what the hell happened there tonight I mean this woman used to b part of one of the world's most famous girl groups. You'd at least expect her to feel moods and music None of that though. This rumba resembled more of a cross between Brendan's showdance w/ Lisa yrs ago and something even more ridiculous. Even the judges didn't know how to break that news to her so they tried to say some nice things instead and give tips. After all she already thinks the whole UK is against her.
Piece of advice: try to at least make it look like you're enjoying yourself, it won't last long anyway if this is all you've got on display. Ann Widdecombe sets a good example there, seeing she is as shocking at this if not worse at least she has fun and doesn't wallow in selfpity.

... and the only one to not have an amazingly successful solo career.

I found it very awkward. There wasn't enough tension running through Michelle's body to create the figures she was attempting to properly. It was all very tentative and stiff and her face was expressionless.

I'm surprised the judges were so kind to her.

I think Michelle has discovered that ballroom dancing is harder than she anticipated; certainly a lot harder than the disco-type routines she would have danced as part of her girl-band!

I think one of the most useful pieces of advice she had tonight was from Len - try a lower heeled shoe. I'm not sure, but she looks as if she has small feet, and if so dancing in a 3" heel will make her trying to dance virtually on her tip toes. It is not a comfortable feeling, and it is almost impossible to put strength into the ankles. (Yep, I speak from experience, taking a size 2 1/2 shoe, a 3" heel makes me feel I'm dancing on pointes of a ballet shoe!)

Other than that, her legs are very gangly and weak. She can't help the shape of them (and how many women would die to have legs like that?) but even Brendan was nodding when one of the judges (was it Craig?) said she needed to strengthen her legs.

Awww, come on, nothing will reach the dizzying heights of sh*t that Brendan and Lisa's showdance reached, even if Brendan did look like a turd tonight!

They were last week as well Sid. I reckon they have been told to go easy on here because of how she or Brendan will react. I think they are worried she will come out with a mouthful on live TV. She was attrocious tonight. The sooner she goes the better.

I must admit, I'm slowly going off this partnership and I've defended them up til now.

Not keen on all this treading on eggshells around some contestants but not others.

Have said on another thread that Michelle's body dancing is as graceful as a tennis-ball-headed stick insect.
Shall be delighted when this America diva gets voted off and Brendan can be released from being polite to her. He must cringe when seeing the playbacks. And why those high heels?

I'm surprised how poor Michelle is and I reckon Brendan thought he had a goodun this year. Her legs look like rigid sticks and she can't get the movement - it's a bit painful to watch.

Michelle should grow up, and try and learn from the judges comments. It looked to me like the judges were told to go easy on her. She's just a tantrum throwing diva.

I'm no expert, but even I could see she looks like she's falling over all the time. And could she please TRY to look like she's enjoying herself?!

BTW, her shoulders almost touched her ears, and none of the judges commented on that?

Anyway, well done Michelle. Uhmm, at least your nails looked nice << they made me end with a positive comment, or else Michelle will be mad!

That is what I saw too, and at the end of the dance I expected the judges to pick up on it, but none did. They were definitely treading on eggshells. Not fair when you consider how Paul was treated. I am not a big fan, but he did seem to put in the effort and is a lot older than Michelle so has stiffer joints (a hindrance in the Rhumba). He took all comments on the chin, even the ones that were not fair. (I was disappointed with Craig for making comments about Paul oggiling Ola, after all "lovely Debbie McGee" was in the audience.) Paul deserved criticism, but so did Michelle, and the difference in comments received was huge.

Wasn't keen on it myself ! What does she do in training all week ? Brendan is one hard task master

I think her biggest problem is the lack of strength in her legs. She has zero muscle tone in them and therefore she can't control them so she ends up looking like a muppet on stilts. They are also an unfortunate shape, much like Ricky Whittles' were last year. Only difference is he had muscle and could control them or at least teach himself to control them. She doesn't even have much of a nice personality to endear herself to the public so they can save her and maybe gift her a few weeks to try to get stronger. I think she's screwed basically.

lightonmyfeet: I agree that the difference in the level of judge's backlash between the people who deserve it can sometimes be annoying but I think the judges really give it to those they think can handle it. When someone is bad week after week, they usually take a break from the criticism one week just to lift their spirits a little. I predict that next week, if Michelle is still there, she'll go back to getting the bollocking she deserves and Paul, if he's still there, will get a brief respite from the bollocking he'll no doubt deserve lol.

Be honest, Kelly's isn't amazingly succesful.

Two collobartions do not a greatest hits make.

Not possible. Look in any "dance" dictionary of the past two years and against the words "absurd", "ridiculous", "cringeworthy", "unthinkable" and the like, you will see pictures of Lisa and Brendan in various poses from their showdance.

With regard to Michelle, I understand the stance the programme seems to be taking even if I don't agree with it. Michelle is a fairly big name (at least someone from a group that is definitely internationally famous and successful). She's also from a country that is the most powerful in the world in all sorts of ways. It makes some sort of sense that they wouldn't want someone like her to feel they'd been treated badly (even if they'd only been treated like anyone else) and so possibly damage the show's chances of getting another celeb in the very well known/internationally famous bracket.

Michelle's see-through skirt did her no favours, it contributed to the stick-insect impression. She doesn't have an outstanding persona like some other "non-dancing" celebs, she seems like "filler" and I don't expect her to last long because she is not going to improve, she's just not made for ballroom dancing and there's nothing she or Brendan can do about it.

parthena

I disagree completely. Her face wasn't expressionless; she was channeling that surprised open-mouthed look of a cheap blow up sex doll. The whole thing was simply painful to watch.

The song is literally famous for the music video which evoked SUCH passion and emotion of true love through Helena Christensen's face and eyes. HOW can you get it SO wrong? It was not the dance of love and more the dance of "surprise".

I personally didn't like her arms at the start and while she was more controlled (note the positive), it was essentially ragdoll-ish with Brendan controlling most of the movement.

I could not agree more and commented on that in the first 10 seconds to my OH. If any other contestant had done that they would have made a big deal of it.

More evidence, if needed, that they are treading on egg shells for some reason. It is not fair to the other contestants. Also, their comments are not reflected in the low marks. Did you see her face last night. She probably thought she did OK from the judges comments, then they marked her low. She is a grown woman FFS! Tell it like it is judges!

It was not good...as for her reaction to comments...I doubt anyone has dared say anything negative to her for years.

I couldn't watch it after the first couple of poses. She is spectacularly awful. And hasn't endeared herself to me by being seemingly incapable of taking criticism. Technically just about everything is wrong. Shoulders. No timing. Flailing legs. Doesn't complete a move. Weak.

Sorry and all that. I just assumed she'd be good. She's not.

No nor am i! Brendan needs to learn to take criticism (it's not even about him FFS!) and she is rubbish so why should the judges HAVE to be nice when they are allowed to be rude to others

I think they are worried that one or both of them will lose their temper on live pre-watershed TV. But that is NO excuse for judging them differently.

Prehaps if the judges hadn't been so negative to Michelle & Brendan in the 1st week when they always seemed to find at least one thing positive & nice to say about all the others ,then Michelle might not have been as down.

I think they might have seen at the rehearsals how paralysed with nerves and lacking in self-confidence Michelle was and wanted to help a little - nothing wrong with that. She seemed really down about it all. Brendan is being supportive and understanding though

Unfortunately she still would have been just as ungainly and awkward.