2020 Tango's 'Little bit of Honesty'

A few thoughts on last night’s show:-

Maisie clearly the best (IMO) and the judges have tried to put her clear of the dance off.

HRVY still doing nothing for me.

Jamie I didn’t think put a foot wrong and was thoroughly entertaining (in a Tiggerish kind of way).  I thought he was third best overall and gave him all my votes.

Bill plateaued a few weeks ago for me and should be in the DO.

Ranvir not worthy of a place in the final as she simply hasn’t nailed the Latin style.

The judges should decide whether Bill or Ranvir join the other three in the final but we all know this won’t be the actual outcome.

In other news, I loved Shirley’s dress but didn’t love hearing her banging on about how much she likes heavy metal (who cares?).

Morning all.  Hope all is well ...

The two dance format is always a strange one for me.  The majority of dances are good but clearly need more polishing.  That said, there's generally one or two dances that sparkle and one or two clangers.

Jamie and Karen.  I find myself looking foward to seeing these two dance - they constantly deliver above my expectations.  Tonight was no exception, I thought their dances (salsa and quickstep) were hugely entertaining.  Both fell into the category of needing more polishing but given the time they had I think they turned in the best they could do.  If the UK genuinely loves an underdog they'll put Jamie into Final right away.  On the strength of effort and determination alone, he more than warrants a place.   Combined score: 16

Ranvir and Giovanni   I'm probably at odds with many on here but I've never really warmed to this couple.  I can see grace and elegance in abundance but that's pretty much it and while some might say that's more than enough, I find it one-dimensional - especially when it's being served up again and again.   In hold, she's secure and in her comfort zone.  Out of hold, she's insecure and the problems mount.  The classic Strictly problem.   The waltz was textbook Ranvir/Giovanni, everything I'm sure their fans would like.  I didn't see the problems that the fabu-u-lus darling one was banging on about but I also didn't see them taking chances and moving it a step on from their normal approach.   The jive was, well, sad to see.  They're better than that.   I'd be astonished if they're not in the dance off.  Combined score:  13

Bill and Oti It didn't strike me until after they danced tonight but Oti seems strangely subdued this year.  Not necessarily in the dances where's she's doing the full Rhianoff / Lukosiute misdirection trick fairly regularly but backstage where she's a very different Oti from the one we're used to seeing.  But anyway..   I don't think this couple are dancing any better than they were a few weeks ago.   Bill is starting to act his way through the dances (never a good sign) and while undoubtedly trying his best, struggling to keep up.  The Charleston was a bit ragged, the Tango a bit lacklustre.   (Kudos to the band for Enter Sandman and, in fact, for all the music last night).  Combined score: 14

Maisie and Gorka  Couple of the night, for me.   Full on entertainment.   Bags of character, confidence and charm.  The couples choice didn't quite measure up the HRVY's but came pretty damned close.  The Viennese Waltz was just sensational.   Why were these two ever in a dance off?  Combined score:  19

HRVY and Janette  Not their best night.  They always pack their dances with a lot of content and I suspect two dances was just too much content in the time.  Neither of the routines were up to Jeanette's otherwise high standard this year.  I think if he'd had the rumba on its own, he'd have polished it up to a 9.  I don't think the rumba was as bad as the judges made out, but then again I don't think the Charleston was as as good.  The public seem to love these two so I'm sure they'll sail through but let's hope they get back to wowing the audience once again in the final.  Natural showmen, these two (showpeople?)  Combined score: 16

A very high standard of dances (mostly) last night and some good and one very ropey. Inconsistency of the judges grated with me again which I will mention.

Jamie and Karen (Salsa): I wasn't sure about the start but he had nice fluidity I thought but was overstacked with lifts in my opinion. A very good start to the show though. An 8.5 from me.

Ranvir and Giovanni (Waltz): A lovely dance and no gapping throughout. Danced very elegantly and really loved the attention to detail such as bowing and such-like. A 9 from me. This is her strength - ballroom. C.raig's comments were weird picking up on several mistakes then calling it gorgeous.

Bill and Oti (Charleston): Spitted Bill lose balance early on. It contained a lot of nice moves and thought he caught the flavour of the dance but was a little scruffy around the edges. A 7.5 from me. Slightly overmarked by the judges in my opinion.

