You miss understand me. I meant them having fun while their training, not outside of it. It always seems so climical like they never take a break. Which obviously they do.


We have no idea what the story is there. Latest rumour, from the sun no less, is that he is back with Carly.

Too little too late now, my friend. They don't seem to have the time to 'do silly things together', and Natalie obviously knows Ricky rocky relationship with Carly (his codes he did backstage was to his on-off galfren), so I don't think she'll try to wreck his relationship like that, which in turn, would have easily wreck their professional relationship which is Strictly.

Oh I don't see it as a problem. I do see more warmth towards him from her than the other way around though. I don't *see* any chemistry between Ali and Brian though strangely.


I didn't realise this. Well fair play to her. She looks great and seems to be able to do her job.

I saw a particular vt, where a few of the pros talked about teaching methods.

They were all decent and understandable and interesting. Natalie said she didn't believe in 'beginners' they had to get to her lever fast, then she went on a bit about using props. It was crap, honestly and I didn't rate her much before that.

Whats his relationship got to do with it? or her (Natalie)? I think you misunderstood me too. I just meant if they showed them being light hearted and having fun, while training, on their VT's and ITT's it would perhaps help people relate to them more and perhaps mitigate the preforming robots attitude some people have to them. However they may actually be 'performing robots' and completely devoid of any personality. However I still feel sad for them because they obviously work hard and just because people can't relate to them or whatever they are in the bottom two. They are the two people that they are and its sad that they seem to be penalised for how they are perceived by the BBC audience.

I agree with so much of what you say Rhumba.

But I do think it can take a series or so for a new pro to settle and adapt.

From what I know, Natalie has won at least once on the Australian version, so she must be doing something right.

It could just be that the Australian audience look for different things and prefer different personalities and Natalie has not yet learnt to alter her style.

I look at Dancing With The Stars, and the pros often choreograph very showy routines to give the audience what they want, but they wouldn't get away with that here.

I don't think the scandal has helped him one bit, however I do think his same reactions each week, same things he says may be boring others as well as myself. The top half of his body in foxtrot was very good, however his knees and leg shape weren't so! I was quite surprised that the judges didn't pick up on that. There have been several better foxtrots from male celebs - Tom Chambers, Colin Jackson, Gethin Jones. He did do exceptionally well to keep his toes pointed out in cha-cha, because that's generally the least of your worries when you have everything else to think about.

One or two people have been on a Natalie bashing session in other posts, but I think she is rather good, especially as she was touted as a ballroom expert, her latin is just as good! Most of the time she has got stuff spot on.

I just wondered (and this isnt Ricky bashing its just the way my mind works) do you think Ricky understands how the results and voting work ?? on their interview with James he said he was suprised they were in the dance off because they had so many more points than the next couple (95 to 86) do you think he realises that this really doesnt come into the reckoning ??. I got the impression that he thought that having such a bit difference in scores somehow made him safer and it was more of a shock to be in the dance off.

I have no doubt he knows how it works - he just doesn't have a defeatist attitude. He's come this far and I don't blame him on not focusing on the negatives.

I took it that he was saying that his dances were so much better than the others that it was surprising more people hadn't voted for him. I think it must be very hard to process that you are less popular than other couples, in a way worse than being a lousy dancer, because it seems like a personal criticism. I thought it was interesting that he and Natalie also put forward the explanation that they weren't getting public votes because all the people who preferred them weren't bothering to vote as they assumed they were safe. Again not a logical analysis of what is happening but perhaps protecting them from acknowledging the hurtful truth.

a) it's not true that he's unpopular - he's only got in the last 2 in the last 2 weeks and he'd have been in there a lot sooner if he wasn't getting votes. His face when he got in the b2 last week may well get him a lot of votes this week.

b) I don't think the reaction to Lisa last year is anything like the reaction to Ricky this year. Lisa knocked out several very popular people in dance-offs. Ricky hasn't had that resentment.

For me personally - not expecting this to be a majority opinion - they dance like two people who are dancing at the same time, not like two people dancing together. They lack chemistry and they lack joy imo. That makes most of their dances good technically but not that memorable, skillful but not that entertaining. I don't dislike Ricky at all and I wish him well but his dancing doesn't make me look forward to his next dance. I think he comes across fine on the VTs, etc.

