Quoted from pink_creamcrackers over at the BBC boards.

"I've read some of these negative threads, and I believe I now know what Laila and Anton have to do.

a) Produce a medical certificate to prove you really were injured. Preferably also produce something from a pain specialist to confirm that you were acutally in pain. Corrobative evidence from a physio would be good.

b) Get a snazzy logo on the back of Anton's pullover - Team Lanton should do it. And make him wear a bandana.

c) Stop being honest that it is hard learning a new skill. Instead bang on about Strictly being your favourite show of all time and how you are living the dream, jump up and down alot and squeal that you are LOVING IT!

d) Adopt pet names for each other - baby has sadly been taken, but perhaps you could start calling Anton pudding chops or something.

e) Wheel out your baby daughter to show how approachable you are. Preferably enrole her in a dance class and feature the whole bunch of them in your training VT this week.

f) Drag Anton around the set of your latest drama/soap/comedy. In the absence of this perhaps you could take him to auditions and get him to help you learn your lines.

g) There seems to be some doubt that you two actually get on so we need more touchy-feely moments, more hugs, kisses, cuddles. If you two could be snapped going out to dinner together that would be fantatic. Take the daugther as well, treat her to a kids meal at the local Harvester.

There we are sorted! You will soon be the nations sweetheart. And there were you thinking it was all about the dancing, how naive!

Cynical, moi? Never..."

Or, she could just put some effort in when she gets a dance she doesn't particularly like?

She's lucky the BBC has no favourite this year.

When Emma Bunton was booked to appear on Children in Need to promote the charity CD she made, there was not a clip of her in training that showed her anything other than perfect for weeks before the event. They even sent freakin' French and Saunders into one of her training sessions. It was "super hype."

After her appearance in CIN, they "dropped her like a stone."

That's the BBC for you.

hahaha, love it. Anton in bandana! Do it baby.

Don't you mean 'pudding chops'?

Exactly, Pudding Chops & Laila to win! Yeah Pudding Chops!

or she could just leave which would suffice.

Everytime I see Anton from now on, I'm just going to be thinking 'pudding chops'...!

Indeed. Trying to stop being so cack altogether would presumably be far too much like hard work, but she could at least show a little bit of commitment

amen sister

too right!

I agree, drb. It really is a shame when someone fails to realise their potential. Laila's Latin performances have been disappointing really. I do find myself wondering whether she might have achieved more with a different partner. Still, we'll never know now.

Possibly. And obviously the whole row-of-which-we-do-not-mention will have affected her too. I wonder who would have been a good partner for her? I dont think the Brendan's and James' of the dance world would have been appropriate. Perhaps the luscious Matthew Cutler? *drools*

I don't suppose Brendan or James would have put up with negativity though!

Agreed! *runs off to watch some Cutler Dancing*

I suspect we'd have had the same row whoever she had danced with. I believe it was a set-up right fom the start and Anton just happened to be the unlucky one who was given her. Shame that the BBC didn't look a little more closely at some of her recent stories, e.g. death threats and her great friendship with Mr Cowell!

I get the feeling with Laila that she has convinced herself that she will never be any good at the latin dances. When mentioned to Anton and Laila that they will be performing a latin dance next week they visibly cringe. I don't think either have a passion for latin and that comes across in their routines. I am a fan of Laila, but I just wish she would believe in herself a bit more.

Mint! Someone should forward it onto them, maybe they still have time to jump on a bandwagon?

She also has to train and she wont be doing much of that this week. I did wonder why the 'saved couple' were not on ITT last night as they were billed to be and usually are on a Tuesday but according to a press headline (in Greytops) she has gone to Morrocco until Thursday on a photo shoot.

For someone who struggles to learn routines this seems slightly bonkers and makes me cross that she seems to be living up to peoples fears that she isnt bothered any more.

Maybe Anton has gone with her to train but it seems unlikely.

The pros HAVE gone overseas before to train w their slebs - Anton w Lesley Garrett, Ian w Penny L, Brenda w Sara M (overseas to Bristol)

We shall see! We also see the panto ads coming out shortly; is Antod down to play Buttons anywhere??

JJ

If true I'll feel very let down

I agree.....she isnt my fav but I do want to like her and if this is true then she is making me cross which is not a good thing when you need public votes.

If this is true and Anton has gone with her I won't mind but considering the effort other couples are putting in. (Even ones I can't stand) It's pretty bad.. Although, We don't know if it's true or not. It was strange she's not on ITT yesterday or today though.. Either she's gone or training too hard. For the sake of my peace of mind I will believe the latter for now..

I guess it's difficult when you are a celeb on these things - the length of time you will be in is so uncertain.

Potentially it can take best part of a quarter of a year of your time ... potentially it could just be a a few weeks.

Natalie said when she agreed to return to EE that she didn't think she would still be competing so many weeks in. Perhaps Laila was the same. For instance, if it had been leaked that she had turned work down because she might still be in Strictly, that could have been reported as her being too big for her boots assuming she would be in at the end.

I suppose we have to remember that for a lot of the celebs, Strictly is a profile raising opportunity that brings them offers of work while it is on and they are the current hot things. Turn it down now and the chance may not come round again.

It has been reported in several newspapers that Laila is in Morocco for a photo shoot for Moroccan GQ and that 'SCD insiders' and Anton are supposedly furious. However by contrast the same articles quote a BBC spokesperson stating that it is a long standing comittment that she and Anton will be working around, that the celebrities have to do a minimum amount of training each week, and that Laila and Anton trained extra hard over the weekend.

Now how will she cope with the charleston which is presumably completely out of hold. Surely better than she would do with rock and roll?