Well I have never been vindictive towards Aleisha. I supported her when she was a contestant and have always given her the benefit of the doubt whilst she's been a judge. I do think, however, she was totally out of order on Saturday. The nature of the show is that sometimes not the worse dancer goes out and we and especially the judges have to deal with that. Zoe going out early was not Craig's fault and I thought Aleisha was rude and petulant.

I'm sure she's miffed that her attempt to grab the headlines has been thwarted by John and Edward's success in staying in the X-Factor. That's what people are talking about now.

Of course I agree that Alesha's comments to Craig was too harshly worded! But is it vicious? I don't know. I can't read her mind and so I can only say her bringing in Zoe into the equation dampen her comments to Craig somewhat and made her appear to be personal, rather than constructive.

But then to turn around and bitch about her up-bringing? About her intelligence and language proficiency (I am also getting tired of her 'you was' quip for the record) about being able to find a two-syllable word like 'endure'?

Sorry, but I can't agree with your assessment of Bruno's 'critique'.

A 'critique' isn't to tell someone who has spent hours training in a dance competition that they can't dance (and, effectively, never will be able to). In that remark, Bruno just told Craig there was no point in him doing anything more as he just couldn't dance. That isn't a critique - it's an all-out, humiliating, dismissive and destructive put-down of a contestant's effort.

Then again, Bruno is well-known for attacking anyone who isn't his favourite - just ask Mark Foster ...

Yes, Alesha's remarks weren't a critique - they were rather immature and uncharacteristically bitchy - but she did at least acknowledge that Craig had made some progress last week ... more than Bruno was willing to do at any stage.

Actually, I wasn't referring to you.

But since you reply to my comments to dottiep and alan219 (and their ilk), I assume you are justifying your feelings towards Alesha for blaming Craig of Zoe's exit.

That's perfectly understandable. But besides her Zoe comment, what else did Alesha say that is not true of Craig?

On the other hand, Bruno called the Craig 'then the nightmare began' and all those jazz, and that's not bitchy? Or because he's Bruno and playing a role and he gets away with it?

Double standards, I say.

I couldn't believe my ears... Not even Craig has ever been so rude. Yes, she did say what we all thought - Craig is a crap dancer and he's deluded about his dancing. But still, it was the most humiliating comment I remember hearing from a judge. And, I guess, even more shocking coming from her - I just didn't expected it.
Unfortunately he's not quick witted enough, or he was too shocked, to retort: "Well, we all had to endure your judging comments, so let's call it even"...

That said, nice to see Craig's back...

But it's her Zoe comment and "i had to endure that" that I'm complaining of. I'm no fan of Craig's but while people were voting for him he had every right to be there.

Do you know it was bitchy but it perfectly reflected what I was thinknig and sometimes things do just comeout when a moments reflection would have told you not to say it in that manner.

I think it is nice to see that she was so carried away by the emotion that she made an ungaurded comment!

As others have said , Bruno , Craig and at time Lne have said things equally if not so hurtful! Certainly Arlene did !

That's just Bruno's style, and it is what people sort of expect.

It doesn't work with Aleisha.

Well then, you have every right to be peeved about that bit of her comment. I find it rather tasteless too.

To be honest, if we were to believe all of what Alesha's detractors have said, NOTHING works for her.

The like of .......
You really do have to explain that one?
Do you have to be a member of a select coterie to contribute? I have watched every series, so I guess I am entitled to comment? Or is it by invitation only?

You don't have to explain, of course. You are entitled to your comments, as do I.

And for that matter, Alesha is entitled to shooting her own foot now and again. She's also flesh and blood, mind you.

You're quite right, I can hardly believe he's gone after reading this entire thread and noting the sheer numbers of devoted fans who, while acknowledging that he 'danced' like a filleted fish, were so outraged at the 'vicious' attack on his precious feelings. What a pity they felt the need to rush to DS and wax lyrical on the perfidy of his persecutor rather than vote to keep him in!

I don't suppose the pages and pages of vituperative outrage which make up this thread have anything at all to do with the fact that Alesha was honest enough to verbalise what many viewers were thinking, and by doing so provided the vultures who have been hungrily circling since her appointment as a judge was announced, with the longed-for opportunity to tear her to pieces!

Alesha's problem is that she still has a strong sense of justice v. injustice, and hasn't yet learned that the former is in short supply in this world.
Craig had been given a, from her point of view unmerited, chance to show progress, but instead of using it to push on, he went backwards so far that he was practically out of sight.

