Thank you, you make some valid points.

You can't seriously be trying to suggest that she looked like last years chip paper on ITT last night, thats not a fair reflection of what we all saw.

With a dead nan, you're now the favourite to win this year.

I personally found both Widdy and CDB equally as irritating. I had to focus on Tom Ellis very hard to block out the horror(s) and to avoid ruining my tv with the various objects that I wanted to throw.

On a seperate matter the words "This message is hidden because <user name> is on your ignore list" are the sweetest words i've ever read

I did not refer to her looks. She is last year's news for 99.9999% of us on this forum. And there you go, speaking for the whole forum again!!

Whilst I really didn't like her on last year's Strictly, next to the horrendous CDB she was alright.

However, generally I agree that yesterday's panel was below par. At least Tom Ellis tried to talk about it in a constructive manner. CDB was cringeworthy and horrible.

The 0.0001% on this forum who started this thread obviously finds her newsworthy despite his preconceived prejudices having lost him credibility.

What was your opinion of Ann's new look?

Ann was the only one on the panel that was qualified to give an opinion.

Couldn't care less. Perhaps I'll put you on ignore along with other people.

Thank you for your polite response, its a shame your not as quick to appreciate a woman who has worked hard to look good, as you are to criticize a womans looks.

I can heartily recommend this

Nope. Where did I say that?

It is part of my personal belief that you should attempt an endeavour with an open mind, without prejudice. Especially if you're being paid tens of thousands of pounds to do so.

Ann did not do that - she simply imposed her own prejudiced set of assumptions about a class of dances. Which sounds very much like her approach to many things.


I'd have to go some to be more narrow-minded than Ann "Gays R Evilz" Widdecombe.

As a general principle, I'd suggest not quoting posts of someone you think should be ignored. As other people - who may have that person on ignore - can unfortunately see the original posts.

Just a, you know, general, hypothetical suggestion.

Fair point: thanks.

Oh, and with reference to an earlier post, I have not criticised AW's looks. I think she's vile regardless of what she looks like.

I agree, it's unreasonable to criticize someone for their looks.

These words are music to my ears.

I can see that you've bumped this thread Terry. I assume that's under the "any publicity is good publicity" concept.

I'll play along.

So, to repeat my OP, Ann Widdedombe is a nasty, homophobic, and narrow-minded individual who treated the show with contempt.

Discuss.

She imposed her own morals onto the show. If she thinks the outfits are too risqué or the dances too unseemly, then she shouldn't have done the show. It showed her up as the hypocrite she is: in addition to this, she was perfectly willing to be paid and not do the job she was there for, which was learning to dance.

As if that wasn't enough, she turns up again this year, presumably for more spends.

I wholeheartedly agree DJ.

She is popping up all over the place on this series and the BBC seem to be fixated with the old bat.

She showed no joy for learning to dance especially the Latin, though she pompously stated on ITT that she could speak the language. When asked what she thought of the Tower Ballroom, she sniffed with derision.

She was rude and tried to belittle Claudia, she was arrogant and boorish to Craig and set down a whole raft of terms and conditions before she signed up.

I was disgusted at how she was repackaged as a loveable old biddy doing her best when the truth is a million miles away from that.

Sexist, homophobic,narrow minded and snobbish are a few words that spring to mind. I could go on but I have to go to work.

BTW Terry, it doesn't matter what you say, my opinion will never change.

To be fair I would even go as far as to say the majority of posters on this part of the DS forums loathed Miss Widdecombe with a passion and were appalled by her repeated return to not dance yet again.

Do find it odd that she has only popped up after Edwina left.

On TV, those who reply instantly seize the initiative over those who do not. In this medium fast talkers score.

This person has the mystique of a Right Honourable Privy Councillor. Another such person who comes to mind is Lord Archer, who went a bridge too far when reaching for the London mayoralty. This eventually led to his spell in prison for perjury, and the extinction of his mystique.

Another group who fascinated the public: "Masters of the Universe" bankers and government regulators who applauded them.

Arghhhh, I saw a trailer last night for the ITV show The Chase - the bloody woman is going to be on that too. Is she really so desperate for money and fame that she'll do anything? Hopefully she'll sign up next for I'm a Celebrity and get eaten by a Black Widow Spider.......

Thanks for the warning - another show to avoid...

Obviously I'm not privy to Widdy's financial situation, but she can't be a pauper. She's 65 next year so, officially, a pensioner. Her 23 years in Parliament will have netted her a nice index-linked final salary pension that, at a conservative estimate (do you see what I did there?), should bring in at least £30-40k p.a.; she's very popular on the after-dinner speaking circuit at, what?, £7k a time? (well, Michael Portillo charges that amount); somebody, somewhere, must be buying her books, so that will bring in royalties; plus doesn't she have a weekly column in one of the national dailies?

Add to that all the celebrity reality shows and she must be raking it in.

I'm not envious, no, not a bit - I just think it must be the fame and notoriety she craves, not the financial inducements.

I'm calling the RSPCBWS - that is cruel to Black Widow Spiders. I mean, what have they done to deserve that?

I think Widdy is turning into the middle-class equivalent of Kerry Katona. She'll be doing adverts for Waitrose next.