He's GORGEOUS!!!!

Agreed - Ola is a lucky girl

Totally agree. I've always liked them both, but after the tour they are easily in my top three. I think they are both fit and sexy!

If I had to make a choice between the Jordans and the Bennetts, then the Jordans would win hands down. On the other hand, a choice between the Bennetts and Anton and Erin, then the Bennetts would win hands down.

Agreed on both counts - I do think the Bennetts should have stayed over Anton and Erin, but if it was a choice between them and James & Ola, I'd always say keep the Jordans!

I think, and always have thought, that James and Ola are brilliant, and even more so now I've seen them on the Pro Tour. I know everyone has favourites, but it's not fair to blame other dancers just because your favourite has been 'demoted' as it were - it's not James, Ola's or any of the other pros fault or choice who stayed and who didn't. I'm gutted for the pros who've been 'demoted', and that Brian has left, but happy for the ones who have been kept, even if they wouldn't all be my choice. I'd much rather have Matthew and Ian instead of Anton and Brendan, for example, but that's just my opinions and I wouldn't bash Anton or Brendan for being chosen to stay - they're still great dancers. Hmph. I suppose life would be boring if we all agreed on everything though!

Oh and James Jordan is DEFINITELY sexy!

I liked the backstage bits he did for ITT last year. However I don't really find him attractive till he starts dancing. James in motion is a sight to behold, especially in The Jive. (May have watched the Rebel Yell Jive a ridiculous amount of times.)

I'm glad The Jordans are staying.

Yay I'm not alone in the obsessive jive-watching department

I don't think they compare to Matt and Nicole in that jive, but they're good at it in a different way, they do a more basic solo section and I think it really works in comparison to some of the others, same goes for the Ever Fallen in Love jive from last year

Yeah that Jive makes me miss Nicole. Agreed that her and Matthew are great. I also love Brendan too. I think the bit that made me notice James was he was centred at the start and in addition to the kicks has a sleeveless shirt. The song is one of my faves which is why the rewatches began.

Went off to watch the Ever Fallen In Love one. James and Brendan really stand out in their solos.

I thought James was much better in the manic Jive last year than in Rebel Yell. I really dislike that syncopated section James and Ola always do in Jive though.

I've only seen the last series and I thought both James and Ola were brilliant.

I personally loved Ola and Chris (they were my favourites) but I also thought that Zoe and James should have gone alot further than they did

Never had time for James, although I warmed to him a little when I heard he & Ola took Brian in when he first moved to England. Never liked Ola much either. One good series (when I actually found her too soppy at times) does not make up for 3 bad ones! Wouldn't have missed either had they gone. Ah well the Beeb know best

I'm not a fan of either james or Ola, never have been probably never will be. Their dancing does nothing for me but thats just my personal taste.

James did a great job as a presenter in a few of the ITT shows in the last series. He seemed to me to be a natural and I would like to see him do more of this type of work. He is also an excellent dancer and a good dance coach.

I believe that Ola is a favourite with male viewers.

I could never quite warm to James or Ola either. The only thing that made me think they might be nice is when I heard that they took care of Brian when he moved to the UK first. That was a really decent thing to do.I do like his dancing &perfer his to Ola's . Just think the whole thing is sad for all concerned

I love the Jordans! Everyone has questions and my main one is why is Kristina still there and not Brian?
Well actually no my main one is when are they getting rid of Brucie

VERY! and i loved his mohican haircut last year

I think that's the question a lot of us want answered!

I suspect she was saved by the fact that she was willing to sign even if Brian was cut, as were Matt and Ian's Strictly partners*. Of the four men who were cut, only one was partnering someone who would not continue the main show without them. I doubt the Beeb were so desperate to keep Kristina, she is not well regarded by the press and just going on polls on here (which are admittedly sometimes unreflective) she's also not that popular with fans anymore despite how well liked she was in her first season. But if they wanted to cut those four men, and they needed to cut one female to make the numbers work, then the decision was made for them.

* Or to put it another way, those three Strictly 'partnerships' were not partnerships in the same way as the Bennetts, the Jordans and V&F are... I suspect those couples enter negotiations jointly, whereas Ian and Natalie for example would naturally be negotiating separately.

You may know more than I do - but, from everything I've read, I have the distinct impression that the professionals did not know what the BBC was saying to each of their agents and that deals were struck with those competing ahead of the others ... but then, instead of striking deals for the dancers intended to be part of the pro's group, the BBC announced what they were doing to the media. So the first the gang of five knew was what appeared on the website and in the press - they weren't told about what was planned, and nor were the pro's contracted to compete. Kristina might have known her own deal was done but assumed that Brian's was pending.

Judging by the standards used to determine who should compete and who should be relegated, I imagine Kristina was kept because she generated a lot of newspaper coverage last year. I have no idea if she is still with Joe, but if the BBC can pair her with another hunk and then fabricate a 'love triangle', they can get SCD some more publicity. (I'm almost choking on my own vomit at the prospect of this - but I really wouldn't put it past the half-wit producers).

As for the Jordans - of course they should stay! It's Anton and Brendan who should have been given the boot ...

Kristina has been wearing a sparkly ring on the 4th finger of her left hand - I wonder if the producers know!

She's had that for a while and publically said it's not an engagement ring as far as I can remember! I don't think she's staying because of the possibility of another showmance, I think the producers genuinely admire what she did with John Sergeant - can't have been easy in her first year on the show, and I think that's still keeping her there. I'm glad she's staying even though I'm not a huge fan of her dancing, she was very sweet when i met her

That said though, I'm sure none of the pros who signed contracts had any idea all of this was going to happen - the BBC would have pleaded confidentiality if any of the pros asked about the contract status of others...

I think she's staying because she is hot and tabloid newsworthy - and a great dancer!

I don't think she is engaged to Joe - at least not officially/publically!

I'm not trying to claim any insider knowledge

I just think the situation of Kristina assuming couldn't have happened between Darren and Lilia. They have the same agent, so they will know if something different is being said to one over the other. After Nicole's departure, I also very much doubt one would sign if the other did not yet have a contract.

If Kristina had known Brian wasn't being asked back, perhaps she would have come back anyway, perhaps not. But Darren and Lilia and a couple of the other 'real' partnerships would make damn sure they were both being offered contracts before they signed.

Whether it was all done above board or not, I suspect what saved Kristina was the looser nature of her partnership with Brian (that's not a dig by the way, I don't subscribe to the idea that the pros should be striking in protest or something... if they're not proper partnerships they should be looking after their own interests, particularly if like Kristina they have dependents). Realistically, once the BBC decided to ditch Darren, they knew they had ditched Lilia. They only needed to lose one female to make the numbers work, so it was done.

I've noticed a few people have thought this, why do you think they wanted rid of Darren? (just out of interest )