2020 Tango's 'Little bit of Honesty'

Hi diamonds
Yes I heard it was 8 this year after watching ITT on catch-up.
I swear it was only 7 for the past 3 seasons according to Shirl-the-Twirl but hey-ho, that's inflation for you

Hi all

Loving reading all your comments and some have had me laughing out loud so too many to put in quotes!!!

What do I think about Couples Choice on the second week? Bah humbug I'm afraid! Whilst I get that on the first week they try to choose dances that suit the celeb and build their confidence, I always think that the second week is usually more of a leveller, particularly as they haven't had the same amount of time to learn the dances and inevitably some of them will do their first dances that take them out of their comfort zone......but I feel that only applies to some of them this year! Whilst all the other couples are grappling with learning new skills and new ballroom and latin steps, Katya and Nicola will be prancing around doing a street routine which is bound to suit her style! Keep Couples Choice for later - have it all on the same night or better still, not at all this year with the restricted time available. What's the betting they'll be doing a Charleston next week? Just saying...........................

Further to the choice of dances - I am happy that we are not being bombarded with Charlestons as we have been in the past, it seems that pasos are the in thing (not that I'm complaining) but Ranvir and Caroline have both got the paso as their 'Latin' dance and Jacqui gets the samba!!!!!!! Just saying...............

Thought that Ranvir's QS training looked pretty decent and Jason Bell looked good in training - dark horse perhaps?

mauveangel09 wrote:Hi all

Loving reading all your comments and some have had me laughing out loud so too many to put in quotes!!!  

What do I think about Couples Choice on the second week?    Bah humbug I'm afraid!    Keep Couples Choice for later - have it all on the same night or better still, not at all this year with the restricted time available.    

Thought that  Ranvir's QS training looked pretty decent and Jason Bell looked good in training - dark horse perhaps?

Bah humbug indeed! Totally agree with you on all counts.

Ialso agree that Ranvir looked pretty good. I thought she was a bit ropey in the group dance in the launch show, had improved greatly last week but with vast room for more, and is now even more improved. Is Gio really that much of a teaching genius? It's looking as though he may very well be...

As to Jason, I was initially of the opposite opinion. As in, he looked like he had huge potential in the group dance and then disappointed last week. I think he was tipped to be a front-runner (on social meeds), rather than a dark horse, so that made his perfomrance even more disappointing. But he is looking better this week, so let's cross our fingers...

And yes, isn't this great Mauve!

A different feel to the show tonight, you could cut the tension with a knife.
Vicki Gill did a great job with the outfits. I’ll bow to Diamond’s expertise on the glamour and glitz, but my favourite outfits were on Bill and Oti, Caroline and Johannes, and Jaimee and Karen. Good job Jason & Luba went on last, as their fluorescent acid yellow outfits were burning my retinas.

Max - Jive. I hope he can beat his nerves because I think he’s got a lot of potential. He managed to keep his energy up. He’s got rhythm and remembered his steps, but I found him flat footed which made the jive a bit pedestrian.

Clara - V.Waltz. She looked petrified and uncomfortable, then caught her heel in her dress. I thought Cr aig’s 5 a little mean. I loved Alijaz storyline and the Halloween dinner table setting.

Bill - Quickstep. I loved this. He’s keeping up with Oti’s full on choreography. He’s light and neat on his feet and kept in synch. I liked the story telling. His posture was much better this week thanks to Oti’s crucifix shoulder brace and hospital neck brace!

JJ - Paso. I liked the cape work. You could see he was working hard on his Spanish line posture but his shoulders and neck looked hunched forward to me. It made me smile when he said that Amy was fiercer than his two previous marine sergeants. Again, I thought Cr aig’s 5 was a bit mean, I don’t think his dance was 3 points worse than Max.

Jaimee - A.Smooth. Does anyone else think he looked a bit like Judge Rinder this week? Beautifully turned out in his tail coat. I thought he hit some nice lines. I thought Cr aig was being very critical about gapping, ‘tippy toes’ and his bottom sticking out. I thought he looked much more confident than last week and again did Cr aig only have a 5 paddle to use? I thought it was worth a bit more than 17.

Maisie - Tango. I’m really enjoying Gorka’s choreography. Maisie didn’t look as comfortable this week. I thought she looked tense throughout but still managed to put in a powerful dance. Loved the head-ography and footwork. Shirley gave her a 9 for beautiful footwork straight after Cr aig mentioned some footwork issues. I think Shirley’s 9 was over generous.

