Yes there is but people don't seem to use it.

She gets paid bigtime, and gets priceless TV exposure before millions.

To hell with paying customers. What have customers got to do with it?

The idea to have an ex contestant is good.

IMO Alesha wasn't quite up to the job.

IMO there could be a guest ex contestant each year.

I'm surprised that the BBC kept Alesha but dropped (one way or another) Brian, Matthew and Lilia.

Alesha is much better than the bitchy Arleen

Totally useless.

Winning post!

To make Arlene look good

I kind of agree with this post - I suppose there is a case to say that an ex-contestant brings their own special insight to the show, though personally I've never thought that insight as valuable as that of a dance professional. But yes, why Alesha again? There are plenty of ex-contestants around, including former winners. What makes Alesha the special one?
I'd far rather have seen any of the dancers mentioned above on the panel.

I'm surprised she is back. She brings nothing to the show.

I am NOT surprised she is back.....I much prefer Alesha to Arlene.....any day!!!

I think she brings LOTS to the show

I like Alesha as a person, and as a contestant, I don't doubt that she was fantastic (I didn't watch in 2007 but I've seen performances/training on youtube recently)...

I was willing to watch her last year to see what she was like as a judge...and I just don't think it works having her on the panel.

If they wanted to replace Arlene, they should have put one of the strictly professionals in her place (Karen Hardy would have been a perfect replacement).

I do feel for Alesha though... so many people have slated her for being on the judging panel, but if you had been a contestant on the show, had loved every second of it and you had been given the chance to continue as part of the team...would you turn it down?

No way would I have turned it down Mimi, nobody in their right mind would.

Two women appeared in court, each claiming to be the mother of a disputed baby. Solomon offered to slice the baby and give half to each.
One claimant welcomed the offer.

Strictly has already been sliced.

I certainly don't question Alesha's decision to accept the job - it seems to be her most high-profile work these days, anyway. More, I question whether the BBC made the right decision in hiring her. In fairness, I think Len's well past his use-by date, too. (I also used to think Bruno was pretty pointless, but he sharpened up his act last year - maybe because he saw what happened to Arlene?)

Straight from the blog "Moses and me"....

Should we not wait with our assessment until the show has actually properly started. I know it's an unusual concept to judge something after it has happened, but it might make sense. (and yes we have seen her last year, but things might have changed)

I'm not Alesha's biggest supporter, and she did partly annoy me last year. I don't think she was much worse than Arlene to be fair. I would have preferred Karen as a judge.

However, the point of Alesha is to be the fourth judge on the show, which she is (would be terrible if we had only 3 men). She hasn't judged anything this year so far, so we have no idea whether she improved since last year and how good or rubbish she is going to be. Her comments in the launch show were by no means worse than Bruno's, Craig's or Len's or Brucie's.

From the Times obituary page.
One baby sliced into two by the choice made by one person,
supported by many persons.

I don't see the point in her, other than for SCD to get to a level of completely selling out just to please the viewers and dilute the technicalities of the performance.

I'm in for the entertainment aspect as much as anyone (hated when John Sargent was forced to walk), but I like the judges to know what they're talking about.

ya gotta love backseat modding

...meaning

I agree that Bruno should not be there either. But if they both must be there I really wish they would separate them. Last year I got fed up listening to them wittering on in the background while Len or Craig were speaking. Craig has it bad enough when Bruce seems to think his job is to talk over Craig without having Alesha and Bruno going on too.

I like Craig nad Len and I can only assume they are paid well for what they do on the show and that the publicity gained helps them in the real day time work. Otherwise if I was them I would have told the BBC where to put the judging panel.

What is the point of Alesha when we had two experts sitting in the audience, either would make an excellent judge, Karen Hardy and Matthew Cutler .

LOL. Nice one!!!

Ya also gotta love the posters who moan about too many Alesha threads and yet they're constantly all over 'em!!! What would they do without them!!

Going by last year, there isn't much point to Alesha on the SCD panel. She hasn't enough experience, Though somehow she might have improved.

Alesha on The X Factor panel, now there's a point. IMHO she could have been better than any other woman they've ever had on the prog.

She's certainly got the credentials. She's worked as a member of a group and as a solo artist. I think she has also the personality to deal with Cowell and co. Alesha could have been brilliant on that panel.

Unfortunately she doesn't have the brain.

Perhaps you could share with us your indepth and comprehensive comparisons of the relative intellectual achievements of all the judges?