That's the way I look at it.
Flavia may have thought they would go out against Lynda - Darren certainly did.

Craig always tried as hard as he could, and he probably did think they still had a chance.

I prefer his belief to Peter Shilton's 'You've got to believe that you're going to win, and I believe we'll win the World Cup until the final whistle blows and we're knocked out'

I so agree. He's a refreshing change from all the whiners and whingers they've had on. His positive never-give-up attitude was something that everyone should take note of and copy. He was rubbish at dancing, but he tried and carried on doing his best right up until the very last, nothing wrong with that, whatever anyone might say Zoe leaving was not his fault and just resigning isn't an option (they're contracted). I didn't like his dancing, and he was the right one to go, but the manner of it was disgraceful.

I'm afraid I was even less impressed with Flavia on ITT last night. There didn't seem to be any support for him at all from her, just a 'I'm glad we're not there any more' statement (I'm paraphrasing).

If you don't think dragging him through week after week isn't "supporting him" I don't know what is.

You only see "the best bits" of training on ITT. I guess it was a real pain trying to get him up to anywhere near a standard. She was "positive" right up to his last performance. She danced her socks of each week trying to distract the judges attention from his lumbering efforts.
There comes a time when "enough is enough."
What did you want her to do? Lie and say the criticisms of him weren't fair? It ain't X-Factor.
At that stage of the series, he was "playing with the big boys" and it showed.
As she said it was a relief to know that despite her best efforts, there were going to be no more harsh criticisms, anyone can identify with that. It isn't worth it for an entertainment show.

No, it's not X-Factor, but it appears to be trying to be, which is possibly where things are going wrong.

Flavia seems to have done what she is paid to do each week, ie produce a piece of choreography, train her partner and dance it with him.

She didn't have to say that he was stunningly brilliant - but compare her behaviour and words of support to those of Brendan, who had an equally hopeless partner. I think he said it all really, criticise the dancing by all means, but leave the personal insults out of it. Flavia said nothing except that she's glad they don't have to listen to insults getting worse and that she thought it was their time to go.

No, I don't think that's support, that's just doing the minimum she was contracted to do.

I think I shall go back to what I was doing last year when the judges got so up themselves. I'm going back to just watching the dances on the iPlayer and skipping the rest of it, I really don't need to be listening to them, for one thing it's embarrassing listening to and watching someone being humiliated.

I agree that Flavia seemed unsupportive of craig,and I thought it from the begining when she realised he wasn't a great dancer.I understand he was crap,but the point is the celebs need the pros to support and advise them on how to deal with all that comes with Strictly,and make it clear to them what the judges comments mean.What I would have liked to have seen from Flavia was some fight.....yes she knows Craig was crap,but she could have said we will keep fighting,or keep trying and at least said we would love to stay as long as the public vote us through.I don't think I have ever heard a pro say they would rather not be there,or they as a couple didn't deserve to be there because the judges would give them horrible comments.The judges give horrible comments every week,it is up to the pros to build up the celebs confidence and fight for them.....I am amazzed at Flavias attitude.

Chemistry, perhaps? In other words, didn't she just weary of Craig like so many of us did?

By this, her 4th series, Flavia has already established herself as a core pro at Strictly. She doesn't need the aggro, as she said on Monday's ITT, and she knows that her turn to have fun and go far will come again.

Perhaps Flavia is even wearying of SCD itself. She's not doing the tour next year, we hear. She may have as many successful irons in the fire as Karen Hardy does. She may be so well bedded down (that's a gardening metaphor btw) in Matt de Angelo's life that she's thinking of other futures.


Contrast Kristina last year, who needed to fight on and get a high-profile with the public, or suffer the same fate as Hayley Holt or Andrew Cuerden (Who? Precisely!) She was stunned and hurt by JS withdrawing - a woman still with ambitions.

Wow people interpret things differently don't they.

She did say things to the 'we will keep fighting/trying' affect though, in her ITT interviews over the weeks. She also praised Craig's attitude quite a bit. She didn't say they'd rather not be there last night either. She just said in a way she was relieved that they didn't have to be there when the comments got worse. That's different from saying she'd rather not be there. She also said that if they had been kept they would have kept trying the next week

Tbh. if every professional was like Brendan Cole I would tire of Strictly pretty quickly.