Jacqui - Samba. An ton had put a lot of pure samba steps in the routine, plus his ‘get out of jail’ moves like the body fans and a ceiling swing, but it still looked more like a triple jump set to music to me. I notice they had taken out the samba rolls from the training session. At least we were spared An ton’s yellow trousers and maracas. Better than last week, but still the weakest dancer by far. A 4 from me. Shame they couldn’t get Tom Jones in to do that samba for her.

Hrvy - V.Waltz. From what I could see I thought this looked quite respectable. I was shouting at the steady cam man to focus on the feet! All I kept seeing was waist upwards which was annoying. I agreed with Shirley that his head was moving about a lot like a funky chicken which was distracting. I would have scored an 8. I thought Motsi’s 9 was over generous.

Ranvir - Quickstep. Another great routine from Gio. She took a step wrong the first time round the room but managed to gather herself quickly. I thought she did really well. She kept the body contact, kept in synch, and managed to smile throughout. I think she was the most relaxed dancer of the night. She’s quickly picking up ‘dance-speak’ from Gio and has really improved in the space of one week. I would have given them 7, I think Cr aig’s 6 was a bit mean.

Nicola - Street Dance. I liked the small details that Katya included, but this genre’s not for me. Every time we’ve had a couples choice it’s ‘I want people to see my story’. Most of the time, I don’t see that when they dance, and I find it’s becoming a cliche which I'm afraid bores me. The only couples choice I liked was the one Gio and Faye did as it was so unusual. I was surprised Cr aig got the 8 paddle out.

Caroline - Paso. She’s got so much potential. She really has to just go for it. I agreed with the judges that she played safe. She looked terrified. I thought she was going to throw up. Unfortunately for Caroline, Johannes just lights up the floor just by walking across it, which will only create more of a shadow unless Caroline gets into character and worries less about looking foolish. As Kevin used to say, ‘you’ll look far more foolish if you don’t go for it 100%’

Jason - Salsa. I was so disappointed. I thought the latin would suit him as he has natural rhythm. I agree with Cr aig that there was no hip action or fluidity, he just seemed to stand still and act as a support whilst Luba threw in more endless lifts (I counted 4 but may have missed 1). Jason didn’t seem to have even the basic salsa foot action down. His shoulders sometimes got involved, but waist down, not a lot was happening. The choreography certainly didn’t highlight Jason, it was all about ‘look at me Luba’. More attention is needed to teach him the basics before he gets voted out. It would have been interesting to see how Natalie could have handled him.

Another very decent set of dances with an obvious few exceptions. Here are my thoughts:-

Max and Dianne (Jive): Not too bad but work to do on some things. He had some decent kick sections with half decent retraction but some that were limp in comparison and a little ponderous. He clearly lacks confidence in what he is doing and as a result I thought the judges were overly kind with the remarks and overmarked it. A 5.5 from me.

Clara and Alijaz (Viennese Waltz): Faffing at the start and sadly she had dress issues that hindered her and caused her to stumble. To be honest, personally, I was not keen on the routine as it felt like a mish-mash for me that did not have enough waltz material for me. Disappointing after last week but she can do a lot better. A 5 from me.

Bill and Oti (Quickstep): I really liked this. Very nimble on his feet and great energy levels to keep up with a fast routine and he never flagged. Posture much improved too and his enthusiasm is infectious. Only downside for me was his hand shaping - they were all wrong. C.raig's comments for this dance were spot on. An 8 for me.

JJ and Amy (Paso Doble): His cape work was decent but not sure about posture at times as he was hunched over a lot (to me). I don't think he was confident with this dance and it showed but he caught the mood of the dance. A 5.5 from me.

Jaimie and Karen (American Smooth): Ideal music for this dance. His armography was all wrong and distracting to me but it had some good moments too and like C.raig said he was better out of hold. A 6 from me.

Maisie and Gorka (Tango): A dramatic tango and again a very high quality dance showing why she is favourite for the title. Very good sharp staccato head movements and timing was spot on as was footwork aside from one small error. An 8.5 from me.

Jacquie and Housewives choice (Samba): Oh dear - where do I start? She started off plodding around the floor without any grace or style and An.ton ended up almost dragging her around the floor and plonking her on the swing. Plus it was annoying watching her singing her along. Clearly, by some distance, the weakest dancer this year. Oh I hate to mean. A 3 from me.

