Judges 2017

A new era begins.  

The new fearsome foursome of Cr aig, Dar cey, Shirley, & Br uno.

It'll be interesting to see how the dynamics of the new team works.

Well for me interesting to see how Darcy reacts to new judge. Will she bang on about that "Invisible necklace" & gush re the "guns" of male celebs? Thou wondering where the "guns" are this series?
Shirley play alternative weeks side with B,runo & C,raig... Will C.raig nitpick re bucket hands as much?

Being head judge, I don't think she'll be 'put in the corner, like baby'. I'm guessing she put her stamp on procedings from the start. It wouldn't be fair if she started soft then turned harder during the weeks. I'm guessing they'll be a lot of technical language to show she knows her stuff. She may have a world wide reputation, but she's still got to convince the fickle British public

Moi? Fickle ?

I thought the judges were strangely restrained tonight and full of the pasted on smiles look - even C raig and B runo...........mind you they are slightly 'spare parts' at the launch show I suppose

saxonsiren wrote:Moi? Fickle ?  

Not you sax!

I said on another thread that I think it's a bit unfortunate that Shirley is sitting next to Darcey. Shirley's comments coming after Darcey's, is going to make Darcey look even more superfluous. In my head, I get a picture of 2 animals side by side, one is a cow chewing the cud, and the other, is a fox stalking it's prey. I'll let you decide which female may be which animal. As long as Shirley doesn't start leering, and talking about the mens 'guns & buns' I think she'll be interesting to hear.

There seemed to be several tight jaw lines on the judging panel tonight, but that might just be the fresh botox, I haven't decided yet.

Could be the sherbert lemons were too bitter re the faces from the judges panel on launch night recording

Week 2

Well, Cr aig seems to have decided to use his range of scoring paddles. Maybe he gets more 'Glitter' points if he uses a 7, 8 or even 9 in the first 4 weeks.
I'm glad he mentioned the illegal lifts. As he said, AJ should have learned his lesson from last year so he's really got no excuse. What was Nadiya thinking of? Has she even seen the UK show before?

Darcey said more in week 2 than I recall her saying for most of last year.

I'm glad Shirley made some comments about Nadiya's routine. I was thinking along similar lines. The Quickstep is already fast and complicated enough, why add extras that only detracted from the dance. Dhavood has rhythm and can actually dance (unlike a few of the others). It looked like a sleazy Eurovision rehash with the ripping off of outer layers, and the old chestnut of throwing away spectacles etc.

Br uno - as usual, a mixture of fact and fluff. When he's nailed into his chair, he does sometimes make some useful observations. Stick some Valium in his pre-show coffee someone.

In general, too many floor slides and lifts being put in. Hopefully the judges will keep a 'get tough stance' and not let it slide as the weeks go by as in other years.

Movie Week Questions

Will the judges be in costume?
Will Cr aig's fresh botox make him a ringer for 'Tin Man'? (He could do a duet with brainless Brian as the scarecrow, and Br uno dressed as the lion).
Will Shirley be dressed as Robina Hood? Will she be taking off the suckers from the toy arrows, and sharpening, rather than increasing Brenda's points?

In the battle of the guns, will An ton's Bond, outwit Brenda's Tom Cruise, or will Wonder Woman knock them both out?

I'm hoping Batman & Robin turn up aka B,runo & C,raig!

B4p wrote:Movie Week Questions

Will the judges be in costume?
Will Cr aig's fresh botox make him a ringer for 'Tin Man'? (He could do a duet with brainless Brian as the scarecrow, and Br uno dressed as the lion).
Will Shirley be dressed as Robina Hood? Will she be taking off the suckers from the toy arrows, and sharpening, rather than increasing Brenda's points?

In the battle of the guns, will An ton's Bond, outwit Brenda's Tom Cruise, or will Wonder Woman knock them both out?

That's a wonderful image! (although it would make a trio rather then a duet...

Does anyone think it a coincidnece that Brian is an anagram of Brain? Perhaps his middle name is Les....

