Gregg is following the Aliona Online Twitter though, so he probably doesn't know Aliona is on as Aliona Kavanagh. Maybe Aliona doesn't know Gregg is on Twitter?

yeah I know he is, I think he thinks its Aliona but I have told him we are just a fan twitter and pointed him in the right direction

Aliona knows he is on twitter

Its like poor Lilia and Dominic Littlewood all over again. Given Jake didn't look fond of Janette I wish they could do a swap. I could totally root for Jake/Aliona.

Hope Aliona does well anyway despite my dislike for her partner.

Aliona won't do well without Gregg and Gregg won't do well without Aliona.

I'm sure for all the celebs after the glitter and wafting of the launch, it comes as a shock to the system to get into the real 'behind the scenes' hard work side of Strictly and it will take a bit of time to get used to each other and how best to proceed.

Aliona is certainly one of the best pros to have (in my opinion the best) because she has 10 dance experience and has been teaching since her mid teens. She knows more than all the 'judges' put together.
Aliona has a fixed way of working which IMO she decided on after her first year on Strictly and she knows it has worked with each of her partners since then - so it is a proven system. I think it is basically, in simple terms, as regards dancing - there is one teacher and one pupil.

I have sympathy with Gregg because I don't believe everything I read in the Tabloids. Aliona has suffered the same to a lesser extent.

I dont read the tabloids much either fatskia so I really dont know what they have written about Gregg, I doubt Aliona has read it either

I only know Gregg from Masterchef and I like him on Masterchef (he is alot more likeable than the other one IMO!)

As long as he is willing to work hard, put in the hours and listen to Aliona they will be fine and I am sure he will do all of that

He is in a happy relationship with his gf, she has just gotten married, I cant see her standing for wandering hands (if the main forum are to be believed) and I cant see him having wandering hands

I only check the tabloids to see their twist on things. Reading this forum is definitely not a good idea.

I never really watched Masterchef and wasn't impressed by John or Gregg, but then the whole idea of eating buns and criticising the cooks is not my kind of TV.

BIB - that's the way to go and almost everyone who does Strictly in a similar way to that will leave it with good memories.

lol, I just like seeing what people cook, I dont listen to what Gregg and the other bloke say

I would agree there, reading this forum when they have taken an instant dislike (for no good reason that I can see) to a lady who is so lovely is hard sometimes but hey ho - I just have to rise about the callous and vicious remarks because I know that Aliona is nothing like how some DS members perceive her

anyway - day 1 of training - do we think waltz or cha cha?

Im going cha cha, its been Alionas first dance with Matt, Harry and Johnny (although Iveta took over) she had waltz with Tony and rumba and tango with Rav

Tweet from Gregg.
1st proper one on one practice with my dance partner @AlionaVilani I'm nervous!

There was an article in a Kent paper where Gregg was quoted as going to be CCC and Salsaing, so they may have those two first, but it wasn't as a reply to a question, so its only a maybe.

Cha Cha Cha would be a good one to start with.

Wish them luck.

Aliona has tweeted that she likes Team Wallani as a team name.

I hope the producers don't start on a food theme for songs unless there is such a thing as a good food song. The pro dance to If I Knew that you were coming I'd Have Baked A Cake was absolutely dire.

Just stopping by to send well wishes to Aliona this season ; I dont understand all the flack she gets , but hey ho......I hope that they last long enough and become very popular with the public.

And Team Wallani sounds good and I agree I hope that they dont over-do the food theme (because it might turn off viewers at some point )

thank you edy10 - nice to see you up in the attic I dont understand it either, never have done, never will do but as you say, hey ho

Just wanted to say that I am so pleased Aliona is on scd..... We have the best pro and teacher on the show for another season. Don't know much about Greg but at least he is younger than Tony.

I cannot fathom the hatred by some on the main forum to Aliona. All I can say us that she has impact and creates reaction good or bad and that after all it what the bbc want. I was not inpresswd with the launch show and find the newer crop of dancers a bit bland and somewhat boring, I am hoping my first impressions are wrong I am looking forward to seeing what Aliona can do with Greg but I am underwhelmed by the rest.