Harvey and Janette (Viennese Waltz): Another highly polished dance from him. He ticked all the boxes with rise and fall, posture and elegance. This is fast looking like a two runner race. An 8.5 from me but very annoying listening to drooling judges.

Ranvir and Giovanni (Quickstep): A bit of faffing at the start but once under way it was generally very good. Lots of bounce and had a nice feel to it. Just an error or two from Ranvir on the Charleston step section like C.raig said. A 7 from me.

Nicola and Katya (Street Commercial): I found this very hard to judge as in what was I looking for in the dance. The dance steps she did were confident and light and liked the flag/banner part. A 6.5 from me. A couple that won't be going anytime soon me thinks.

Caroline and Johannes (Paso Doble): I am not sure Caroline felt comfortable with this dance but she covered it up quite well. She caught the mood of the dance and had a lovely high kick in there and I thought the dress was beautiful. Like C.raig said it lacked all out attack and also (surprisingly) wise words from Shirley saying she now needed to come out of her comfort zone. A 7 from me.

Jason and Luba (Salsa): Not a bad effort however it was a bit wild in places and he had no hip movement at all. It was an improvement on last week and it had good rhythm in places. I agree with B4p I think there is a better dancer in there that a better teacher could bring out. A 5.5 from me.

Well the first exitee is a no brainer. It will be Jacqui if she is in the bottom two as she is the poorest dancer in the show by some margin. But who will be in the dance-off with her?

Morning all

I see that not many people have put up comments yet. If you're anything like me you found yesterday evening strange (I mean the evening - not the show!) First the announcement, then we watched all the news stuff (consuming vino as we went ) Ate dinner late complete with homemade pumpkin soup as a nod to the occasion and then finally got around to watching SCD.........so it was very late before I had my comments in my head which were somewhat scrambled by then.................. so here goes:

For me it was a typical second show - less time to perfect the routines, nerves kicking in and the props were out in full force to take up the time - from benches and tables to people descending in and out and even burlesque feathers! Nevertheless overall I enjoyed it but I have to say that no-one really blew me away last night except for Bill whose performance I really loved. I did enjoy the other routines - particularly Maisie's Tango, for its purity as a ballroom n umber. The only real disappointment for me was Jason and Luba and agree with your comments B4P on this one - I also felt that some of the marks were a bit generous last night with the '9' paddles coming out again (for the same people!). I wasn't so in love with some of the musical choices either but at least I got a chance to hear the incomparable 'Espana Cani'.

Max and Dianne - Jive - 6
I normally like the rock and roll style but this didn't quite do it for me. It was what I would call a manic 'running around jive' that had potential but didn't quite come together which sums up this partnership for me. I felt it was still decent and danced to a great track. Hope he can nail things a bit more if he stays in.

Clara and Alijaz - Viennese Waltz - 7
Great costumes - a bit going towards the Mexican 'Day of the Dead' style that Alijaz did previously. I thought it started off well and she did cope well with the wardrobe malfunction as it didn't throw her off totally but she did look very nervous and stiff in parts. However, there wasn't too much 'faffing about' as there sometimes is with early VWs and I quite liked it - I probably liked it more than the judges did.

Bill and OTI - QS - 8
Loved it from beginning to end. Some great choreography. A tight and fast routine that was on time and had all the lightness you want from a QS. My favourite routine - worth his suffering of dancing with that piece of wood on his back all week!!!

JJ and Amy - Paso - 6
OK but not memorable. I didn't like the music which created a stompy feel to it for me. I think this is a tough one for the males to get in the early part of the contest but he made a decent stab at the cape work and some shaping. It seems like a good partnership and he wants to do well.

Jamie and Karen - American Smooth - 5
I felt conflicted with this one - as I think the judges did. As a routine I really liked it - great music, great choreography and great costumes, best costumes of the night for me - however, the dancing could have been better! I think he had improved from last week but there's something I can't quite put my finger on - he seems very self conscious when he dances and isn't yet really feeling it to me - He needs to close his mouth too (sorry I sound like CRH!). Unfortunately for me Karen isn't a great technician.

Maisie and Gorka - Tango - 8
Enjoyed this more than what I thought I would. I also felt this challenged her more than last week. There was some great footwork. I liked her swishy dress which showed off the moves very well.

Jacqui and A nton - Samba - 4
Still think it was a shame she had to do this in week 2 as a complete beginner when both Caroline and Ranvir have dodged the 'proper' latin so far. I am glad that Shirley at least acknowledged that most of the samba steps were in there that a beginner would be expected to do. I don't think the top half of her costume was very good - she must have been quite hot in it and as for the feathers..........why?

