations of ‘anti-feminism’.

Students have been voting for their favourite male and female bottoms and results will be revealed today.

A Cambridge University spokesman refused to comment.

Centre of excellence: The university library, where one of the daring pictures was taken

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2148056/Cambridge-University-students-invited-rate-favourite-rear-year.html#ixzz1vge1sUtN