Sorry if this has been asked before - I have looked but couldn't find it.


Several mentions have been made by Anton himself and Claudia, etc, that this is the furthest Anton has ever got in the show, but didn't he make the semi-final with Lesley Garrett in 1st or 2nd series?

He did but there were very few couples competing that year compared to this series.

He did, in SCD1 with 8 couples, in contrast to 16 couples in SCD7.

http://www.ianvictoria.co.uk/comedancing.htm

He reached the semi-final in the first series with Lesley Garrett.
There were 8 couples taking part and SCD was on for only 8 weeks.

I'm guessing those at the BBC never expected to take off like it did and become such a roaring success.

Didn't he also get to the latter stages with Patsy Palmer - quarter or semi final I think.

Final 5 I think.

I was amazed to read the first series started in mid May and finished in mid July.

Good luck with explaining to Brendan that that makes his win worth less

Awww I don't mean to take anything away from Brendan's win!

The competiton is a lot tougher these days though.

I'm pretty sure I remember Jill Halfpenny doing about 220 hours of training for the series, I remember Julian did around 190, celebs in the current series and since series 5? have been doing around 300 if they stay in to the final stages.

I'd find it interesting to know how many hours celebs have done, around 260 mark by now? each week on ITT we have how many hours that week but not cumulative.

Yes, quarter final. Laila seems to think she's the first one to get him to a quarter final!

I think if you finish in top 3 of any of the series it can be considered a good result. After all coming third is still a bronze!

I think Laila implied that this is most number of weeks Anton has been in the show.

And she'd be right.

I think a top 5 finish is pretty commendable myself

No she actually said in Tess's room last week "I'd love to get him to the quarter finals." And then to Anton "cos you've not been there have you?"

Anton did not reply! She does genuinely think he has never been in a quarter final, never mind a semi final. I'm not blaming her because Anton and the rest of the Strictly team have been bleating on all series how he's had rubbish partners and never got very far. It is a shame though that Anton has gone along with this.

It stands to reason that with 16 couples originally taking to the floor the cumulative hours in training will far exceed series 1 - 8 couples and 8 weeks: series 2 - 10 couples and again 8 weeks: series 3 - 12 couples and 10 weeks and so forth.

As the number of couples, dances and weeks of competitions increases those who last the distance will inevitably clock up more training hours.

He has even topped the leader board before as well ... in fact, I think he might even have had the highest scoring dance in the very first show

That's correct! Him and Lesley topped the leader board on the very first show with 29 points for their waltz.

He was also top of the leader board with Patsy in series 3 with their tango and a score of 34.

Indeed Lesley Garrett and Anton scored 29 for the waltz outshining Natsha's cha cha scoring 27.

In the semi-final Chris Paso Parker scoring 37 for two dances outpolled Lesley on 62.

Anton has done much better than he lets on!