Yeah, I guess we will have to agree to disagree. It's interesting to read about your descriptions of samba rolls, btw. The travelling thing is fair comment - but still that doesn't mean that others didn't try.

It is presumptuous (putting it nicely) to take ownership of something on such ropey terms as the *attempt*. He could have said his samba roll was the best, and I think I would have had more respect for him. As it is, he just comes off looking like he is taking pot shots at the others. Bad move.

You may believe other celebs didn't actually do them - I don't agree - but I don't think it is correct or fair to say that others didn't attempt to do them.

Though it's not up for a celebrity to blow his own trumpet by promoting this as fact. The judges - fine. That's their job. But not to put accross an 'I'm so much better' attitude in his blog.

I think Ricky's lacking a bit of humility at the moment, and while he does he's not going to gain public support. He asks why some people don't take to him - I believe that's why.

He said it on his own blog - so why is he not allowed to 'blow his own trumpet'? His blog is there to project his thoughts. It's fine if you think he lacks humility but his blog is his own personal blog and there is no reason why he can't say the things he's saying as he is assuming those reading his blog might be interested in it. It's not for us to tell him what to write.

That's fair enough - but when he starts going 'I was the only one to do this, I was the only one to do that...' - he's blasting others by association. He's picking on the other pros by his comment that every samba should have a samba roll. He picks on the other celebrities by suggesting they might not be good enough to complete one. He picks on the judges by saying they didn't give him enough adulation (Christ, the guy gets enough as it is).

That's how I read it. Probably other people read it differently. But I can't recall another blog picking at others by association, not so seriously anyway.

cymrugirl - thank you for explaining and I see your point about the roll moving forward, perhaps he moved more than the others. I know nothing about dancing and I find that move particularly ugly even when the pros do it, so I bow to anyone else's knowledge on the samba. I'll be honest though, the fact that he was moving forward doesn't seem enough to me to warrent him putting the others down - but we can agree to disagree on that!

When he starts dancing, his blog is excited and cheerful. All the recent ones, though, it's him and Natalie against the world, pushing harder than everyone. I find that quite sad - I don't get the feeling he's enjoying it, beyond the drive to compete. Maybe he and Natalie need to feel like that to motivate them through the long hours of training and I'm not underestimating how hard they are all working and how tired they must all be. But yes, I found reading on through the blog quite sad and I think joy is what is missing from his dances for me too.

And, jmo, while we're analysing him and sorry if this comes across as bashing, that's not how I mean it, he doesn't come across to me as arrogant or loving himself, he comes across as insecure and defensive. I was brought up that if you had to point out to others why you are better at something, it was insecurity - I don't know if anyone agrees with that, but that's how his blog comes across to me.

Fair comment, as long as he gets his facts straight, which does appear to be a sticking point. Opinion is one thing - fact dressed up as opinion as quite another. Self-belief is a powerful motivational tool - self-delusion just makes the guy look like a tool.

One possible reason to ease off on his particular brand of horn blowing is that it is at the expense of his fellow competitors. On ITT quite early on, he said he was concentrating on his own performance and not worrying about other celebs' performances - but he clearly is bothered, and to the degree that he is judging them on it.

He can certainly write about anything he wants on his own blog - freedom of speech permits such liberties, and we all indulge in them here to a greater or lesser degree.

But he does risk ostracising himself and his professional partner (who he clearly cares about) from other celebs and pro dancers, without the shield of 'the press' manipulating what he says. In this regard, he could well be the author of his own demise.

Again, I wish him no ill will. I just think he has a very dodgy way of measuring his own ability (while subtly downplaying the abilities of others). Perhaps he was just very tired when he wrote that blog. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt.

But it's basically classier not to denigrate the attempts of others when drawing attention to one's own strengths.

Sorry about harping on about the samba roll but there is a good description that a samba roll is where you move the upper body in a circular motion while doing a 6-step turn.
If you watch jade, she does the upper body motion but doesn't do the 6-step turn. Laila's looks more like a preparation into a samba roll where she's doing mini steps to get the motion going but not actually fully attempting the samba roll.
It's a difficult move so I guess I appreciate the fact that he did it and did it well.

I think you do have a point about him being defensive and insecure jtnorth. I do believe he's enjoying the experience though. Certainly when I was learning - I preferred the tougher training just because I wasn't ever sold on my abilities and preferred to be criticised and corrected and pushed further rather than resting on my laurels. I wasn't particularly competitive against other people but certainly competitive against myself if you know what I mean.
People always look at the ones that train hard and think they don't enjoy it but I think it's actually the opposite.

Yes, Ive rewatched it and agree that Jade definately didnt do a samba roll and Laila did a preperation into a samba roll. Rickys was the only one to contain a 'proper' samba roll.

I am a big fan of Ricky's, I think he is a great dancer. But Im starting to wish he would get some sense and get someone to edit that darn blog.

I however, cannot warm to Natalie at all. And the kiss of death for me was watching a Rumba she did on DWTS in Aus...check it out, they did it to Eternal Flame. I spent the entire routine laughing.

*sigh*

I hope he wins though, despite all this. Either that or Ali who has the most beautiful arm lines ever.