HRVY and Janette - Viennese Waltz - 8
Thought he looked like a 1920s matinee idol! Before the judges mentioned it I had already written in my notes - 'excellent spotting - you can't do that without having done some dance training'. It was a fairly modern interpretation and I think out of the two VWs tonight I actually preferred Alijaz and Clara but I scored him an 8 for what was another assured performance from his first stab at ballroom.

Ranvir and Gio - QS - 7
I've given '7' for the QS technique which I think she did well. She had a lightness and ease about her and I think the footwork was clean. I'm not sure what I thought of the routine overall - particularly the bits on the bench and the fact that they sat back down in the middle of it! Nor was a I struck on the costumes or the concept really. I do think that we are seeing a different Gio this year - he seems much more calmer and the routines have not been too complicated for his partner so far which means she is gaining in confidence which is a good thing.

Katya and Nicola - Couples Choice - 7
Not bad at all - I liked the bits with the silks and she clearly has potential as she can keep up with Katya and has rhythm - so I actually want to see her do some more ballroom and some latin and for Katya to take her out of her comfort zone.

Caroline and Johannes - Paso - 7
I really wanted to love this as I love a traditional paso and love this music - Johannes didn't disappoint with the choreography and I liked it but agreed with the comments that it felt a bit sedate from Caroline. I may be out of kilter here but I didn't really like her costume - the skirt was lovely but I thought the colour made her look more serious and almost Victorian, rather than fiery.

Jason and Luba - Salsa - 5
Thought this would be much better based on the training footage. This guy has natural rhythm but felt Luba had not really taught him any of the salsa basics and he seemed to be acting more as a prop for her throughout this. Despite the energy of the performance there was just a bit too much of the lifts, tricks and walk-overs.

I really enjoyed last night's show - have to admit I much prefer the smaller audience and the fact that the couples sit and watch each other. I prefer the toned down interviews with Claudia, although not sure I like the intrusion of video messages from home/Ed Balls/children etc. I was quite glad last week that the pantomime Terms and Conditions had disappeared....only to see it returning with Gordon Ramsey(why?). Being a complete old fuddy duddy, I'm not sure I'm liking the CGI or whatever it's called (literally the elephant in the (ball)room last night). But all minor complaints, overall it's fabulous to have Strictly and ITT back.

As ever, really interesting to read everyone's views. I notice that we're still missing some members - Sax, Tango, Allsewn, hope you're all faring allright and that you return to us at some stage

Some quick thoughts..
Max - a bit skippy, didn't really like Dianne's choreography - however I think he has a lot of potential and I like that he looks a bit embarrassed to get good feedback
Clara - I really liked this routine, another one who has a lot of potential I think
Bill - sorry, wasn't my cup of tea. I thought it a fairly simple routine and was surprised at the 8 from CRH
JJ - pity that he missed the timing at the start, I think that maybe threw him a bit. Strange outfits.
Jamie - definitely a dance of two halves, very good in the side to side and then all uncomfortable and hunched up when in hold. For someone who knew for a year that he'd be on the show, I'm impressed that he clearly didn't 'cheat' by getting lessons in all those months (well, I assume he didn't)
Maisie - WOW! I think this will go down as one of my all-time favourite tangos.
Jacqui - oh dear, this was never going to work. Why samba? Hmmm
Hrvy - airy and light, a good partnership...hoping there won't be another Aston-style exit
Ranvir - The sit-down-at-the bench parts looked a bit like stopping for a breather during the routine.
Nicola - glad the VT wasn't too sentimental, but too early for a CC in my opinion.
Caroline - Well, I was too busy watching Johannes. He out-danced, out-dressed and out-shone her - I do love Johannes but I felt maybe he was hogging the limelight in this
Jason - enjoyable enough, he comes across as a really likeable guy on ITT so I hope he stays a few weeks

Looks like Jacqui is earmarked for the first exit, but who will be in the dance off?

Hi again, it was a pretty enjoyable show again last night, wasn’t it.


