Ann was forced from the show, and the entertainment left with her... now we are left with the same boring rubbish that we see most years with Strictly Come Walking With Rhythm... time to tune out to other channels.

pork.pie do you mean by the judges via their comments?
I would sympathise as Jimi - my number one! - took a regular pasting from them; though Ann has been helped along by their enthusiasm.

I think she'd shown all she could do and voters got bored.

How on earth was Ann 'forced' from the show? :yawn:

It was Ann's sinking public vote - leaked on popbitch two weeks ago - that led to her exit. You may have chosen to believe her claims that 'the public' loved her - but the reality was what we saw last night. The public grew increasingly tired of her and voted accordingly.

If you'd rather not watch now, that's your choice. But the weekend's results show most viewers prefer 'Strictly Come Walking With Rhythm' () to 'Strictly Let's Be Lazy, Arrogant And Self-Centred' ...

You take it all rather serious don't you, that was the problem that Ann was up against really. I can't stand the woman, but she certainly added some humour to a very bland show... good for her I say!

Where was the humour? I found her completely humourless. Anton was the funny one and all the better for it.

The show is on, the entertainment begins, the curtain rises!

I quite agree. I posted the following on another thread yesterday.

"Is it just me, but now AW has gone (and no, I didn't vote for her) the programme has lost something. The anticipation of her awful dances, and the suspense of seeing if she had been voted back each week, added a certain frisson. It all seems a bit flat now. But as I say, maybe that's just me."

Needless to say, I got shot down in flames. Seems we are in the minority pork.pie, but actually the viewing figures will tell the reality of the differing opinions.

Why does my response indicate that I take Strictly seriously?

If you found Ann funny, that's fine. But please bear in mind that other people didn't - and that doesn't mean we 'take it seriously'. Just that we have a different sense of humour.

And, personally, I saw nothing amusing in Ann's behaviour on the show. If she'd come out and done comedy routines in which she'd made an effort to learn her dance steps and she actually injected some passion into what she did, I might have felt differently.

However, from everything I saw, she treated it as a cynical exercise in doing as little as possible whilst talking about herself as much as possible. Which doesn't, in my book, make her either entertaining or appealing.

I guess you prefer comedy when served with a shovel

As opposed to Ann's excavator, you mean? Sure ... but then subtlety was never her strong point, was it?

I don't know whether you take SCD seriously, but you certainly took Ann seriously, based on your posting history (although not specifically your post to Pork Pie).

Whereas Ann fans only ever claimed that they found her funny or good entertainment, you found it necessary to repeatedly highlight her political views, her alleged exploitation of the media and even to slag off the BBC for the way they over-promoted Ann relative to other contestants.

Whilst these are all perfectly valid viewpoints, they do suggest that you do (or did) take the Ann issue very seriously indeed compared to most folk who just turn on, watch, enjoy, endure, laugh, cry or whatever, maybe vote and then wait until next week.

Thats what I think as well!

It really was time for her to go. I would have hated seeing a good dancer go to enable Ann to remain. Instead of voting off two next week they should have done that this week and Gavin would have left too.

We will always be shot down when we support something that threatens the quaint little world that others have created in their own minds. Some people actually think that this show is actually about the 'art' of dance, but like every other show that involves a public vote, it is nothing more than a popularity contest, how else can we explain the continued presence of Gavin 'I love my mirror' Henson? "He can't dance but I like him 'cos ee iz fit!".

I don't see she was forced. I think that a large proprotion of the public had grown bored of seeing the same thing all the time. I got bored on week 2, some people haven't got bored of her yet. It was just her time, which I think is pretty much what she said herself.

No, Scott would have gone, Gavin scored highly enough with the public to not be in the bottom two

No-one is forcing you to watch so why don't you take your own advice and tune to another channel. As you won't be watching the "boring rubbish" I presume you won't feel the need to comment on this forum.

