Couldn't stand Anton this year. Totally full of himself and I felt he was very mocking towards Nancy, almost like he was 'in on the joke' with the audience. Don't rate him as a dancer either, he needs to retire and take his mentor Bruce with him!

Really happy to see the back of Anton. I got fed up with him years ago, and it's getting to the point where I think I'll have to start fast forwarding through his slots on the programme.

Yes. But it is a shame to see Nancy go. She was funny.

I agree with you (again ), especially the bit in bold. I suspect Anton will be relieved that they are out. I think she was probably a nightmare of a partner until he worked out how to work with her. I hope he gets someone less volatile next year.

not getting all the Anton hate

He's a lovely guy. I think of all the pros he absolutely adores the show and what it stands for.

Anne liked him, and you could see Nancy liked him. I liked their partnership. None of us know, because we saw very little training footage, how difficult Nancy was to teach. She had no rythmn whatsoever, but it looked to me in the few clips that we saw that whatever Anton asked her to do, she did it, badly but at least she had a go.

looking forward to seeing them on IT2 tonight

In my view, the attitude and rude manners of some of the negative posters on this thread need to be reviewed.

From the days of Leslie Garrett on, Anton is known to be a gentleman - but the BBC can edit anything it likes in those godawful VTs to manipulate the opinion of the public.

I believe Anton was genuine when hugging voted-off Nancy, whose obvious disappointment at leaving Strictly was touching. Some of the other contestants, like Alex, were sad to see Nancy as a person leave (though possibly not as a dancer)

I too did not want Audley to be voted out ahead of Nancy, and am happy with the voting result, but this should not be taken personally. One can knock her movements and mock the performance, but should not make stupidly personal comments, nor claim that it was all somehow "Anton's fault"

Last year we saw Widdygate, when Anton reached the semifinals with a partner who obviously derided Strictly and always sent it up. Nancy is not in the same league - in fact she has been far more gracious about all the public mockery, except for that marvellous moment when she returned Bruce's jest in kind. That was great!

Time everybody left these two alone. We'll see them on ITT2 tonight, then they'll be back for the Final to dance their 45 seconds solo in the group dance. They remain two likeable people in a dancing partnership that did not get far. That's all.

This, in my opinion, sums it all up rather well. I like Anton and I do find him amusing. I've seen him on other shows and he has trouble keeping quiet then but what he says usually raises a smile. I think some people mistake 'cutting' comments for 'comedy sarcasm' and Nancy was well aware of which was which so she didn't repond in a negative way once she got used to his humour.

I also agree that he may have stepped in and answered for Nancy or SCD would have run overtime - the woman was incapable of just answering in a coherent way that didn't centre on her. I felt sorry for Anton having to partner what must be the queen of all divas.

How could you tell?

Yes, he seems to have become the de facto joke contestant now.

At the end of the day, whether people like it or not, it's an entertainment show and Anton seems to provide entertainment with his celeb contestant. I'm not saying I agree with this, as I nearly expolded every week last year when the Widde was kept in EVERY SINGLE FLIPPIN' WEEK, but I don't think his role is to actually win the title. But it does mean that better dancers leave before Anton and his partner, but the dancing is second to the entertainment factor of the show I think.

He really divides people, but I personally think he's lovely . He definitely wasn't meaning to mock Nancy and I think if he knew some people saw it that way, he'd feel awful.

Strictly without him would definitely not be the same.

Awww, I really like him.

Me too

Quite astonishing that DS forum diametrically disagree on whether in real life Anton is a person who gives offence. It is as if the forum are discussing two different persons.

His latin standard when compared to other pro dancers is little different from how his partners compared with other celebs. He seems to have decided if he cannot be famous then he will be notorious. Matthew Cutler in a different league is quiet and self-effacing -- and Matthew was let go, no doubt by Moira thinking the public preferred Anton to Matthew and Ian.

I would be interested in knowing how the powers that be decided who should go and who should stay. I really liked Matthew, Ian & Darren, I miss them and wish they could be brought back. But Anton has emerged as my favourite, he just seems like a really nice, instinctively funny guy, and his ballroom is sublime. I also love his charlestons.
I am baffled by the hate generated against him on here - I just don't know where the hate is coming from Maybe these are people who's glass is permanently half empty.

Speaking for myself, he is the only Pro dancer that I have ever thoroughly disliked.

I really like all of the other Pro's, especially Robin and Pasha, as well as those two bad boys, Brendan and James.

Oh, and my glass is always half full!

I don't hate Anton but I think his stint with Widdie and his involvement outside SCD on that stupid game show changed him; he saw the opportunity to be a 'celebrity' in his own right and it seems to have gone to his head.

Getting a few cheap laughs at Nancy's expense, particularly by giving her choreography designed to make her look stupid, is not the way a gentleman would behave in my book.

Exactly- but not even so fluent! Even when you can make sense out of Nancy, there's usually no real meaning behind what she says. The lights are on and nobody's at home.
The way Nancy moved it looked like she thought dancing was just about steps and knew nothing about posture. I found it hard to believe she put in more than about six hours a week because Anton would not let a normal earthlet get away with that. The rest of her time was just dreaming about her sparkly outfits.
Anton did a better job with his quips than she did with her dancing.

Time for him to hang up his dancing shoes and go through the hole in the wall.

No it wouldn't. It would be a hundred times better!

Anton and Nancy were like sweethearts on ITT2 tonight - can fully understand why they'll be missed as people (but not as dancers) on the show.

I was lucky enough to meet him at the start of this year and he was an absolute gentleman.

Ann Widdicombe said on ITT that she wanted Anton to win. She must be very fond of Anton even tho alot of people said he mocked her. This probably wasn't the case.

I'd love him to take over from Brucie when the time comes.

So another day, another thread with Anton hate by the same people saying the same things in a slightly different order...

Bored now.

Sad to see Anton go. happy to see Nancy go.

In fact if Anton isn't busy this week I'd quite happily/willingly swap him for the husband. (Right now I think Hubby and Nancy would make a brilliant pair )

Dances beautifully with Erin though, I could watch them all night

couldn't you?