Interesting question - maybe you can get funding to carry out the research? Before you start though, here's a tip from Quantitative Research 101 - anecdotal evidence counts for sod all.

But if you're that keen, here's my details: 23 year old female, wants Kara to win, thinks Pamela is the most overmarked celeb in the history of SCD (yes, even more so than Lisa Snowdon ).

Pamela attempts and succeeds with dance moves giving her insurance company heart attack. In the VW she showed impeccable taste and musical micro-timing. At 61 unquestionably a medical miracle, at her daughter's age Pam could have been a sensational dancer.

However as a TV presenter longwinded Pam cannot match Matt. On the floor she committed the faux pas of micro dresses displaying thighs any woman wrestler would be proud of. Another admirable dancer did this once and lost -- Emma.

All respect and honour to Pamela the dancer, but a champion performance needs to send tingles down the spine of the audience, not four wooden bookkeepers.

Precisely. The judges have done her no favours with their gushing praise, week after week. In addition, Pamela has done herself no favours with her OTT behaviour..as a psychiatrist, you would think she would know better ?
I admired her in the opening few weeks, then a combination of the judges' bias, and her cringeworthy behaviour, turned me against her. I still don't "hate" her, but I wouldn't want to see her win.

Eh, firstly I'm not a Pamela hater, I just think she's been consistently overscored and secondly, I'm 28. I really do get sick of the high school reaction to criticism - oh you're just a hater, you're jealous, you're rubber and I'm glue. Maybe she is criticised by people because she gets scores she doesn't deserve while others who deserve those scores are judged more harshly and people think it's unfair? I don't understand the personal comments about Pamela, that is silly and childish but please don't assume everyone who begrudges Pamela's gifted scores is someone who would take the time to comment on or berate her appearance like a 13 year old.

Hey, sexism and ageism in one sentence - nice one.

Hold on a second...

*DJ checks - no, definitely male*

Mind you, I dunno if I "hate" her - I just think she's definitely overhyped and very weird.


Blimey, some friend you are.

My name is DavidJames and I endorse this post.

In fact, I should have read it before posting earlier.

It could be jealousy or it could be a dislike of the cult of youth which makes many women attempt to look younger than they are.

I am in that age group and have NEVER liked her. I find her irritating and thought her talentless during her NTNON days.

As for feeling inadequate. I love dancing (I have pretty good rhythm) keep fit and certainly feel and imo look 5-10 years younger than my age which is mid 50's. Is she a role model for me, no I preferred Felicity a much nicer person.

Feel free!

Do some people actually read what they've typed before posting?

So many people are saying they don't like Pamela because she is over marked. The judges mark Pamela, so why is that a reason to dislike her?

I can understand people not liking her personality, as she OTT and a very Marmite celeb. But the marking is down to the judges.

I think when you don't like someone to start off with, the judges raving about them makes you dislike them more. I was OK with Pamela until her Charleston which I hated. She's not equally good at ballroom and latin.

I wonder how many people who start threads not about the show, or the judges or the contestants but about other forum members being ever so horrid and nasty have issues with their own inadequacy where they feel the need to trumpet their own vast superiority and congratulate themselves with an abundance of self-righteousness.

I bet they're all men, under 40 and single. That's what the voices in my head tell me anyway.

That's exactly what gets on my wick about her. If TIna O'Brien was still in, that's the sort of doe-eyed nonsense I'd expect from her. But she's a bit of a kid, so she'd get away with it. It would be cute and winsome.
It just looks ridiculous on a woman of Pamela's age who should know better. Never mind a woman who's a trained psychologist, as has been said.

She can dance. She has learnt a lot since she's been in SCD, no doubt about that. But in no way is she a better dancer than Kara or Matt. Or Scott on a good day.
She is better than Gavin, that's about her measure.

If this was a dancing competition, Gavin and Pamela should go out in this round of eliminations. But it isn't a dancing competition, it's a light entertainment programme.

