Is it me but was there just a terrible atmosphere tonight, one that as a viewer it was almost embarrassing to watch? Very, very uncomfortable viewing.

Completely agree.

Strictly has lost its magic for me this year.

They need a total overhaul. Craig as head judge and sack the rest. New presenters. They should have been making small changes throughout.

Oh and less is more. I'm knackered after tonight and I haven't even watched the X Factor yet!

It was weird. Craig completely toned his comments down after Brucie gave out to him, which was a shame because he can be acerbic, but he is entertaining. And for some reason the other judges felt like they needed to be cattier to make up for it. Alesha and 'drunken ragdoll'??

Yip - I know nowt about dancing, but have enjoyed previous series, but there seems to be something missing from this series.

There was definitely something off tonight. I've been loving this series but tonight just felt...weird.

And what a shocking dance off!

Bruce and Brendan really didn't help with their ridiculous, contrived behaviour.

Craig was pussy-footing around and tempering his comments after the completely unnecessary strop / outburst...instead of being easily the best judge which he usually is.

Totally agree

There were so many inappropriate comments and jokes, it was awkward and cringeworthy.

I've said if before and I'll say it again. The BBC have shot the golden goose.

i agree with all of you. I watched a lot of those dances from behind my fingers.

Bruce was awful, short, bad-tempered and interfering.

Alesha was patronising and quite catty.

Bruno was tetchy, but I guess he was as disappointed as I was.

Craig wasn't able to be truthful and so seemed to squirm.

I hate this series, only Ricky W, Jade and Ali can actually dance and even then they're terrible at Latin.

There was something lacking tonight, but I think it was partly because none of the Jives were very good, and the Viennese Waltz isn't the most entertaining of dances.

I agree. I thought Brendan had been calmer this series, there was no reason for his outburst. It changed the whole atmosphere of the show.

Craig over the seven series has moved from being my least favourite judge to most favourite.

alesha is still annoying me big time. when she's on, I flick over to the X factor to see what is going on something I've never done in all seven series

We all gasped in my house when Bruce made that incredibly awkward comment before Ali and Brian danced about having an affair with your teacher. Way to completely distract her and make her feel uneasy, Bruce!

Waiting for the blinking motor racing to end put me off my stride from the start!

There defo seemed to be something off tonight,not sure if it was just because being put back 20mins might have made everyone a bit tetchy ??

The Craig/Brendan thing didn't help either........i really wish they would keep personal dislikes off the floor.

Yes, there was more than an air of desperation and antagonism...felt very forced at times and so many of the contestants seemed so miserable...only that bloke from TV am seemed to actually take things in the right spirit.

If they are all facing budget cuts, they would have been wiser slashing the no. of celebrities and spending the cash on getting more high profile people. I honestly couldn't give a toss about most of them this year, because I simply don't know who they are, and they don't seem to have much about them.

More than a bit disappointing.

Exactly - if Craig feels he is on a leash he will lose his whole judge persona, which completely effects the dynamics.

Yes, I too felt the contestants seemed miserable - I almost wonder if something happened that we don't know about (yet). Even some of the couples that danced well, still appeared quite awkward before and afterwards. Watching the show it just all felt wrong. Terrible atmosphere.

What do you think the BBC have done?

(I'm not disagreeing; I just don't know.)

D'you know, I thought the same thing? All the lovely light-heartedness has gone from the show. And they are going for the tabloid controversies more and more. I hate to say it, but these are the signs of a show on the way down. Don't know what the ratings are, but if it were me, I'd seriously look at scaling it down and upping the quality next time around.

I thought Bruce's comments about Ali and Brian were way out of order and thank you everyone on here as I couldn't put my finger on why the show seemed 'off' tonight.

Alesha is beginning to get on my wick - and this is only my opinion but I think some of the pro dancers dont seem to be particularly happy with some of her comments.

I like Alesha - but NOT as a judge.

There has been a different feel to Strictly since the Seargent affair last year. There has been a nagging negativity to it which, once it takes a hold, is very difficult to shake off. Its like a snowball-people who are fans of the show start to voice concerns-the public read these things and it grows and grows.
The ratings are still huge in everyday terms but it doesnt help that X Factor has surged ahead.
What they do for next years show is absolutely crucial-the choice of the contestants will make or break it.

Yes, I agree. I don't know if was just the terrible atmosphere affecting everyone, but I certainly thought that some of her comments tonight were quite bitchy. I'd never really been aware of that before.

I wonder if the whole Alesha controvesy wasn't the catalyst to much of the awkwardness that seems to be surrounding the show this year. Bruce seemed far more concerned with supporting Alesha's every remark and score, at the expense of everything and everyone else.

Didn't it used to be fun and entertaining? Not tonight it wasn't.

Alesha is lovely, I think the same of Tess-but if Alesha was going to be anything on Strictly-it would be what Tess does-or as a part of It Takes Two as a reporter.

Everyone knows that Alesha has a publics eye view of dance-but the show only works if the judges are professionals.

I have been enjoying the series, but it did feel pretty tense, pretty much after the Kangaroo debacle, which was odd considering far worse has probably been said in the past. I think Bruce has been brewing some ire towards Craig for some weeks now.

I think this was made worse by the fear of someone good going with the scores this evening.

Yes, an odd one.