I enjoyed them too. The recorded results show has always seemed a bit 'nothing' and without purpose. I thought the extra bits added something. I liked the slow-mo on Russell!

Tess and Claud make a good team. Wish they did the main show together.


A 50:50 combination of the rankings of both judges and public vote. If it's tied the public vote takes precedence.

I hope he is - he's great fun to watch and I want to see that weight drop further - seems hard to believe that he weighed ten stone more yet he is still so 'rotund'

Same here

I think the show would be so much poorer without him this year. He brings genuine warmth and enthusiasm and him and Flav have been a joy to watch together!

I saw the reality show you refer to, and I agree with your perception of him on that show, but he has won me over........so far.

.... or Nancy Delollio - she comes out with some strange words.

Really nice to see Claudia doing a tiny bit of ITT type bit with the judges, she is missed!

Well, he should really be given a chance and be judged on how he performs on Strictly, I suppose -- but having said that, I just can't warm to him.

Thinking "You can't tell which one is the professional" is usually a HUGE compliment to the sleb, but when the sleb is Nancy...

I have never seen someone who stayed in as hacked off as Nancy. I just don't get it.

Two weeks have gone by, and there has not been a decent ballroom dance yet. Even Brendan, who is usually the best at ballroom, produced an abortion of a foxtrot that wasn't even at the right tempo. This is one thing I have never liked about this show - the heavy bias towards the latin dances. This is probably because they are more similar to stage dancing, which is the only kind of dancing that Craig and Bruno (and formerly Arlene) know anything about. Most of the professionals are latin specialists, and dance ballroom straight-legged with short steps and no idea of rise and fall.

Then he should join WeightWatchers, this is a dancing competition and yet they insist in bringing in these jokers every year to spoil it and still people without a brain cell vote for them, which means that some better dancer gets voted off.

Just dont think SCD this year has the same wow factor as last year

What created the 'Wow Factor' last year?

Ann W created the Ow factor

They had four really good couples from week one

Last year was my favourite year of all so far on Strictly - and yes, the front-runners were there from the get-go.

However, I'm enjoying this year almost for the exact opposite reason: there isn't anyone who I'm saying with absolute certainty "Oh there's a final 3 dancer". Obviously some are nosing ahead but I think the competition is more open and I'm genuinely curious to see how they all start to develop (or flag) as the weeks go on.

The marking seems so erratic this year with Len seemingly competing for 'air time' . He seems reluctant to give low marks but seriously 'protects' audience favourites possibly pandering to producers?

Gosh you sound irate!

It is an entertainment show, and people like Russell have, for some of us, been the highlight so far. There have always been the duffers, but since the unintentionally bad dancing of John Sergeant (which many obviously enjoyed) the producers seem to have deliberately sought out celebs who have the potential to produce the same effect.
Losing weight, due to the amount of training they have to do, has always been an added bonus for ALL the celebs, and Russell has done tremendously well to lose ten stone, if he loses a little more whilst on SCD - good luck to him.
BTW, I never vote, so not a member of the 'no brain cell' society.

I thought so too - I wonder if we are beginning to run out of interesting and talented celebrities and are now scraping the bottom of the barrel. Or maybe I am just becoming jaded!

Didn't some write the same last year (and probably the year before ......)

This is how I feel- I have several that I like and none as a clear favourite and I feel its a really open field this year. I think many are going to improve and the ones currently at the top will have to work to improve too. (Jason I am looking at you all style over substance this week!!)

I was this way last year and it makes it a much more enjoyable experience not getting all worked up every week in case your one bestest couple goes out!