Anton would have been shite in the dance troupe imo and i'd perfer Matthew dancing brilliantly in that than having to drag Ann Widdecombe around the dance floor each week, which is who I think Anton is being kept for.

Quote of the day. And my sentiments entirely. Although I'd still go for second best with seeing them in the dance troupe most weeks, if they accept.

Scariest thought of the day: Anne Widdecombe

Off topic, but... I'm famous!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-sto...5875-22323198/

They got my last name wrong however

There's conscientious Mirror journalism for you! "What could the P stand for?" "We'd better ask!" "Nah, we'll just make something up!"

And are you proud to be quoted in the Daily Mirror ? Congratulations on playing your small part in assisting the scumbag press in its attempts to kill off SCD before the new series starts.....

I think the BBC is doing a pretty good job of alienating the audience from its flagship entertainment show on its own - it's just handed 'the scumbag press' a stick with which to beat itself with.

Again ...

From what I have read, that was an initial reaction and Katie has written a lot of positive opinion on the changes too, accompanied with constructive ideas.

The papers choose to present things as a tide of negative reaction, which is fair, because there has been a lot of that from a number of people. They just happened to quote what suited their case.

Thanks

The press don't need to do anything, the BBC are killing the show fine just by themselves.

The show will last this year, next at the most, that much is clear already....

That's a bit off.


The BBC needs no assistance in handling the media...badly!

It was an initial reaction. but I'm not sorry that it got lifted by the Mirror. Although I'm trying to see the positive side of the dance troupe, I'm still fuming at the way the BBC have treated five excellent dancers.

In answer to an earlier point, no I don't think the five pros asked for a less hands on role. If Brian asked for it, why did he quit when it was offered? And it's clear from the fact that Ian, Darren and Lilia have all said they can't give a decision until they have been given details of the new role, that they didn't know anything about it until the BBC announced it.

New thought: The cynic in me wonders if the information was released just before the new series of BB kicks off, so that it would be quickly buried by the massive amount of coverage BB gets.

It still makes no sense to announce you've made offers to 5 professional dancers to be in a dance troupe when they clearly haven't told them anything about it! If it takes anything off the BBC it makes Brian's decision to quit now seem a bit strange because he must have decided before he knew what the new job would entail...

Oh dear God. Can Strictly get any worse for me? They snub Matthew, Ian and Lilia and leave Anton in, someone puts a random message into my quote and now I log on and find I may be forced to watch ANNE WIDDICOMBE!!! Can someone invent a smilie that combines horror, weeping and retching?

Oh, I agree - I was meaning the actual timing of the announcement which I think was rushed forward.

Yeah definitely, I just find it incomprehensible that they would do that just to let it disappear in the wave of press surrounding BB and the World Cup when they have nothing concrete to announce. It makes me think one of the new pros leaked their involvement on the show, and the BBC thought this would be damage limitation rather than leaving us to speculate on who was leaving until they had some definite information

AND maybe Fergie too?

No smilie is man enough for the job.

The only ones killing the show are the BBC and their sh!te ideas at reinvention. In trying the bring in new fans they are now alienating the core fanbase of the show.

The smart move would have been to keep the regulars on the show. Have the new dancers do the pro numbers and then infuse them into the next season.

When Artem and Aliona did their number on DWTS, neither one was a regular on the show nor ever got on the show. They were just used for pro spotlight, and never seen again. DWTS continues to feature peripheral pros, but just tweeks the core group.

The BBC has picked up DWTS peripheral pros and minimized some of the most popular dancers. Just look at the appreciation thread. Brian is at the top in number of hits and looks while Mat and Ian is right up there along with him.

No - it makes no sense whatsoever.

But this is the BBC's idea of management - as we learned last year, when Alesha was invited to join the judging panel and not told she would be replacing Arlene.

As far as I'm aware, the first the professionals knew about all this was the announcement to the press. Imagine how you would feel if you read what was happening to your job online or in the press before you'd been told yourself ... It's appalling, yet utterly typical, that BBC management feel they can continue to pull stunts like this.

I would imagine that Brian's decision was based in part on this and in part on the 'relegation' in status, which will almost certainly be reflected in those dancers' pay packets. Obviously he has other irons in the fire - good luck to him. I have to say that he wasn't necessarily my favourite pro on SCD - but I LOVED the Brian we saw on Dancing On Wheels. I'd guess the chances of that show coming back have just got a whole lot slimmer ...

I can see how the changes could turn out successful, but it depends on where the producers see the show going. If its away from the ballroom & latin basis, they are going the wrong way.

Introducing completely different styles of dance isn't going to work. I hope for everyone's sake that the producers dont learn that the hard way.

Think I can explain... Nancy is my dog. I sent my dad a birthday text the other day that was worded like that as a joke cos he always says the dog rates higher in his affections lol... I've not quite got the hang of this iPhone yet. Not sure how or why a text got into the quote but somehow I must have done it... And subsequently feel a little silly

I do apologise

I'm not going to be disingenuous and so I admit that I did think you were, but since that is not the case then I apologise unreservedly. However I don't think having a preference for the 10 ballroom/latin dances indicates anyone is in some sort of 50s type 'Come Dancing' time warp any more than someone who likes the charleston is in a 20s time warp or than someone who likes rock n roll is in a 50s one. It is just a preference for a particular type of dancing which is very disciplined when compared to many other popular dance genres and in my view, far more glamorous

I never even watched Come Dancing (the only way ballroom and latin had played any part in my life before Strictly was the fact that my parents met at ballroom classes). By the time Strictly came along, Come Dancing was well and truly dead, and it was Strictly that revived ballroom's fortunes. So if I'm in any time warp it is Strictly's first year, since I want the show to keep to the production values that made it distinctive and not become some watered down mish mash of dance styles.

Sure, different dance types gain popularity at different times, but I don't have to like them. I like Argentine Tango and salsa to some extent, but dance schools also teach street dance and belly dancing nowadays, but I don't think I want to see Ann Widdecombe (or any other celeb) doing either of those on Strictly .

And yes, I do know that you are one of Strictly's greatest fans.

Hi Lolly! Don't worry, these things happen. Just make sure you don't send a rude email to the whole office about your boss - because your boss is bound to be the one person who reads it - I know, I've been there

Just glad I hadn't been invaded by a polterpost

And good dog, Nancy, you could still be Toto!

Vivacious Lady whew!

I can definitely identify with not wanting to go outside the 10 dances being different from a 'Come Dancing' stance, and in some ways I do agree. My problem is having seen some of the non-10 dances done on DWTS, I must admit I really liked watching them. That said, I didn't like them all (the Country(or Texas( 2 step comes to mind ) and it is a fine line to tread when choosing new dances.

I did like the addition of the Charleston last year, but was disappointed with the Lindy Hop and the Rock and Roll style dance - not because I didn't like those dances, but because I didn't think they were performed well (for what ever reason).

I do believe the core of SCD should still be based around the 10 dances, but I don't mind a couple of new dances being added. Which dances though is the million dollar question and I definitely don't want street dancing or hip hop or that type of genre creeping in.