Sorry, *laura*, to pick on your post, but this is EXACTLY what I mean when I say why don't people take things at face value? Strictly has an absolutely consistent and frequent history of the sympathy vote. In fact, it's one of the things that gets discussed on here ad infinitum.

The obvious, face value, interpretation of Anton's remark is that this is what he meant: the public will save you in a sympathy vote after something like this - and it's true!

Why this means that a) someone would fake an injury, b) the BBC would go along with it and c) a "co-conspirator" would be so stupid as to remark on it whilst on live TV, is just an analysis too far, don't you think?

The simple answer is very often the truthful one: Laila hurt her ankle, how seriously doesn't really matter; a combination of panic and pain set in and she cried on live TV; the public felt sympathy for her and sent her enough votes to keep her in; her partner said 'I told you that's what would happen' since he's had seven series of Strictly experience and seen it all before.

[quote=Vic;36674544]Well he was taking phonecalls from Ronnie!!! Does that sound like the actions of an octogenarian with flu?! //QUOTE]

This is a joke - right?

Hi gorlagon, no probs picking me up on it at all. I take on board what you're saying and you're probably right. It was just I was surprised to see Anton say it, in front of millions of viewers, instead waiting for the privacy of backstage. Mind you, he's dropped so many gaffs this series another one isn't going to hurt!

Hmmmm.

The moment Laila came on to dance in that glaring white bandage I knew they were safe for next week. People would ALWAYS vote for the poor girl who tried, can you even imagine her being in the dance off? Was never, ever going to happen. She had a 100% pass through to next week.

I can't say I mind that all that much, Jade did too only she didn't dance and it's not as if she's Craig Kelly or something, she can dance and does deserve to go through.

However - I hope you're not right and this was all some big sham. I am surprised she was given the go ahead to dance, even a strained ankle needs to be rested, and I can't imagine a Dcotor saying "Yes, go and dance on it!", I would have thought the injury would have had to have been very minor. So maybe she was playing it up a bit, but I don't know, I'm not outraged by it if she was, as I say, she deserved to go through anyway so.....

Occom's razor! The simplest explanation is usually the correct one. (ok it's slightly more complicated than that...)

I think she had just got to that jibbering mess state by the dance. She was clearly in pain, didn't really want to dance but felt compelled to give it a go. Anton would tell Laila black was white (no pun intended) to assuage her worries, he does it all the time. Every VT he butters her up to the nth degree! I don't think he had a plan and crippling his partner would be insanity and do what? Get him to the 10th week? woop!!

[quote=gamestats;36674726]
Yes, yes it was. I didn't use the rolleyes thing as I don't really like it. I was merely trying, and evidently failing, to take a light hearted approach to all this fake illness malarky.

For what it's worth I think they were all injured/unwell/delete as applicable

Ha! I can go along with that one!

Why shouldn't he say it? It's what we all thought, and some of us hoped - she would be saved in any event by a sympathy vote if she gave it a plucky try. I don't think any the worse of Anton for stating the bleeding obvious.

Equally no Doctor is likely to say "You can't dance". Doctors tell you what the risks and potential outcomes are and let you make the decision.

[quote=Vic;36674832]
Thanks, Vic. Unfortunately, I have seen so many posts where something is said in jest but the reader has missed that and it is later quoted out of context and is totally opposite to what was intended. i suppose they had to justify Ronnie's presence somehow.

Not quite true, surely? Both Bruce and Jade were told they could NOT contribute/dance, and that was made clear last night. Of course they have autonomy and could have done it anyway, but the point is, a Doctor gave them a definitive.

Unfortunately at the time I did. I do agree with gorlagon and yourself that things should be taken at face value but, in the high emotion of last night it was difficult to do otherwise. I was actually quite upset for her last night until I saw Anton say that and I'm sure I wasn't be the only one. As I said, it didn't sit comfortable with me last night, but reading gorlagon's post it's sitting a little better now.