Max and Dianne – Jive        
I have to say I agreed with C’raig much more than I did with Shirley or Motsi. He was quite energetic, but there was no tension in his movements. It all seemed a bit lackadaisical, relaxed and not as bouncy as it could have been. It may have been better than last week, but I didn’t see any reason for the two girls to get up on their feet at the end.         6

Clara and Aljaz – Viennese Waltz    
I enjoyed this waltz and although Tess mentioned it, I was surprised that none of the judges mentioned her “wardrobe malfunction” which was there from the beginning of the dance. It must have been very off putting and distracting. She is very strong and although her posture didn’t stay put throughout the dance and there was a wobble at the end I still found lots to enjoy here. (Note to Wardrobe – that hem should never have been able to tear like that. Unacceptable.)              6

Bill and Oti – Quickstep  
This was the first of the really good dances this week and I agreed with everything that the judges had to say about Bill. Quick, light on his feet and full extension of his legs when required, this was a joy to watch. I’m not often a huge fan of the CGI etc but I though t everything (even the elephant) fitted in pretty well. Excellent choreography from Oti.     8

(Despite the dry humour and the comedy , he’s very “British” isn’t he. He’s not at all touchy-feely. He doesn’t run up the stairs holding hands with Oti and stands beside her during the interview with Claudia, with his hands firmly behind his back. He seems very restrained.)

JJ and Amy – Paso Doble  
Good enough but not perhaps, riviting. C’raig’s right – he could do much better I’m sure. I’m not entirely sure though how much his arm limits his abilities but it does seem to be quite a lot.    5

Jamie and Karen – American Smooth  
I thought he started very well, then he dipped a bit in the middle but he got it together and picked up again at the end. All the expansive stuff was excellent but C’raig’s right, the stuff in hold was not as good. 5 or 6, that is the question.       6

Maisie and Gorka – Tango  
Bloody Marvellous! Such an exciting tango. I thought it started well but unexceptionally, and then it just got better and better and stronger and stronger. I didn’t see any stumbles and didn’t think it faltered for a minute. I know it’s only week 2, but……      9

Jacqui and A’nton  - Samba    
Embarrassing! False praise from Shirley and Motsi which helps no one and even C’raig held back, I suspect because what he did have to say would have been too terrible. Rubbish choreography as well A’nton.       3

Hrvy and Janette – Viennese Waltz  
Another stunning dance from Hrvy and Janette. Needless to say I didn’t spot all the faults that C’raig found, and thought they were just great. I’ve decided that these two are going to be my favourites of the series. I thought it was going to be Bill, cos I’m a fan, but Oti won last year and it’d be nice for Janette to have a glitter ball on the mantle piece to match Aljaz’s.        8

Ranvir and Giovanni – Quickstep    
Quite good. Not amazing Motsi, no need to leap to your feet, but quite good certainly. She's in the middle of the field.    7                                                                                                                                                                        
Nicola and Katya – Couple’s Choice      
My love affair with Katya continues. The choreography she did for this dance suited Nicola SO well. One feels this is developing into a real partnership. They seem to feed off each other’s energy and inventiveness. On this showing, they should get to the semi-final at least.        8

Caroline and Johannes – Paso Doble    
I disagreed with the judges, I thought she seemed very very confident. I wasn’t worried watching her at all. She really got it for me. She reminded me of the more mature flamenco dancer in Strictly Ballroom.          7

Jason and Luba – Salsa          
I was well into the dance before I realised that I was watching Luba and not paying any attention to Jason at all. When I played it again, I realised why. He’s not very inspiring, is he. Not a lot shakes or shimmys when he dances. He wasn’t terrible but he wasn’t very good.         5

I expect Jacqui Smith to go tonight. I thought she was by far and away the weakest of the celebrities and for once I don’t think A’nton is doing her much good. He’s a wonderful guy and has given great value over the years, but I wonder if he hasn’t finally reached his sell-by date.

I look forward to reading all your views and watching the results show tonight.

Very quickly - before the results show starts...

I saw some different dances to you all!

I liked Clara and feel she is the dark horse.

And I thought Jason had ok hips but his shoulders were thrusty and awkward!

Wasn't keen on RV - sloping shoulders and a loose frame

Max better than last week, but he didn;t point his feet

Loved Maisie and Bill.

Confused by couples choice (as ever) but thought the mauve was pretty and liked the flagography. Nicola showed a bit more musicality/rhythm this week.

Caroline - pretty much what you all said (but didn;t liek her frock - it was frumpy and she looked like a gallion sailing into berth - very stately but not elegant)

Jamie - hmm. Yes. I like him as a chap and I think he would have done well with Dianne perhaps. But the dynamics between him and Karen are not bringing out his best

Ranvir doing surprisingly well. Gio seems to get the best from his pupils

Oh, results show is on - more later!

