Did anyone notice on the show last night that Tess had all the judges' comments printed on a card when she was talking to couples straight after their dances?

On that basis do they script their comments and make them regardless of how the dance goes?

Are you sure it is not the order of the judges? It needs to be synced with the card the cameraman has.
Arlene certainly had a few comments scripted. Otherwise, the comments are appropriate to the performance.

You would be amazed at how fast the comments can be got from one place to another. The runners certainly earn their money.

Maybe Tess makes a few notes of what they say .

You mean Tess can stand and think at the same time? I underrated her.

Or someone speed-types into a networked PC (or similar) and the comments are quickly printed out upstairs to Tess.

Easy with modern technology and people who can transcribe spoken word into written word quickly and precisely (as they do in Courts, Parliament etc).

And as I used to do when I was at work! 100wpm shorthand - for a while!

It's definitely the words- she made the mistake of pointing to her card to illustrate as she quoted what the judges said. I agree it had probably been produced at speed for her.

It intrigued me to think she couldn't just listen to the judges, take the point she wanted to comment on in her five second interview, and remember it for twenty seconds until she needed it. She really is just a pretty face isn't she!

The judges won't be scripted but Tess's bit is no doubt hurriedly scripted. What i mean is that when the judges speak I imagine someone is picking out the bits they want Tess to focus on and hand them to her to use in her interview. I can't say I noticed it happen but I would imagine she doesnt specifically refer to the last judges comments

Oh Katie_p, you haven't done any live performance, have you?

There are so many distractions, the other dancers are probably chatting merrily the whole way through, and I don't see a writing desk anywhere!

Nope, my money's on a fast note-taker and printout, on the same level as the 'Tessarine' but hidden out of sight.
Mind you, she has to read and absorb and pronounce within secs! I guess Tess is doing ok - let's see how Claudia did.
(Sorry, I'm not reading the spoiler thread - for once, I can be at home this Sunday)

I have actually, and I'm still shocked at Tess being unable to keep these comments in her mind for 20 seconds.

ETA not live as in live TV, obviously! But something I think is broadly analogous.

We do this every year.

It is patently obvious that the remarks about the performances made by the judges which contain a lot of alliteration are not off the cuff. They've probably got them written down. Whether they think them up in-between programmes or a BBC scriptwriter writes them for them I've no idea, but I'm of the opinion, that none of them are bright enough to think them up on the spur of the moment.


As the comedian Jerry Lewis once said; "You can't beat a bit of carefully rehearsed spontaneity."


This is more a "show" than a "competition" so much of it will be carefully rehearsed in advance.

Who's to say she can even hear what's being said, I'm sure there are monitors up there for the contestants to watch, but whilst the live focus is on the judges the production crew will be preparing the mezzanine for the next link.

Runners, printed extracts, surely one does not need to be brain of Britian to remember a couple of remarks for a few seconds that they can either hear or watch on a monitor.

Yes people are so reluctant to give the girl any credit. Its not that difficult also to jot down the key phrases used by the judges. Also the couples are running up the stairs as soon as they finish speaking so they would bump into any runner running down

Tess does an excellent job on a live show.

Have to be scripted otherwise they would have made more of Pamela's tumble. It appeared to be brushed aside in favour of the pearls of wisdom previously written.