by Judi James, You, August 28, 2005

There's something uniquely sexy about watching a man dance well. Ballroom in particular requires all the same skills that will make him good in bed, namely physical strength and flexibility, combined with a strong sense of rhythm, plus an ability to focus attention on his partner and take control without being overwhelming. Damian Lewis is currently the thinking woman's heartthrob, and therefore this combination of toothsome thesp and nifty two-step should set the pulses racing. Actress Helen McCrory is clearly impressed with her boyfriend of nine months, pressing her pelvis confidently against Damian's to display physical trust, and looking up to meet his smouldering gaze. Damian has made one basic schoolboy error in his otherwise impeccable-looking Latino routine, though: being good at dancing is fine, but being too good can equal disaster as it starts to smell of vanity and plain showing-off. Damian's pursed lips and swiveling hips are just too much, especially combined with those flashy, pointy white boots. And the hand raised to the side is the final nail in the coffin. Extended to display maximum "me, me, me" attention-seeking, it has poor Helen leaning at full stretch to reach the thumb alone. There was potential for romance in this pose, but Damian took it one rumba too far for most women's tastes. Pity.