*snap*, yes Roxanne! She was a little lazy at first, but she really tried, but nothing she did after that could placate that strange woman that was Ruthie!

Colleen was the irritating one, and I am SO surprised she almost went all the way. And that tough but charming Irish investigative-reporter guy, what's his name? I don't know what's wrong with me today with names!!! Argh!

That would be the delicious Donal!

Okay, sorry, I was baiting you on that one. Of course, it's Donal, your wet-dream come true.

Matt Baker's cha-cha clip is up in youtube, it was even better than I first saw it. That snake hip of his!

I liked Gethin from the get go, but watching Matt was like watching a potato dance for me. I'm not getting all the love, at all.

I did love Pamela, and I liked Scott a lot too. I thought Natalie's choreography was brilliant. And her foot was on the floor when they did that "lift", watch it again.

There's an idea somewhere that one year they ought to put a lot of very capable, dance enabled, people in and see what they can do. This year though its a particular nonsense having someone who has been taught gymnastics to a very high level and someone one whose played one of the major danicng roles in musical theatre in a group with a lot of the over 60s. Its a nonsense if they win or if they go before their ability suggests they should.

Gymnastics isn't only about the moves, its about musical interpretation, learning choregraphy, being used to training, fitness, flexibility and detailed formal presentation. He should have done DOI where at least there's a new key skill extra needed in being able to skate.

I'm really surprised that no one has mentioned the Blue Peter book of ballroom dancing, sponsored by the Milk Marketing Board.

my Mum was buying an extra pint of red top for weeks in the 1960's to get the book for me.

AND not only was Matt on Blue Peter BUT he comes from farming stock too AND has presented items about dairy cattle on countryfile AND they always play music when milking the cows, so Matt may have heard music before as well.

Hilarious! I do think he has a bit of an advantage, but so do some of the others. I can't really take to him as a person though. The whole gymnastics bit at the beginning of his dance was just a bit too smug for my liking. Do that in the freestyle by all means, but don't just show off like that in the middle of another dance.

Oh boy, we got the "sm" word!


Seriously though...I reckon there are a few contenders this year. And if you think about it, if people are keeping up with Matt score-wise (and Pamela did, beautifully) without the perceived advantages, then maybe THEY have the advantage over HIM...i.e. natural ability to perform to that level without the prior training. Just a thought.

Anyway, that aside, I thought Matt did great, and all credit to Aliona for challenging him to perform to that standard.

Yeah, well...I think he is smug.

Just checked, they're still there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrBZ5zlfyXw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMjhTvmo5Ok

Was it at the start or in the middle then? Make your mind up!!!!

"In the middle" was just as expression; it was at the beginning of the dance. If you're trying to discredit what I've written, then you'll have to do better than that! You like him, I get it. I can't warm to him. The dance was good though, I'm not saying it wasn't.

I hardly think doing a flip is in any way an advantage, the judges will look at the dancing more so Len as he is not into the gimmick stuff.

The flip thing will only come into play if he gets to the final and does the free dance

Lets put it this way, it was entertaining and a pleasure to watch and thats what counts

It's just a fluffy bit of TV ENTERTAINMENT for goodness sake! and Matt entertained in spectacular fashion

He's done Secret Britain with Julia Walker, so he's used to being around beautiful women. That gives him a very unfair advantage!!!

I thought I mentioned it at every opportunity. Maybe I was going mad...

And Katie-P, thanks for the link. Can't seem to find it when I do a search in youtube.

Just wait to see his Foxtrot, then perhaps we will see what advantage being a former gymnast has.

Matt being an ex gymnast has nothing to do with his dancing ability, it's very different. Michelle Williams has had years of dance and choreography training, I don't think she should be in the show but we have had plenty of celebs on this show and Dancing on Ice who have had previous experience of dance or skating (skating to a good level) and I think there should be more of a level playing field.
Matt's previous life wouldn't give him more of an advantage than a sports person would have. We haven't seen Gavin Henson yet......he could be terrible. Remember how bad Joe Calzage was.......in fact terrible is too small a word.

Most sports people are fit and used to rigourous training which gives them an advantage, you would think, over the Anne Widdecombes and Paul Danielses. But remember Mark Foster? Enough said.

Oh WOW, can that man move or what.

Maybe I need to start watching.

Actually male gymnasts don't do their floor routines to music and don't generally include dance steps. Unless Matt did rhythmic gymnastics, his routines will have been based on strength and power moves, not grace and elegance. You could argue that an ex-male gymnast will have the opposite advantages to an ex-breakdancer (which Goldie apparently is). Both need to train, have a good level of fitness and flexibility and be willing to throw themselves into moves. The ex-gymnast will have the additional advantage of the formal presentation. The ex-breaker will have the advantage in setting routines to music and delberately performing to entertain an audience.

Honestly it's not that Matt doesn't have certain advantages but as someone said upthread, most of the celebs will. If he won an amateur Latin competition on a week's training then that sounds to me as though he's very naturally talented; if he weren't, one week would be nowhere near enough. Kara also had a week's training for the Sports' Relief thing, as did Jade last year (who was good but by no means spectacularly so. And she was another sports person with the advatages of flexibility, knowing how to use her body, being used to training hard).

In all honesty I think Matt's biggest advantage with Strictly is in being a nice, fairly good looking young man. There were an awful lot of people ready to support him before he even set foot on the dancefloor. His biggest disadvantage could well turn out to be people thinking that his gymnastics training and disco dancing experience mean he shouldn't be in the competition at all, combined with setting too high expectations in week 1.

Rubbish, there are loads of sports and athletic people who have done Strictly. Just because a person is supple, doesn't mean they won't have two left feet!

How can gymnastics be smug?

I thought he was just using his talents as many other contestants have done.

People always see different things in each contestant - that's what makes this forum so lively.

Matt seems like a really decent person to me. I thought he might be a bit wooden and embarressed so I was delighted to see him explode onto the floor last night. Fabulous!

Smug and unfair advantage all in one thread? Strictly truly is back!

I concur.

Blimey - I think that can count as previous experience; but I don't think we've ever had a series where everyone started from scratch.