I really liked John, his ballroom was delightful - as Arlene put it, like Pooh bear, and I loved his American Smooth, he fully deserved to stay in that week. I also loved that Paso, which I am never going to forget.

I was gutted when he left. Strictly was just that little bit boring after he'd gone, and the manner in which he'd been treated left a bad taste. I didn't watch again until the second half of the final that year.

I think I prefer him to Ann, although I'm loving Anton this year, he's found his true calling I think.

This about sums it all up for me and his timing was spot on (for once ) being headline news for his stint on the cruise ship.


He totally disgusted me on that show - odious, ignorant self-obsessed little man.

Ann respects her teacher and they collaborate well on her strengths as well as her failings working hard to give the best performance they can.
It's touching that she is so proud when she gets the steps right - it doesn't come easy to her but it's not for the want of trying.

I would say neither!

Ann. John was ok but Anton's routines for Ann are wonderful. Like having the proper dancers as a main course and a gooey creamy pudding with Ann and Anton.

This is true and Anton is ideal for her.

Well, I'd agree Anton is fully complicit in Ann's routines - but it's less of a collaboration playing to her strengths, and more of a full-scale 'let's see how ridiculous we can make ourselves look this week' effort.

They're playing it for as much 'entertainment' as they can, meaning that everyone is watching the gimmicks and nobody is watching the steps that Ann actually does manage to put in.

As for being proud of getting the steps right, that's like me being proud if I crash my car and say 'well, at least I put the handbrake on before I got out.' Like driving, there's a lot more to dance than the basic steps involved. Ann's complete refusal - inability, even - to realise this is what irks me.

Anton is a total star and knows EXACTLY what he is doing.

Well... I never felt a need to watch John Sergeant from behind a cushion whereas I do that with Ann every week. I actually can't bear to watch her routines.

They always have the at least one................we better get used to it, BBC obviously think we are all stupid. its the same old same old.......

THIS yes But they are/were both equally awful. And this year with Ann is worse because it is so contrived and planned out.

Ann has good cause to speak to the judges sternly they have shown her no encouragement whatsoever.

She is spoken to in a no less favourable way than any of the other contestants.

Perhaps Anne ought to have the good grace to listen to the judges comments before she talks over them. The other dancers seem to be able to accept criticism, why can't she?

In hindsight, John believing in his own hype was, I think, temporary. There was a moment of appalling arrogance - 'The public will save me' - but he knew when the joke stopped being funny, namely when everyone else was taking him too seriously.

I could not disagree more with your first paragraph: Ann is putting on an act of 'having fun' but she is deadly serious about winning. She's said she wants to, and she won't back out like JS did. She is deliberately putting all her energy into the comedy aspect of her routines and not making any effort on the dancefloor. Anyone could walk through their steps like she is doing. She has also been arrogant from the off, and I thoroughly object to her being repackaged as 'the lovely Ann' as if the contentious issues on which she still campaigns are supposed to be forgotten. There is no heart or passion to any of her performances and, from where I'm sitting, the joke is actually at the expense of those who vote for her.

And so, although I'd ideally prefer Strictly without either of them, I'd go for John.

How much of Strictly have you ever seen?

Throughout its history, contestants have been addressed in some really harsh ways.

A right of reply is one thing, but nobody other than Ann has ever been full of their own self-importance to such an extent that they shouted over what the judges were saying. And I can think of a number of other contestants who were spoken to in a much harsher way than Ann ever has been.

Then again, it's one rule for Ann and another for everybody else, isn't it?

When Arlene was there she'd give tips on how to improve, we no longer have that now, it's either all negative or love.

Can I ask if you are systematically bumping every old thread about Ann Widdecombe you can find? And what your motivation for this is? I'm sick to the back teeth of the board being swamped by this relentless circular argument perpetuated ad nauseum.

I don't like Ann but am LOVING Anton and because of that am very happy for Ann to stay in the competition.

You could start your own thread. Just ignore the ones you find tedious is my suggestion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urb0dpHJX2w
Enough said - best routine SCD has ever seen for entertainment value. Oh and he lost a couple of stone so he must have been doing something more than reading the press.

Yeah but no-one would see it because a small subset of posters keep bumping the same threads to the first page, within which they're having the same tired old arguments.

There's more to Strictly than Ann bloody Widdecombe, not that you'd know it the way some people on here are acting.

I don't know what the problem is, they were all merged last night.

Does it have to be an Ann free zone totally?

If the posters who loathe Ann and dislike the threads stopped posting on them they'd drop from the front page soon enough.

John definitely wins hands down for wit. No contest whatsoever.

Yes, John is a very witty man, and his dances had wit and charm. Ann's are just puerile slapstick.

totally agree , loved john and kristina x

There are 6 threads about Ann on the first page right now. No, it doesn't have to be an Ann free zone but the same people are having the same argument across multiple threads. And no, they wouldn't drop off the front page - just look at TerryM22's thread where he posted 4 consecutive times over a period of days. I'm not sure if that breaks some kind of forum rule but it's sure as hell irritating.