Re: 2023 Tango's 'Little bit of Honesty' Discussion Thread

[TANGOLERO]

And thus it came to pass. Anabel was never going to be allowed to remain whilst any of the other three stayed in. Not much else to say; the loaded dice were cast before they were even rolled. Time for a very large new broom to sweep in before the next series.

[mauveangel09]

Gosh that was such an emotional show............... It started off with that amazing pro n umber to Nat King Cole which I absolutely loved from start to finish and left a lump in my throat. Then later we had such a fine leaving speech from Annabel and heartfelt words from Johannes - he is so genuine.

I suppose it was inevitable that Annabel would exit tonight - she did amazingly well but just lacked a little of the edge that the others had last night. In a way I am glad that Bobby didn't have to go up against Layton in the dance off - the whole thing did feel a bit pre-determined and not to take anything away , I did think that the straight '40s' for Layton in the last two weeks and the holding back on giving '10's' to some of the other contestants last night was an insurance policy from the j udges to get him through without having to potentially make a really awkward decision - Just a thought - He must have picked up in popularity from previously - especially after that paso last week, which for me was their best dance.

So we have our finalists in what has seemed like a topsy turvy season and for me now, Ellie must win at all costs.

[TANGOLERO]

Well, there you go for another year. I reckon justice was done, despite C raig's best efforts to spoil the party. Fantastic effort by all three, but well done Ellie.

[jingle]

Well I enjoyed the final much more than anticipated.

Confession time.....having constantly grumbled that Layton was the biggest ever ringer and shouldn't have been allowed onto the show, I went and gave all my six votes to him tonight. I just loved all his routines, especially the showdance, and his personality won me over.

What a hypocrite I am!!!  

Anyway, more thoughts tomorrow

[Twirlie]

THE FINAL

Well, what did you all think? Are you happy with the result? Who would rather Layton and Nikita or Bobbie and Dianne had won?

I don’t think I was unhappy with the result. Ellie and Vito’s performances have been improving bit by bit to a very high standard and they've always been my favourites. Bobbie and Dianne’s performances have improved tremendously too, and though they haven't improved as much as Ellie’s they've become a favourite pair of mine as well. Of course Layton and Nikita have always been the most proficient dancers but not necessarily the most charismatic.

However Ellie’s Paso tonight wasn’t my favourite dance. It wasn’t first time round either. I didn’t find it particularly appealing.
Bobbie’s Samba was just fantastic What a mover and so happy and so entertaining. There were a few new moves in there as well. I’d have given it 40.
Layton and Nikitia’s Quickstep was excellent and needless to say it got a 40.

Ellie’s Showdance was amazing. Great dancing and partner work.  Fast and slick and they knew what they were doing as a couple. I felt that many of the lifts were inspired by Hamza and Joweta last year and it was a major tragedy that they missed the final lift. The whole thing would have been truly amazing if they’d made it. It was still a tour de force. I wonder if they'll have a go at it again on the Strictly Tour?
Bobbie and Dianne’s Hollywood Showdance was delightful. A nod to Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds just as Shirley said. Another happy dance with great choreography. Well done Dianne. Layton and Ellie had flashy showdances but I enjoyed Bobbie’s best.
Layton and Nikita’s Showdance was excellent again. Very inventive.

Ellie and Vito’s American Smooth was one of their best dances and it was great again tonight. It was a joy and I was delighted that they finally got 40 for it.
Bobbie and Dianne’s Couple’s Choice was absolutely heart wrenching even more than it was first time. Everyone was in tears. Me too. This was a triumph of strong emotion depicted through dance.
Layton and Nikita’s Argentine Tango - another dance that got a 40.

As you can tell, Layton and Nikita’s dances have left me cold. As far as I’m concerned he had no place in Strictly Come Dancing and his dances have just got in the way of my enjoyment of the programme.    