I don't hate her, but I am baffled at the marks and comments she's been getting, compared to what Matt and Kara have been told and given. It just seems that the judges have made her their pet. And I don't really understand why.
The only thing I can suggest is that maybe the Beeb are trying to counter the ageist accusations they had when they sacked Arlene. Which is rather silly, seeing as championing someone because of their age is just as unfair as sacking someone else because of it.

They also made a big deal of championing Anton this year, after his populaity took a nosedive last year.

So it seems they've got form in wanting to make our minds up for us. It'll work with some and not with others, I suppose.

Totally agree with you.

That's easy. The beneficiary of apparent (or blatant in this case ?) favouritism is always disliked..it's human nature. Did anyone like the "teacher's pet" at school ?

You've hit the nail on the head there.

Blimey, this thread has outed the entire membership of Over50s Anonymous.

What a condescending post!!!!!!!!!!

I give constructive criticism regardless of the dancer.
If I feel one has been overmarked .. whoever they may be .. it does not mean I hate them or I'm inadequate in any way!!!

FTR .. Felicity was born 1946 Anne 1947 Pamela 1949 .. did they all have negative posts for all dances ......... just because of their age?

Grow up!!!!

Bl**dy cheek! I'm years away from 50! (well 9) Flounces out of thread to unappreciate soulmate in the unappreciation thread! How very dare you!

LOL.....

and talking of haters...It annoys me when people start threads and then do not contribute to the thread or follow up their argument!

That's a big simplification, and a bit patronising. Maybe the reason women of that age don't like Pamela is because Pamela doesn't act her age? And people are most likely to like those who they can connect to, or can see themselves socialize with.

I want Kara to win, but I still love Pamela. As a 20-something year old woman who is currently very active and lives a very exciting life, I always thought that by the time I reach my 60 I'll be so stiff and my life so monotonic that I may as well keep over and .... (I'm just talking about myself here, not what other older women should do!). But seeing Pamela I have realised that growing old is not the end of the world. In fact one need not grow old at all!

You really shouldn't make sweeping statements, judged on your friends, and their inadequacies. It just makes you look ridiculous. Maybe you should be looking at your own.

I am in that age group too but while I love Pamela as a person (her strength, her drive, her refusal to conform to what society says a woman should be like) but I am very meh about her dancing.

I can go with that.


I hear those voices too!


Very true. Been there, done that.


Isn't there a name for posters like this? I think it has three words and starts with W...


Very nice post. It made me smile (and I don't mean that in a sarcastic way). Others are not so level headed imo.

I think the comment I hate the most about Pamela is about a Granny Crotch. I hate that.

Dont hate her ceratinly dislike her as I find her gushing and false in so many ways .

The fun fun fun personality grates on me way too much and has probably accounted for several very bad decisions, like gettting her legs out , when really they are not that attractive.

What irritates me beyond beleif is the false praise and overmarking and I am cross with the judges AND Pamela for this , Pamela as the recipient ( no one likes the teachers pet) and the judges for doing it.

As for saying that my dislike of Pamela has anything to do with my age sex of inadequencies , I feel I have perfectly rational resons to dislike her without taking into acoount my age sex or any inadequancies.

I loved Felicity's dancing when she was on form ( her Paso for instance ) sadly she was to often not that good , and felicity as a role model was great I thought she was age approriate in her behavior and dress whilst remaining fun and sexy. When I get to Felicity's age I hope I can be as graceful in manners as well as physically.

When I get to Pamals age I would be horrified if I behaved with gushing simpering behaviour that she so often does and also if I got my legs out like that or made inappropriate comments about a man 1/2 my age I hope to God someone would stop me ( more to the point I hope I would never do so).

I would dislike Pamla for all these reasons whether I were femal or male and regrdless of my age.

In addition the judges overmarking has made it difficult for others to get final who are more deserviog than her , no way should she have got 40 for any of her dances , or the judges should have thrown around the 40's for others who have danced to an equal if not better standard than Pamela