Well it was inevitable really.

The first to leave Strictly 2020 is Jacqui Smith. It was fair enough that Jaimie Laing was in the dance-off being that he was one of the lowest scorers over the two weeks.

Jacqui danced better in the dance-off but she was still some way off being close to Jaimie Laing. Just call me Mystic C.raig as I forecast Jacqui for first week exit before the series started.

Final thought is that the last competitive dance for An.ton in Strictly Come Dancing? Time will tell.

Reading between the lines, I think that the week 1-2 dances were ones that the celebs had said they particularly wanted to do.
For example, Ranvir had said she wanted to do the Paso. Bill wanted to do a quickstep, I think it was JJ who wanted to do a waltz. Maisie wanted to do a latin to shake her hips as that was her thing. Jason also mentioned he was into the latin style. Nicola wanted to show her 'story'. Maybe with a shorter series, the professionals or powers that be factored that in early before couples started to disappear?

Jacqui's departure wasn't any great shock, though I was a little surprised seeing Jamie in the dance-off too. In terms of predicted early exits, I'll add another two whose names begin with J -  Jason and JJ.

I thought the main show on Saturday flowed together very well, but I found the format of the results show a little disjointed. The distanced queue to speak to Claud just looked a little sad I thought, and the interviews were rather empty without that 'just-danced euphoria'.  And do we really need B.runo and his rather bland pre-scripted comments?  There just didn't seem to be enough substance to justify a half hour show and i found myself wishing for the short Saturday live results show of the early days.

Also, is it just me who gets confused about these group dances? Even though I watched the choreographer explain the story of the fairground dance on ITT on Friday, I still couldn't really follow what was going on and why Janette ended up stuck in the box. Am I over-thinking it!! I'm longing for a simple floaty ballroom number next week, and none of this complicated story business. Bah humbug! 

At least I guess I'll understand dances involving gnomes and Homer Simpson......

jingle wrote:Jacqui's departure wasn't any great shock, though I was a little surprised seeing Jamie in the dance-off too. In terms of predicted early exits, I'll add another two whose names begin with J -  Jason and JJ.

I thought the main show on Saturday flowed together very well, but I found the format of the results show a little disjointed. The distanced queue to speak to Claud just looked a little sad I thought, and the interviews were rather empty without that 'just-danced euphoria'.  And do we really need B.runo and his rather bland pre-scripted comments?  There just didn't seem to be enough substance to justify a half hour show and i found myself wishing for the short Saturday live results show of the early days.

Also, is it just me who gets confused about these group dances? Even though I watched the choreographer explain the story of the fairground dance on ITT on Friday, I still couldn't really follow what was going on and why Janette ended up stuck in the box. Am I over-thinking it!! I'm longing for a simple floaty ballroom number next week, and none of this complicated story business. Bah humbug! 

At least I guess I'll understand dances involving gnomes and Homer Simpson......

Well Jacqui and Jaimie were at the bottom of the leader board so it seems fair enough to me that they were in the dance-off though Jason could have also ended up in it too but that aside nobody else merited being in the dance-off in my opinion.

I do agree that Jason and JJ could be ones to exit before halfway though and maybe even next out. This series Jacqui was unfortunate that she was the only stand-out really poor dancer in the first two weeks. The rest seem placed at a slightly higher level than normal but my worry is that Maisie and Harvey are already so far ahead of the rest.

No great shock about Jacqui's exit and I wasn't overly surprised to see Jamie there although I wasn't sure if he would poll more viewer votes - to be honest I thought it could have been any of about 3 of them to be the other pair in the DO because the first week is a bit of a lottery regarding voting I always think - with existing fan bases coming into play and on that note I thought that possibly Jamie might get more votes than Jason for example, but I was wrong - bet it was quite close though.

I think it would be interesting to see how Jamie would be getting on with a better teacher - sorry Karen. He looked shocked and hurt to be in the DO and he seems a nice guy so I hope she can advance him a bit. I also believe there is a dancer inside of Jason but it depends on Luba's skills in bringing this out and actually teaching him some technique for whatever dance he has next. I don't really know how good she is because we didn't see much of her last year.

Interesting comments B4P and yes it would figure with the dance choices and the compressed nature of the series. I know what you mean CC about the already elevated standard of some of the dancers, but we do get this every year and we do get plenty of shocks along the way too so let's hope there are some surprises out there!

