Yes and no. You mentioned her tossing her pen, as if she's a pertulent child, which she didn't exhibit in the show on Saturday night. She was annoyed by Craig's seemingly umpteenth 'I think I was good' quip after Len tried to put him down as gently as he possibly could.

Her Zoe comment was unsavoury, but she wasn't flailing her arms like Bruno nor deadpan and pout like Craig RH.

It's always this little changes in details (what we call slants) that kept the tabloid media industry alive.

i don't think there's anything PC about not liking someone being unnecessarily rude. I also think it's a lazy argument to say that those you don't agree with are just being PC or precious or even pompous.

I have to say I did find Craig a pain in the neck. Absolutely tiresome watching him. I have never been an Alesha basher. It wasn't her fault she was given a job beyond her ability. But can't find an excuse for her bad manners and inappropriate choice of words on Saturday. She has blown it! She has neither the experience nor credibility to speak as she did.

Hi memmh

I agree with Karen Hardy when she said she thought Alesha's comment were said out of frustration (I've already said what I think about the Zoe bit) and I do wonder what Alesha would have said if she wasn't the third judge to comment.

I do think there is a lot of Alesha bashing on this thread by people who will jump at any opportunity to have a dig at her - fair enough. But I think that apart, other than the mention of Zoe (also fair enough), what is really dividing opinions is whether Alesha telling Craig he isn't as good a dancer as he thinks he is, was blunt or rude.

Personally I think she was blunt, but she did follow her bluntness with examples, a fact that people seem to be ignoring.

I'd also say that the reason people are more accepting of Craig's or Bruno's comments is that they are used to their styles. Every week so far Alesha has been criticised for being both bland and harsh and hasn't got a 'style' yet for people to hang their hat on. But bluntness is part of her personality and it doesn't necessarily mean rude. It seems to me that if someone agrees with what Alesha says then she is bland and if they don't agree then she is not credible as a judge.

She was rude but doesn't know any better. Jesus said "Father forgive them for they know not what they do". Maybe I should be saying the same about her.

I agree that referencing Zoe was rather inappropriate and her manner was out of character - it was like she was suddenly possessed by the spirit of Arlene.

But to the extent that Bruno has this series: sorry, but his comments are almost never objective. They certainly weren't on Saturday.

And why haven't the press laid into her? Partly because Saint Arlene has given Alesha her blessing. And partly because Craig Kelly was no John Sergeant and was not actually that popular ...

Do you realise how your post comes over?

How much more patronising could you be?

To use a quote from the Bible from the crucifixion of Christ shows how weird this board can get.

That's not the kind of discussion I come on here to have.

I don't think she was nastier than someone like Arlene has been in the past. She has obviously been told to toughen up and be more brutal. Craig does think that he's good and he needed to be told that he isn't.

She was a tad patronising, though...when she told him that he has been sweet and but she had to vote him out. LOL...that was just so bitchy. I never knew she had it in her m

Is she performing her new single on the show next week as it's out on the 15th??.

Whether Zoe and Alesha are friends or Zoe was just teacher's pet is irrelevant. All she had to say is Craig dance was rubbish (which it was). What she said and the way she said it was nasty and spiteful. What Craig thinks of himself isn't anything to do with Alesha, a function of attitude is ego-defesive so maybe Craig kept telling himself he was good so it helped him to train and perform. I have to say the only TV judgeI've ever seen be that nasty is Andrew Lloyd Webber, and i didn't think it was possible for someone else to be that vicious.

I know I was one of those who criticised Alesha's appointment but that's not why I'm angry. Craig did stay in the competition over better dancers, as someone does every year but it's not his fault, it's not down to him he didn't force the general public not to vote for Zoe, just like Zoe didn't make the judges overmark her. All the contestant do is their best it's up to us and the judges who stays and who goes not them.

I don't agree with your first point because the fact that Alesha and Zoe are friends (allegedly) was the first thing some people on this board picked up on. It may have moved on after that, but that is how it started. I've never mentioned the Teacher's pet thing btw. If Alesha had told Craig his dance was 'rubbish' that would have been out of order and much worse than what she did say. I have already given my opinion on the rest of the points in your post.

Hi, Buddy *waves*

Sorry, I missed your comments about Zoe *goes to look* Yup, I agree with you. I think we pretty much feel the same way about that.

Blunt vs rude: I imagine Alesha intended to be blunt rather than rude but, unfortunately, what she said could be taken either way, which is why it's being debated so much.

