No, because even though I didn't like her much I still voted for her.. If that makes any sense whatsoever.

What I meant was, I liked her but not as much as Laila.

Not entirely sure what I think of Alesha's comments tonight, but I will admit to being rather shocked at them.

However, I have to say, I don't believe that Alesha was hired to eye candy for the show and to argue that she was hired on this basis doesn't entirely make sense. Surely those wishing to see a beautiful woman have more than enough inducement to watch, as there are many female professionals and celebrities who are beautiful and often dressed in rather revealing outifts, certainly more so than a judge sat behind a table.

It doesn't really . Still, fair play .

Still think the last part of the sentence in your previous post does a lot to show why the first part isn't correct. It seems quite a lot of people "didn't like Zoe much." However, unlike you, they didn't vote for her which is why she ended up in two dance offs despite a high position on the leaderboard. There's no way she would have reached the final even without "Blackpoolgate".

LOL!
My DTR only recorded the last half hour and I'm downloading it from iPlayer now. Am really looking forward to watching this show!

Exactly!

The judges can be harsh with their comments at times but Alesha was vindictive and unprofossional.

"I had to endure that" = who is she, the queen?

The fact is that the public did not warm to Zoe (or James Jordan) and did not vote for them. Just because Zoe was a favourite of Alesha's does not make it OK for her to bring up a decision made by public vote.

She was petutalant and nasty. I do get the impresson she fawns over all the "right" people too. I really wanted to give her a chance but don't like her style at all.

Very arrogant over her "storm in teacup" comments about the public reaction to her apointment too.

I think what Alesha said was a little mean today but if Craig had said it we wouldn't be having the same uproar..

No, Tyler Tonga:

The point is that Craig is too harsh at times but he is totally professional. Alesha acted like only her personal favourites, such as Zoe, should be in the competition and please her.

Eluding to Craig still being in the competion at the expense of Zoe was inaccurate (she still would have gone and there are plenty of other weak dancers) and unfair. The PUBLIC voted.

Well Strictly wouldn't be the same without the public vote but I sometimes think it'd be a blessing without it. If the judges weren't scared of their favourites being in the dance off they'd mark everybody fairly instead of obviously overmarking/undermarking people.

Possibly. However, that wouldn't have made the comment, tone or implication any more acceptable. I think Alesha made the mistake of letting personal feeling out when critiquing a specific performer and that's never acceptable whoever it's from.

Anyway, as other people have pointed out, had Craig come out with the remarks that Alesha did, his reprisal would have been far swifter - namely, on the show itself from both Len and Bruce!

In response to this I have just emailed the BBC to congratulate Alesha on saying exactly what I wanted to say to Craig.

It was high time someone told him he was not as good as he thought he was, that together with his cry to reach his hometown of Blackpool was what saw of better dancers and saw him saved by the oh so gullible public.

I think that is what made her remarks all the more cruel.
Craig's parents were there, they had met at the Tower Ballroom, it should have been a proud moment for them.
Alesha's comments were vindictive and personal. She doesn't have to "endure" anything..just do everyone a favour and leave.
I used to like Alesha, admire her for escaping from a difficult background. Now I despise her, she has shown her true character..and it's extremely unpleasant.

No-one forced the public to vote for Craig. All Craig going last week would've done is give Zoe an extra week, she wasn't popular with the public and James Jordan's never going to win any public vote.

Agree, if it was that bad she should of just left the room then instead of being such a bitch. I can't stand people who are 2 faced as well. After all that, she came up with the ''my love'' comment in the dance off, as i am sure she knew what she said was nasty and didnt want another ''storm in a teacup'' moment. Wow, this show has really changed her, becoming an arrogant cow and whats funny is the fact she isnt even doing that a good job. Most people find her a joke tbh.

BBC iPlayer finally finished downloading and I fastworded to Craig & Flavia's dance.

I agree with those who think Alesha's comments were unnecessarily harsh.

Tess said it was his lowest score. I actually didn't think it was his worst dance though!

I can't believe Arlene's gone and I had to endure that. You're not as good as you think you are. It was like you was tiptoeing over hot coals, your criticisms were just shallow and without technical knowledge. Last week there was a glimmer of hope, this week it's garbage. again.

Craig reached Blackpool because the paying public put him there - those same licence payers who are paying Alesha's hefty salary. As for 'enduring' Craig's Blackpool presence - the public managed to endure Alesha's irritating, manic laugh so perhaps Ms.Dixon should show similar tolerance.

Who the hell cares about Alesha's endurance anway?

LOL!! She came across as really quite nasty and mean spirited to me. I didn't like Craig's dancing, but I don't think he deserved that. It seemed very spiteful.

A point well made. The public chose to vote the way they did.

Any judge furious at Zoe falling into the dance-off can find the courage to simultaneously blast and patronise the voters and licence payers responsible for last week's turn of events.