I also agree with you cymrugirl regarding being competative with himself. I was certainly like that in school, people used to get really annoyed with me because I wanted to get the best marks I could...but it wasntso I could be better than everyone else, it was just because I wanted to be the best I could be. I think Ricky is in that mould, he's kind of said it himself (badly).

cymrugirl - I'm only replying to your post in the spirit of debate not argument - I hope that's understood.


Very fair point. My question would be whether Ricky is being pushed and corrected, or whether he's being told he's the best and everyone is not seeing just how special he is. I don't see him saying 'I must improve my feet' for example, I see him saying 'we should have had the highest score, everyone else didn't try as hard as we did'.


Again, fair point, and I really hope Ricky is enjoying it (as much as possible with the schedule). Precious little point in doing it if you're not, it doesn't do much for actors' long term careers. I'm just saying how he's coming across to me in his blog, in comparison, say, to Ali or Jade, where I see hard work and stress, but also some joy.

Of course he's giving his best, after all he's trying to inspire us, we're relying on him and we're touched by what he does (see his blog). Well I've got news for him - every one else is giving their best. Nothing wrong with 100% for effort, but a great deal wrong in belittling other competitors in an attempt to prove some sort of superiority: and to be honest the lovely lady might have cried with emotion at his VW, but I doubt if she'd recognise a fleckerl if it hit her in face. I think Ricky is worrying unnecessarily: should he exit before the finals his fans will be disappointed but those supposedly reliant on him will no doubt find a hidden self reliance; I doubt if that lovely lady will lose much sleep over his departure and the world will keep on turning.

Ricky seems to vacillate between false humility, a la Uriah Heep (very 'umble Mr. Goodman Sir,) and conviction that he alone accomplishes the more complicated intricacies of each dance.

Time to wake up and smell the coffee Ricky.

Funny coz I read some place that Ricky did have dance lessons. Just cant remember where and really dont care. He is about as watchable as Bruce, sorry but I just have no time for him. His constant bleating on about how hard he tries, they all do. Thats the point.
He leaves me cold, infact I guess at how short Natalies dresses can get in rehearsal now. Soon it will just be a belt thats how interested I am in him.

Just doesnt light my fire.

Now Craig just has to be the new Mr Sargent, his facial expressions and bosy movements have me in stitches, he is a trier tho Ill give him that.

Great posts cymrugirl - the definition "there is a good description that a samba roll is where you move the upper body in a circular motion while doing a 6-step turn" should put to rest the accusations that Ricky was lying on his blog (I am presuming this is what Natalie told him was an accurate description of a roll) but I am not holding my breath

As to whether his comment was an explicit slating of the other contestants or simply exasperation at the judges not recognising the level of difficulty of his routine, is up for
debate. People will read into his comment what they will and I suspect that interpretation might depend on an initially positive or negative view of Ricky.

But to be fair to Ricky, the judges were a bit visually challenged last Saturday: Zoe & James's dance went wrong and, last night, Ali & Brian admitted they were expecting a kicking from the judges after things went off in the middle of the dance and yet not one judge spotted this (Neither it seems did anyone else so maybe they should have kept quiet)

I must admit I find the faux humility criticism of Ricky W. hard to stomach - his dad was in the RAF and it seems to me he has been brought up with good manners and to respect authority & yet he gets criticised for this. Give me strength

To me he's a great role model for youth: he's amiable & upbeat even when physically knackered; has a self-deprecating sense of humour; has an admirable work ethic and desire for success and self-fulfilment and, best of all, he can dance On the negative: he's got a very dodgy taste in cars

Do you have a youtube link please? I've searched but I can't seem to find it. Thanks.

I'm afraid I went off the partnership right at the beginning when Natalie said she wanted a 10 for his first dance. Yes, it may be unfortunate that we like an underdog, but the presumption contained in that statement was just too much to stomach. They're too brash to be endearing.

It was meant as tongue-in-cheek - not a specific criticism of your post. I just found it funny that people were saying they were so put off watching him because of his feet, when that is probably the only thing wrong with his dancing, and all the others, bar Ali, often have their feet, arms, bodies and rhythm simultaneously incorrect at some point or another!



After reading this thread, I'm regaining sympathy for him.

and this is why the over inflated ego desparate glitterball wannabe wont be getting my vote. Open shirts might work for the chav yoof hollyoaks vote but this is the strictly audience not the x factor audience. SO do the dances and keep your mouth shut.

The more I see that pair the less I like them.
I hope they don't win.

You'd have thought he'd at least get his blog proofread before posting it. I don't have a problem with bad grammar or syntax in speech - as I pointed out on the Alesha thread - but I can't stand bad grammar in writing, because it makes it so hard to understand what someone's actually trying to say. Bad punctuation is even worse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pU9SzDvplU

Looks OK to me.

Once again like ever year why not rename the show

Strickly Come Personality

Same comments from idiots ever year.

Ricky is not Plastic, false or anything else bad. Why make such nasty comments when I bet you have not even met the guy. Would you dance in front of millions probably not.

Natalie and ricky are the best couple in the competition.

Calling posters who do not agree with you idiots is hardly helping your cause

Fair enough ref my comments on idiots i take that back. But this is not just about Ricky its about all the dancers - they all deserve respect and I am get tied of reading about supporters knocking the celebs and judging them when they probably have never met the celebs.

Good luck to all the celebs

Someone suggested you were Ricky in this thread. But your grammar is too good. And you know about punctuation.