I REALLY want to see this interview!

OP, I could not agree to the exclusion of BBC News staff from participating in the show. But I would certainly exclude BBC employees from participating from the Voting.

It is standard in any commercial competition from the back of a cereal packet or a packet of crisps that employees of that organistion are excluded from participating.

My particular concern is the likes of Sian Phillips who whilst live on Breakfast TV, has bragged incessantly of how many times she has made multiple phone votes for Hollins.

How is that any different from the friends and family of any of the celebs voting ? Where would you draw the line ? Employees of Channel 4 or Hollyoaks not allowed to vote for Ricky ?? People in Wales not allowed to vote for Joe ?? Tom Chambers Auntie not allowed to pay £100 voting for him ??

Did someone mention robots a few posts back? I rather think some FMs might think we already have one in Ms N. Lowe (not me I hasten to add)!

I, for one, welcome our 3D, animated, 10ft overlords. Ian and Matthew would finally get partners as tall as them.

I now have a picture of people wearing balaclava's queing round the studio block to use the payphone outside and unseemly scuffles breaking out as the voting time ticks down.

I wonder if that's why they extended the voting time?

People are excluded from competitions so that they cannot be rigged for a friend or relative of the competition organisers winning. There is no such issue in phone voting as no-one can win anything by voting, so you cannot make a direct comparison.

Banning BBC employees from voting would be unfair on any BBC employees who were competing. Let's say for example that Chris Hollins and Andrew Castle were in the same series. Would it be fair that the GMTV presenters could talk about how much they voted for Andrew while the BBC Breakfast presenters could not do the same for Chris?

To correct just a teensy bit:

the GMTV presenters who have never won in any year (or come close).

G

I think no famous people should be allowed to compete. They've all got rich celebrity friends to ring for them billions of times to RUIN IT.

And nobody with lots of friends, because they'll get them all to ring up and ruin it.

Which sort of negates my zombies idea, as they'll have lots of relatives to vote for them.

So, when it comes down to it, what we need are hermits, and not of the crab variety, then we'll get a fair contest, although persuading them to appear on national tv might prove difficult, what with them being hermits - I'm thinking webcams in caves/huts - might lack a bit of atmosphere but there'd be no BBC biased!

I'm all for it! Fed up of my license fee being spent on those outrageously fancy sets

Nat really wasn't better than Chris.

I think we better go back to something that was on the 'non appreciation' thread last series which is ....why not have the celebs dance with a paper bag over their heads so we cant actually see who they are and wont be influenced by anything.....this would also have the double advantage of us having no problem with gurning or dead eyes.

Any competition that relies on the public vote is always going to be a mixture of a support for the person and a reflection of their expertise and Strictly and X-factor are two such examples. There is no possible way of separating the two parts of the voting so we have to accept that on occasions, a better singer or dancer will be voted off.
I think the suggestion that well known people should be banned from such contests because their friends will vote hundreds of times is just nonsense. I cannot see the friends spending the time on doing so and in nay case you get thousands voting for a person just because they come from the same town.
Accept the competitions for what they are, i.e. entertainment.

As a post script, I was gutted that Ali and Brian were eliminated last Saturday.

But they'd have to have holes in the bags to see where they're going, so you'd still have the problem with dead eyes. Unless they wore dark glasses over the paper bags

Oh thats even better....they would all look like the invisible man imagine what fun we would have trying to identify who they were from the legs and arms and hands a chests Their identity could only be revealed when they are eliminated or won the glitterball. Ofcourse it could lead to 'ringers' dancing instead of the celeb, and interviews on ITT would be a bit of a challenge.

No, hands could be a bit of a giveaway thinking about it. Gloves maybe ... or taking the Invisible Wo/man idea further - how about a full body bandage wrap?

After the elimination Tess could do the grand unravel as the celeb pirouettes madly on the end of the bandage.

Interviews on ITT could take place with the celeb in silhouette using one of those voice changer thingies. Or a Darth Vader helmet. Of course, the pros would have to be sworn to absolute secrecy.

Well, if we're going with the full body wrap, how about Mummies? (the Egyptian kind, not the kinds with kids, although there may be the Egyptian kind with kids as well, although they would also be mummies by now ... I think I just lost my train of thought ...!)

And, as we were talking about blue people not so long back, how come the smurfs haven't been considered? They're blue, aren't they? Plus they're quite small (so Vincent would be okay for a partner).

Of course, smurfs are Swedish (Danish? Norwegian ? Oh they come from one of those cold countries!!) , so maybe we should get in a British equivalent ...

The Wombles anyone?

I'd love to see Lilia partnered up with Uncle Bulgaria!

But then we're back to BBC employees again ....

Urk!

Or, and I conceed this would need a leap forward for science - or the production of a few more of Harry Potter's cape thingy - they get turned invisible during the competition, all you can see is the outfit including the shoes, then we could see body shapes, check for footwork etc. They would all have to wear wigs or hats so we can check for head positions (or in Nat's case, a disturbing hair bow ) but it could work - no pesky personalities to get in the way, obviously some may then finally realise that Erin was, in fact, a farsighted genius and the muppetdance was merely foreshadowing for what is to come

I would find this quite exciting, can you imagine the 'big reveal' when the winner is unwrapped from the bandages and the huge dissapointment when you find out its someone you absolutely cannot stand and you have voted for them

You could end up with 14 versions of The Stig entering

But isn't there only one lady Smurf? That could make for some interesting pairings lol.

The discussions on here would be great - 'Can't stand Erin's partner, he definately stands in a really smug fashion'

That's because Wardrobe have mucked up again and haven't got his bandages right around his feet. You can see the spats through them. That's not only smug but tantamount to showing <glances round and whispers> personality

This is great......perhaps we should send this idea to the BBC I am sure it would be an instant hit.

It would definately be more difficult for the male celeb if they had to 'lead' their pro AND have the hinderance of not being able to see properly because wardrobe have cut their eye holes in the wrong place....I mean Brian hit two couples in the group VW and he wasnt even wearing a paper bag