2020 Judges

Real or Virtual. Regular or Guest Judges.

I must say, I think Br uno's new Silver Fox look suits him. What do you think?

Me too

I thought the tone of the judges was less 'knock-about' than in previous years, maybe it's because they're sat so far apart.

I think that Motsi and Shirley were concise and gave constructive feedback.

I think Cr aig was a bit mean to Luba which was embarrassing to watch, and flattened her partner's high somewhat. I'm sure Cr aig could have found one constructive thing to say to him.

I'm missing Br uno's presence. I know he can be an over the top pain some weeks, but he does actually make some astute comments, and usually tries to find something positive to say. I think you need someone a bit bonkers to counter balance Cr aig's dryness.

The scoring needs to be more varied to avoid the old 'too many ties' on the leaderboard, particularly as the scoreboard won't be adjusted by the usual yearly 'waste-a-time-athon'.
Cr aig used a variety of paddles, but the twinkly twins were playing safe with a lot of mid-score paddles

I score the judges 10 for outrageous inconsistency particularly this week

I'm all for constructive criticism but what is wrong with Cr aig this year? It's like he's sat on an umbrella and someones flipped the open button.
Caustic, destructive, and downright nasty. Panto season at least is funny, his judging is not. Everyone within our solar system knows his obsession with beautiful arm positions and hands, and his allergy to seeing thumbs. He panned Max this week regarding his spade like hands, but didn't bother picking up Jason and Jaime who had spade hands week after week. Be consistent!
If he mentions Chenne turns, spotting, or devlope leg lifts one more time, my blood pressure will surely pop. Giving someone a score of 4 on week 4 is insulting to the contestant and the hard work the pro has been putting in all week. Some of his feedback to the celeb and their pro is downright rude. Does he know what constructive criticism is?

Motsi is turning into a suped-up, sugar rush version of Darcy.
I find her feedback is becoming more bizarre by the week. It's like watching a 5 year old who's been gobbling Haribos (or any other high sugar confectionary) all day. Everyone is amazing, her arms are starting to flail like Br uno, the voice is getting louder. Just take a deep breath woman and calm the dickens down. Her continual use of the term 'en-pointe'has the same effect as nails dragging down a chalkboard - irritating on the nervous system. Please can we have just one or two pieces of constructive feedback without all the dramatics? Scoring - let's give all the contestants a 10 just for showing up.

Shirley is also inconsistent in her comments and scores.
She doesn't attempt to hide the fact of who she likes and who she doesn't. She swings from displays of serious tech. speak, to jumping up and down clapping like a pop-up monkey out of a wind up toy. As head judge she should be more neutral, dignified and consistent in her scoring. It's often far too early for a 10 from Shirley.

An ton has to decide what sort of a judge he's going to be.
Is he highlighting the technicalities, or is he everybody's buddy? Is he the jokey-blokey or the ballroom baron? He was so busy scribbling notes, I'm surprised he saw enough of the dances to actually score them. With time he'll learn to precis down to 2-3 points like the other judges. Scoring a bit on the higher side but he's got potential.

B4p wrote: I score the judges 10 for outrageous inconsistency particularly this week

I'm all for constructive criticism but what is wrong with Cr aig this year? It's like he's sat on an umbrella and someones flipped the open button.
Caustic, destructive, and downright nasty. Panto season at least is funny, his judging is not. Everyone within our solar system knows his obsession with beautiful arm positions and hands, and his allergy to seeing thumbs. He panned Max this week regarding his spade like hands, but didn't bother picking up Jason and Jaime who had spade hands week after week. Be consistent!
If he mentions Chenne turns, spotting, or devlope leg lifts one more time, my blood pressure will surely pop. Giving someone a score of 4 on week 4 is insulting to the contestant and the hard work the pro has been putting in all week. Some of his feedback to the celeb and their pro is downright rude. Does he know what constructive criticism is?

Motsi is turning into a suped-up, sugar rush version of Darcy.
I find her feedback is becoming more bizarre by the week. It's like watching a 5 year old who's been gobbling Haribos (or any other high sugar confectionary) all day. Everyone is amazing, her arms are starting to flail like Br uno, the voice is getting louder. Just take a deep breath woman and calm the dickens down. Her continual use of the term 'en-pointe'has the same effect as nails dragging down a chalkboard - irritating on the nervous system. Please can we have just one or two pieces of constructive feedback without all the dramatics? Scoring - let's give all the contestants a 10 just for showing up.

Shirley is also inconsistent in her comments and scores.
She doesn't attempt to hide the fact of who she likes and who she doesn't. She swings from displays of serious tech. speak, to jumping up and down clapping like a pop-up monkey out of a wind up toy. As head judge she should be more neutral, dignified and consistent in her scoring. It's often far too early for a 10 from Shirley.

