Would our friends from Finland please take the floor?

By Jamie McLoughlin on Aug 29, 08 03:01 PM

Shock developments in the world of the Eurovision Dance Contest.

Spain has pulled out. That's because this year's competition does clash with a number of important national football fixtures for the countries taking part in Glasgow and, to be brutally honest, this newest addition to the Contest family isn't going to tempt too many viewers away from the pitches.

This is likely to have an impact on the viewing figures, but we will stoically carry on by telling you a bit more about this twosome, who are hoping to make it two-in-a-row for Finland at non-singing, all-dancing Eurovision.

Mikko Ahti (he's the boy) is 33 and a professional dancer and dance teacher. He is joined by singer and actress Maria Lund, 25, to complete the storming combination which triumphed in Finland's third series of Strictly Come Dancing (it probably wasn't called that in Finnish, but we could be wrong).

Now, last year, the Finns took the inaugural EDC title with some something rather gloomy performed all in black, by a duo who only won the national nomination one week before the final in London.

Judging by this pic, snapped somewhere on a Finnish harbour, Mikko and Maria seem a lot more chirpy and may even smile during their performance. Here's hoping, anyway.

Maria is also married to a man called Mikko - but not the Mikko she's dancing with. That must cause loads of Terry and June-style confusion-based comedy antics.

Imagine if she got this text: "Maria, I'm just down the shops. Would you like a bottle of wine and something nice for dinner? I'm just in the mood for a cosy night in watching the telly and perhaps a kiss and a cuddle. Love, Mikko x"

Poor Maria would think her dance partner had somehow fallen in love with her and would feel compelled to tell him off for his unprofessional behaviour.

Then, of course, it would transpire that the text in fact came from Maria's *husband*, Mikko. Everyone would breathe a big sigh of relief and have a right old laugh about it.

Hilarious.