Denise Van Outen defends her past dancing experience

As the clock ticks down to the Friday 5 October launch of Strictly Come Dancing 2012, the celebs are furiously rehearsing. Get an insight into theirthoughts via their images, (directly quoted) tweets and blog entries.

Denise Van Outen (pictured here backstage waiting to talk about Strictly Come Dancing on Loose Women) took to her blog to defend her critics who have claimed she has too much dance experience to be on the show. She wrote: "I have to say that I was a quite upset at the criticism that I've come under from the press about my involvement with the show due to my previous dance experience."

She added: "I would like to take this opportunity to express that I have danced at theatre school as part of my training, and I did appear in the musical Chicago where I had one dance number, but apart from that, my dance experience is very basic."

She looks pretty happy in this snap she tweeted with the lovely John Barrowman! Don't let the critics get you down Denise!