An ton has to decide what sort of a judge he's going to be.
Is he highlighting the technicalities, or is he everybody's buddy? Is he the jokey-blokey or the ballroom baron? He was so busy scribbling notes, I'm surprised he saw enough of the dances to actually score them. With time he'll learn to precis down to 2-3 points like the other judges. Scoring a bit on the higher side but he's got potential.

And the thing is with Shirley it's the handsome hunks she drools over and gushes praise on and saves catty remarks for the competition ;-) - the younger female dancers. Its a dance contest Shirley bot Come Dating.

B4p wrote: I score the judges 10 for outrageous inconsistency particularly this week

Giving someone a score of 4 on week 4 is insulting to the contestant and the hard work the pro has been putting in all week. Some of his feedback to the celeb and their pro is downright rude. Does he know what constructive criticism is?

Motsi is turning into a suped-up, sugar rush version of Darcy.
I find her feedback is becoming more bizarre by the week. It's like watching a 5 year old who's been gobbling Haribos (or any other high sugar confectionary) all day. Everyone is amazing, her arms are starting to flail like Br uno, the voice is getting louder. Just take a deep breath woman and calm the dickens down. Her continual use of the term 'en-pointe'has the same effect as nails dragging down a chalkboard - irritating on the nervous system. Please can we have just one or two pieces of constructive feedback without all the dramatics? Scoring - let's give all the contestants a 10 just for showing up.

Shirley is also inconsistent in her comments and scores.
She doesn't attempt to hide the fact of who she likes and who she doesn't. She swings from displays of serious tech. speak, to jumping up and down clapping like a pop-up monkey out of a wind up toy. As head judge she should be more neutral, dignified and consistent in her scoring. It's often far too early for a 10 from Shirley.

An ton has to decide what sort of a judge he's going to be.
Is he highlighting the technicalities, or is he everybody's buddy? Is he the jokey-blokey or the ballroom baron? He was so busy scribbling notes, I'm surprised he saw enough of the dances to actually score them. With time he'll learn to precis down to 2-3 points like the other judges. Scoring a bit on the higher side but he's got potential.

What a great post.

Motsi - yes to everything you've said. Last year I thought she had great potential but she has gone down the drain in terms of having anything constructive to say. I used to think that about D arcey and then suddenly in the last season or two she seemed to crack it more - then she 'left' !?

Shirley - Absolutely. I still cannot completely fathom her after all this time. I verge from thinking that she is spot-on with some comments to absolutely detesting her for coming out with something outrageous in terms of a stupid score or a 'drool' over who she things is a hunk. You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned lack of consistency - which is what I don't expect in a Head Judge. I much prefer it when she concentrates on the technicalities and she does know what she is talking about here - instead of veering off into the other things - and I think her favouring of some (mainly male) competitors over the females is very obvious and all joking apart she needs to review this - because it is so obvious. I can't forget how rude she was to B rendan and his partner in her first season. I think she really thinks she has got her feet under the table with this job though - and she is probably right.

A nton - he could have potential as he made some constructive comments but then did the ridiculously high scoring thing - I don't know if he was following a brief from behind the scenes with that approach??? Or he wanted to boost his colleagues. Let's see next week - however, as we have discussed it is academic because I think the producers now want the two man and two women panel (probably) and I can't see the other two stepping down.

The thing is - I often find myself agreeing broadly with what CRH is trying to say but he just puts it in the wrong way and scores too low because of his own personal likes and dislikes. I feel that there should be one member of the panel who is there to bring the others down to earth (should be the head judge?) what we have got instead is a bunch of over the top people and Motsi's appointment hasn't helped that dynamic. There isn't anyone on the panel who can give 'tough love' - honest if the routine isn't any good and consistent but professional in the way they deliver their feedback - always giving some positives to work on too.

mauveangel09 wrote:

What a great post.


The thing is - I often find myself agreeing broadly with what CRH is trying to say but he just puts it in the wrong way and scores too low because of his own personal likes and dislikes.  I feel that there should be one member of the panel who is there to bring the others down to earth  (should be the head judge?) what we have got instead is a bunch of over the top people and Motsi's appointment hasn't helped that dynamic.   There isn't anyone on the panel who can give  'tough love' - honest if the routine isn't any good and consistent but professional in the way they deliver their  feedback - always giving some positives to work on too.

Agree, B4p's was a great post.

Also agree with what you said about D arcey... She actually came into her own when Shirley started and the two seasons when they were on together had some of the best judging for years. BAnd then, as you say, she left...