Maisie and Gorka (Couples' Choice): These dances are so hard for me to judge. She perhaps had an uneven landing on the bench but she pulled off a great dance as far as I could see. I'd have given it 9 in my untrained eye.

Harvey and Janette (Rumba): I loved the graphics at the start with them dancing in the snow globe. He caught the flavour of the dance but like C.raig said it was stop-start and dance needs continuous flow. I also felt it was mostly about Janette cavorting around a nearly stationery Harvey. A 7 from me.

Jamie and Karen (Quickstep): I am not sure about the premise of this dance - a barn dance for a quickstep? Not a lot of dancing together with quick footsteps and what there were was a little scruffy - maybe it was the boots he had on. Still there were parts to like in it. A 7.5 from me. I thought Motsy's comments here were spot on.

Ranvir and Giovanni (Jive): Faffing at the start and it was one long struggle for her. The little parts of kicks section were ponderous and lacking sharpness. I could see how uncomfortable she was and C.raig's comments here were spot on. A 6.5 from me and a dance that should land her in the dance-off.

Bill and Oti (Tango): A Tango with a difference music-wise. Unsteady early on but improved as the dance went on. There were errors though and 7.5 from me. Loved C.raig asking crowd to boo Shirley when she slated Bill and her hypocrisy holds no bounds and she talked of seeing errors and having to mark him down yet last week she spotted errors in Harvey's dance yet gave him a 10.

Maisie and Gorka (Viennese Waltz): I didn't like the faffing at start and use of the guitar but that aside this was a lovely dance. Really elegant and well worth a 9.

Harvey and Janette (Charleston): Faffing at the start again. I wasn't keen on the routine but he caught the flavour of the dance. An 8.5 from me. Overmarked for me - mot worthy of three 10's.

As I forecast pre-show I stand by. Maisie and Harvey will be in the final come what may. Going on last night's dances alone the dance-off should be between Bill and Ranvir. Going on public vote it will be between Jamie and Maisie with Jamie exiting.

fiftynotout wrote:

In other news, I loved Shirley’s dress but didn’t love hearing her banging on about how much she likes heavy metal (who cares?).

That was a cue for Mr Mauve to burst into laughter. Great post as usual Fifty!

I think I'm with Twirlie in that I'm not rooting particularly for any one couple as I think it is close- although I am a Bill Bailey comedy fan. I enjoyed seeing two dances and for me there were some 'good' but not 'outstanding' performances last night, so my picks for going straight through to the final would be the three couples who did two good dances as opposed to the two who did one good one and one not so good. I always think the Strictly semi-final is a special night and here I'm at odds with those who have commented so far, because for me seeing Street dance and seeing a farmyard n umber is not what I expect to see in the semi-final - keep that sort of thing for theme nights.....................and if I have to watch one more Street routine as a Showdance in the Final I think I'll stop paying my TV licence!!!

Jamie and Karen
Salsa - 9
I really enjoyed this and in fact it was approaching my best dance of the night. I think Jamie nailed the Salsa moves and was much better than last week - it was a tighter routine and I thought he coped with the lifts and the transitions very well. I do love a bit of New York Salsa Disco and I really like Jamie But......................

QS - 7
A generous '7' as I really didn't like this. As a 'hoedown line dance' Couples Choice or something done in the first few weeks for someone who wasn't coping with ballroom it would have worked but for me, but this was a barn dance and not a quickstep - although he did show again that he delivers 100% and is pretty good as keeping in sync with the side to side stuff.

Maisie and Gorka
Street Dance - 8
Think I was watching something different to the judges. I felt that the choreography was basic although she delivered it very well and it was good to watch. I felt I would have loved to have seen her push herself and do something like a a grown up Argentine Tango or similar, but with her work schedule I suppose she needed less rehearsal for this.

Viennese Waltz - 9
This was a lovely dance delivered with conviction -Great footwork - Costumes were lovely too.