On the subject of Brenda, I think Sid did a good summing up elsewhere, but I just wanted to say that really, for his sleb's sake, he should think before he opens his gob; Our Shirl will def have the knives/sharpened arrows out for him now... (Although I see her more as the Wicked Stepmother and using poison (a poisonus tongue) rather than anything sharp and pointy - she'll leave that up to her huntsman....) I certainly wouldn't mess with Our Shirl..

diamondsandpearls wrote:

That's a wonderful image! (although it would make a trio rather then a duet...

On the subject of Brenda, I think Sid did a good summing up elsewhere, but I just wanted to say that really, for his sleb's sake, he should think before he opens his gob; Our Shirl will def have the knives/sharpened arrows out for him now... (Although I see her more as the Wicked Stepmother and using poison (a poisonus tongue) rather than anything sharp and pointy - she'll leave that up to her huntsman....) I certainly wouldn't mess with Our Shirl..

On the contrary - I think it would be quite easy to make mince meat of her (and bear in mind I do like her) as for B rendan - it wouldn't be SCD without his outbursts - I'm glad he is still making them 15 years on and dualling with the judges!

On the whole I don't mind Brenda n's outbursts. At times you want him to bite his lip before speaking but I genuinely think it is because he is so protective of his dance partner and recognises the tough job many of them have. He does seem like he has grown a mentality of us and them with the judges over the years though.

CaledonianCraig wrote:On the whole I don't mind Brenda n's outbursts. At times you want him to bite his lip before speaking but I genuinely think it is because he is so protective of his dance partner and recognises the tough job many of them have. He does seem like he has grown a mentality of us and them with the judges over the years though.

Yeah I don't mind so much when it comes from a place of chivalry and when he has a point. On this occasion though I think he was just being rude and contrary to defending Charlotte he was getting defensive about valid criticism of his own choreographical choices.

Sid wrote:I don't mind so much when it comes from a place of chivalry and when he has a point. On this occasion though I think he was just being rude and contrary to defending Charlotte he was getting defensive about valid criticism of his own choreographical choices.

Agree Sid. He was throwing his 'I woz robbed/she's got my job' rattle out of his pram, exposing his damaged ego, rather than comforting Charlotte (and bigging up her good points). Charlotte looked a bit embarrassed by his outburst. I would love to have been a fly on the wall in the after show bar that night.

B4p wrote:
Agree Sid. He was throwing his 'I woz robbed/she's got my job' rattle out of his pram, exposing his damaged ego, rather than comforting Charlotte (and bigging up her good points). Charlotte looked a bit embarrassed by his outburst. I would love to have been a fly on the wall in the after show bar that night.

Shirley tweeted a quote from her favourite movie earlier: "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" and I really want to believe it was a subtle side-eye to B.rendan

Mmm, I felt a bit of sympathy for Brendan tonight and I felt A.nton was entirely justified in speaking up even if it was just to keep things light because the judges really were on a downer tonight. Shirley was particularly vicious towards Ruth I thought, after all that had been said by everyone else. It's one thing to be technical, it's another to be downright rude. I'm beginning to think she's not a good replacement for L.en. Please BBC - don't invite her back next year.

Yes Twirlie -  I also had some issues with Shirley tonight.
She wasn't consistent and just can't help judging the pros.

Shirley has her darlings and then those she dislikes clearly.... Brend an & Charlotte this year's scapegoats. C,raig bless right an improvement on last week. B,runo I felt antagonised more by should respect I've only done 500 shows etc what do I know! Well clearly not knowing to keep ones backside on the chair and to stop making over zealous arm waving clowning around critique each week. B,runo can be nasty our Shirley clearly a Vixen with a Vengance against same couple. Why not say things like this to Ruth/The Rev and Simon tonight re poor costume poor dance.

It's clear Shirley's got her faves but I don't think that necessarily translates to her being wrong about Charlotte's Tango (I need to watch it back) and Brendan can do one with his sexist, patronising "I will dear". Gone right off him again.

I don't have a problem with the judges putting more emphasis on technique this year - in fact I think that this aspect has been sadly lacking in SCD in recent years as the 'burn the floor' type performances have taken over - so I do really welcome it and find it interesting. Also, I'm all for pros being told off for doing illegal lifts, not doing enough in-hold etc - in fact one of my big gripes in recent years was that half the time this was not pointed out..........but.............. having watched her for two weeks now, I feel that Shirley has a tendency with some dances to be marking the pro and not the celeb - with some people (not only B rendan and Charlotte) her critique is directed almost entirely at the Pro about the ins and outs of the routine, rather than concentrating on the celebs execution of it - if that makes sense. What were those comments all about after Alex and Gorka's AS??