One thing that did cheer me and I found uplifting was that Amy Dowden was on the show. That was really brilliant to see her in the studio again and on the dance floor

How did I vote? I threw all my votes to Ellie and Bobbie. None for Layton I’m afraid.

So what did you all think of the show? More to the point, how will we all survive till next September?

[CaledonianCraig]

I have to be frank here so here are my thoughts.

The dances were great but they all felt like a sideshow to me on the bigger issue of it being turned into the Layton and Nikita show. Far too much adulation, ego massaging, love-ins and more for my liking and that was just from the judges who are meant to be impartial and Motsi was a friggin' embarassment. Maybe a DNA test will find she is a relative of Layton she was so much all over him.

I hope that all the angst and bitterness in the social media/press about Layton's vast dance experience makes them think long and hard about signing up such polished celebs ever again. It has certainly not been to Layton's benefit taking the weight and brunt of the criticism because of their ludicrous recruitment choice. Last week even Sh.irley pointed out being an absolute beginner and learning from scratch to dance was what the show was all about. I do not often agree with James Jordan but he has been in the press this week saying Layton should not be in the show because of his professional grade standards he came in with. I felt so strongly that had Layton won I strongly doubt whether I would have watched next year. And no that is not because I am a racist or anti-gay as some quarters alledge in the press it is because the appeal of the show andcethic of the show was celebs LEARNING to dance from scratch. Starting nervous, some inhibited, wooden, two left feet, dad dancing and finding a way to blossom into expressive dancers and watching them do so. Sadly, that is being eroded and abandond.

Anyway I was delighted Ellie and Vito won and was amazed their show dance which was the most spectacular of the three with many risks taken was not top scorer. Well done to them and to the GBP for pulling the show back from.oblivion in my opinion.

[fiftynotout]

I was late to the party so concentrated mainly on watching just the dances.  It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a show dance and I actually really enjoyed all three.

Layton was slick, polished, confident, absolutely amazing.  But then so too was Ellie.  The difference, for me, was that he was dancing for the camera and she was dancing for Vito.  Nikita wasn’t hugely relevant in Layton’s dance, could have been one of four backing dancers imo, but Vito was vital to Ellie’s.  I may be wrong but the audience seemed to agree.

I loved Bobby, any other year he would have won, he had a j.ourney, he was immensely likeable and he was (and is) very talented.  A worthy finalist.

One thing I loved was how genuinely made up Layton was for Ellie when she was announced the winner.  I’m sure he’s a lovely lad and I hope being on the show has helped rather than hindered his career.

Merry Christmas everybody, a bientot.

[mauveangel09]

Hi all

I thoroughly enjoyed the show - it was a great Final at the end of a rather flat and weird series for me, however I thought all three couples shone and really delivered when it mattered. I felt there was little to choose between them and at certain points I wondered which way it would go but to my personal joy - Ellie and Vito won through and I gave masses of votes to them!

In round one I really enjoyed seeing the paso again - It was one of her breakthrough dances and it showed for me just how much they worked as a partnership, also enjoyed seeing this piece of music being used on Strictly which was innovative in itself and who'd have thought it? It was one of the only non Spanish tracks that i felt worked in what was a year of mainly dreadful paso music. Bobby's dance was the triumph for me in the first round though and I thought it illustrated just how far he has come. It had all the control that it didn't have first time round and yet the feet and hips were brilliant - I felt it should have had a '40'. I'm glad the j udges chose an 'in hold' ballroom dance for Layton (he didn't do many after all - and I chuckled at CRH and Housewives choice's comments) It was very enjoyable but probably would have been a '9' from me. He had obviously worked hard all week to put some more technique into it, but nevertheless a great performance.