Nice comment from Gregg in The Mirror.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/s...rships-4178914

Not much on Twitter, but Aliona hasn't been posting as much since she got married. Looking forward to the training clip with fingers crossed.

Just got back off holiday and watched the recording of the Launch show can't believe some of the comments about Aliona being rude I can't see anything wrong with her at all. She's quiet but some of the others are over the top, I know who I prefer.

Ive always liked Greg on Masterchef, I'm not really a fan but my husband is and Gregs quite funny especially when he gets a tasty pudding to taste. He's not who I would of picked for Aliona's partner but I hope they do really well and have a good run in the competition.

Hi Gill,

Last year they said the same things about Aliona and Tony. Some people just seem to prefer to see things the way they want them to be.

A while back, I posted a link to the interview of Georgina Bouzova praising James and it was interesting that some people didn't want to read it and others read it and still seemed to believe what they believed before they read it.

Hopefully Gregg will concentrate on working hard with Aliona and will get the best result he can. I like to see celebs prove themselves and it will be the same with Gregg.

Big mistake just followed a link onto the strictly facebook page so many people are slagging her off, I can't understand it she's so lovely and quiet she's not exactly a mouthpiece.
I do remember the posts last year about Aliona and Tony. I'm sure if Tony's wife thought Aliona had disrespected Tony she would'nt be given house room never mind inviting her and her husband to Tonys birthday party. It's great that their still friends.

Georgina was james first partner wasn't she. I did'nt think he had a lot of patience with her but I hav'nt seen the article.

Yes I agree Gregg needs to take it seriously and listen to Aliona if anyone can make a dancer out of him she can.

really, a heart to heart talk with the producers within earshot of an audience member, yeah right

It is strange that such big and theoretically provable claims only have one unidentified source. If there was truth to it, I'd expect the tabloids to be all over it.

There isn't much real information from the normal sources - so far.

I really dont understand where everyone has got the notion from the Gregg is a slimey weazel

an ex-wife bleated to the papers (I didnt read it, I just saw a link somewhere) but being an ex-wife, she really isnt going to say anything nice about him anyway

He appears to be a decent bloke who is going to give it his all (if the Launch Show is anything to go by) and work hard plus he has a girlfriend who, again, he appears to be happy with

Have I missed something?

I get that not everyone will like him but I really do fail to understand the hatred for him on this board

The only other information is that Gregg is seeing a physiotherapist and hoping that his knees hold out.

He seems to be on holiday with his girlfriend in Italy.

I can't help feeling there's something going on, why would you sign up for strictly then go off on holiday to Italy.

I've actually had a look on Google and can't see any of this 'sleazy' behaviour he's meant to have indulged in. I don't know where people are getting it from - they're obviously digging a lot deeper than I was able to - the question pertaining to that thought though is, why? Why would you want to blacken someone's name in the way that they are doing so persistently? And are they aware that what they are doing is akin to libel?

I did notice that one of the links that came up was from the Daily Mail (which i refuse to click on as I wouldn't trust that rag as far as I can throw them. They are renowned for their salacious headlines which bear no resemblance to the truth and they are very good at intimating something about someone with no actual facts to back them up or taking sides in disputes and blackening someone's character by inferring that one side of the argument is correct and the other is completely wrong (which is nonsense. Bitterness and resentment can cause people to say all kinds of things about others).

It's actually enough to make me want to throw some votes his way and I don't even vote on SCD!

to be fair, its only a couple of people on the MF who appear to have a vendetta against Gregg, constantly slagging him off at any given opportunity, calling him sleazy and a weasal - maybe its his ex-wife

I have also had a quick google - cant find anything either

I understood it was a work trip but I might be wrong of course

EDIT: he hasnt actually said its a work trip dunno then, Im sure its nothing to worry about

I never thought about that - maybe ex-wife or friend of hers!