I don't think Alesha has done herself any favours by being snappy and almost blaming Craig for Zoe leaving the competition. She did not show herself in a good light. It's WAY too soon in her career as a judge to be making those comments - she should still be trying to get the public onside not alienating a lot of them

She came across as incredibly bitchy. She's there to judge the dancing etc not question why a competitor is still on the show while one of her obvious favourites has been voted off or whining about having to endure someones dance That's what your there for 'my love'. Incidentally I found Craig and his 'I'm a great dancer me! No matter what they say' attitude very annoying too but no one deserves to be humiliated in such a manner, especially in their home town and with their family present.

Not good Alesha. Not good. I was actually agreeing with a lot that she had said up until that point and thought she was really starting to find her feet in the role, then she did that

And I still want to know why Len didn't turn on her for saying horrible things the way he does with Craig R-H Preferential treatment?

The mentioning of Zoe leaving was the thing that I found completely inappropriate. What exactly did that have to do with the dance that Craig had just performed? Was it meant to make him feel guilty and Zoe plain uncomfortable? The public kept him in, and Ali was a better dancer - shame . The rest in terms of harshness was true - Craig was a trier, but was rubbish, let's face it. Alesha, much as I adored her as a contestant, needs to think before she speaks. Judge harshly if you want, but it'd be nice if the comments were relevant.

I thought she was horrendous towards Craig. Practically blaming him for Zoe going out last week, it wasn't his fault that the audience saved him. Alesha really needs to get over herself, from day one it was a bad idea her being a judge, but i always expected her to be 'too kind' but tonight she's gone the totally wrong way, went way beyond criticism and in to the realm of berating the contestants... even Craig has never been as mean as she was tonight! I'm amazed Len sat next to her and allowed her to be so vicious without any protest.

I thought Alesha would be too soft as well, that she'd emphasising too much with the contestants and wouldn't say anything nasty to them. How wrong was I!

I also referred in my post to the fact that that St Len didn't pull her about what she said, just like he did to Craig last week and that no other posters have really picked up on it OK, he didn't have to be as bad as when he laid into Craig (out of line IMO) but he could have told her she was out of order and going too far The other judges are definitely treating her with kid gloves and saying nothing detrimental to her - it's just a pity that Alesha's mask slips at times and she doesn't treat (some) of the contestants with the same courtesy and respect she's getting

Some people would do well to remember that Matthew C wouldn't be as popular as he is now if it wasn't for Alesha.

I think some people hate Alesha because they don't like seeing a young woman from humble beginnings trying to better herself.

I'm glad she had the courage to say what Zoe and James weren't able to say. And she did what SCD judges are supposed to do - she created controversy.

Alesha will need to learn you can't be a successful woman in this world without being hated.

I don't think deploring bad manners is a sign of either snobbery or sexism.

Oh my

I rarely have a go at someone's post but this one made me actually laugh so much I spat out my morning tea !

I think everyone in the dance world will just have wet their pants laughing at your first comment - I certainly did!

I think it is the other way around! Mr Cutler's record speaks for itself and he is also now, (as from May this year), also a properly qualified judge. The fact is that it is Strictly as a whole which has made the dancers be so much in the public eye and therefore "popular" and household names in reality tv terms, not just one person.

and I think your ill-thought-out post says so much more about you than it does about other people - the comment above about people hating Alesha because she is trying to better herself after having come from humble beginnings is utterly laughable!

For me, I don't give a single sod where she comes from - I actually do not care. What I DO care about is whether she does a good and appropriate job in the position she has been contracted to fulfil.

And I do not consider, by the comments she made, that she IS.

Fair enough, speak the truth, and it is not always palatable - but there is a way to deliver such comments when you have been given the privilege of being a judge on this show, judging (without credentials) the sheer hard work the professionals do with their celebs - and they deserve at least respect for that work, even if the end result is poor.

Making your comments so clearly personal and vindictive is not the way - its simply not professional. To me, the judges, in their comments, by judging the celebs, also judge the work the pro has done with that celeb, and Alesha to me in her comments last night also damned the work Flavia has done with Craig, with little thought or respect for all that, only for her own desire to "out" her own very personal prejudice, and that is just not on.

We all have our own likes and very strong dislikes - of course, that is natural - but we are not judges on the show - she IS - and to judge, you must put your own personal feeling aside and comment FAIRLY on the dance, be those comments good or bad - they should not be personal like these were.

I do not wish to speak for others, but it is this that has upset me about her, not wishing it would all go against her because of her "dragging herself up" as you naiively suggest - I think you have sorely missed the point in your post.

I didn't want it to be bad for her - no way - but, sadly, it is - and it is by her own hand.

I think its called "biting the hand that feeds you".

Well done Alesha ! you pressed your own self-destruct button yet again!