And totally agree with your sentiments re C raig. In some respects he IS constructive - he does give tips and things to look out for and to work on. But he loves to play the pantomime villain so he can never just deliver that ritique in a nice, helpful way but is bitchy and harsh. B runo fell off his chair for good a few series back and I take no notice of him, quite honestly. Motsi can focus on the wrong thing - the looking fabulous (i know... I can't talk! But I'm not a judge - which can be helpful sometimes and be an antidote for C raig's caustic tone, but she never seems to give a helpful critique to help the dancers work on things. Ian Waite on ITT on a Wednesday is the most help they getin that direction...

So I think a shake up of judges would be no bad thing. B runo should be put out to grass, Shirley needs to reign in her drooling and stop being noticeably agin attractive young women who show potential and consistently give out the helpful, constructive criticism she is capable of. I'd keep CRH - for now. And Motsi needs get more professional or else be replaced. Natalie, or a person like Natalie would be my choice. She is calm, knowledgeable, constructive, an excellent teacher and an excellent choreographer. She's hopped off to Oz for a bit, but there MUST be others like her in the industry... surely?

Excellent posts all. I wasn’t quite as irritated by A nton as I expected. Dare I suggest Erin as a judge? I like her on choreography corner.

I do agree with everyones comments especially Motsi being similar to a very excited Toddler getting high on Haribo sweets
A.nton I feel will settle given time and with Ballroom can lead by example with tips and critique. His Latin Choreography often mmm dire however he still knows the steps, how to stand, how to portray character.
For me C.raig is in sulk land possibly re lack of Panto darlings.
time he stopped sucking Lemons and give positive constructive feedback not Destruction of character.

Motsi sorry but Id like to see either F.lavia or E.rin in her place. B.runo yes replace with A.nton.
Shirley well Im not sure but she seems to lack leadership ias head judge. Simply scoring because One's dander is up at the sight of Biceps,naked chests etc isn't the way forward either. Shirley needs to reign it in a little!. Making me feel queasy re fawning over younger guys. Weirdly if a Guy did it re the young female celebs there would be hell to pay! and be classd as a pervy old guy. Equality works both ways.

To be fair I don't really mind C.raig at all. Okay he marks overly low a lot of the time but that is counter-balanced by others who often overmark. And yes he can come across a bit mean with his comments but at least he offers criticism and gives tips more than Shirley and Motsi do. Besides the bad egg persona is all created and I think that is how the judges demand he is.

CaledonianCraig wrote:To be fair I don't really mind C.raig at all. Okay he marks overly low a lot of the time but that is counter-balanced by others who often overmark. And yes he can come across a bit mean with his comments but at least he offers criticism and gives tips more than Shirley and Motsi do. Besides the bad egg persona is all created and I think that is how the judges demand he is.

Exactly this...

Phew - not just me then!  Thanks for all the comments everybody.
I agree Cr aig has been allocated the role of the Strictly pantomime villain, but some weeks I think his comments are more destructive than constructive, which doesn't help the shyer contestants. If Cr aig scores a 4, does that actually encourage the other judges to give extra points to compensate?

Going forward,  I would like the judges to mention 2 things that the contestant has done well, and 2 things they could work on for the next week.

Week 6 thoughts.

I award the judges an 8, 8 and 7 this week

I've decided that Motsi must have been in therapy. I don't know anybody who's more in touch with her feelings than her. Don't forget to empty her bin, it must be overflowing with Haribo packets this week. She looked beautiful, but sounded so manic, I actually missed An ton this week. It'll be interesting to see who is more hyper when Br uno returns.

Shirley was much more balanced this week. She gave praise and constructive criticism. T ess goes on about the judges standing up, but I think Shirley stands so that she can watch the footwork more easily. Even in killer heels Shirley's still petite. I wasn't sure about her comment that Janette had the best 'Street' choreography. I thought Karen's was outstanding last week and I don't even like 'Street'.

Cr aig. Thank goodness someone has found him a Werther to suck on instead of the usual lemon. He's been quite human this week and far more balanced with his comments and constructive in his criticism.

I liked how they all mentioned Clara's problems yet all tried to console her. Clara must be gutted with another poor performance. I guess she worried so much about making a mistake this week that she made more mistakes, then forgot chunks of the routine.

Week 7 thoughts

I much prefer the constructive feedback given over the past two weeks.
Motsi even gave a couple of contructive pointers this week but this still needs to be massively increased or else what's the point?

At this stage, points should be deducted more consistently for errors. The scores are too high for errors so obvious that even Joe Public can see them.
HRVY's errors were highlighted by all 3 judges yet he still scored the perfect 10?
Maisie was advised to keep working on her arms and feet by Motsi but got less marks than HRVY despite a clean run?
Jamie made several errors in the dance-off yet he was saved.
JJ looked much cleaner in the dance-off but got voted off.

