"I know the public can do what they like but this is ludicrous, nonsensical" "Heinous dilemma!" "This is ridiculous"

I am sick to the back teeth of those damned judges! If they're not arguing amongst themselves they're objecting that viewers are not voting the way they want. They are still making personal, hurtful comments to the contestants whom they dont like instead of giving constructive criticism. They are smug in the extreme and I have taken to pressing the mute every time the odious Tonioli opens his mouth! LG and CRH are like a couple of bad pantomime dames and AD IMO is getting to be just as bad!

When are they going to understand how it works? They are being paid to do a job in a Saturday night light entertainment programme, not to blame the public who pay to make a phone vote of their choice. We dont collectively get together and decide the outcome and who's in the dance off - its a voting procedure and the majority doesnt always agree with the leader board. That's what makes it good TV. Live with it judges - oh and pick up your salary at the same time!

Sorry, I cant believe I'm letting it get to me again. It happens every year and nothing changes.

Breathe, breathe........

Bruno has gone worse this year - very stroppy and childish.

I always think the same thing - if its a proper dance contest, then dont give the public a say......

They understand how it works, and in fairness they are merely exercising their right to comment on a situation that they, as dance judges find wrong or unfathomable (or robs the programme of a good dancer with potential), just as the public are also entitled to exercise their right to comment on situations or voting decisions that they see as wrong.

To me, it's as simple as that.

Precisely, thank you. And, if they did decide to dispense with the public vote - just watch the ratings plummet! The show wouldnt be what it is without the viewers. Be grateful for them, dont abuse them or treat them like they're worse than stupid. By the way, I have four couples that I have voted for since the start and one of them was in last night's dance off.

They are judging the dancing - that's why they are there. The public tends to go more on personality and other factors.

The judges were of one accord last night, even if they didn't put it as forcibly as Len: Zoe and Ali were NOT the worst dancers so should not have been in the dance-off.

What's with all this "should not have...".

The scores of the public and judges combine. The couples with the lowest combined scores should, did and must enter the dance-off. Those are the rules.

They were the couples with the worst aggregate scores. The WORST!

So where have the voting public been (verbally) abused? When were they (apparently) treated like they are worse than stupid? Because, in truth, I must have missed this.

I am well aware of why the judges are there and yes they are entitled to their expert opinion. Indeed I think overall they do score them fairly, but they are not entitled to tell us the viewing and paying public that our votes and preferences are ludicrous and nonsensical and their personal, hurtful comments to the participants are, imo, what drive the public to disagree with them.

This year I am really really really disliking Bruno.

Craig occasionaly gets on my wick but he balances it with a (on the whole) more realistic scoring just hate his sound bite comments. Len strangely hasn't annoyed me at all yet this series(first time in about 4 series) and Alesha most of the time I quite like.

There is nothing wrong with the judges. They tell it as they see it although they all have different attitudes and assign value to different skills. We may not like Bruno's posturing, Len's unfair criticisms of Craig and Alesha's lack of knowledge but they try to mark fairly.

The votes of the British public are the thing which can spoil the show. When a very poor dancer stays in week after week while better dancers are voted out, the whole thing becomes a rather miserable spectacle for those viewers who would like to see good dancing.

As I said in the original post, Len stated that the outcome was ludicrious and nonsensical. Craig said his dilemma was heinous and Bruno said it was ridiculous! This makes me feel like they think I am stupid!

As one of those viewers who likes to see good dancing, I fully agree.

It seems rather odd to blame the judges when at the end of the day it is the odd/skewed decisions of some of the voting public that is the issue. No-one forces them to vote in any way other than the person dialling the number.

It happens every year, on SCD and (this year at least) on XF

The judges get their say during the show when they give their scores (and get paid handsomely for doing so).

The public get their say when they phone up to vote (and pay their hard earned cash for the privilege of so doing..)

Add the 2 scores together and the couples with the lowest aggregate scores compete in the dance off

Judges get a second bite of the cherry when they choose who stays (and I don't mind betting that last season they chose the one with the lowest score to stay on more than one occasion.!)

