Perhaps its suffering from the lack of Derek Hough too.....I also think 2 series a year is too much anything would get stale with that kind of exposure.

shame because I'm really enjoying it

I cant find any VT of the post results show interviews, but found a little snippet that all dancers had to leave the results show to go to rehearsal studio to practise group cha cha for next week. Apparently they were there until midnight.

Does anyone have any info on remaining dances? I'm guessing the charleston and AT will be there, but not coming until much later as no-one has danced them yet I think?

I really miss Derek.

Team Chelsea Cha Cha Challenge
Team Hines Cha Cha Challenge
Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko - Jive
Chelsea & Mark - Paso Doble
Kendra & Louis - Tango
Kirstie & Maks - Jive
Arunas Bizokas & Katusha Demidova - Tango
Ralph & Karina - Quickstep
Hines & Kym - Tango
Romeo & Chelsie - Samba

Donnie Burns is a guest judge this week! And watch Mark Ballas's hand gesture as they are about to go up the stairs! I guess he didn't agree with the judges' comments!! Not really how to win friends or influence people though. If Len saw that he'll be even harder on Mark next week.

Thanks for the links. I shall look forward to watching them later. Am so jealous that they got Riccardo and Yulia, and Arunas and Katusha. Though we've had Michael and Joanna on UK show before, we don't tend to get the top pros doing demos, which is a shame I think as there are so many amazing couples out there (I guess it's just that most are based in USA)

Thanks Force Ten for links.
I like Mark but thought what he did at the end was truly awful. He wants to win this soo bad that it's palpable. Don't see the need for a guest judge but he was ok except it looked like Carriann told him what to score for Romeo and Chelsie and then he changed it. Hines and Kym still my favs and Kym looked amazing in that dress.

Thanks for the posts great show, what a naughty boy Mark is wonder if it will get a mention tonight for me this season I have loved Mark seems to have come out of Derek's shadow, More Please .............

Are you sure that gesture doesn't mean something else in America?

Mark showed himself up there. Silly boy.

Thanks for the links

As far as I know, it means the same in the USA as it does over here except they don't use the "w" word, but since Mark is English then I'm quite sure he was referring to Donnie & Len as w*****s for daring to denigrate his Paso Doble. Not a good move on his part.

Mark definitely knew what he was doing. I used to like him, but he has behaved appallingly this season. He has a good partner, but he's sabotaging her chances at every opportunity. It's a pity because she seems very nice.

Mark has taken over Maksims role as the bad boy of the ballroom this season.

Blimey that was a bit of a 'reaction' from Mark....very very silly

After show interview with Kirstie and Maks:

Kirstie and Maks Video 1

Kirstie and Maks Video 2

Did anyone know about the latter experience before Maks' tweet on Sunday evening?

What reason was there for the extra guest judge? Obviously not watching the show in full I don't always get the reasons for guests etc.

No idea - they bring in guest judges every so often.

Just read on the ABC message boards that apparently Shirley Ballas has said that Mark's gesture was supposed to show "rolling the dice". If you believe that, you'll believe anything lol.

I loved this week's show, no gimmicks, just dancing.

Even better who was this new judge?
" I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure"

sign him up for Strictly immediately...and even better he gave my favourite couple a 10

Mark seemed very uptight to me? I love his celeb Chelsea but I'm not so sure he can showcase her, this week it seemed to me that he was busy trying to show what a clever dancer he is, rather than give her the best moves.

Off to look at the ABC message boards...didnt know we could access them!

I really don't understand him at all - it all seems so at odds with what I've seen of him before. I can't help feeling that it's a big 'put-on' and he just decided on a new persona for himself for this season. I thought the gesture was shocking!


The 'theme' this week appeared to be ballroom and latin greats - so I guess that was why he was there. If you mean, why have a guest judge this week and not others? No idea (I liked him!)

Donnie Burns certainly was one of the greats. He was really famous in the 80s and early 90s I think. I haven't watched the clips yet so I still have to catch up on Mark's behaviour. I can't say I've found him endearing so far this series! Was Maks previously like Mark then (as in a bit of a bad boy)? I'm surprised: Maks seems like a really strong teacher and mostly produces reasonable choreography.

I think Mark is SO desperate to win i usually like Mark and his dancing butt his attitude is appalling this season. It like because Julianne and Derek won it twice/three times he has to win it this year and its made worst by fact he has a good partner.

All his choreography has been very samey this year as he is basically doing commercial (as they call it on sytycd) with a couple of ballroom steps thrown in. When he danced with Sabrina he always did a ballroom dance with the occasional hip hop step and he would listen to the judges now he seems very bigheaded. The gesture was rude.

I thought the guest judge was great.

My impression of Maks from previous seasons (I've only watched a few) is that he had a reputation for taking it too seriously, being tough on his celeb and speaking his mind in interviews (being critical of the judges sometimes). I think he's relaxed into it these days and understands it's a TV show and not a real dancing competition, but I think he's always wanted to give his celeb the best opportunity to shine. I think he tries to give them good basics and doesn't try to overshadow them.

I know he sees being on DWTS as a great way to promote ballroom dancing to a wider public, even if somtimes you have to dress up in stupid outfits and be a bit 'low-brow'. I know he's really passionate about teaching (his family have a number of schools, his brother still competes and Maks has lots of young 'talent' that he nurtures).

My impression of Mark is that he thinks it's all about him and the show's a bit beneath him and his ego.

Edit - I should add that Mark wasn't always such a brat

To be fair to Mark I can understand why he was annoyed. The paso had a lot of Paso element yet they still picked him up on it. It's worth noting that Shirley probably had a say in choregraphy this week - or at least agreed whether it was ok or too much so that would probably grate slightly as well. Especially as Len said Chelsea was too aggressive after Shirley's coaching!

I agree at him being picked up for other dances, but not last night. I felt Len especially was just looking to pick.

He shouldn't have done that gesture...put looking again I do think it was rolling the dice, as he opened up his hand as part of the gesture, rather than letting it drop. Just an opinion.

I get your point and it did have a lot of paso elements in it but to be fair to Len he never said that it didn't He said it was too aggressive throughout I thought he was trying to say that there was no light and shade just attack and they still got a 8.

Mark needs to show Chelsea in the best light and stop thinking that it is about him

To be fair, the aggression was a lot down to Shirley...it can't be nice to hear your mother being bad mouthed when she can't defend herself.