Judges 2014

For CIN there's a special slot where the judges have been animated in a Tom & Jerry cartoon.
(Theyll need to leave off Craigs botox for a few weeks to get any kind of animation)

Oh C.raig how could you!!! Saying out loud "Blackpool be Judy's Finale week!! Omg just opened the floodgates for Judy fans to voteb

I was expecting all the judges to be a lot harsher tonight after Blackpool's jolly. I thought the war cry would be a Dad's Army type 'They're doooooomed' but other than Cr aig's opening salvo to Steve, they all seemed very mellow, like they'd been sniffing the nitrous oxide. Hardly a negative comment throughout. More varied use of paddles - HOORAH!

As has been referred to earlier D.arcy clearly goes for a hunk and muscle. She always overmarks and drools over Steve that is clear and reminds me a bit of Arlene Phillips now. Also as has been said I don't like the look and scowl she gives him when C.raig gives his mark. Even last night she did it when he gave a seven and then on same dance she gave an 8 (one mark's difference and still a scowl). Leave it out D.arcy and stick to your own marking. Also don't like the continued witch hunt of C.raig. Twice last night (once from T.ess and once from C.laudia) they remarked on his scoring and how they thought it was too low - come on girls leave the judging to the experts eh?

On C.raig he does have more polarised marking as in consistently low for dancers he doesn't rate and wants voted off he has that favoured four paddle and his more polished dancers who he sees as winners he has his nine paddle for Pixie and Frankie.

L.en needs to rediscover himself. Every dancer gets the stocks 'you came out and gave it some welly' and precious few tips and observations. Perhaps he just prefers not to now as he seems to get agitated when the audience boo him when he begins a criticism (oddly they only seem to do it to him). L.en needs to refind his mojo as he risks becoming tedious.

B.runo remains zany as ever and most keen to get his ten paddle out. Don't mind his zany antics but sometimes I worry.

Oh clearly last night Darcey was going to be PICKY. So off she started because she was going to be a bit PICKY as she advised one Caroline because I can be a bit PICKY with you and I am being just a tiny bit Picky
Or as she said Im being PICKY now!!! Argh Darcey seems stuck on a new wird its not yah or yeah anymore or THe Boys but PICKY!
Taxi for Darcey's new word please and meow sorry for Darcey too.

Is he a man or a mouse? Is he L enny the lion or L enny the lost-it? He's waited until next weeks show (12 weeks in) to enforce the 'no lifts' rule. He says he didn't want to be too harsh in the early weeks. WHAT?????? This season has been a total joke from the bizarre scoring to the blatant disregard or lack of consistent rules. At least Cr aig has varied his paddles. I don't know if someone's slipping some 'giddy-up' meds in L en's cocoa but I can't remember him giving so many 10's before. I had to laugh when T ess asked if Trent would be putting in any lifts next week, and he smiled, and said he had the Salsa & The American Smooth, where they're allowed! I won't hold my breath. I'm surprised Cr aig didn't say 'about time too' but then Cr aig's the only one who doesn't answer the other judges back.

In an article in today's paper (in which he tells of quitting the American shows after this year) L en gives his views on the contestants (In my view a very silly, even unfair, thing to do while people are still voting). Caroline, Pixie and Frankie, rate highly as do Mark and Simon. Jake is last in the list and his view tends to indicate some distinct favouritism, not obviously, but it's there. Badly done indeed L en. (in my view anyway).

I wouldn't really be surprised by those opinions though TANGOLERO as we know L.en is an afficienado of ballroom which is Jake's weakest dances. I am sure we all know each of the judges have their favourites in any case but I'd prefer not to read about it in national newspapers though as you say.

Agree with all your comments B4P, Mr T and CC

All those lifts that A nton was allowed to do went totally unnoticed?????? It is a joke that he has waited until now to say anything. It just further confirms the producers hands over everything as it must have been decreed that to make Judy 'interesting' and give the routines some focus that lifts were to be allowed - I remember that CRH did mention it and he also mentioned it with another couple - I thought at the time that it was strange that L en was not saying anything - I remember that L en used to berate A rtem with every transgression of the rules - lifts, too much out of hold etc etc.