I think they like each other, and Flavia was supportive of him. She just didn't go around stomping about and shouting about it. I don't recall any of the female pros doing so tbh. And she has made it clear she felt the judges comments were harsh.

Flavia appears to be a quiet, calm person. She also seems to be very dignified and ladylike. She did her very best with Craig. He irritated me just seeing him a few min utes a week. She endured him for hours and then had to humiliate herself by dancing with him in public.

If she was less of a lady she may have reacted like Brendon did, but I for one am glad she didn't. She is very classy.

I can't agree with this last bit, It is not humiliating to be a bad dancer or dance with a bad dancer on Strictly. Its part and parcel of the show. I think Craig was very hard work to teach but I get the impression, while he probably did her head in a bit with his yabbering, she enjoyed working with him.


I do agree with this.

Yes, but Craig only "over-stayed his welcome" for one week.
Before that, he was poor..but not the worst left in the competition. Why were there no similar comments about Joe Calzaghe or Joe Wood ? They lasted until weeks 5 and 6 at the expense of Martina Hingis, Rav Wilding and Lynda Bellingham..all superior dancers. In fact, Martina was probably the victim of the greatest injustice. We will never know, but I wouldn't mind betting she would have been on a par with Zoe if she had stayed.

Crumbs - imagine what Alesha would have had to say if Matt had still been in and she had had to decide between him and AN Other with Craig still a participent

Sorry but I just had to laugh that that.....

Id say that last Saturday would have been like a storm in a tea cup compared with what would have happened then....

Last Saturday IS a storm in a teacup!

Yes, but it's kept "AntonGate" off the front page here for a while. Imagine if she had said.."it just goes to prove, Crackas cant dance !"
I await my ban.

I agree she is a quiet and dignified lady but I don't think she humiliated herself by dancing with Craig at all. That would only have been the case if he wasn't trying. He obviously was trying but just couldn't get it. Are we only to have people on the show in future who can guarantee they reach a certain standard? Or if they fail are they meant to stand down?

I think his lack of awareness that he was hopeless embarrassed her. It is entirely different when a celeb is not that good a dancer but acknowleges the fact.

Just my opinion.

Its not just Craig that gets slated for being in to long, but Flavia will be getting grief to for overstaying their welcome. I would imagine Flavia knew it was the end of the road, and felt that especially after Zoe had gone the backlash had started, im sure neither her or Craig really wanted the harsh comments from the judges or to come on sites like this and be pulled to pieces about how awful Craig danced how it was time to go, and how Flavias choreography wasnt great.

I expect on a live show a pro like Flavia who is quite quiet and reserved in real life was srunned by what was said, and was really hoping the public wouldnt keep her in any longer.

I think her and Craig looked like they had fun together, but he had no realisation of how bad he was and that must be difficult, maybe he thought he was good cos Flavia told him he was and built him up so he could go out and perform.

I dont blame Flavia at all for not saying anything back to the judges, she was probably relieved they wouldnt have to be subjected to the harsh criticism again, someone elses turn now, no doubt Ricky Groves will be the one to tak over from Craig in peoples opinion!

But Abba even good dancers come in for stick, and lord help you if you get near the final no matter who you are. I just felt worrying about having people "hate" you indicates that perhaps Flavia doesnt have a thick enough skin.

I got really naffed off with all the attention he got, even last night on IT2 it seemed to go on for ever, whereas Zoe last week got far less and her departure was an injustice.

He was rubbish at dance and played the "poor little me" act for what it was worth and enjoyed the undeserved attention.
So why give Flavia who's pretty reticent at the best of times the grief on here for not being more outspoken?

He's gone, so let's move on.

I apologise for not reading the whole thread, but just dropped in to say my bit.

Flavia worked wonders with Craig and supported him well.

It is not the 'correct' thing to argue with the judges (or the ref or the teacher) you just take it on the chin.

You can moan afterwards, and even discuss it with the people concerned, but privately and properly.

Flavia acted like the great professional she is.

Well only if you think 'injustice' is someone being voted off a light entertainment programme!

she has hands now wands.....Craig could not dance....at all........they all get it.
Flavia knew he was out.........even she was lauging with him.........but he was a trier but his body was just out of sync........

Good points, well made.

Yep, in the context of the programme it was an "injustice"

If there weren't any, there'd be less "entertainment" wouldn't there?

Doh!

So you feel Zoe's right to continue in the competition was violated by not enough people voting for her?