In fact, it's rather dubious that Jade had even seen a Doctor given the timing of the injury. We saw her being examined by a paramedic and she didn't go to hospital (unlike Laila) till after the programme so she certainly hadn't had an x ray. I am not aware that the Beeb have on site doctors as opposed to first aiders. So one would expect the advice to be more cautious. I would imagine there were insurance issues re Jade as well.

Not wanting to be devil's advocate but in the case of Jade I think it happened so close to the actual show that there was probably no time to get it properly assessed. Laila's was much earlier in the day. She wasn't in costume, she had her hair in rollers and had time to get to the hospital and back. Jade's clearly happened a little later.

A disclocated knee probably is more severe than a sprained ankle in the grand scheme of things, especially to a doctor. Doesn't mean they sent Laila off with a glowing endorsement to dance. Even Jade was told under medical advisement. They rarely tell you 100% not to do something. IMO

I blame Ugg boots, great big flipper like things! Who can run upstairs in them?

Those Are Fake?? lol

Agree entirely. I was so mad last night that Anton and Laila got through on the sympathy vote. So unfair. She milked it for all it was worth. I agree that if she had sprained it that badly that she would not have been able to stand on it at all, let alone put on dance shoes and attempt to dance. So I'm sorry but I am majorly suspicious about the whole thing, considering it was a dance she didn't want to do and wasn't going to be that great at. I don't believe for one moment that she stopped dancing because she was in pain, she went wrong and gave up.

Even though she said at the beginning that she didn't like the rumba, I think the latter part of the VT showed her getting into it. The part of the dance that she did was nicely choreographed and not Anton's usual 'jokey' style (wonder if he got someone in to help?) and I thought that, injury or no, she was better at it than a lot of celeb ladies have been.

Whether she went wrong I can't say, but I thought that it was her best Latin dance and deserved more than a 3.

I agree with this. I think the rumba is the dance where all the contestants feel most exposed, and what we did see of Laila doing it was completely credible mood-wise. She seemed to have it just right, just as I thought she did in the paso.

I agree, the rehearsals looked good and so did her performance last night, in fact I was surprised at her general performance at the start.

I am now left wondering what will happen if -

Jade is told not to dance next week on medical advice - would she be forced to withdraw?

And/or Laila is told not to dance next week on medical advice, could she return the following week?

I have just re-read the rules but they don't seem to cover what would happen if two performers were unable to dance for one week or two weeks.

This series is turning into a bit of a disaster.

i thought the rumba was pretty piss poor and i thought she faked her pain..
i think the rehearsal was obscene - anton is like a creepy perve.. pah there's something so fake about it all..

Well we're all different, perhaps she crossed it to get out of Claudia's way and then was sitting there in agony thinking 'why did I do that I'm now in agony and I don't think I can uncross it in a ladylike smooth way so I won't because I'm currently live on TV'.

I have also sprained my ankle and couldn't walk never mind dance. But that just makes me think that her sprain is less severe rather than assume she's faking!

She looked in genuine pain to me and I thought she did well to give it a go. I did actually wonder if there was a chance that she only took the decision to dance because of Jade's injury, knowing what a mess it would all end up being if two dancers pulled out on the night.

Honest to God... my heart was in my mouth... live on air, another ambulance nearly called !!! He nearly went on his ear coming down the stairs, and if memory serves, didn't he go flying off a treadmill while making Peter Kay's Amarillo video. I don't even know what his purpose was on the show. Tess and Claudia managed just fine.

Oh please... She did not milk it for all it was worth. I for one hate people with sob stories and those who try and gain the sympathy vote but I felt as if Laila was really genuine. They've done really bad latin dances until now and not once have they tried to gain the sympathy vote. Yet, they have not found themselves in the bottom two. Plus, Laila can actually dance unlike some of the other 'celebs'! I actually liked the part they did do properly and much preferred it to James and Zoe's Rumba which I detested.

Blimey - i noticed that and didn't know what to make of it. They all seemed to be rolling their eyes or shooting quick looks at each other or looking at the floor - I wondered at the time whether they actually believed that the injury was that bad and she was playing it up but thought "surely not".

i actually think the bbc fixed it so she wouldnt be in the dance off. she couldnt be.
so they fixed it so she went through.