In round two, I loved Ellie and Vito's Showdance - everything a Strictly Showdance should be - loads of jaw dropping lifts but also recognisable latin dancing in between. It was such a shame they wobbled on that last lift, which personally was a lift too far for me as they'd wowed already. I enjoyed Bobby and Dianne's Showdance - it was upbeat and full of great choreography but I couldn't help thinking it was a bit of a safe choice for a Showdance - seemed more like an American Smooth, although it was danced flawlessly, showing his mastery of both latin and ballrooom. I liked Layton and Nikita's Showdance the least out of all three. Yes it was full of great dancing but my problem was that it was not sufficiently different to some of the other dances they have done through the season - 'boy that cried wolf' syndrome? I also thought they were not as in sync as much as they normally are at certain points, so I got what CRH meant.

In the last round, I am so glad Ellie and Vito chose the 'American Smooth' and got '40'. I loved it the first tine round and it was no different this time - sublime. I felt she did well to pick herself up after her disappointment and go and do a dance with yet more lifts. For Bobby and Dianne it was always going to be this dance to reprise and he did it beautifully again although personally there were other dances that I would have liked to have seen from them. I would have preferred to have seen Layton and Nikita's paso again, which for me was the best dance they did, but having already had a paso earlier, that was not going to happen. This was a great performance - I remember thinking when they danced it the first time that it was a rather 'de-constructed' Argentine Tango. My favourite AT's of the season were Elie and Vito and Angela and Carlos - but it has to be different choreography for two males and I found this very watchable and worth the marks.

I loved Ellie and Vito's genuine surprise at winning and the other couples reactions.

I thought the show was topped off by an amazing opener - so wonderful to see Amy taking part and I think the returning cast dance was particularly well put together and good this year. Everyone got good exposure and I loved the way they did 'the leg' !! It also reminded me how much potential Adam had and that I was sorry he didn't get further.

So that's it folks for another year...................where has the time gone?? At least I've got my Christmas Day fix to look forward to.

I'm rushing out to do some Xmas shopping so will read all your comments and will return with some more comments later...................

[diamondsandpearls]

Well hello my sparkly ones!

There's been a lot of drama at work (like a Christmas episode of Eastenders) and it's been all consuming and very very draining. That and the carnage created by the snow up here the other week - I had to dig my car out TWICE - has used up all my mental AND physical energy. I've quit now, so I am back to being full of beans and even fuller of words...

I felt the semi final had two people who shouldn't have been there. Annabel grew and improved for sure, but should have gone out the week before. And lovely and a sweetheart though he is, Bobby should have gone out before that. My semi finalists were Angela S, Nigel, Layton and Ellie. So I felt the semi final was a bit lacklustre and a let down.

Enjoyed the final though, with the exception of Bobby's Couples Choice which kind of took over the second half of the final. I don't think a couples choice should be allowed in the final anyway - so often very little difference between that and the showdance. And if you take the poignant story away, that dance wasn't all that much (and if I'm honest - and I admit I may be dead inside - I didn't even really FEEL that dance. Dianne appeared to feel it more than Bobby even).

Anyway, now that I've got one thing that you are all going to hate me for out of the way, I'll move onto the next. Which is that, fickle pickle that I am, I changed horses after Ellie's HORRIBLE, liftastic showdance (a series of lifts joined together by a little bit of dancing, rather than the other way round - and it wasn't as though her AS didn't show that she could do lifts). Ellie and Vito's partnership was adorable, but they are in love - very sweet, but different to a heartfelt, deep friendship partnership like Dan and Nadiya had, Hamza and Jowita and Krishnan and Lauren.

And so, I backed Layton and Nikita. I loved every one of their dances in the final and their clear, genuine friendship towards each other was a joy to behold. I've never, ever, ever, cared that there are-so-called pro dancers in the pack - I'm totally not over Danny Mac not winning and I would have been very happy for Ashley Roberts to win as her Foxtrot is my favourite Strictly foxtrot EVER - and Layton is a beautiful dancer who, with Nikita has performed some utterly mesmerising routines. Layton has suffered so much online abuse, which nobody, absolutely NOBODY deserves and has come back each week with dignity and a fighting spirit. Nikita is a remarkable choreographer and teacher and is easily my favourite pro. And he was clearly very supportive of Layton during all the abuse he was receiving and, as I say, they made for me the best partnership in the final. I knew he wouldn't win because of the 'pro dancer' angle (no more pro dancer than Nigel, who nobody seemed to have a beef about, but hey ho...), but he and Nikita were my winners on the night.