In this vein I was a bit shocked about how she couldn't rise above her 'feud' with B rendan and the sarcasm that came out - barely addressing a comment to Charlotte who just stood there during what was an antagonistic feedback session all round (as Sax pointed out) and more than just a bit of 'joshing'. I think Shirley needs to quickly step back from this 'feud'. I watched back B rendan's routine and couldn't see the rise and fall that she mentioned.

Also - at the risk of sounding catty - I felt that Simon, Brian and Jonnie all got encouragement and constructive comments whereas she was quite dismissive of some of the women - Charlotte, Ruth and even Debbie.

After week one I said that I felt she needed to slow down and balance things a bit - I still believe this, as well as needing to look at her impartiality. I'm afraid she also needs to realize that she will come in for criticism as an SCD judge - whether it be from GBP or dancers and she needs to rise above it not retaliate. I know she has only done a few weeks and all the judges have their own 'style' - if she is going to be the technical queen then fair enough, but make it consistent and about the celebs.

Been reading what some dancer-y people have had to say and opinion seems to be that while Brendan clearly wouldn't have taught Tango rise & fall to Charlotte, she wasn't quite flexed in the knees and grounded enough so it was a bit up and down. But that's an execution problem (and entirely understandable for a beginner I'd imagine) not a dig at Brendan's teaching. I think Shirley could have made that clearer but Brendan was on the defensive from the off and took it personally.

Mauve I agree whole heartedly with you. I do feel Our Vixen Shirley  does aim criticism at the pro's and disregards how the celeb has handled the dance, their posture,any hint of improvement which quite clearly there was in Charlotte last night. .. Shirley needs to wind her neck in a bit re her "feud or angst with Brendan......


Sid although Brendan said my dear I,for one didn't as a female take it as a derogatory comment. We have had so many darlings etc from C,raig no problems and B,runo also using my dear/darling or love on occasions too. I did find it derogatory B,runo saying well when SHE! stands still she's lovely    Who is SHE the cat's mother? As my gran would have pointed out hearing that. disrespectful ...
B.runo seems to have fallen into Ms Vixen's camp leaving us with floundering Darcy who got put down by Shirley too and C,raig who does his own thing.... Darcy sorry time to go and I feel Shirley be swiftly replaced next year hopefully by E,rin or F,lavia or Camilla......Our Chloe is a possibility too a fresh young dancers views?

saxonsiren wrote:Mauve I agree whole heartedly with you. I do feel Our Vixen Shirley  does aim criticism at the pro's and disregards how the celeb has handled the dance, their posture,any hint of improvement which quite clearly there was in Charlotte last night. .. Shirley needs to wind her neck in a bit re her "feud or angst with Brendan......


Sid although Brendan said my dear I,for one didn't as a female take it as a derogatory comment. We have had so many darlings etc from C,raig no problems and B,runo also using my dear/darling or love on occasions too. I did find it derogatory B,runo saying well when SHE! stands still she's lovely    Who is SHE the cat's mother? As my gran would have pointed out hearing that. disrespectful ...
B.runo seems to have fallen into Ms Vixen's camp leaving us with floundering Darcy who got put down by Shirley too and C,raig who does his own thing.... Darcy sorry time to go and I feel Shirley be swiftly replaced next year hopefully by E,rin or F,lavia or Camilla......Our Chloe is a possibility too a fresh young dancers views?

I think its far too soon to be talking about replacing Shirley. Yes she has had a run-in with B.rendan burt L.en had lots of them and lasted long enough until he quit. D.arcey I would have replaced a long time ago though. A lovely lady but a useless judge.

Cc for me I'd replace no hesitancy. Why should a judge be safe from the chop after one series? Pro dancers have been axed after one series with not so much as a blink of the eye attitude..Darcy bless yes should of been changed.
I thought after L.en we might get 5 judges and an ex pro dancer from show would have been terrific. E,rin shines out for me as a firm but positive judge....

We may not agree on our change of Judge but I love our friendly forum ....