Someone suggested a while ago that the pros would also have problems criticising each other, due to friendship. I'm not convinced about that because, after all, they compete against each other!

Getting Darcey Busell as a guest judge is quite a coup, but replacing Arlene with Alesha is a very bad, bad, bad move. For one thing, she doesn't have anywhere near the experience that Arlene had. Surely, if they wanted to replace they could have found someone else who has close to Arlene's experience. Having Alesha there is tantamount to having someone with a Biology GCSE performing a heart operation.

Secondly, how can Alesha be impartial when she is good friends with the pro dancers AND probably knows some of the celebs who will take part? It's ridiculous!

The Beeb seem to have gone down the DOI route by having Alesha as a judge - she simply doesn't have the technical knowledge to be a judge so will she therefore only be commenting on 'artistic merit' of the dances? She is the SCD equivalent of Ruthie Henshall.

From another BBC Press Pack:

"Alesha will be judging the dancers on their performance rather than their technique and, as a former champion of the show, she knows exactly what they are going through. "

"In addition, guest judge Darcey Bussell will be joining the show for the last three weeks to add her unique world-class dancing take on the performances. "



I also wonder if the BBC are going to donate any money to CIN this year or just keep it for themselves as they did last year.

The Press Release does say Alesha will be judging performance rather than technique.

I think that's fair enough as we've often moaned about performance being judged over technique. As long as she doesn't do a 'Ruthie' and talk about things she has no expertise about.

I'm looking forward to seeing how she gets on now.

Exactly what I was thinking! And look how unpopular Ruthie was with the viewers as a result. Alesha's a nice person and was a great contestant but she's the wrong choice for a judge.

Snap!

If they are going to have 5 judges for the last three weeks, they will have to make a new judges' table so maybe there will be a fifth judge for the other weeks that haven't been announced yet.

Maybe five judges towards the end of the show will stop what happened last year when the semi-final was a bit of a farce and they put all the dancers through to the final.

I do feel sorry for Arlene Phillips. She has been dumped for a younger person!

It makes me laugh that they even feel the need to point that out in the press release.

Isn't that just an acknowledgement from the BBC that she is unqualified to judge?

Darcy - yay... very excited
Alesha - noooo i think i am the only person who cannot stand her, i find her really annoying

Original BBC press release quickly deleted before being sent out.

You are not the only person who can't stand Alesha, her laugh makes me squirm.Will need to watch with sound turned down and subtitles on when she is on.

can anyone HONESTLY say that they will care about the marks ALeshia gives as they will be about effort and performance and not technique??


She would give a crap person a 9 for effort I can see it now. I bet she becomes another Len and loses her 1-6 paddles on day one.

i think the solution to this is as people say WAIT AND SEE!!

Good Luck Alesha!!!

Can't wait to see the many changes we're promised in September

as Craig would say - RA - DICK - U -LASS

No-one seems to have mentioned the most obvious fact in all of this. The reason Alesha Dixon has been hired is because of Bruce Forsyth.

On the last series when she did a guest singing spot he said something along the lines of "I think you could be the country's leading singing and dancing stars". He also arranged for her to perform a number as part of this year's Miss World contest. The man is clearly using his influence, though not necessarily for the better!

That's unfair. Ruthie Henshall actually has a career in performance that involves dance - she's a very well respected actress, singer and performer, and has danced well in numerous productions. She may not be a figure skater but she can at least judge performnce.

I don't really see how Alesha can judge DANCE performance. She doesn't even dance much in her pop career. I disliked Cheryl Cole more when she joined the X-Factor panel due to her inability to actually sing, but she's at least a pop star, and the show is about finding a pop star. If I disliked Cheryl when she actually fit the bill, Alesha is going to get slaughtered.

If Darcey comes along as a 5th judge for the final stages - that would be great - better than the casting vote nonsense by Len.

Ruthie Henshall was disliked by viewers on DOI because she was a beeatch - I can't see Alesha going down that route.

I think people are being a bit unfair to Alesha as judging by the polls, she is probably the most popular SCD contestant so far - and that's got to be one good reason for choosing her.

The Press Release does say Alesha will be judging performance rather than technique and we've often moaned on here that there is a difference between a good 'artist' performance and a good 'technical' performance. Well, now we've got a judge for that and what's wrong with it being Alesha?

For those of you who have raised Ruthie Henshall on DOI, I'd say I understand what you are saying, but the main reason that Ruthie was so unpopular was she showed blatant favouritism towards less able celebs, but that doesn't mean the idea of someone judging performance is wrong - just that Ruthie was a bad choice despite her ideal background!

I don't have a problem with that role for Alesha - we all know how down to earth she is and I'd say let's give the woman a chance!

I would have preferred any new judge to have a ballroom/Latin background, but clearly that's not going to happen.

It is the old argument about whether SCD is a dancing competition or an entertainment show and as usual the answer is both.

You gotta admit - most men would rather look at Alesha than Arlene or Len! She's gonna get more men watching the show! I just had a weird thought... Len and Alesha dating.

Eek. What a scary image.

Well said BuddyB

See, they should have went for Mel B if they were going for a former contestant even though she was on Dancing with the Stars. I felt like Alesha was quite a bit overrated and if anybody saw Mel B's performances they will see that she is probably one of the best dancers any of the shows have had. Just compare their Vienese Waltzes as an example.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp3xxbrgwss

I don't think anyone is saying Alesha isn't popular. A lot of us don't think she's judge material.

Mel B was very good, but then the American dancing style is VERY different from ours, so I'm not sure a direct comparison could be made.

You're being reasonable again, BuddyBon. That's not what we want to hear. *shakes head sadly*



But I have to agree with Xassy: it's nothing personal against Alesha, it's her lack of relevant experience and expertise that's the problem. I think they would have been better off finding a different role for her, rather than making her a judge.

Eg, she could have been very good as a mentor cum roving-reporter for ITT, whereby she could visit each contestant every week during training, giving moral support and updates on how the training's going.

Alternatively, Darcey and Alesha's roles should be the other way round: Darcey should be the full-time judge and Alesha the guest judge towards the end of the series.