As for Alesha as a judge... I don't think the BBC did her any favours by offering her the job and I doubt she realised beforehand just how controversial it would turn out to be. It's not Alesha's fault she was offered the job and I'm sure she's trying her best to do it as well as she can - despite knowing that there are viewers who will criticise her, no matter what she says in her feedback to the contestants. However, I must admit that I'm waiting with interest to see what, if any, changes will be made to the judges' panel next year.

OK then. Please, forgive her for she know not what she do.

*waves back*

I agree and I'm in the 'blunt' camp. My first choice for a new judge would have been Karen Hardy, but I don't mind Alesha and think she's doing well for her first series. Her marking is usually spot on for me with a blip now and then, just like the others. I'd like to see her back next year with Karen along side her, but I wouldn't blame her if she walked away.

Yep, this post says it all.

They aren't constructive comments, and I don't think they constitute good judging. However, they do relate to his dancing and nothing else, which is not true of Alesha's comment.

So which bit of Alesha saying "...it was like you were tip toeing over hot coals, your Cha Cha walks looked very feminine..." isn't about his dancing?

How about 'I don't believe Zoe (who's a good dancer) is gone and I have to endure that (cha cha you did which looked like daddy dancing in a wedding)'?

It's about dancing she's commenting but I still don't think bringing Zoe into the picture is good taste.

What she said needed to be said but the manner she said it was ignorant and, to be frank, totally out of order. Craig does seem to think he's better than he is and someone needed to tell him straight. He also seems to think that every dance is being harshly judged but back in the early days of the competition the judges were giving him constructive crticicism which he still has not taken on board many weeks later. Alesha was clearly frustrated but mentioning a contestant who has been eliminated and implying they should still be in the competion over Craig was extremely unprofessional.

I wonder whether Darcy Bussel will be so vitriolic? If not then Alesha better watch her step. Her judging is going from bad to worse.

But that isn't all she said is it? If it was we wouldn't be having this discussion. Its the I cant believe Zoe went and I had to endure that comment which has upset people. Also the you're not so good as you think you are, which is personal and not about his dance.

True. Len was suspiciously quiet wasn't he? I don't expect him to jump down her throat the way he did with Craig (he's far too much of a gentleman) but he could have said something along the lines of 'Alesha, there's no need to bring up Zoe, that's hardly Craig's fault!' or something on those lines. But no, silence

It makes me wonder if the other judges have been told (warned?) to give Alesha an easy ride?



Simon Cowell chucking out Lucie and keeping John and Edward in the X Factor has stolen all the headlines



On the BBC's OWN boards? Wow, that's quite surprising. Just goes to show how strongly SCD fans feel about this issue.



Thank you memmh, you've posted exactly how I feel about the issue after a good days thought on the matter I agree entirely. I would have been hopping mad if Len, Craig or Bruno had said the Zoe comment too. There was no need for it IMO.

See my post earlier about this comment. I think she was referring to the dance even though she mentioned Zoe. But I still think she shouldn't say that because Zoe is already out of the competition and there is just no point in mentioning it.

She could have said, in place of mentioning Zoe's name, by saying 'I can't believe better dancers are gone now and I have to endure that cha-cha you've performed just now'. This will make her not seemingly blaming Craig for Zoe's exit (which is ludicrous), and focusing on Craig's abysmal dancing.

I completely agree with that. I love her on Choreography Corner on ITT. You can tell what a good teacher she must be because she explains things in a way that a complete layperson like myself can understand and remember; I always feel I've learned something from her comments.

(Lilia and Darren can be very illuminating but because there's two of them, it takes longer and so they don't always get through all the dances; it's a bit more focused with Karen, which is why I prefer her on Choreography Corner.)

Ive always supported Alesha and stood up for her, but she's been getting on my nerves over the past few weeks. A few of her comments have been bitchy and downright rude, Simon Cowell she is not and she lacks the wit and charm to deliver comments like that without sounding like a total bitch.

It was so obvious to me she favoure Zoe over the other contestans. I was baffled when she chose to save her over Ali last week who is obviousley a much better dancer than Zoe could ever hope to be.

She needs to get her head from out of her behind pronto because she's not coming over too well at the moment.

Why baffled ? when Craig himself said it was a very very close call .

Yup, Craig and Len both said on ITT there was so little between Zoe and Ali that they could easily have saved either of them.