What last night's result PROBABLY showed was that..

a. Ali's fans thought she was safe as she has been up 'til now - so didn't bother voting

b. Zoe is not as popular with those who bother to vote as some of the other couples. This was her second appearance in the dance off in 3 shows,

I'd put money on Z&J being the lowest scored pair in the bottom 2 anyway

I agree with you entirely CarolUK, although I do vote for Ali and Brian. As a former dancer myself, I love her balletic style and liked her from the start, but am sadly cooling off as I havent enjoyed her last couple of performances. However, she was injured last night so we'll see what happens next week.

I also like to see good dancing, but I also enjoy personalities and entertainers. I hate to see contestants being upset by the judges. That to me is a misuse of their power and Bruno saying things like "I've had it!" is a classic example.

I know my original post was strongly worded, but I just wish the judges would have a bit of respect for the viewing public's right to vote the way they choose. By all means express disappointment at the outcome, but by the same token accept it graciously. Len referred to 5 couples who were "worse". How does he think they felt when he said that?

If previous years are anything to go by, the judges will be on ITT moaning that the public dont vote the same way as they do. Please, judging panel - this is the way it works - I do think they do a good job overall but rein in the nastiness.

Bruno's really getting on my nerves this year. When hes not fawning over someone hes being damn right rude. I'm beginning to like Craig which is something I thought I would never say. At least hes consistent. Len is neither one thing or another and Alesha well enough said.

Why should the viewers be blamed for keeping Craig in the competition? The judges were given two opportunities to send him home, but chose not to. It may be that on one or both of those occasions Craig and Flavia came bottom in the public vote.

Because it is they who were voting for him, keeping him out of the recent dance offs, despite him being at or close to the bottom of the leaderboard?


In the dance off, they vote of the quality of the dance as performed in that dance off. Of Craig's dance off was better than the other couple's dance off, he stays.

Me too, he is being incredibly annoying and very rude to a number of the contestants.


I find Craig the least annoying of all the judges although he can say some odd things at least he generally scores appropriately


Even when he started going on about he hates having to sit next to Craig! The thing that really irritates me about Len is that although he knows the most about ballroom/ latin dancing he tries so hard to be "nice" when marking the couples doing it that he may as well not know anything about it all


she's alright and I think she's growing into the role.

I was hoping Len had stopped throwing tantrums, but here we go on Saturday he went on another one of his rude, obnoxious rants against Craig. I find his behaviour unbearable. Also, while his criticism could be appropriate in the first series, in the last two Craig pretty much consistently points out to both good and bad points in each dance, with very few exceptions. But clearly Len has a personal dislike for Craig and that affects him - otherwise, if he (and silly Bruce) had to scald somebody for not giving constructive criticism, then Bruno was the right one to scald since during this series he has become way more insulting and critical than Craig.

I think Len is jealous as he has realised that everyone takes Craig’s opinion more seriously, and therefore respect Craig more even though he is supposed to be the official ball room know-it-all. But rather than have goes at the others he could try just marking on the quality of the dances himself and actually giving sensible criticism too - like a judge should.

I may not have agreed with the dropping of Arlene and Alesha as her replacement. But I'm glad Arlene isn't there now because the three guys - what on earth?

Craig has taken his stereotype, amplified it and exaggerated it with bitchiness and obnoxious-ness.

Len's walnuts must be shrivelling for him to be as grumy as he is.

And Bruno. I'm sorry, but I'm sick of Bruno. He's said things which have been nasty, rude, discouraging, malicious, conceited.

Bored rigid of Len.....why is he calling Craig a bully in his "annual outburst" which is now tired and boring when Bruno has been far worse???

Felt I had to stick up for Bruno at this point - to my mind, he is actually less swayed by public opinion than Craig (who was frankly ridiculous in the whole Jo Wood thing), less ludicrous in his pronouncements than Len and less offensive than Alesha has been.

He never lets a contestant go without giving them some constructive advice, whether it be technical or performance-related, and he tells it straighter than anyone else has bothered to this season.

You don't catch Bruno being a totally different person with Claudia on ITT either. He's his own man and I like him for it.

And while I'd agree that the public vote should always be decisive, I don't think the judges need to refrain from expressing their opinions about it.

I think Bruno's having to shift himself down towards the Arlene role and is suffering a little for it. I don't think he's even being that rude - I just think people aren't used to the negativity from him, and the fact that he's often lauging whilst delivering it (in an attempt to still be upbeat crazy Bruno) makes it seem ruder.

Worth remembering the bit of your post I've highlighted.