"Just like me and Zoe!" (Honestly it was like a meeting of the Flat Earth society)

You may be right missfrankiecat, I just wondered what other people thought, I know that Natalie has been on the Australian version but their voting system might be different.

No it wasn't. I think there is a lot of truth in the fact that both James and Zoe and Ricky and Natalie were thought to be safe and therefore people didn't vote for them.

Yes, I loved that line. And his efforts at 'interviewing' must put him in pole position if they need a stand-in for Tess 'this is all about me not you' Daley any time soon.

Ah James well will always be James

Why would people think Ricky was safe the week of his rock and roll when he dropped down the judges leader board? Why would people think either Ricky or Zoe were safe once they had already been unexpectedly in a dance-off?

I was talking about the fact that Ricky was top with the judges that week, and James and Zoe were also fairly high up the week they went out, not the previous weeks when they were in the dance off.

To say she was over-marked isn't the same thing as saying she wasn't talented - she obviously was but the judges seemed to over-look her stumbles and as for Len pushing her as the best dancer never to have won it - oh please I think she DID deserve to be the dance-off when it happened - her samba wasn't very good although she did deserve to be saved as she put more performance into it the second time around more than Cherie who I actually liked more as a personality. When she was saved over Austin it's a tricky one because one dance was better and one about the same quality as his or possibly worse but it's a flaw in the system that she got through because it was the good dance that counted. The judges seemed to be pushing her as the journeyperson candidate and it didn't wash really.

I guess people don't just vote on dancing skills but they do have a bearing - no one rubbish this year is in the final three and no one who isn't one of the best three or four has ever won Strictly.

As for Ricky - I really want to like him but I just find his dancing a tad souless if I really felt blown away by what he did nothing else would matter but I don't. I think I'd rather he made the final than Ali though based on what we've seen so far (as I think his AT will be better but I'm prepared to be proved wrong).

I agree - I wonder if the elimination of the dance-off will make a difference as it was obvious last week that Ricky would be saved in the DO so the public may have concentrated on saving Ali (who would have doomed against Ricky) and Chris (who would have doomed against either Ali or Ricky).

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here as a possibility is expectation.

Has Ricky lived up to the hype the judges gave him after his first dance? Probably not. Perhaps people's expectations of him were so high that by disappointing them his support has drifted elsewhere.

My opinion too. in contrast, Chris & Ola do so well because they are very much dancing together - lots of interaction etc., which makes them popular and entertaining. I think RW is unfortunate to have been partnered with Natalie, who I find comes over as rather hard and driven. Partnered by someone like Karen Hardy I think he would have been a different man.

Having criticised their dancing, I would say that I expect them to do the best AT - it requires speed, technique and a certain cold expressionlessness (I don't think it's a 'passionate' dance like the rumba is, it's sexy in a cold way with even the pros giving very 'dead' faces). I don't think it does the other couples any favours but it should give R&N a chance to shine. And with the waltz Natalie has made by far the safest most sensible choice of other dance (think of Matt D and Lisa at just this stage). So this could be a great week for them, not just with the judges.

Interesting. The fabulous Vincent puts a 'hard' face on, but definitely, not NOT dead - he oozes heat.

The Tango and the AT are the same like this, cool/intense from the women, hot, intense from the man.

Very sexy, and it really shouldn't be dead.

imho the "best" for me is the one who entertains me the most - which isn't necessarily who the judges say is the best dancer.


R and N bore me rigid when they dance. I start to watch them and find myself wandering off, and suddenly the dance is over and they are stood infront of the judges and i cannot remember what song they danced to let alone anything else.

No idea why that might be - I am not qualified to argue about his dancing abilities, but for me entertainment wise he doesn't have it.

It was exactly the same with Lisa last year and Kelly the year before and Zoe this year.

On the otherhand Chris and Ali have both put in memorable performances (for me at least) and they make me smile and keep me connected in a way that Rikki fails to do.

I have wondered, however, sometimes whether its the choreography. I find that Rikki is overshadowed by Natalie and in the dances he doesn't get to "do much" and it all seems to be about her? Maybe that's it? With Ola and Chris she puts little bits into the choreography where he can shine, as does Brian with Ali. When I watch Rickki and natalie however it seems to be more about her showing us what she can do with him in support?