Ranvir and Gio -
Waltz - 9
It was a great performance to lovely music - I agreed with Motsi about the timing difficulty and I think she nailed this to show us that she is the best ballroom dancer we have had on the show in awhile. I liked the way that this was danced as just a straightforward waltz with no tricks, loved Gio's coat and tails I think L en would have approved. Some minor criticisms - for me personally it didn't pack the punch that their VW did last week and I found Ranvir's dress frustratingly long rather than the usual ankle length, so you couldn't see the footwork. However.............

Jive - 5
I could hardly watch parts of this. Needed 1000% more energy and wasn't semi final worthy I'm afraid. What a pity he seems to have shielded her from the faster dances - I'm sure she would have got more confident and bouncy if she had done more of them.

Bill and Oti
Charleston - 9
I wasn't sure at first but I did really like this. It wasn't the bounciest Charleston but it was tight with excellent timing and some fiddly step sequences in which as usual he didn't put a foot wrong. I thought the routine suited the music too. Preferred this to HRVY's routine if I'm honest.

Tango - 8
I think I revelled in the band and the guitar for this one. I thought the Tango technique could certainly have been improved but I did think Bill coped ok with it and they gave a good performance overall.


HRVY and Janette
Rumba - 8
I was conflicted with this one because I was really pleased that someone tackled it and that he was challenged into learning another new style. I did get what the judges meant about it being a bit 'stop and start' but actually I thought he made a good stab at the rumba walks and the hip actions - I think I enjoyed it more than the judges did. I also loved the snow globe and the costumes they both looked lovely.

Charleston - 9
It was danced flawlessly but didn't somehow move me. It seemed very Broadway stage like and I found it delivered in a bit of a cold 'Stage School kid' way. That said I did enjoy it and it was a Final worthy performance I felt.

fiftynotout wrote:

Jamie I didn’t think put a foot wrong and was thoroughly entertaining (in a Tiggerish kind of way).  

ROFL

Some semi-final thoughts.
I thought the singers did a cracking job. I loved the fiddle player whose performance was beamed in externally.

Jamie
Salsa - I liked it. Playing to Karen's Salsa strengths. He did a good job. Giving his all, but he looks exhausted and breathless.
Quickstep - Clever tactical move by Karen. More like hoe down madness with a bit of Quickstep thrown into the mix, but I did enjoy the barnyard bit of bonkers. Lots of props. What is it with Karen and jumping up and off surfaces, tables, desks, benches....... I thought the fiddle player added a brilliant pinch of authenticity to the hilly-billy feel.

Maisie
Street Dance - not my scene. You'd have to pay me to normally watch something like that.
V.Waltz - beautiful. I liked it. Still full of beans and now paying more attention to detail.

Ranvir
Waltz - I liked it, but it didn't blow me away. She seems to have stalled in her comfort zone.
Jive - oh dear, not good, especially for a semi-final. Why did Gio choose that on such a key week? I wonder if she would have been better dancing the rumba?

Bill
Charleston - I liked it but it was a bit luke warm rather than zesty. Has he run out of steam?
Tango - shame about the collision with handycam man. I wondered if he had knee problems with his high stance. Bit wobbly in places. A decent effort but again no time to polish for a semi-final

HRVY
Rumba - a decent enough dance with minimal time to learn. Lost hip action on forward and back walks. Nice arm and hand placements. Loved the snowglobe concept.
Charleston - I liked it, but it didn't light my fire.

In previous years, the semi-final dances have built on previous dance experiences, for example, an American Smooth based on a former ballroom dance they'd done, souped up with a few lifts or extra bits. I don't think a couples' choice should be in the semi-finals. It's almost like a free 'get out of jail card'.  Open to personal tastes, qualitative rather than quantitative, making them difficult to score.

Great comments from all, and as honest as ever. A few points outside it because it's all so confusing :

Nothing new in this, but I think it needs saying. I'm really beginning to wonder if the final format needs a drastic overall/change? This is the final, a culmination of effort, hard work and time for those lucky enough to get there. (Yes, luck does have a part to play)yet, yet where is the parity? We're back to grapes and coconuts in every direction and in effect, G.B.P power in a night when par excellence in dance should rule. (some hopes) The only way that can ever happen is when they all do the same dances and are judged on performance and not popularity as actors/actresses or T.V power. Even leaving age out of the equation (We have a 19 year old, 21 year old and a 30 year old against a 46 year old T.V presenter and a 55 year old comedian.) there is little parity there, but even less when you put a Viennese waltz against a leap about number that looked like it belonged in "Fame",and a Seven Brides for Seven Brothers ho-down against a snowflake Rumba.

