While I don't really want to spend any more time raking over the coals of Sergeant-gate, please let's not re-write history. James Jordan may have let his mouth run riot when less should perhaps have been said, but he did not single-handedly precipitate JS' decision to quite SCD6. JS himself attributed that moment to the media coverage and, specifically, a leader in The Times encouraging its readers to keep voting for him so he would win the show.

You are of course quite right that a J&K win would have devalued the show - which is exactly why certain newspapers with an anti-BBC bias pushed for it so much and attacked Arlene (JS' most vocal critic on the judging panel). As JS is far from stupid, I would guess that he recognised this and it influenced his decision to quit - I'm sure he never intended to diminish the show's reputation when he signed up for it, and when he saw himself being used as a means of doing just that, he backed out.

I think it's pretty obvious James has learned from his mistakes last year - so even the pro's can go on 'journeys'!

You know that do you!! How clever!!

I hope I never implied that James was the REASON that John stepped down. I think it was a number of things - one of them being the press intrusion into his own life.

When he chose to go on the Monday, I wonder if he expected Cherie and James to be re-instated? But of course, the problems with the phone vote were brewing and the Beeb were not taking chances.

I just felt that, on last nights ITT, there was "an elephant in the room" and Claudia missed her chance, when asking why they did not attract votes, to ask if perhaps his blunt statements about John Sergeant had stayed in the minds of the voting public?

But I did not mean to infer that John quit because of James. It was Mr Jordan's U-turn - worthy of the lowest of politicians - that left an odd taste in my mouth.

The wording in your post at 12:01 (#74) did rather seem to blame James for it all - so thanks for clearing up what you meant.

TBH, I don't think enough people were even aware of what James said on ITT. It doesn't get watched by that many people.

And, although I think Claudia is generally better this year (with the exception of 'Let's get Craig to Blackpool!' :yawn, she is presenting an entertainment magazine show - she isn't an incisive journalist. Potentially difficult subjects tend to be skirted round rather than confronted - after all, there is very little sense in raking up Sergeant-gate when it generated a lot of negative publicity for the show (and it really doesn't need any more of that this year! ).

You should just be grateful that Lisa Snowdon wasn't one of JS' casualties - if you thought James was bad, just imagine what Brendan would have been like!

It was a mistake of the BBC to dedicate an hour long ITT to John standing down. At the end of the day, it was no big deal and quite understandable, IMO.

And as I said, James and Cherie should have been promptly reinstated!

There was a lot of talk on these forums about James comments - most people could not quite believe what he had said - but it WAS done in the heat of the moment. I just feel that some of those who vote regularly may remember it, and decide against phoning for him and his partner.

A shame, because he and Zoe were good - their American Smooth in particular.

Lastly, I think Claudie should steer clear of the "why did the public not vote for you?" question on the Monday show - as I have said on other threads, we Brits just love to support 'the underdog'.

I cannot make up my mind whether this is an admirable thing or a really annoying one!

I think any of the pro's would be very foolish to kick off about getting eliminated at the expense of worse dancers on the show.

They all know by now that the viewers at home dont necessarily vote for the best dancer, but choose to vote for a variety of factors which sometimes have very little to do with ability.

Every year we have a celebrity that manages to overstay their welcome by a couple of weeks, and this year is no different......and the same will happen again next year.

None of them know who their partner is going to be in future years, and they could very well be the ones to end up with the character that the public love to vote for just to annoy everyone else....and regardless of who that pro is, when the time comes for them to be partnered with the duffer that everyone wants to vote for...they will accept every vote that comes their way and be grateful for them, and I dont believe James would be any different to the others who have stayed in when they shouldnt have.

He shoulda Let that Mama loose!

IMHO.

James won't keep quiet about what?

Being voted off fair and square like everyone else?

He knew the rules when he signed up. Either play by them without complaining, or bog off.

As it turned out, he handled himself much better last night then he did this time last year.

He's learning that Strictly is as much about good PR as it is about good dancing.

When Chris Parker reached the final of series 1, the pro dancers must have realised how this programme could - and often would - go!

I really liked him and was sad to see him go.