If there's errors then mark them down.
If lifts in the ballroom are only allowed in A.Smooth then remark on it. I'm sure we've had more lifts than Harrods this year, not to mention cartwheels and walk-overs.

I can only wonder what The Love God that is Leonard The Lion Goodman Goodman would have made of it all, this series B4P?
.So much 'faffing about' at the beginning of routines, overuse of props (IMO that is - I preferred it when they were reserved for special routines, show dances etc towards the end of the series) and the distraction of augmented reality...would The Love God that is Leonard The Lion Goodman have mentioned the Elephant in the Room, I ask myself?
But hey, I still love Strictly with a passion even though I've sometimes felt that I've been teleported to Trumpland and Dancing with the Stars

There's quite a long article in the Telegraph online on the Strictly Final. One paragraph concentrates on the judges and wonders very openly what the judges lineup will look like next year. C'raig they hold to be safe, Silver tongued Italian Stallion absent. Missed? Popular, but would the audience miss him if he didn't come back? (BBC would save a lot of money if he didn't return. He's highly paid). Motsi was away for two weeks and A'nton did well. Would the producers ask him to step in permanently? Shirley is held to be an erratic scorer and somewhat divisive.

Well what do I think? Keep C'raig. He's the only solid judge we still have. I wouldn't care if we lose B'runo. He's become a complete caricature of himself. Motsi drives me up the wall. She speaks complete drivel - nothing she says makes sense wham pop - on point. Shirley, well she hasn't replace L'en by any means. She might have replaced Arlene with someone more solid as head judge, but I don't see her as an adequate head judge, and I have no idea who would be.

Im with you re shake up of Judges Panel for next year.
Motsi just shrieks & for me adds very little to the Panel save lets guess how big the Bow Ribbons will be this week!

B.runo well I lost patience 2 series ago re the old I fell off my chair, blatant drooling over celebs & often cutting remarks his not held up to account for. BBC could save lots of cash from his wages.
Shirley for me sits unfavourable as Head Judge . Im never sure re her scores as like a rash they are all over the place.
C.raig for now Id stay with.
A.nton did well as temporary Judge thou I di see possibly Vincent, Pasha, Artem, E.rin, Camilla,Natalie as possible contenders.

saxonsiren wrote:
A.nton did well as temporary Judge thou I di see possibly Vincent, Pasha, Artem, E.rin, Camilla,Natalie as possible contenders.

I agree with your alternatives. If not A'nton then E rin or Natalie would be my preferred choices.

Totally agree about Motsi and Shirley - for me Motsi needs to go. Shirley needs a radical reinvention if she is to stay - I find her flakey and not really up to the mark as a Head Judge. I would also stick with CRH - beyond that I think a shake up is needed - however, I personally would prefer to have B runo back if it was a choice between him and Motsi. I quite like the 3 judge format rather than 4 - but I can understand that the beeb may want to save money on B runo's salary.

According to this article in the Sun, I'm wrong about B'runo being the highest paid on Strictly. It's Shirley. Why I have absolutely no idea. Certainly the discrepancy between the judges salaries and the pros salaries is fairly amazing considering the work the pros put in. I didn't realise that the Celebs' fee was on a sliding scale dependent on how far along they competition they get.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/12984631/strictly-2020-judges-contestants-professionals-pay/

I always thought some celebs got higher fees. I know they get more for reaching Blackpool and then QF, SF.
The pro dancers get paid same rate even if out 2nd week as they do group dances etc still each week. I did wonder if more experienced Pro Dancers ie Alijaz, Giovanni, A.nton, Oti,Karen got more than the newer pro dancers? Blimey Shirley gets more than B.runo ouch bet that hurt his ego a bit Does that mean C.raig is a bargain

I would reduce the fees paid to the judges and raise the fees paid to the professionals - the ones who do all the work!!! £200.000 is more than fair for just turning up one day per week and talking!!! They can carry on whatever else it is that they do the rest of the time and be earning money alongside this. How on earth did Shirley manage to get that much money????

I think it is fair that the pros get the same fee whether they get knocked out or not - after all, they are the workers and this is their salary. I also think it is fair that the longer serving dancers get more money - after all if you were A nton you wouldn't expect to work somewhere for 16 years and not get some sort of rise.

I also don't mind the celebs getting more money for staying in longer - it is a competition and a lot of them put their other commitments on hold - so I think this reflects the longer time that they have to commit to it all as it goes on.

It is just the judges salaries that I think are outrageous!

True as the Judges get clothes to wear from designers for the show. They sit down throughout the show unless of course they decide to get up and move the dodgy hip/knee by clapping! Of course lors of potential RSI re over use of paddles