HRVY danced a rumba in a simulated snow globe that was more "Dr Zhivago" than "Flying down to Rio"but flashes of manic "didn't I do well" grins seem to have escaped even eagle eye of C raig in this soberest of dances.

I won't repeat my views on street dance in Strictly, (yes I will..fine in its own world) but it shouldn't be there, particularly in the final.) Show dances should be based on Ballroom or Latin, but I fear those days are disappearing. I watch simple for who is "dancing" and not trying desperately to remember a routine/choreograph.(much as I'd love Bill to win, a few times I caught him looking at where Oti was at rather than just letting it flow.) That said, he's a dancer and great to watch. Good luck to him; indeed, good luck to them all.

In short, a level playing field please....please.........................please!

As ever, great to read everyone's comments. I can't believe we're discussing the semi final already! Where did the time go?    Watching Mollie King on the ITT Friday panel reminded me of her exit in the semi final of 2017.That was such a strong year, she was up against Joe, Debbie, Gemma and Alexandra. No doubt I've got my rose tinted spectacles on, but everything seemed more sparkly and exciting back then. To be honest I felt a bit flat after last nights show, and didn't have the enthusiasm for my usual Sunday re-watch. I think the shorter timeframe for this series has had a knock-on effect on the standard (other than Hrvy and Maisie who both started so strong). Anyhow, I shouldn't grumble, it's great that they've managed to stage the show at all in these bizarre times. A few thoughts on last night...

Jamie - Wow, actually really good synchronisation and this salsa ended up being my favourite dance of the night. I got the feeling that the pair of them were giving everything and more, and just enjoying themselves. Thought the score of 24 was rather mean, I felt it was at least equal to Ranvir's waltz, and better than Bill's charleston.  However his second dance did disappoint me. I would've loved for them to come out in tails and do a classic ballroom, to show that he's an all rounder. But instead they had to do that horrible madcap hoedown quickstep (I never like the dances when they have to wear jeans). Karen let it slip on ITT that the music wasn't her choice, so I think her choreography made the best of it.

Ranvir - the waltz was rather tame I thought - a lovely frame but nothing very exciting or risk-taking in the choreography. It was hard to watch the jive, she looked so awkward and laboured. I think Mauve's comment is spot on, it feels like Gio has shielded her from the faster dances, and so it's no wonder she hasn't learnt to let go in the latin. I notice she avoided the couples choice too, I wonder was that because CC is out of hold.  

Bill - as someone else has said, Bill seems to have reached his plateau. Wasn't particularly keen on either of his dances, and his posture in the tango looked very hunched. Oti got the best dress in both dances

Maisie - Shirley said this couples choice would go down in Strictly history, but tbh I'm trying to erase it from my mind. Really disliked the music and the outfits. Even though she danced this very well, I didn't enjoy it at all. If there was a petition against the CC then I'd sign it.  Apart from the guitar gimmick I really enjoyed her viennese waltz, though it wasn't a 10 in my eyes

Hrvy - Yuk, sorrry I didn't enjoy the rumba at all. Like Tango said, he seemed to be smiling through it which the judges didn't comment on. I didn't sense any emotion between them, and felt he was very stationary at times. I didn't enjoy his charleston either. It's always perplexing to hear the judges waffle on about perfection when you haven't seen it yourself. Bah humbug! (I do actually like Hrvy, just not these two routines)

So, overall it didn't feel like an epic semi final to me. Hopefully the two strongest dancers will go through without having to dance off, they're both head and shoulders above the other three. I gave all my votes to Jamie, as I felt he was underscored and that he gave it 100%. Ideally I'd like to see a Bill Ranvir dance off, with Ranvir leaving, but not sure if Jamie can escape his 4th DO

Having real internet issues sogoing to bashthis out whilst the opportunity arises (someone else's internet basically!)