I don't think this is true otherwise, surely that would mean the same with Brian. Neither of them deserved to be in the bottom 2.


I didn't get that feeling at all from him, although I'd never seen him prior to this series. Surely that shows he's changed this time.

Originally Posted by carol north:
“Totally agree - I like the Jordans very much and hope James gets further next year.”

First supportive statement and I totally agree. I really like them both.

Originally Posted by Starpuss:
“I disliked James till ITT last night when he was such a sweetie. He had a great rapport with Zoe and even though that didn't always translate to their dances he was genuinely upset they were out.”

Last night was the only ITT I watched and that was because James and Zoe were on it, and I totally agree, they were both very sweet about leaving.

James was OK on ITT last night. He's finally realised he cant have absolutely everything his own way.

I don't think James will be generally disliked by the public. It was one or two comments on a couple of ITT programmes that will have come and gone in a fleeting second for most viewers (the minority that will actually watch ITT that is) and i imagine only dissected and remembered by those of us who frequent SCD forums.

Even out of those of us who do frequent the forums i'm sure many, like myself, didn't hold it against him and put it down to a stupid but impassioned outburst.

I really hope James is here again next year. Hes one of the better pro dancers and as his relationship with Zoe (and Cherie and Gabby) have shown us hes obviously a considerate teacher who is able to build genuine friendships with these women.

Aww bless him - he cooked for Brian when he was a newbie

In total fairness, a totally, horrifically untalented celeb has never reached the final again, and Chris Parker didn't win series 1, so I think that speaks volumes about the sanity of the SCD voters.

Last year, James MIGHT have had a point about John Sergeant - on the basis that JS was the only one who really screwed up the 'voting-out order' last year. If you took him out of the equation, I thought the celebs last year were voted out in roughly the right order according to the talent they displayed, so he might have been right to say that JS cost him an extra week on the show.

However, this year it must have been clear to James that he was losing out in the popularity stakes as well as the technical vote, given the number of less talented but clearly better-liked people still in the show ahead of him. To be anything but gracious would've been a silly, silly thing to do.

So Ian and Brian must feel the same then ?

Tbh I think Zoe wasn`t exactly miss popular herself

Servalan has covered most of the points I would have responded to in your post above and the ones that follow, but I just wanted to add that I did not think that James was unkind in the least about John Sergeant on ITT. All James had the nerve to say was what I'd bet most or all the other pros were thinking and I admire him for speaking out on ITT. I never noticed Claudia being stunned by his comments tbh. I also don't think James had any thoughts of him and Cherie being reinstated.

No SCD is not a World Championship, but if anyone doubts the intensity of taking part in SCD, then you only have to watch last night's and tonight's ITT to see how emotionally draining it is for the couples who spend almost every day together for months on end.

I doubt if James regrets anything he said year and I do hope he doesn't. I think he's the same nice man he has always been and hasn't needed to 'learn any lesson'. However, given the vitriol spouted on here at what he said, I doubt whether he would put his head above the parapet again. As pointed out, ITT has a tiny audience compared with the main show and James is not likely to be unpopular with the general public because of the JS saga. There was nothing brave about JS's decision to leave the show early, although it was a master stroke on his part. Personally I wish he'd never taken part in the first place.

And Matthew

I know

I must admit I'd hoped to have seen more of Matthew - even if it was just doing bits for ITT.

I know - he's disappeared hasn't he Buddy?

Maybe he's doing more behind-the-scenes work like choreographing the pro routines.

He did give us a treat last saturday night though

Needed a bucket of cold water on stand by!

Its not about good PR, its about selling yourself to the particular market and there's no way a good female dancer even with stronger VTs showing a good relationship, massive effort and a positive story can compete when the voting audience isn't interested in good females. If enough of the the voters are drooling over Phil, determined to exact revenge on Bruno for calling Craig what he is or backing Ricky G because he's a cheeky chappy, there's no way you can change yourself into someone who appeals enough. There might be if you were clearly the best and fitted into the model of the female reality TV winners and faced less attractive male opposition, but its a hiding to nothing until it gets down to a competition thats about dancing. By that stage we will be lucky if we have 2 of the good dancers left.

Alesha won.....

Bumping cos my post is invisible!