I've never posted in here But I think I can see a reason why she was chosen to be a judge. It's rather like Cheryl on XF - because she (Alesha) was on the show as a contestant and won, she will understand what the celebrities (non dancers?) will be going through so will be able to judge from that perspective

The DOI panel has people who can skate but it doesn't necessarily follow that people who skated other people's choreography can teach how to skate or comment on whether something looks entertaining on TV or whether it hangs together as an acting/skating/exciting whole. Pro skating has different requirements anyway than good TV pictures. They can say it looked good but their view on the acting side and what might have been done particularly is no more valuable than anyone watching's.Both shows really need someone to judge the performance as a whole with the benefit of some acting or choreographic or directing experience .

True but you don't have students on the exam board - you have a standard that people do well or poorly at which needs qualified people to judge or you have people being nice to everyone noting every problem overcome (In JS's case getting up out of the chair) I suspect Alesha is meant to make the judges sound nicer which will just dodge the issue. If she is nice she will undermine anyone pointing out someone is bad. If she comments as she sees it and uss more than 7-10 as marks she will soon fall out with voters who support anyone the other judges dislike.

True - perhaps the other judges will help/advise her
If Arlene was sacked for being too old (I'm niot saying she is), what does that say about Brucie?

Welcome to the forum grimtales . There's no need to be since most of us are friendly. I can see the point you are making, and I think that that is a useful perspective. However some of us have a concern that it leaves us with a panel of judges which is a bit lightweight on the technical side (although it always was - just no need to compound an already poor situation).


I wasn't dismissing choreographic experience. I was just saying that there had to be a balance and that the DOI panel is better balanced. Since ballroom and latin dancing is viewed as a sport and marked against technical criteria (like ice dancing) then some technical knowledge amongst the judges is desirable. Surely it is not unreasonable to expect at least 50% of the judges to have in depth technical knowledge of the area they are judging. Then everyone can be happy, the ballroom/latin geeks, like me, and those watching it just for entertainment value.

The DOI panel has two judges from a choreographic and theatrical background and three ice skaters. the experts have to be there to say if the contestants actually are skating the compulsory elements of the competition and if they are actually skating not just shuffling along on a flat. The ice skaters among the judges are possibly among the best qualified in the country to do that, also Nicky and Karen skated to their own choreography and Karen teaches skating, Robin Cousins is Olympic Champion and also teaches.
The DOI panel are better balanced than Strictly panel in terms of relevant experience and adding another judge who has no professional experiece doesnt do much for the balance of the judging panel as a whole, Len the only dancer and Bruno contributing absolutely nothing.

yeah,right!!! btw as I said in another post, Arlene was only famous for choreographing Pans People or something like that? and what sort of dancing did they do, apart from silly? it certainly wasn't ballroom or Latin as I recall.

She had nothing to do with TOTP, but early on she created Hot Gossip which, at the time, was an innovative dance group. She has also worked on a lot of big musicals/films/pop videos (Starlight Express/Saturday Night Fever/Elton John stuff to name but a few) and has always been in very high demand for her choreography. She is highly respected and sought after for her dance knowledge and choreography worldwide. She is famous around the world, unlike Ms Dixon, who is barely known within the confines of these shores. Arlene has vast show business experience and is respected in many diverse areas of the business. To suggest otherwise just highlights a lack of knowledge in the topic.

I agree. Arlene is famous for a lot more than Hot Gossip!

Hey VL,
It's okay, and thanks for the welcome It's just I've never posted here before

Having Alesha Dixon as a SCD judge is like having a classmate in your class at school teaching your class.

Good analogy!

She is indeed.

Not quite, but I get your point! It is more like a 6th former teaching 1st formers maybe.

Nah...more like a 4th year lol.

........with the unions up in arms because of the use of "unqualified teachers"

Yeah, I was thinking of something more like that.

Or a teacher who's unfamiliar with what they're teaching and is only one lesson ahead of the class?

I had that with one class at college and we ended up passing the lecturer, so she used to keep asking us to explain to her!

The teacher metaphor doesn't actually work. Its not the judges job to 'teach' the contestants, thats the job of the proffesionals.

The judges are there to provide their heavily bias points of view.

Yup. She was also nominated for a Tony award in choreography for Starlight Express.

Also - the classmate/teacher analogy is very spot on!

I like thenetworkbabe's analogy- it's like having a student on the exam board to remind the examiners how hard it is for students to take exams.

I just think that now the decision's been made, I'll give Alesha the benefit of the doubt and wait until the series to see how she does.

None of the judges tend to give particularly detailed critiques anymore - I have only been dancing 3 years and I spot loads more points than they normally mention - so I think with that in mind, and having the extra dimension of being a former winner, Alesha could have as much of value to contribute as the others.

Please tell Alesha Dixon to leave Strictly Come Dancing alone!

Why dont you leave Alesha Dixon alone ?

The thread is labelled 'Leave Alesha Dixon alone' and I assumed that the poster wanted to hear the opinion of others.