Hated both HRVY's dances - the rumba was... not good.The charleston was a well executed dance but dancing to a swing jazz style tune gave it the wrong era and essence and it just didn't seem like a 1920s dance or charleston-y even. Also, it is a film tune - that theme was five weeks ago...

Even though I hate couple's choice I felt Maisie's was a decent one of the genre and was about the same enjoyment level as Bill's (ie bearable). Loved her VW apart from the strumming of a guitar to a pian.... She was the dancer of the night for me.

Bill's tango disappointed - I wanted to like it but the music overpowered even the power of the dance. His Charleston was better than HRVY but it still wasn't terribly 1920s, although Oti's dress gave a good nod to the era with the art deco themed pattern (except it had the waist at the natural waist and pinched in, which they just didn't do in the twenties - it was dropped right down and was loose with no shaping. But hey ho).

Ranvir did a nice waltz in lovely lilac and that's about all I can say about it - it wasn't as emotionally powerful as her VW. She basically walked through her jive - no energy at all. However, Gio channeling his inner John Paul Gaultier model almost (almost made up for it...

Jamie... well I can see he has a lot of love here but I dislike disco salsas intensely and abhor country and western yee ha Quicksteps even more (why the theme on not a theme night?). I like Jamie, but Ireally didn;t enjoy those dances.

So HRVY (though it pains me), Maisie and Bill to go through. Of the other two I prefer Ranvir but readily admit she's a ballroom only dancer. Having said that, Jamie is the opposite - he is fast and furious only.

I think a couple of you have already said it - it all felt a bit flat.

And HRVY is going to win - the 13 year olds love him, their Mum's feel very maternal and think he's lovely and the all the Nans across at least three continents ADORE him. Which amounts to more votes than have been recounted twice in the US election... There's no stopping him.

My winner is Maisie, in case you are wondering. She can dance, she loves it, she loves the pretty frocks and she lives the dances.

diamondsandpearls wrote:

And HRVY is going to win - the 13 year olds love him, their Mum's feel very maternal and think he's lovely and the all the Nans across at least three continents ADORE him.  Which amounts to more votes than have been recounted twice in the US election... There's no stopping him.

My winner is Maisie, in case you are wondering.  She can dance, she loves it, she loves the pretty frocks and she lives the dances.

I agree. That is how I see it going. My adversity to ringers would prefer to see one of the other three win but that isn't going to be the case but would not begrudge Maisie winning as I feel Harvey is being forced down my throat.

jingle wrote:

Maisie - Shirley said this couples choice would go down in Strictly history, but tbh I'm trying to erase it from my mind.

For me, the only Couple's Choice that'll go down in history  was Faye and Giovanni's Couple's Choice to "Fever".

Well then it went much the way I expected until the dance-off result.

I think it was a mighty tough call indeed. Ranvir has always been elegant in ballroom dances but I think Jamie just deserved it for the more dynamic and adventurous dance. I think that is my only gripe with Ranvir - her dances were too samey and too safe. Elegant but lacking variety. Jamie was better across the spectrum of dances so it is fair enough he went through in the end in my eyes.

I'm surprised -and pleased- that Shirley opted for Jamie. I feel he really dived off the deep end, whereas Ranvir stuck to the safety of being in hold. It's clear that her work schedule has made it much harder for her throughout, so kudos to her for getting this far. But if she had difficulty with a two-dance week then the three-dance final would've been worse.  I'm also keen to see what Karen has in store for the showdance.

jingle wrote:I'm surprised -and pleased- that Shirley opted for Jamie. I feel he really dived off the deep end, whereas Ranvir stuck to the safety of being in hold. It's clear that her work schedule has made it much harder for her throughout, so kudos to her for getting this far. But if she had difficulty with a two-dance week then the three-dance final would've been worse.  I'm also keen to see what Karen has in store for the showdance.

Yes I agree. For me Ranvir's dances needed something different. Far too samey. Elegant but samey. Kudos to Jamie. He's come through many dance-offs and pushed boundaries of dances and did a wider spectrum of dances than Ranvir so I'd say the result was fair enough.

