I did feel the applause for her was not as strong as it has been. Or am I fooling myself?

But she doesn't dance! Haven't you noticed yet?

She didn't get the inevitable standing ovation on Saturday.

Would spoil it for me. Can you imagine it - two dances and a show dance - complete torture, for her and for me.

The thing for the BBC to do is to offer the host position to Anton provided he suddenly gets a back problem or a groin strain. Maybe that's already happened - the offer I mean!

My feelings exactly.
She will have served her purpose, which clearly is to generate discussion.........sure isn't to promote the dance.

Yes, this is worrying me too. Ann winning it would not be so bad because everyone would know that she was not really, really the winner, and the runner-up would get more credit. But if Gavin makes it through then there could be some doubt and a lot of outrage on here.

I thought the same , but then wondered if the producers had turned down the cattle prods , as the audience seemed to be less inclined to leap to thier feet if somone lifted a leg off the floor . Or maybe the audience was simply less sheep like .

Agree absolutely, This joke is not funny any more. Her continuing presence is ruining a good show.

But not for Ann, it would seem, as she refuses to do the latin routines or learn their steps.

So your argument rather falls flat ...

It is extremely clear that there is a three-line whip as far as Ann is concerned - not just on SCD and ITT, but across the entire BBC. Nobody is allowed to criticise her, and she must be promoted above all other contestants.

Her only critics are Craig - as the panto villain she can dole out her heavily scripted ripostes to on the main show - and Karen Hardy, who has effectively pointed out that Ann is doing little more than walking through her steps.

The coverage of Ann outside the main show is even more terrifying than on the show itself. Items on BBC News focus solely on Ann, and on CBBC's Newsround she is described as 'the lovely Ann'.

So don't expect any outbursts from James or, indeed, anyone else. She's been given special status. And doesn't she know it ...

I would love to be a fly on the wall in some of the conversations between the celebrities, the pros and the judges! I bet they say what they think then.

Even Karen's barely criticising her, if she said anything more scathing she'd probably lose her job too. On the midway review Chris & Ola tried to be critical but again it was clear Ola was having to be guarded!

The media coverage of Ann above all the other contestants is frankly appalling - in no other year would a contestant be asked to talk so much about another contestant, yet in almost every interview with any contestant or pro dancer I've heard/read they get asked about Ann more than they get to talk about their own dancing

I loved that moment when Claudia said Ann's name and Chris and Ola gave each other a very knowing look that spoke volumes! 'Guarded' says it all ... I actually thought Chris was very diplomatic. Not that Ann is interested in what anyone has to say, anyway ...

All the media coverage - especially from the BBC - has been pretty appalling, and if Ann does win (), there are some serious questions that should be asked. Promoting one contestant above all the others is not in the spirit of the competition and has created a very unlevel playing field this year.

I wonder. Having Anton as the hero who gets Ann through to the final - maybe even the crown - would be a good introduction for him. And i'm sure Bruce is now being eased out of his job. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

Ann herself, could of course be quite innocent in all this. Whatever else people think of her she does come across as quite honest.

Yes. Gavin is quite awful on SCD. Back to Saracens and stay there please!

I completely agree with this. Whilst the Beeb can't really actively portray her in a negative light because of her political views, the disproportionate promotion of her is starting to jar with me.

Maybe when the "non-Anne" element of the field thins out, their votes will remain with a "non-Anne" candidate and she will get the chop.

What it needs is for one of the really good dancers to urge the viewers to vote for a good dancer other than themselves. "If I can't win, then I want a twinkletoes like [x] to win" would put the cat amongst the pigeons.

I wonder if any of the good dancers has the moral fibre to "take one for the team"?

We can rule out Scott, as he'd sensibly be too scared of Antipodean reprisals to go "over the top" in such a way.

I think it would be a very hollow victory for Anton if he won this year.

Hmm. Is it possible to be honest at the same time as being lazy, cynical, rude, arrogant, lacking in any humility or generosity of spirit towards your fellow contestants, and having a very high opinion of yourself? If Ann was honest about all those things, then perhaps.

But she isn't ...

Please, please vote for Kara/Matt/Scott/Pamela/Felicity/Gavin next week, on behalf of so many viewers and really strong fans of SCD who watch it live from places outside mainland UK - Northern Ireland, for one, and lots of places sur le Continong but we can't vote.
If we could, the grand British joke of inserting comedy turns in dance competitions would be shorter lived.

where there are many many good fans and well wishers for the good dancers.

Like Craig the actor, let Ann get to Blackpool and there make her graceful exit.

I really would like to see more ballroom from Felicity and I'm sure there's another good Latin in her somewhere.

People from Northern Ireland can vote. The mainland is Great Britain, include Northern Ireland and you get the UK. Sorry for being slightly pedantic, but as I'm originally from NI it annoys me when people think we're isolated and can't vote on things like this. You can't vote from the Republic of Ireland, but from the North you can, and I have done many times!

I agree with what you're saying though, I would dearly love Ann to be voted out on Saturday.

I mean honest in the sense of saying what she thinks, and of not trying to portray herself as something she is not (will exclude dancing from this though). Why do you say she's lacking in generosity of spirit towards her fellow contestants though?

I stand corrected - I did mean republic of, sorry.

Anyway I'm glad N I bods can vote - surely they are all level-headed and would vote for the dancing.

Diamondville:
"everyone's complete lack in testicular fortitude"
love it

Let's hope that Blackpool will always remain the litmus paper test of the SCD competition: anybody can get there, but only the best dancers can get through.

That should sort it! but, oh dear, we will all have to "endure" Ann's Salsa - presumably in a neck to floor costume, which is most un-Salsa-ish.

Love watching Anton, but I think there's a train wreck coming to Blackpool Pier.

Ah... you've met me, then?

I guess my question would be "is it possible to be honest when you decide you're simply not going to bother even trying to dance 50% of the dances because you don't like them, even when you're being paid 100% of the time?"

Perhaps because she'd rather talk about herself than say anything complimentary about them? (Evidence: her Radio Times column, where she was asked who she wanted to win and, rather than say anything positive about anyone else, said she'd prefer not to do that as she wants to win.)

Perhaps because she is never seen on the balcony of Tess' turret, applauding her fellow contestants?

Perhaps because she mocks the effort others are putting in by making next to no effort herself?