Originally Posted by BuddyBontheNet:
“Normally we are like twins with our replies on here, but we are not in complete agreement this time Servalan.
I do agree about the risk that Moira Ross is taking and I think allowing a celeb couple to use the harness is a step too far and a BIG mistake.
I also agree the partnership of Ann and Anton was solely intended to swell the element of entertainment, but then again, so was partnering Paul with Ola. Paul used props every week, but so far the only 'prop' Ann has used is the feather boa. The rest of the time Ann's routines have been about her trying her best with the limited, but creative choreography that Anton has devised for her.
But I do think Ann has tried much harder than JS to learn the dances. Lots of people connected with the show (including the pros) have commented on how hard she is trying (e.g. on ITT). I also think Ann is far more entertaining than JS ever was.
Would I have had either of them on the show in the first place? No. However, it has been a big surprise to me how much I have enjoyed Ann taking part and until this harness business cropped up, there were a couple of celebs I was willing to put up with being eliminated before Ann. Not now.”
OMG - does this mean we aren't psychic twins any more?!



Sorry, but Paul's props were [a] minimal and [b] part of Moira Ross' cheese-fest in which routines make references to celebs' professions. They weren't to my taste but I don't think they were intended to overshadow any dance content, which Ann herself has pretty much admitted the harness is.
I was no JS fan and, like you, would rather not have either him or AW in the show. However, what happened with him was at least organic until the anti-BBC newspapers fuelled the hysteria and Arlene put her size tens in it by telling the public how they should vote. AW has been deliberately engaged to replicate the 'entertainment' JS brought to the show but this time is being encouraged to do so. And I have to take issue with the suggestion that she is trying more than JS did: Kristina had more dance content in her routines for him and certainly didn't reduce them to finger-wagging and walking around, which pretty much summed up Ann's salsa. She isn't even making an effort with her posture.
I am all for Strictly being a mixture of a dancing competition and an entertainment show - but Ann is very obviously taking the p***, and being encouraged to do so by the producers. If she is continually hyped in this way, she will obliterate the strong female contenders (Pamela, Kara) and others starting to snap at their heels (Tina, Patsy), and we will end up with the guys with strong female support (Scott, Matt and possibly Jimi) as the only people who can stop her winning. And now that continuing in the show is linked to money, I can't see Ann doing the honourable thing and bowing out early ...