Having said that, Ellie was a worthy winner and she and Vito are very sweet together. The "this is for you", "no, this is for YOU" discussion was no doubt to-ing and fro-ing all last night. Ellie channeled her inner Kara Tointon when she was talking about Vito in the VT and was trying not to cry... Ah, young love!

Not my favourite series by a long chalk. Angela R was kept in way too long, Krishnan should have got to Blackpool just for his sheer joy and his delightful partnership with Lauren, and Adam should have stayed in longer, and Angela S should have at least stayed until the semi final. The ones who went before Adam are so unmemorable that I couldn't tell you who they were, except Les Dennis who was unexpectedly so awful that I remember him for the wrong reason..

So that's it for another year. I doubt I will be able to see the Christmas one on Christmas day, but I will catch up with it when I get back from all my Christmas shenanigans in Norfolk.

Happy Christmas everyone,, and keeeep dancin'!

[TANGOLERO]

Not going to say too much except a big well done to (Layton apart) amateur dancers turning on a brilliant dance spectacular show. Any one of them could have won and it's always THE G.B.P in the end who decides. C raig should be moved away from first judge as it's a hard task to set the tone and his reluctance to give a ten to anyone but his personal favourites is no new thing. Housewives choice would be a better leader. I rarely agree with everything the judges say anyway, so..

I do agree with D&P that Angela should have gone sooner , certainly before Angela Scanlon, although you have to respect a woman her age turning on such a good effort. Criticising and fault finding is the easiest thing in the world from an armchair, although I have put the hard yards in in terms of classes and effort in the past, and I know just how hard it can be. Thanks to them all then, and a Merry Christmas and a peaceful and trouble-free New Year to you all. Thanks for your company .

[mauveangel09]

Hi all

Just been having some reflections on the series as a whole.   I still love the show and I'll be chomping at the bit when it comes round next year.   I think we all have years that we don't like as much as others and years that are not stand-out - and  despite all the j udges flim flam this year was one of those -at least for me.  

 It started off so promising and they all really threw themselves into those first few weeks with some great dances and unusually high marks for the early stages - and then it all stagnated a bit.   Even though it was early I think the departure of Amanda and Gio had a big impact, given the promise that she showed and this will be one of the great Strictly 'What Ifs'?  for me.    As the contest panned out the departures were predictable, there wasn't really a shock dance off except when Layton was in the dance off.  That was weird because for me that was a week when he actually did some ballroom dancing, but perhaps his supporters felt that he wasn't pushing the envelope enough that week or they didn't like the skirt......who knows with GBP.           I felt that a gulf opened up between two couples at the top - Ellie and Vito and Layton and Nikita, and then there was everyone else.................  A few went out earlier than expected as victims of either poor music or difficult dance choices when it mattered or because of work comittments/running out of steam.....    Then we had the Nigel situation which sort of killed off the excitement of the quarters/semis -  another 'What If'?    But there you go........The Final restored my faith and was a thoroughly good show.

