i miss arlene!
i am not alesha bashing- i actually think she is doing okish considering.
everytime a dance finishes i want to hear her opinion

Me too...

I too think Alesha is ok... but I too wonder what Arlene would have said....
and how many times she would have advised a celeb to get an acting coach....

... and how many times she'd have raved over Ricky's hypnotic hips :yawn:

I made similar comments on another thread, so I'm with you all the way.

Arlene's practical advice is sorely missed.

Imagine the most cringe worthy piece of alliteration you can come up with. Add in a dash of nonsense and then multiple the embarrassment factor by 10. That's what Arlene would have said.

Oh and something about losing all perspective when Ricky W dances because she's hypnotised by his hips.

thank god we have got spared that.......

anyway next friday she is on Have I got news for you.

hopefully they pick on the daft old biddy.

I'm actually glad she's not on Strictly anymore, the alliteration and raving over the young male celebs got on my nerves and was just embarassing. I really like Alesha, her critisisms are always constructive and she never resorts to making nasty, personal comments like Arlene did.

I'm not sure Arlene would have criticised Ricky's Salsa like Alesha did last night, she'd have been too busy drooling over Ricky's hips to comment on anything else.

I dont miss Arlene, especially her drooling over the male contestants. I can only imagine what her comments to Ricky w would have been!

Arlene may have drooled over the young male totty, but this did not influence her critique or marks.

I do think she would have praised them highly, and not point out like Alesha that the routine was not good enough for Ricky.

I too am missing her. There are a couple times over the past two week where I would really liked to have heard her comments and advice.

I do accept that she went way over the line last year and deserved a severe reprimand but, I think there's a lack of "something" on the panel without her. After a very shaky start Alesha seems to be settling in but, I am missing Arlene's observations.

I have not missed Arlene at all this year. Arlene took the show too seriously and was very negativity on the judging panel. Her comments to the celebrities could be rude and spiteful.

I don't really miss her. She used to add some good technical points but mostly she was just overly lascivious towards the male celebrities.

Every time Rav danced I could hear the echo of Arlene's shrill pinings in the dance hall...and only God could've helped Ricky.

She was mostly a comic figure and most of the time the joke was on her.

The male judges are just as bad re sex appeal etc of both male and female dancers

I was very skeptical about Alesha stepping in, but she's growing on me.

That said, Arlene would still be my preferred choice. Not only did I welcome the advice she gave the celebrities, but she wasn't as generous with her scores as Alesha is.

We had a lot of couples tying on the leader board last night and that's largely because three of the judges are marking quite high and marking very similarly. There's little differentiation between the couples with only 6 points separating the top scorers and those at the bottom (under the new system).

Alesha's performance yesterday was pathetic.

Alesha's comments just do not interest me as I have no respect for her as anything other than a Strictly celeb winner, She just does not have the same credentials as the other judges , so her comments seem irrelevant to me.

I remember her giving Ramps some harsh comments. Arlene was actually harsh to some of her favourites because she knew they could do better.

I can't think of anyone given specific advice the way Arlene did. It's not a criticism of the pro but sometimes they need someone on the outside looking and can pinpoint something they are missing.

Do you know what? I could take or leave Alesha or Arlene.

I'm not missing Arlene at all but I do wish we could lose Alesha. I'm starting to crave a fourth judge who can make comments that we can respect and learn from.

Yup, I can see the wheel turning, and this thread turning towards a certain predictable direction...

I am sort of getting used to Alesha's role on the show (even if I cannot say I am that thrilled with it), I she is a speak from the heart person, and I think that is the way she is trying to help. I am trying therefore not to think of her in terms of her being in Arlene's place.

Having said that, when Alesha told Lynda she did not need to be a 5'10'' stick insect to be great, I was reminded of Arlene's similar comments to Letitia, who like Lynda suffered from negative body image issues. Arlene told her she was beautiful, and wanted to give her confidence. I know it is unfashionable to to remember Arlene as being nice, but I do remember those sort of comments from her. If Alesha works on the celebs' confidence then this may be her niche.