It could have been him and a certain newsreader for all I know.

Same here ...... he just seems the ideal dance teacher, and he's rather cute the way he does get a bit embarrassed about all the speculation about him and Ali.

I think the hair just ' goes'that way, it can't help itself.


It may be only his second season in SCD but he really has established himself as one of the most popular pros.

Thank goodness Rav and Aliona's segment was short. *phew*

I now prefer Ali's styling of Brian's hair. I am not a hair person in particular but he's looking serial-killerish again tonight.

As for Jo and Brendan. I think their warm relationship is real. Methinks Brendan get to channel his frustrations in some other 'constructive' ways with his girlfriend and so he's less uptight and more giving to Jo.

Whatever the case, I am glad Jo is going to try doing a good foxtrot with Brendan. Though I know it's not going to be brilliant, I feel they are going to surprise us nicely on Saturday night.

Did we ever learn what Rav was going to give Jo if she kept staying in?

I loved Niles Crane

I thought Brendan was definitely having a dig at Ali and Brian - he seemed to me to be gesturing towards them across the studio. He's a stirrer is Brendan, he can't help it. I find Jo sweet, but I can see myself getting tired of the knight in shining armour stuff eventually, I must admit.

I quite liked Aliona's 'take no prisoners' attitude, though I don't know how it could both have the most quickstep steps of any of them (I think she said that?) and be the easiest routine of the lot. Plus she said it was the easiest and when told she should have played to Rav's strengths basically said he didn't have any, which is honest but not kind. I wonder if she didn't get on with Rav or if she'd struggle to be patient with anyone who wasn't a natural dancer.

Another thoroughly enjoyable episode - I even enjoyed the backstage bit featuring the runners!

Jo just gets cuter with each show. And she's bringing out a very pleasant side to Brendan.

They have already secured my vote again this weekend.

Evening Zan (returning the greeting you left me on the other less light-hearted thread!)

Heya. That thread scares me a little bit so I don't think I'll be back there.

Never mind "I even enjoyed" the runners - they've given me my next career move, I think! Looks like loads of fun!

Jo is lovely. I hope she keeps on improving.

I fancied Niles.

I assumed Brendan was talking about Ali & Brian and Joe & Kristina. He certainly does like to stir!!

I think Aliona said they used the most basic steps.

Which unfortunately seems to imply that it was all Rav's fault that the dance went pear shape.

Seriously, I think this girl needs to understand that playing to one's strength also means trying to COVER UP one's weakness, not by dancing round him like a merry-go-round, but doing some 'slow' moments of the quickstep that I see Brian did for Ali and done especially cunningly by Anton for Laila.

I still can remember what a whopper job Vincent did for his 60+ partner's quickstep (Stephanie's first dance!!!) with very, very simple steps, plus some really good/clever choreography. It was a joy to behold, but sadly they were voted out in favour of Letitia (and Kate was saved by the public!).

Could mean Joe and Kristina

I thought Brendon was alluding to his dance partner in the first series!
Anyone else remember the Natasha incident?

Wise move.

I think I'll do the same

What a wonderful little job being a runner is? So many perks to the job. Where do we apply?!

I'm waiting by the phone. I'm sure they'll ring us up any moment and offer it to us. They'll have seen how perfect we'd be for the job by reading our posts on here - no need to apply!

Although, I actually think I'd be awful at it if I had to deal with one of the people I actively dislike on the show!

On the contrary.

I'd love to be placed with James. I'd pop a laxative in his mid-afternoon coffee

Ooo, can't say I want to picture THAT.

Yeaaah. I'm not sure how long I'd last screaming "GET YOUR SANDWICH YOURSELF YOU LAZY *insert expletive*!" at two of the pros...

I think the brightest part of my day has been Craigs outfit and shoes !!! just had to come on here to see the reaction

So where do you find mens pink sparkly shoes like that ??

Brendan is being very sweet and protective towards Jo and hes getting plus points from me

Ali/Brian bless em ........how to try and not let on you like each other when you really do......

Think Brendan meant A/B seeing as they were in the studio.......he can't resist stirring it (as someone said above).

I love Niles Crane........one of the few men that have ever made me laugh out loud

She meant that it had the most basic steps, i.e. the least complicated choreography.

I also don't think she was saying Rav didn't have any. She said "I did, but if I missed any strengths you should tell me." I took that to mean that she felt she was choreographing to his strenths (she wasn't specific on what they were), but if people thought Rav had different strengths that she didn't pick up then they should tell her what they were.

It seems Rav and Aliona will have to agree to differ over the choreography of the Quickstep.
It was nice of Rav to offer that he let her down and her to say no you didn't.

Aliona defended her choreography of the QS and when you look at it again, it doesn't look as bad and Rav's dancing looks better (especially compared to the many mistakes in some other routines).
She may have got a little mixed up on which judge said what. It was Craig who said the choreography should have been more sensitive to Rav's strengths.

For me, the initial impression of the dance wasn't as good as it is when seen again, and I think the music varied a lot in speed and contibuted to that. Unfortunately it did look disjointed on first viewing, and that's what you get scored on.

I thought his highlights should have shown the Rumba from the dance-off, which I hope they are on good terms to do again at the end of the series.

LEGEND. I still miss him.

Will miss Rav too. Seems like a really nice man to me. Lucky Jo, whatever the "something" is!

Don't think I've ever liked Brendan this much either. I'm a bit stuck this year because I like so many of the couples

I thought Rav and Aliona did a very competant quickstep. I mean there are certain elements you include in the dance which there is no getting away from.
Can any expert list the mistakes that were made?

I missedITT tonight, forgot the set the PVR, and it's not on catch up or iplayer!
Is this usual?
Is it likely to be on the Strictly website later?

He does seem like an incredibly nice man. I remember when he did a reality show called Eden years ago on Channel 4 (when he was just an ordinary member of the public) one of the things that made me remember him, in this otherwise forgetable reality series, was that he passed up an opportunity for himself to win something (dont ask me what my memory isnt that good) so that a fellow competator could have it. It turned out she was a bit of a two faced b**** and he felt a fool for being so selfless. But his gesture was sincere and I have been sure of his charachter ever since. So when he said tonight I just want us all to do well, I believed him.