No surprises at all then and all the bricks in the right shaped holes. Congratulations to the finalists, they deserve their places and best of luck to them all. Ranvir did well and was very gracious in defeat, but she reached her ceiling and few would argue with that I feel. I'm surprised C raig didn't mention her foot pointing which was lethergic to say the least.

Whilst dance choice will be a big item in the final, Bill will need to just forget the tensions and just go for it. He has the  panache that Ranvir didn't quite manage. That said, dance perfection will be critical with the Judges comments if not their missing votes. None of the four finalists will be too much of a surprise as winners due to the fickle G.B.P. but no bets from me. All taken into account, Masie is he most talented dancer, and Bill the most likeable one. You choose, I wouldn't dare....

Lows...I thought the pro's opening number was awful, and Little Mix (or whatever) isn't my scene. Worst Low, Strictly ends next week.

Highs, Joannes and his partner's dancing was sublime and the evening's star rating.

I've never seen C'raig have such difficulty in deciding which couple to put through. It says a lot for the standard of both couples, especially as Jamie and Karen raised their game in the DO. I've never seen anyone so astonished as Jamie when C'raig saved them nor anyone so suprised, astounded, and happy as Karen when Shirley gave them her vote as well. The Final is somewhere they never thought they'd be, especially after 4 DOs. Has anyone else survived 4 DOs?

I think it was a tough call for the judges - it would have been a much easier decision if Ranvir had been dancing the jive - TBH I think they should both dance their lower scored dances - but as it goes the judges chose Jamie anyway.

I have never been a Jamie supporter and just as Ranvir has done too much ballroom - I think he has done too many fast and furious n umbers - however, I really enjoyed that Salsa, I found it a higher quality dance than some of the others that they have done - like Jingle it was unexpectedly my favourite dance of last night. I think he elevated it further in the dance off and all of a sudden I wanted him to be saved - which I didn't think he would be or I would want!

I was conflicted with Ranvir and Gio as I love Gio and I have enjoyed so much of what they have done, but on principle I felt she was only proficient in ballroom and by her own admission didn't like doing lifts either. I do feel it was a shame as she could have coped with more latin I feel. I also don't think that someone who gets a '5' for one of their dances in the semi final can possibly be put through to the Final and this probably was on the judges mind (even though T ess says - 'it is on the dance off alone' )

Happy with the choice of finalists and looking for a good variety of dances to convince me of which one of them should win.

Twirlie wrote:

For me, the only Couple's Choice that'll go down in history was Faye and Giovanni's Couple's Choice to "Fever".

Yes, Yes and YES! now that's what I'm talking about. Both celeb and pro stretching themselves out of their comfort zone. Crisp, clean, innovative. I loved it.

Dance Off
Respect to Jamie. He started off being the jolly japer but he's put his head down and really worked his socks off. I like his self deprecation and his determination to fight for his right to stay put. It shows his inner steel to still pull out his best performances despite not having the public vote and having to battle 4 dance-offs.

I think Ranvir knew it was her time to exit. She must be missing home and her young child. I think she'd mentally switched off.

The Final
I don't really mind who wins, but I quite like an underdog with guts.

Maisie is a talented all-rounder, and on paper is the strongest. She has had several weeks of going from the top of the board to the bottom due to the lack of public votes.  I don't think it's a given that she will win.

HRVY is close on her heels. He's also talented, picks the steps up quickly, still full of energy and seems to do better in the faster dances. He's never been in a dance-off and has the widest range of votes from the nans to the screaming teenagers.

Bill is a non-dancer.  He must a large fan base voting for him. He's usually mid-table yet has never been in a dance-off. For me, he remains a dark horse. He knows music, he knows his weak areas. It could go horribly wrong or he could remain solid and come through on the votes. Completing 3 dances will be a challenge but Oti is a clever choreographer.

Jamie the other non-dancer has fire in his eyes and steely determination despite his 'come-day, go-day appearance'. Karen's choreography and tactical play has moved up a notch this year (fair play to her). His dancing is stronger than Bill's but he doesn't have the public vote. If he can gain Ranvir's voters then he may be in with as good a chance as Bill.

It'll be interesting to see which 'judges choice' dance they'll be doing, and their show dance choices. It's down to the phase of the moon, which way the public wind blows, and which dancer moves them enough to cast the vote.

