The way that they all treated John last year was terrible
I think they all missed the reason for the show it wasn't to make the contestants professional dancers but it was at the time linked to Childrens in Need and the show was meant to be fun. All the judges were so insulting they were being ageist!
Ironic as now age has played a factor in Arlene being replaced by a younger model!

SCD was not linked to Children In Need last year and none of the money went to charity........

........and again it has not be confirmed that Arlene has been replaced by a "younger model" in a direct one for one exact same judging role.........

Well all the years were sorry for getting it wrong

I agree with you too Fairygirl

I watched 'airhead' Alesha present a very interesting show on airbrushing of models in magazines and thought she did a very good job, didn't hog the camera and was genuinely concerned about her subject. It also seems to me that being in possesion of a lively and happy nature is mistaken by some as being shallow and giggly and some sort of crime...It is in Paris Hilton's case but that's another story

I am going to probably get a lot of bad reactions here but I will be honest and say I don't think Alesha is talented. When she was on SCD I felt the only reason she won was down to her big personality, I don't rate her as a singer or a presenter.

I think Alesha has a very engaging personality and wouldn't mind her in a non-judging role. Hannelene, I thought her win was more than just down to personality, although her cheerful approach to everything did help win over viewers.

However, just to be slightly critical of her (sorry Fairygirl), she could easily put paid to the rumours about her taking up a judging role, and I thought she was given an opportunity to do this when she was interviewed by Andrew Castle. Therefore it does seem as if there is something going on. I agree with Fairygirl that it would be a poisoned chalice.

Maybe they're thinking of having guest judges (i.e. rotating one of the judges' spot). I'm not keen on this, but it wouldn't be so bad if it was in addition to the 4 main judges.

The only way it could work having a new judge is having a judge that is like a voice for the public leaving 3 experts on the panel.

No,i agree with you VL....... all this could have been stopped by someone confirming or denying it ( or saying Alesha is not going to be a DIRECT replacement for Arlene) a week ago,( i think i even said that on here or M&A last week).......as you say i do think there is something going on as regards Alesha and SCD and knowing how open and honest she normally is i can only make an educated guess that the BBC are stopping her from making any comment,maybe because it is a "new" role or something is being negotiated and they don't want to prelude any announcement's ??

As i said the sad thing is she is taking flak for it (whatever "it" may be if anything) from various directions and no matter what some of it might stick.

I think there is almost certainly something going on as it would be so easy to deny. I also think what may be happening is that the beeb weren't expecting the reaction they got and aren't sure what to do next...

btw...I stress the 'may' in that statement.

Ironically in all this both Arlene and Alesha have taken stick for something neither of them instigated (as far as I know) and the sort of stick that just underlines for me that women's liberation never actually happened in this country

Could be.......but there was a small interview printed in Woman mag this week where Alesha said she will be back on SCD "at some point",that dosen't sound like a permanent role to me and much less a judging role as we know it.

Of course we don't know exactly when the interview was........


As a woman over 40 i feel entitled to say this.......all the articles i've read in the media are written by women over 40 (draw your own conclusions from that),Amanda whoever,Janet Street Porter and Coleen Nolan (granted CN did not call Alesha any names but she mentioned cleavage and as a woman who makes ref to her own many,many times on Loose women ),anyway,i understand the principle of their articles and can't say i totally disagree with them but there is no integrity in childish name calling or Coleen Nolan saying Alesha has been "picked" for her cleavage when Alesha has never promoted herself actively using "that" area ( which she hasn't) when CN has

Pretty poor show when so called professional journalist's (is Coleen Nolan even that ????) call other women derogatory names so quickly and easily..........their opinion on Alesha or whatever (we are all entitled to one) isn't the problem ,the name calling and hypocrisy is.

Well, as a man over 40 I feel entitled to agree with you yet again...Quite an agreeable evening all round

I actually expected a bit more from the likes of JSP and Amanda Platel, both of whom aren't daft, but they resorted to the same type of name calling I expect to find from tabloid hacks and weakened their own points by doing so. A shabby episode all round

Correct.........another agreement

Haven't a clue about AP but i thought JSP had a bit more about her........

You weren't wrong about the Charity donations 'all the years' - it was only stopped last year, partly because of the phone in scams that were being worked generally. Votes cost 15p last year instead of 50p (or whatever it was) in previous years.

You won't get a bad reaction from me, and I agree with you about her winning! I found her extremely irritating - and technically her dancing wasn't good (particularly her Latin).

I think the CiN calls cost 25p each (with at least 12.5p going to CiN).. There was not much difference - or it could have been 35p (anyone?)

Hannelene I agree with you... (*dons metal helmet to avoid flack!)

Yes Alesha did have a big personality but her dancing was at best mediocre. They managed to cover up her clumsy footwork/bent knees with long dresses (especially in ballroom) and of course any mistakes were covered because Matthew C was leading her. About the only thing in her favour was "natural rhythm" so at least she could do passable latin routines.

Her singing isnt too bad but I think her voice and laugh would get to me quickly if she presented too much.

Out of interest, who would you have voted to win that year?

Overall, Gethin - which surprises me as I'm no great fan of Camilla's dancing (especially her ballroom), but they got some good training together, and produced some great dances.

Matt also, apart from some obvious hiccups (mostly due to trying to hard, I think), also did some great routines.

I dislike Plattel intensely when she was on those fake crisis management programs she always came across as smug and arrogant in fact the only person who came across worse was the sandwich company (I think it was Pret A Manager) manager guy in the first one - I just remember thinking 'thank God you don't run the country' you'd get us all killed through being a woss.

Oh well, if AP is smug and arrogant you can add reactionary to the list too, katmobile

I agree her footwork wasn't always perfect, but I don't understand your comment about knees. You do bend your knees in ballroom. (And ballroom tango in particular is danced almost entirely with bent knees). Or are you saying they were bent on the wrong steps?

Her laugh is a little OTT for me

In fairness to Alesha, she had to have a lot of poise herself to cover her mistakes- it was pretty obvious when Christine struggled with a dance, in spite of Matt leading her!

One of the thing's about Alesha is that she has a very self deprecating sense of humour,she knows her laugh annoy's some people,but what's she to do ?? never laugh again
She's said it before,you have to deal the cards you're dealt

She knows she was not technically brilliant on SCD (name me a celeb who has been apart from maybe Jill) but she had enough about her to improvise both the Foxtrot and Paso when they both went wrong ( Matt C admitted the Foxtrot was him getting a step wrong and the Paso was his to call as well i think).........and in fact Alesha made it plain (in an ITT interview) her agreement with some comment Arlene had made (in ref to her Salsa to Michael Jackson) about her not having straight legs........Alesha said she got a bit excited because it was a pink dress,Michael Jackson,and Salsa and she forgot a bit about her legs ........she always wore short dresses for Latin dances so i don't see how her "clumsy" footwork and bent knee's would be deliberately covered up ......same story for ballroom as all the celeb's wear long dresses anyway so in theory that would cover up a multitude of sin's (if it was intended) for all of them and how would you know she had bent knees with a long dress anyway ??

She was totally overwhelmed and humbled at the support she received to win SCD but you can bet your life she know's she is not everyone's cup of tea.......but then again who is ??
We all have different opinion's about various people and no-one is right or wrong,it's just your personal preference and your opinion but like it or not a certain number of people found Alesha's personality endearing enough to vote her the winner technical brilliance or not.

If she does do anything on SCD this year she won't expect everyone to like it or her, just as all of us shouldn't expect everyone to like us (or what we do) in the "real" world.

well said, FG! I couldn't say any better.