So to come to the Nikita situation -  As we have all said, Strictly has been having ringers for years now, stretching back to Denise Van Outen but there is a difference between those who have had a bit of dance training at Stage School or done something years ago and those like Layton    (and indeed Ashley Roberts who had even been a j udge on a dance show) who are dancing as the day job.    There is no denying what a great dancer he is but for me he is a great jazz and stage dancer, someone who I would pay to go and see in a show but not for Strictly Come Dancing.   I also felt that he never actually unlearned his style or adapted to learning ballroom and latin and that was where the unfairness was for me.   Most   (not all) of the dances to me were cabaret/stage dances  'in the style' of whatever dance they were supposed to be doing.  I know there will always be lots of side to side where you have two male dancers, but Johannes and John got over this and produced distinctly different dances each week.   For Nikita and Layton it seemed to pall into one with a few notable exceptions.   So whilst everyone else was being  pulled up on things like gapping, rumba walks, not enough in hold,  lack of rise and fall, etc etc..........Nikita and Layton seemed to be being j udged differently and it is the first time I have felt like this about Strictly.   I think sometimes the j udges did attempt to give him a critique but once he started getting all the nasty vitriol on social media I think they gave up as not wanting to seem to be doing the same.         There is no excuse for the sort of stick that he has been getting and he seems a nice person -  He and Nikita were like an Astaire/Kelly partnership, however, the producers must have known what might happen to him and I blame the show a bit for taking him on in the first place.

I think one of the less endearing things about Strictly these days  is the way the  j ourney of the couples is 'controlled'.   They can't fix the GBP votes but they can control the order in which the dances fall and the music and costume choices which all contribute to the overall appeal or non-appeal in any given week.  Couples Choice being a blatant example of this -  clearly those that get it earlier on are not getting the vote share.        I loved the way that contestants like Bill Bailey and Hamza Yusuf bucked the path that may have been assumed they would follow.          I think sometimes the production team pander to the strengths of the celebs too much -  examples being  Angela Rippon's legs and splits,   Angela Scanlons's  irish dance ballet type feet - she had so many dances that suited her style, when she finally got to latin it bombed for her.    Lastly, I so wish the j udges would stop saying  things like   'This is best Final ever' -  they have been saying that every year for 21 seasons!!!!  and this is the 'Best Ever' whatever..........    Layton and Nikita's Charleston was brilliant and it was as good as some of the great Charlestons over the years - but best ever??   Not for me anyway.

Lest this seem like a rant and all that said,  there were some great dances sprinkled through the weeks this year, at least three wonderful Argentine Tangos, a better mix than some years between ballroom and latin with some lovely Viennese Waltzes and Waltzes, and American Smooths particularly all the lovely stuff from Johannes and Annabel who were so endearing together.  Bobby's quickstep in the semi and Nigel and Katya's Couples Choice will stay with me - I even enjoyed Adam and Luba's Hallowe'en n umber to Bewitched, and I enjoyed a lot of what Angela Rippon did along with her partnership with Kai.    In the main the costumes were good too, with Katya winning the prize for some of the loveliest and different dresses for me.

So I will really miss the Results Show not being on this week but will look forward to Christmas Day.    I might watch 'Dancing on Ice' but I ended up giving it a miss for various reasons last year.
I will miss posting and reading all of your comments - we are a small but perfectly formed group  

Take care - have a lovely Christmas and I wish everyone a healthy and a Happy New Year..................Look forward to seeing you for the next series      

Mauveangel - over and out
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[CaledonianCraig]

Following on from Saturday's Final I feel that Strictly Come Dancing is now at a crossroads. It's futures lies in the hands of its producers and more importantly the recruitment team. One road taken where the contestants are all properly vetted to judge their previous dance experience to ensure that only genuine learners get in is the road to survival and continuing to have an appeal to people like myself. The other road where they show less and less regard to how well celebrities can already dance is the road to oblivion for the show. I don't think we will ever get rid of the 'ringers' slipping through the net but signing up professional standard dancers like Layton is just not on. It is akin to seeing Lenny Henry, Alan Carr or Dawn French turning up as a contestant in Britain's Got Talent. Absolutely pointless.

Also the recruitment team need to realise the mental strain and turmoil Layton underwent and take responsibility. They should take on board the whole affair and realise what a massive mistake they made as it brought stress and mental turmoil for Layton and brought negative press to the show. Is that what they want in the future?

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