The other point, I think that all the 'good' couples have had a bit of a bashing on one week or another and this was their way of doing to Pixie - Something else I have also noticed over the years is that at some point L en always engineers a bit of a random 'pop' at certain newbies - it was T rent's turn last night but I remember in the past that he did it to A liona in her first year, and someone else, might have been Karen........

Lastly I think it is totally unacceptable for one of the judges to be giving their opinions on contestants when the contest is still 'live' so to speak..........bad move all round.

Despite the fact that he is not immune to a bit of favouritism (as they all are) CRH is now my favourite judge.

Do you remember the good old 'bad old' days when Brendan got skinned alive by Cr aig for adding one lift? My, that scandal lasted for the next two series at least! I think Cr aig has mentioned the illegal lifts more than once and L en as Head Judge should have backed Cr aig up each time. In fact I think it was a bit insulting to Cr aig when L en said to Trent, I won't penalise you this week because I haven't warned you before, but from now on.... Surely if ANY judge mentions illegal moves they should all pull together as a judging team as dish out the penalties? Can't remember Darcy or Br uno mentioning any lifts this year.

My mom has a theory she sticks with every year.She thinks some of the celebs sign up for SCD but advise they can only DO so many weeks! She feels the staff and judges then mark/edit/help celeb out of the show! When JS walked out we found ge had already prebooked a cruise before SCD started! Im not sure but with some already saying not doing tour because of committments im curious! Plus one stat for us is the eventual Winner of SCD is always on the tour! So far we haven't had a break from this.

shush - conspiracy theory alert
James said exactly the same thing on Twitter. How the celebs going on the tour always got the higher marks. I agree that some of the celebs seem to need to be out of the show early because of other commitments and have been booted off a bit earlier than expected. Gives 'I didn't think I'd still be in now' a whole new meaning

Flips over to Twitter to read Conspiracy Theory!

I *definitely* agree about the ones doing the tour being promoted more than those who aren't. Nothing too blatant but the odd extra mark here and there (which, towards the end of the series, when they're all getting 9s and 10s can make a difference) and emphasising the dance novice / most improved angle like they did with Abbey last year and are doing with Mark this time.

On a separate matter, I'd like to say how disappointed I was with C.raig when he told Pixie that all she had to do in the dance off was "not make any mistakes".  This suggests that it was a given that she was through, whoever she was up against.  C.raig is usually such a stickler for the rules, shame on you!

And B.runo based his decision on previous dances and future expectation.  Shame on you too!!

I agree 50

T ess was giving Simon the 'goodbye' talk before he'd even danced in the DO.
Cr aig, as you say was taking it for granted that she'd be through and just had to show up (why bother having a DO?)
Darcy was shaking her head even though she voted for Simon
and Br uno was doing a global reckoning of all Pixies strengths over the season
L en finally un-pickled his walnuts and played fair.

It made me smile on Twitter - someone suggested that if the judges couldn't make up their minds then maybe it should be given to the public to decide. Erm - This wouldn't be the same public that didn't vote enough and put her in the dance off in the first place then?
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I really hope that L en retires after this series - and takes Darcey with him. I would bring in a couple of the ex-pros as judges - after all, there are quite a few of them out there to choose from.

I also cannot understand how The Love God that is Leonard The Lion Goodman has the equivalent of two votes in the dance off - as far as I am concerned a casting vote is when you have an equal number of votes on each side. In effect, unless the other judges agree, L en always gets his way - and that is just wrong, wrong, wrong!!!!

They seem to have access to a bank of high class dances from around the world who step in at short notice to cover emergencies. Couldn't one of those be a judge for one season? Ian, Karen, An ton - I wouldn't mind any of them having a go at judging. I'd definately like to see a latin expert judge to balance L en's ballroom views

I thought Br uno's comments were the most comprehensive this week.
Darcey seems a wasted chair.
L en made a couple of ballroom footwork comments. I thought he was a bit harsh picking on Karen's choreography but then he didn't mention Jeanette's.
Cr aig was being ganged up on as usual by the other judges.
Interesting nobody mentioned Simon's dire music for his Samba.