These VTs that "interrupt" the show drive me stark staring mad - and I do like to watch the show live.

Can anything be done to stop them? Destroy them before they are shown?

If not, can some kindly deity divert them back to showing scenes of the celeb learning that dance during the previous week's training sessions?

Surely the live studio audiences are so clued up about Strictly that they don't need "warming up" or "bridge routines" for this highly-edited show, which is anything but live?

Agree. They are cringe making. Just show me training videos not amateur panto.

Is the SCD audience that stupid and childish? Surely not?

Agree as well. Any of that stuff is boring, show me the training instead.

I agree , childish , tacky and stupid .

They are beyond painful.

It also astonishes me that the Strictly budget is stretching to this nonsense. They have people scouting locations/venues, booking filming slots, sending out a film crew etc - all just to deliver around 45 seconds of crapola. And as a celeb I would be tearing my hair out with yet more time-wasting: you have to be driven to a location, get set up, presumably try several takes, be driven back ... all valuable hours when I would want to be rehearsing.

If they are eager for some 'new' timefiller, I would far rather see some short segments where a pro couple outlined maybe some of the basic steps of the dance, with pointers about what makes it difficult and things we might look out for.

Agree with everyone – must be a first!

Thought Saturday’s efforts were laughably amateurish – they all looked bored to distraction, like they were on some kind of appalling company team building exercise.

I agree, I now Sky Plus Strictly and when it's about halfway through, I start watching it....so I can forward through those pointless VTs.

I think I've got it ... the BBC is training up new camera crews and the budget doesn't stretch to paying the characters in the VTs.

But I'm sure there are cows and sheep and grey seals in Countryfile that cannot get enough of being filmed. Add a bit of Wild Side dialogue, and you're there - but for another programme, please.

I'd be quite happy with extra camera shots of the judges when they think they are off camera;.

I agree with you too. ITT does a better job of the behind the scenes stuff. Let the main show be about live stuff.

agree. I would love Brucie to say "and here there are faffing about on some countryside crapola venture"

Yeah I love seeing the ups and downs of the training sessions. Bring back the training footage (in majority)!!!

Last weekend's offerings were the worst yet. I quite agree with everyone - show training footage please not the cr*p you have been showing lately.

Yup, VTs are getting worse and worse. Makes my skin crawl, esp. when I see Widdy again.

I totally agree - must take a heck of a chunk of time away from their training. Its stuff like this that wastes money for the BBC, like the endless ridiculous trailers we see.

Agreed. I just fast forward through them now after I noticed how dire they are.

Good idea! Think Karen did something like this last year.

Agree wholeheartedly with the rest of your post as well. The Hallowe'en VTs were just dreadful.

Pointless, painfully unfunny, cringeworthy, tacky, amateurish, puerile, useless, asinine, vacuous, witless, and DULL, DULL, DULL.
And still I've come nowhere near expressing my contempt for them.

Originally Posted by Muggsy:
“Pointless, painfully unfunny, cringeworthy, tacky, amateurish, puerile, useless, asinine, vacuous, witless, and DULL, DULL, DULL.
And still I've come nowhere near expressing my contempt for them.”

Did you not like them, Muggsy?

Muggsy is channelling CRH! How fa-bu-lous!

Well the VTs at Halloween were the weakest part of the show for being obviously contrived and acted... but the show all went so well I can't be bothered to criticise. They should generally beware of placing such bogus stuff in the VTs.

Oh yes, what's the point? People know they're scripted, we're not thick. It just takes the enjoyment away.

I also didn't like Craig landing on a broomstick. Just take the VTs and that away, and I enjoyed it!

The acting was also very bad in general. Jason was just terrible.

*sigh* i miss proper training footage...

It might work if they were genuinely witty, funny, humorous or even just natural VT's. They could be a good way for the amateur dancer to show off their 'personality'.

But it's not good. Not in the slightest. It also over-runs - there is too much filler generally with Strictly, possible because of all the prop changes. I find it quite painful to watch and was rolling my eyes and head whilst wearily asking out loud for them to just stop.