This year's celebs do have a lower profile/are less well known than those from previous series, so the article is correct in that respect.

However, it's more of a B-list (or to be more specific, a Heat magazine list) versus C/D-list thing than anything to do with A-listers. Perhaps you do need at least a couple of famous-ish faces to get people interested in the first place, then some less well known celeb will do an amazing dance and they'll be hooked.

I think the biggest problem with this year's SCD is lacklustre dancing, or maybe I'm missing something/just not into it this year.

Let's face it the real celebrities on the show are the dancers....most of them are more famous now than the 'celebs' they place them with.

The dancers are what make the show, you could pick random members of the public to place with them and it wouldn't detract from the show (might even make it better!)

I've heard of them too - plus World Champion boxer Joe Calzaghe.

I don't watch soaps, so I'll never be very familiar with 'soap stars,' nor have I ever seen Footballer's Wives or similar programmes.

I am familiar with some presenters, but clearly only from those programmes I watch; thus I'd never heard of Chris Hollins.

Of course if they ditched the silly number of contestants, say make it a more sensible 12 couples, then costs would come down overall - fewer prod dancers, studios, etc - and the salary pot for the pros would be comensurately higher. 16 celebs at £50,000 = £800,000. £800,000/12 celebs = £66,000 and more chance of getting a few higher profiles. Even better if they dispense with the favoured nations idea!

agreed! I saw this today and thought WTF??

I mean: Kelly Brook that house hold name!

I dont think how famous someone is REALLY matters on SCD... we get to know them through the series... Theres always going to be SOMEONE you dont know on every year... it doesnt do much harm...

Much the same could be said for the non-entities on Im a Celeb and Celeb BB...

The reason why A listers wont do Strictly is all down to money...

So axing Arlene and bringing in Alesha to appeal to the younger generation hasn't done the trick then!!!!!

Completely agree with you. The Pro Dancers are now A listers teaching ...has beens/wanna be's. Sorry to say I now vote not for the wanna be's but for the Pro's. Matt Cutler has gone so it's Brian Fortuna for me now

I knew more of the celebs this year than in any previous years. The only ones I didn't know were Ricky W, Laila, Chris, Jade, Rav and Joe Calzaghe. Although, with the level of coverage Joe and Kristina were getting in the celeb mags, I felt like I knew him by the time the show started.

As I'm not interested in sport and don't watch soaps, I always have to spend the first couple of weeks pointing at the slebs and asking my kids who they are.


I think they just put John Sargent in last year for my benefit and I'd want to see Robert Peston, Ray Mears, Phil Harding and Bill Bailey competing..... some hope eh?

I don't mind the fact that the slebs aren't exactly stellar - it doesn't take long to 'get' their character and personalities in the context of Strictly, and that's really what matters in terms of the programme - not the fictional people they might have played on tv etc.

For me, it's an incompetent presenter and a general feeling of bad temperedness.

Also, early series had a light touch, a sort of innocence that allowed the simple joy of a non dancer's 'journey' to be the focus of the programme, and that's what made the viewer care.
Having realised that, the producers deem it necessary to micro manage, over manipulate and market that journey (for our own good, you understand!) to the point where anyone with half a brain cell can see the manipulation and don't believe in the journey they're presenting to us, and we don't care so deeply.
It's almost like the dancing has become a bi product of the show, and every emotion shown has been carefully scripted, edited and given to us in 6' high letters.

Does that make sense?
I know what I'm trying to say, but it's hard to explain.

This may be the most succinct post on these entire boards about this series! It sums up absolutely everything that is missing and points out why we all got hooked in the first place. Yes there was the odd little 'extra-curricular' thing from the outset - Martin and Erin 'kissing' in the park! - but it always concentrated on the dancing and the personalities. There are far fewer VTs nowadays; remember the one where Paul Killer Killik took Anton to buy his first pairt of jeans and ITT used to have only two, sometimes one, couple on it. Now with three there just isn't time to get to know these people. I'm tired of being told, "Isn't this fantastic", "Wasn't that wonderful", "This is the best series ever", etc., etc. I want to make up my own mind on these things! If something really is good then we don't need to be told so every five minutes!

I say again, congratulations for summing up what I think a lot of people feel.

That's revolutionary talk!
No sedition in the ranks please!

Making up one's own mind is SO last century, I think.
It's much better for us to be told what we should think and feel, especially when we're being trusted with a vote - even though that vote isn't enough to rid us of couples we don't want to see again.

Thanks for your kind comments anyway, I'm glad other people understand the point I'm making, and I'm sure you can see similar manipulation in a lot of other so called 'reality' tv.
Do you think the BBC (not that they're the only guilty party) will ever realise that it's the very action they're taking to try to boost the ratings that might be what's actually turning a lot of people off?

To be fair, I had heard of all the sports people on every series but not many of the soap actors because I don't watch soaps.

Kelly's main claim to fame is being a successful model with her own Clothing range so i don't think she is just known for being sacked from the Big Breakfast. I agree with you about Penny.

That sums it up, really, doesn't it? It's all totally subjective. As a sports fan, I immediately knew Phil, Joe, Jade and Martina. Of the soap actors, I knew those from the shows I watch, but not from the ones I don't. One man's star is another man's zeleb.

I have enjoyed watching those I know performing out of their comfort zone, and also found entertainment in getting to know the contestants who are new to me.

Why is everyone so haughty about this? Don't understand it.

People who are has beens or whose careers are flagging love to be chosen.


John Sergeant was on Radio 4 tonight talking about how many doors opened after his much publicised stint on SCD and he has been busy ever since.

Spot on and a very good idea.

I think some people are missing the point.

What I would have liked to see are compelling contestants whether that are A, B, C listed.

I am still baffled on why they selected Richard Dunwoody for the show. I have nothing against the guy but he seemed void of a personality.

The formula of selecting soap actors, sportman etc does not work now. They need to be smarter and get contestant that have ability, interest, verve and some character.

I think this year's list of celebs is the best they've had yet in terms of being famous. Maybe some people hadn't heard of them, but there is no doubt some of the celebs have been at the top of their chosen field.

I'd heard of 9 out of the 16 celebs this series - far more than ever before.

SalsaKing how can the producers kow before the show starts who is a compelling celeb or even who can actually dance? That's part of the show's appeal - we get to see who can dance and grow to like some celebs and not like others.

I'm quite happy with the latest batch of celebs tbh.

If the producers did good research they would have been able to approach possible contestants who are interesting.

Again I use Richard Dunwoody as a case point. He is very successful in his field of sport but it is well known that he is quite reserved and quiet. Why select him?

I am not saying that all contestants needs to be brash and in your face but they need to be compelling. I can name a handful of celebs that would be quite interesting on scd.

Some are there to go though. You need not very good people to go early. Others are needed for the tour so you also need people who are not only going to be good but available. You don't want people who will be too popular but hopeless as all experience is they won't go. By the time you rule out anyone from Dancing on Ice and anyone with too much dance training and anyone with a bad knee or back and then look for who you havn't had already, there can't be that many left and the ones that are there will often look too familiar.

Errm Mark Ramparkash is quite reserved and shy but ended up winning the show.

Just what I was about to say. Using the criteria of not picking quiet or shy persons we would have missed out on one of the best winners in SCD history!

I'm not bothered who the celeb's are I enjoy the programme. Being in to sports I have known each sports personality that has taken part and many of them are not "past" their prime as earlier posted.

Do the producers really have that much choice available to them any more? The most attractive names are almost by definition going to be too busy.

And I bet they have agents banging on their door every year, whose clients they wouldn't touch with a bargepole.