I have always found Arlene to be rather acerbic in her comments now and again (but she wasnt the only one). The time I really went off her was when she said "Nobody likes them" about James Martin and Camilla on ITT. I was really horrified at that.

However, I thought all the judges should have been spoken to about their personal and hurtful comments - especially last year. The way they tried to manipulate the result by criticising the voters for keeping JS and Kristina in the competition rather than being unbiased - really spoilt it for me last year.

Having said all that, I would still prefer there to be four judges on the panel who are all dancers or choreographers and Arlene knows her stuff, no question.

I remember that ITT well. That was really bad. It spoilt what was up until then a relatively relaxed and fuss free series. I know Arlene is not all sweetness and light and sometimes her tongue will get the better of her. She does have a case of foot in mouth on occasions (as all the judges did last year) and it's better that a veil is drawn over the JS thing. It'd be nice if they could accept that it's nothing to do with them who's in the final and give up their power games at least in the second half of this series. The public would appreciate not being told how to vote quite as much.

However, replaying a lot of the golden oldies of SCD and Dance Fever over the year, there's no argument about Arlene's knowledge and ability to summarise a performance. She may have had her favourites especially on the male side but she never marked a bad dance favourably. She really hammered Mark on a few occasions so bias can't be laid at her door in that sense. Whereas Bruno will definitely mark up certain contestants. He gave some jaw dropping scores to the Bunton.

You say that and yet Philips is one of the people who has spoken out about her sacking. She was she was much nicer to her behind the scenes and didn't really say anything that she was vindictive.

I'm one of the sad ones who knows series3 virtually off by heart.

Arlene said nothing to Fiona that wasn't duplicated by the other judges. I wouldn't say she was nasty at all. In fact she was rather sympathetic suggesting that Fiona went to see Paul McKenna, as in she lacked confidence. If anything, Craig was much worse towards Fiona saying she was a noose around Brendan's neck and Arlene seemed more annoyed at Brendan, especially doing the lifts in the waltz in the first week.

I stand corrected - I didn't really get into Strictly until the week Fiona left ironically when she was starting to get a bit better so I don't know exactly what the judges said to her. You Tube and in father in law and mother (both of whom were outraged she lasted as long as she did) have shown me how bad she was but she always took the criticism on the chin and Craig said she was always a lady backstage even if she couldn't dance for toffee.

If Arlene made comments that could be construed as bitchy, they were always accompanied by advice on how to improve; unlike Craig who's comments included 'absolutely dreadful; it was like a stick insect on acid and at times rather grotesque; dull, dull dull.' And if we're going to mention Arlene's alliteration what about Craig's 'lifeless, lacklustre, laboured.'

Bruno too has displayed his bitchiness:
"Tutankhamun in a frock would have done a better job. The footwork was mummified." and I hardly think Len's comment to Mark Foster, "You're no good at dancing; I'm no good at swimming," gave him anything to work on.

Some of the judges appear to believe "there is no such thing as bad publicity". Craig in particular, cold-heartedly understands that controversy and notoriety will get him noticed, whereas Phillip the soft-spoken kind-hearted critic is remembered by viewers as -- wotisname?

Craig understands he has built for himself a larger-than-life bankable reputation as Mr Nasty, and mentioned in an article that his pantomime villain image paid off on Strictly tour where ten thousand show up for one show, paying £40 per head.

It was a bit nicer then. Not as fraught. It didn't feel like the blimming semi in week3. Fiona was REALLY bad, but I don't think was hammered anything like other relatively better celebs have been since.

And yes, she really couldn't couldn't dance. Compared to her, Kate was brilliant.

Quite. Craig calling Matt and Lilia's Cha the most boring routine in any series isn't exactly going to help Daws to improve and Lilia looked far from impressed as it was saying basically that she couldn't choreograph for toffee.

I must say which I've never got around to saying before. I love the Kopylova's fixed expressions. I'm surprised Craig didn't crumble and fall in a heap being on the receiving end of one.

Thing is, most of the examples of the judges supposedly being horrible to the contestants that people have pointed out are based upon their dancing.

Nothing, for me, has come as close to being so personally bitchy as Arlene's "I've thought you were really good when we've worked together before but ha ha ha look how sh*t you are at this!" to Phil Daniels.

The reason I can't take offence at Bruno is because 99.9% of what he says is done in good humour. Some of Arlene's stuuf (particularly what I've mentioned above) has come across as extremely spiteful.

Actually Arlene voted for Phil and Flavia in the dance off -
and imo Craig telling Mark he was like a stick insect on acid was the rudest remark I've heard. What could he take away from that?

Yes Bruno can appear humourous to some - but it seems to me he is laughing at the contestants not with them.

You're not alone


Totally agree, especially about it being nicer then. It's so intense now in comparison. Everyone should watch Fiona's Rumba- it's far worse than anything Chris Parker did!

How can you!


Chris Parker's paso doble will forever be etched in my memory.

But it was nicer in the early days - nowhere near as much bitching and I don't think the early celebs were looking to the programme to resurrect their careers.

e.g. the likes of Lesley Garrett certainly didn't need a reality show to showcase her talents.

No question about it, Arlene is fearless in dishing out hot chilli. Mark RampantPants was her lusted-after favourite, but after his disastrous foxtrot earning a dismal mark Arlene did not mince words in saying, what on earth at this advanced stage of the compo was the choreographer thinking of, risking Mark's elimination with a ballroom challenge Mark was not going to handle. This was a direct criticism of Karen standing right in front of her -- Karen the ex world champion in two latin categories. It took her two years, but eventually Karen nodded agreement on TV that Arlene was right.

After Gethin's paso again Arlene the first to speak did not spare her hero and favourite in a survival fight, calling his paso a Spanish omelette containing a mish-mash of everything. Again this was undisguised criticism of choreographer Camilla. In Alesha's Semifinal(?) I believe Arlene tore into Alesha saying how Arlene was disappointed in Alesha not progressing to fulfill her high promise. Clearly Arlene does not discriminate, she beats everybody with a heavy stick.

Arlene the west end dance director has decades of experience dismissing dancers coming to audition for a job. She would have gotten into the habit of tearing candidates to ribbons without talkback, dismissing them with a "NEXT".

Come SCD, in a situation of aged celebs facing their own adoring fans plus 10 milliion viewers, Arlene carried on regardless, and the style did not fit the occasion. Sure, Craig was worse.

This thread has turned into an amazing assortment of recollections that mainly passed me by!

I have watched SCD since the very first show and as many of you will know I'm no fan of Arlene after SDC 6 (), but I'd say Arlene was much more a case of 'foot in mouth' than 'calculated bitchiness'.

There are times when some of the things she has said have taken my breath away (e.g. Ola and Pole dancer), but I really have never thought she was out to score a point or hurt or offend anyone with her thoughtless comments.

If the same question had been asked of Craig and Bruno I might think differently, but not Arlene. Also I do agree that some of her comments are likely to have come from the frustration of thinking a particular celeb could do better if only she could get her hands on them. And she certainly is no Amanda Holden - far from it.

I think you're right - I did think she went beyond the pale calling JS lazy but I think she did it because she felt annoyed and frustrated with him. She can be harsh and tactless but I wouldn't say bitchy - it's because she's passionate about dance that she gets so annoyed when she feels people aren't trying and that applies to the good and the bad dancers.