Would our friends from Russia please take the floor?

By Jamie McLoughlin on Sep 3, 08 04:01 PM

Now, although Dima Bilan's barefoot-performed ballad was by no means a worthy winner of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, the inclusion of Russia in the Dance Contest line-up means TV Moscow could wind up with the very first Song/Dance Contest double.

Imagine the excitement. It won't be long before Manchester United start entering both Contests as well.

And they're hoping to pull it off with the obligatory professional dancer and a former Olympic ice dancing champion.

Alexander Litvinenko may look like a thinner version of DIY SOS' Nick Knowles, but he is in fact a rather good ballroom dancer and choreographer.

He began his career when an attractive young lady at school told him she would like to dance with him. He was 13 years old, no doubt full of hormones - and blackmailed by the fact the lady in question refused to help him with his exams unless he came along (some women learn how to exploit their charms at a very early age. She must have been the teenage Russian version of Blanche from The Golden Girls).

Both Alexander and his partner, Tatiana, were born in Ukraine (hmm, where will Ukraine's 12 points go on Saturday night...?) with Miss Navka moving to Moscow in 1988 to continue her ice dancing career.

She went on to win Russia's version on Dancing on Ice, before being paired up with Alexander for the dry land version.

Dancing on Ice? Dancing on Floor? This one is hovering closer to Cheats' Corner by the minute...