Many of us are over the moon now Ann has left the show and feel that her "boring rubbish" has spoilt the show so far. Some of us are looking forward to enjoying a great semi-final and final with some excellent dancers. Comments like yours will not detract from our enjoyment. I hope you enjoy whatever other channel you will be watching next week. Goodbye.

For most viewers there was no pleasure at all in seeing Ann 'dance'. I am very glad she has gone.

Well done to our Gav for stepping up to the plate, batting like a hero, remembering all his steps, and piloting Katya round the floor. Will mix up this metaphor even more once I've had my next caffeine fix.

The suspense next week will surely be between Gavin, Pamela and Scott, as the judges surely will not risk marking Pamela and James quite so highly next time.

But James does deserve that 40 for taming the wild Pamela - she is a difficult lass to handle - did you see her on the Graham Norton show?

Gavin is young and fit, but Pamela is 61yo and fit and outperforming Gavin. Pamela tries within an inch of her life, Gavin tries, other rugby players Darren Gough tried, Matt Dawson tried, Kenny Logan tried, Austin Healey tried, 64yo John Sergeant tried.

For amateurs to try and fall short is fine, but anyone who chooses not to try goes against the fundamental competitive spirit of Strictly. She has a place -- in the Generation Game.

Newsflash:

"The show is not over,
the entertainment is not finished,
the curtain has not closed!"

Ann continues to be available to her honest admirers in her newspaper column and on the after-dinner speaking circuit. Good luck.

Have to disagree here...

In blunt mathematical terms, the phone vote is most important. All competitors indulge shameless in competing for viewers' votes, and in this competition, Ann, perhaps largely due to Anton's genius, proved remarkably adept. Many a talented dancer has been consigned to the dustbin of also rans because they could not compete effectively in this area.

Even if Ann had dedicated herself to practicing properly, she would still have been at the bottom with the judges each week once Shilts and Paul Daniels had gone.

Dancing "properly" but badly is a waste of time. Plenty of people have done this and disappeared without trace in teh early stages. If you're dancing badly, you need to do it in a unique way to stand out, and what is more unique dancing-wise in SCD than not dancing at all? All the better if done with a man wearing glittering yellow trousers.

Absolutely - I was indeed one of many posters who referred to her political views. Am I supposed to just whitewash those things out of existence? Why should I? Why should I pretend that someone who has tried to legislate against millions of people is suddenly some cuddly figure only interested in having 'fun'? If others choose to, that's fine, and I understand the publicity the BBC has used Ann to generate, but I don't really find history being rewritten hilarious. As for finding Ann 'entertaining', I could name you a dozen Strictly contestants I find way more entertaining than her, and for many different reasons ('watch, enjoy, endure, laugh, cry or whatever' would cover them all). But everyone has their own favourites.

I have worked at the BBC and understand very well how it works. So I may be quick to spot some aspects others may not be troubled by. But I don't sit down each week to watch 'Strictly with Ann and Anton', as one BBC Breakfast presenter recently described the show. And when everyone else in the series is working all the hours they have, sustaining injuries or suffering from exhaustion, and putting their heart and soul into their work, why should I not comment on the BBC's over-promotion of one contestant who is lazy, is rude, arrogant and obsessed with herself?

That doesn't necessarily mean I don't have a sense of humour. If you want to look at what I laughed at most recently, I'd direct you to the rewording of 'Hello Dolly' some inspired FMs created in honour of Ann's exit ...

This post goes a long way towards justifying my earlier claim that Strictly is nothing more than a popularity contest. Thank you

Strictly is and always has been a mixture of celebs learning how to dance and a popularity contest.

Nothing new there ...

Ditto John Sergeant.

But unmusical John tried to his outermost limits, losing two stone in the process. Kristina adored and respected him, herself three times reduced to tears on TV. By credible accounts John was leading the poll with more votes than Austin and Tom combined. John decided the risk of winning was a joke too far for him and for Strictly.

To stay on at any price by any means damages Strictly. But the public have spoken now -- the ultimate arbiter.