I had to laugh at your comments Jingle - about the 'story telling' group dances - agreed. I find these days that there are often too many dancers on the floor for the space (with all the extra dancers) and there is too much going on sometimes. I didn't dislike the routine but found it eerie and strange which was the desired effect I suppose. Bring back the Peggy Spencer Formation Dance Team I say

I grimaced when I heard Janette mention Gnomes...............does she never learn?

Anyways my Mystic Meg moment ended with that first exitee. Before the series started my prediction was for Bill to be the second to exit. I'd say that now looks very unlikely. His dance on Saturday night went some way to securing his spot for a few more weeks I feel barring a big dance DISAAAAASTER darling.

Hello gang....

I must say, ringer or not, I love watching Maisie dance. Both her samba and tango were delightful.

I’m also pleasantly surprised by both Bill and Caroline.

Right result that Jacqui left and nice of her to acknowledge that the rest are all better than her. I felt that anybody in the second half of the leaderboard was in danger of being in the dance off so threw in a couple of votes for Aljaz, don’t want him to leave just yet.

Can’t think who might be voted off next week. Jamie possibly, if he isn’t pulling in the votes?

fiftynotout wrote:

Can’t think who might be voted off next week.  Jamie possibly, if he isn’t pulling in the votes?

At present my money would be on Jaimie or Jason. JJ also needs a decent dance too I feel.

CaledonianCraig wrote:

At present my money would be on Jaimie or Jason. JJ also needs a decent dance too I feel.

Jason for my money. I've grown rather fond of Jamie. He's waited a whole year for goodness sake - it'd be a shame for him to be voted off 2nd. I'll confess that I also have an absolutely irrational wish for Jason to go. I don't particularly like him and I don't particularly like Luba. A stupid reason I know, but there it is.

Gosh, I feel like Cinderella who fled at the stroke of midnight, leaving stuff behind.  Feel it is a bit past the time to finish commentating on the performances on Saturday night and will content myself with last night and next week...

I think the minute Jaqui, Samba and A nton were used in the same sentence we all knew that it was a taxi for Jacqui.  Also, she's not the most engaging politician they have had on strictly so I think the writing was on the wall anyway.

I was surprised to see Jamie in the dance off, for the simple reason that I thought he was more popular and had a good support base.  I thought he was very charming whn he found out - didn't pretend it wasn't a blow but rallied and said he would give it his all.  I knew he had it in the bag as soon as C raig gave his comments on how to perform the dance the second time.  Oh, and we all (myself and two cousins, who are all dress-obsessed, and a cousin-in-law) thought that Karen's dress was the second nicest after Janette's dress (which was so gorgeous we have a plan to kidnap it), though Cousin V objected quite vociferously to the gold tassels on the shoulder of Karen's...  Anyway, thanks to Jamie's charm, the tails and the lovely dress (tassels aside) they cruised through the dance off.

Though me and my family are big Jason fans  I think we are the only ones he has, apart from his own family, so I was surprised not to see him in the dance off.  Not for his dancing - I've watched it back and I think he was better than he was given credit for, either by the judges or by the p ublic - but because nobody is a fan (i'm totally Afor, all the more so because so many people are Agin...)  

The other person I was SO worried was going to be in the dance off - very undeservedly - was Clara.  She was in utter agony waiting for the names to be called.  I think she was undervalued by the judges too, and was worried the p ublic would just forget her because she was on quite early.

One person who I think will last a fair amount of time is JJ.  He has huge love and support amongst Strictly fans and despite his disabilities he has pretty good posture - that paso posture was better than many 'better' c elebs we have seen.  I accept that he didn't have the power and aggression required for the paso, but he made a very good attempt and I think he has some time left in him.

I think this year's crop has mainly got a lot of love for them and it's going to be very hard for everybody as the weeks go on to let go of them.  My own favourites are Maisie because I think she is sassy yet sweet and has a huge joy in her dancing - she's not all stage school earnestness about getting it right, JJ because I love his posture and because he and Amy and just SO wholesome (and I do like wholesome), and Jason because he too has a genuine joy and because nobody else likes him... And I am very behind Clara.  She has a lot of potential but I think is slightly overawed about being in her own dream tv show and gets a bit overwhelmed.  She needs to forget about that and feel the  absolute love for the dancing that she has. It goes without saying I like Caroline and Bill because practically the whole of Strictlydom love them for their sheer joy.