B4p wrote:Dance Off
Respect to Jamie. He started off being the jolly japer but he's put his head down and really worked his socks off. I like his self deprecation and his determination to fight for his right to stay put. It shows his inner steel to still pull out his best performances despite not having the public vote and having to battle 4 dance-offs.

I think Ranvir knew it was her time to exit. She must be missing home and her young child. I think she'd mentally switched off.

The Final
I don't really mind who wins, but I quite like an underdog with guts.

Maisie is a talented all-rounder, and on paper is the strongest. She has had several weeks of going from the top of the board to the bottom due to the lack of public votes.  I don't think it's a given that she will win.

HRVY is close on her heels. He's also talented, picks the steps up quickly, still full of energy and seems to do better in the faster dances. He's never been in a dance-off and has the widest range of votes from the nans to the screaming teenagers.

Bill is a non-dancer.  He must a large fan base voting for him. He's usually mid-table yet has never been in a dance-off. For me, he remains a dark horse. He knows music, he knows his weak areas. It could go horribly wrong or he could remain solid and come through on the votes. Completing 3 dances will be a challenge but Oti is a clever choreographer.

Jamie the other non-dancer has fire in his eyes and steely determination despite his 'come-day, go-day appearance'. Karen's choreography and tactical play has moved up a notch this year (fair play to her). His dancing is stronger than Bill's but he doesn't have the public vote. If he can gain Ranvir's voters then he may be in with as good a chance as Bill.

It'll be interesting to see which 'judges choice' dance they'll be doing, and their show dance choices. It's down to the phase of the moon, which way the public wind blows, and which dancer moves them enough to cast the vote.

Superb summary.

What a weird series Strictly is this year. In the words of Her Majesty the Queen some years back:. "An Anus Horribilis". Just like in sport, especially football, absence of a live studio audience must be having a real effect on the performances. The pros and personnel allowed in the studio do a manic attempt at being a crowd, but it all seems so weird.

Whoever wants the glitter ball will have to bust a gut to take it, I'm sure. but it's because of the three dances I think a slightly more laid back personality like Bill might just handle them the better. But that's just blowing on the wind as the mighty G.B.P army gear up for war. Strictly seems to have rocketed past in not time and here we are almost at the last waltz. I just hope Moonlight Serenade plays the year out. What finer? Play Mr Arch, play.

I know Maisie and Gorka said they were dancing their Quickstep next week. Do we know what any of the other couples have chosen?

B4p wrote:
It's down to the phase of the moon, which way the public wind blows, and which dancer moves them enough to cast the vote.

Absolutely spot on! As in every other year it will be the Showdances (plus whatever they choose as their favourite dance.....which is usually the last one to be performed) that win it or lose it. Everything else goes out of the window on Finals night. I must say I've been a bit underwhelmed with the Showdances of late - I've been more moved by their favourite dances.

Whilst ringers might get to the final they don't usually win, so that's an interesting one. As you have said B4P, HRVY and Bill have never been in the dance-off and Jamie is the underdog. It's going to make for a very interesting one I think..................

Twirlie wrote:I know Maisie and Gorka said they were dancing their Quickstep next week. Do we know what any of the other couples have chosen?

There's nothing on the BBC site. I haven't watched this evening's ITT yet. I'll post it onto the dances and music thread when I hear something

I was just bemoaning the fact that I would not get my 'Strictly' fix on Christmas Day and then I realized that there is a Christmas Special where they will be presenting a countdown of favourite routines across all the series. Really looking forward to that. I think we would all know the ones that we would like to be included and I do hope there is not too much emphasis on the recent past series - as there was with the 'Best of' programmes in the autumn. I hope we get some of the dances from the Rachel Vincent/Tom Chambers/Austin Healey/Lisa Snowden series as there was some cracking dances that year. I also hope they show some of B rendan's routines (Sophie Ellis Bextor, Kelly Brook etc). He was a bit airbrushed out of the shows in the autumn as was James Jordan - so we never see many clips of some of the excellent routines he did with Pamela Stephenson. However, apparently the dances on the Christmas Special have been voted by GBP so let's see...........................