Alesha couldn't keep her outrage inside, but nor could she tear the performance apart as forensically as CRH can do.
She isn't hard-bitten or dance-savvy enough to be a judge.

For those who criticise Bruce, please notice this; he is never less than 100% behind the contestants. Failure earns his sympathy, and success earns his delight. This is absolutely vital in the SCD host, and I'm starting to think Alesha couldn't handle that job very well either.

Re. Bruno. Craig's dismal attempt earned him Bruno's contempt, not sympathy.

Cheers for that .... I'll put my paranoia back in the box.

Bless Sex in the City, it has given me so many words for so many situations!

What's that programme being trailed at the minute where the goofy male says the female came across as "A regular C-word - a real Cranky Sue". That's how Alesha came across - as you so rightly say, in that one soundbite - a regular C-word.

As I explained to Christa, it was her opening line that caused the "outrage."

Without "I can't believe Zoe's gone and I had to endure that" her further comments, in particular "You're not as good as you think you are" could possibly have come across as tactful and fair. Especially compared to Bruno's far blunter "You just can't dance."

Delivery is important too. In retrospect, CRH has probably delivered equally harsh judgements, content-wise, but he always maintains a neutral tone, deadpan almost, that assures both celeb and (more importantly) the audience that his critique is absolutely non-personal.

I think the gorlagon household hit the nail on the head in pronouncing Alesha's comment as a "graceless, not-in-the-spirit reaction." Outraged? No. Disappointed? Yes.


tonydancer was referring to Bruce, not Bruno. Great point too tony

As a matter of fact I was one of her biggest fans , who was willing to give her a chance, who campaigned for others to give her a break
But I too was annoyed at that comment .It doesent matter if it was the truth or not .,There is a time and place for everything .It was personal , and petty and incalled for .
This new phenonomen of people "saying it as it is " and being simply themselves , shlould perhaps learn that there is a way of saying things and a place to say them
Alesha comment was neither

And you dont seem to get that we may not like his dance enough to keep him in , that doesnt mean we enjoy people being rude to him

I can't speak for other people but I'm not one of these vultures you speak of and have always supported Aleisha even though I don't think she was the right choice as a judge. All I know is if you are in than position you should make your criticism objective and not react petulantly as she did. All the time Craig was voted back he had every right to be there regardless of who was voted out instead and regardless of how good he was.

Very much so. Bruno has made arms waving like a windmill his trademark. If Len does that we would send for the men in white coats. Bruno uses dramatic hyperbole to paint a colourful picture on how performance could have been but wasn't, never to give vent to his own resentment over a previous eviction. When Bruno was pleased he also went to lyrical extremes.

Once, after Emma danced an exceptional rumba and was marked tops by the judges, only to be voted into bottom two by voters, Bruno went on Monday ITT and making no bones angrily called the voters "ridiculous". He had an honest point and the courage to challenge voters head-on. He never carries on a grudge from week to week.

Contestants and judges are on opposite sides of the fence, and the Beeb makes sure a distance is kept by discouraging fraternising between the two sides. When an ex contestant joins the bench claiming to sit there not to give technical guidance but to put the celebs' point of view then a new dynamic arises. It is never on for one celeb to mock another in Craig RH's cutting style, or there will be a fist fight in the back room.

Just wanted to say I am amazed at the number of mind readers on this thread, who only have to hear any judge say something and think obviously that means 'blah, blah, blah'.

Me? I can listen to what the judge said, but I clearly don't have mind reading abilities to know it actually meant something else.

Karen on BBC Breakfast today:


I tend to agree with Karen here. Craig Kelly was not taking the mickey. He did love what he was doing, and from what he could see he was doing alright. He was dancing with his eyes focused on Flav, not dancing to his ear. Those who have had classical musical training know how standard syllabus tests will show in two seconds that all students do not hear the same thing. What a person cannot hear at all, he will not miss. He does not realise he is missing same, just as humans do not miss the high-frequency sounds only dogs can hear.

It does not diminish the value and character of a person, just that music and dance would not be his most eloquent form of self-expression. Believe me, I have known some musical persons to be absolute horrors as human beings -- and others absolutely delightful.

You know what that psychological study concluded, the one famously used as part of an ad compaign years ago? Only 7% of communication is based on what is actually said, far more important is tone and body language.

With that in mind, I am going to assume your post was an exercise in non-verbal expression and you were actually being ironic