Agin Max and RV (or NV as Cousin T calls him - short for No Vowels...).  Flowers for the 'ladies' and crying at your Nan moves me not a jot.

On fence with Jamie, as in I am Afor him, but so Agin Karen (despite the second best dress of the night) that I don't know where I am.  I wish Karen had had Max and Dianne hadd had Jamie, as I think he would have gelled with her more and she wouldn't have been so down on him all the time like Karen is.  Then I could have totally Afor him.

And so to next week.  It's actually Kiddie's DVD week, isn't it, rather than Movie Week. I mean, if Movie Week doesn't include films with either of the Hepburns, Cary Grant, Catherine Deneuve, Rita Hayworth, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Ava Gardner, Steve McQueen or James Dean, then quite frankly what's the point in getting dressed up? If I was a Roman Emperor my thumb would be firmly down and the people behind it would be taking their chances with a gang of hangry lions.

I'll inevitably watch it, but gnomes, Homer Simpson and an icy princess do not enthuse me (I like princesses, obviously, but her sister was SO much more relateable...)

I've decided that movie week I am doing a VW to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS-30pO94lo

Movie version also acceptable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GTjMMYl1T8 as I love this movie and the lead does the song justice

And I will be auditioning Gorka, Giovanni, Johannes and Aljaz because I can't decide...

Oh, and another thing....!

Me and the cousins were really irritated when Claudia and Oti started cackling as soon as Bill started talking, even though he wasn;t being funny and I don;t think was intending to be funny. He looked faintly annoyed. He clearly is taking this seriously, he's not above having fun but he (and actually I think Oti also) know when to get serious and focused. Even though he is a comedian, I don't he wants to be the comedy contestant - he really wants to learn to dance and do his best. So boo to them both for just laughing for no reason, just because Bill is a comedian and can be very funny.

Well on ITT tonight JJ revealed he is doing a foxtrot to a song from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. That surely must be that quite superb song by B J Thomas 'Raindrops Keeps Falling on my Head'. I look forward to that.

Just thinking about it and what with Sean Connery's sad passing and Roger Moore passing away not overly long ago I'd have loved to have seen a Bond Night. Think of all the possibilities?

Goldfinger
Diamonds are Forever
For Your Eyes Only
Live and Let Die
From Russia With Love
You Only Live Twice
The Man With the Golden Gun
Moonraker
Nobody Does it Better (The Spy Who Loved Me)
Thunderball
A View to a Kill

fiftynotout wrote:Hello gang....

Hi 50, good to see you back on the forum.

Some final thoughts on the results show.
I thought the circus theme was very dark. I don't get the audience the producers are targeting. They love showing clips of little under 5s dancing along to Strictly, but I think even the toilet trained ones would have been wetting themselves after watching that. A clever concept but far too frantic and busy. Less is more.

I'm not sure about the trend for some couples releasing details of what they are dancing and their music before the usual Tuesday/Wednesday announcements. Either release them all, or keep quiet about them. I agree with diamonds - it sounds more like a CBeebies night rather than a movie show. Again, which audience are they targeting? I agree with cc about the Bond night. I've always liked Bond themes and there's a variety of tunes. Gnomes, Star War light sabres and Frozen have all been done to death over the last few years, are they recycling costumes from previous shows?

I think most are agreed that Jacqui was always going to be in the first dance-off. I wondered if she would be against Jaimee or Jason. You could see An ton's cogs turning once they'd been announced wondering if they still had a chance. I thought both couples danced better the second time around but Jaimee was clearly better. As others have said, it must be a blow to him to not have the votes from his 'Chelsea' TV show. I guess Jason will also be low on votes as he's not as well known to the British Strictly fans. I'd forgotten with 3 judges it's only two majority votes to decide the loser.

I wasn't so keen on the 'conquering hero conga line' up the stairs to see Claudia. It looked like they were going to either get their P45 or stamp of approval. A bit like meeting the Queen after the Royal Variety performance. I think it would have been better for Claudia to act like a roving reporter around the small tables downstairs. If necessary she could have worn one of those transparent masks. I thought Max showed a lot of thoughtfulness buying flowers for all the female contestants this week.

I like Br uno, but I thought his contribution was underwhelming. I guess they're just letting him keep one foot in the door until he returns in person later in the series.

Did I hear 'canned laughter' on the results show? Please, please, please, keep that for the American shows.

I thought the band and singers were good. It's easy to forget that they're singing live.