Are we listening to the same person ? Dont think Nicky comes over as arrogant in anyway, not the best jive but that is down to Karen!!

All I noticed was how bandy Karen's legs were. Not noticed that before!

She couldn't stop a pig in a passage.

It was really poor. Looked better in training.

It looked great in training. But he couldn't repeat that on the show.

So it was not Karens fault in a million years.

I couldn't work out why Nicky's arms were moving but Karen's weren't.

Part of me thinks that he makes Karen look bad as a teacher because he's not really interested in listening to her or learning the proper technique. I also think that's why she focuses on choreographing routines that put more emphasis on the performance than the dance content.

I could be wrong. It would be interesting to see her come back for a second series and see how she does with a different celebrity.

Hopeless...hope he is gone or goes soon

I get the idea that he does not listen to her, he certainly does not seem to suffer from a lack of self belief and is not learning the very basics such as straightening his legs.

Whether he has short hamstrings or is just not listening I don't know but it has been regularly mentioned by the judges and i see no improvement form him on this point.

Certainly he seems to lack charm for me and does come across as arrogant

I was worried when I heard the music had been speeded up. That always makes it more difficult to finish off the moves properly. Hence the problem with the leg straightening. I wonder whose idea that was. As for flat footed I challenge anyone not to look flatfooted in those boots Nicky was wearing. They were completely flat soled , had solid looking rubber soles, were very rounded and clumsy in the toes and actually looked big for him. I watched as he walked over to Bruce and thought they made his feet look really big. I think that routine would definitely would have looked better on a smaller floor but that was true of most of the routines tonight.

If he had got 7 across the board then i think that would have been fair.

Your probably right.

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I thought Karen only sped the music up for a day in training? So that when they did it 'real time' it would seem easier for him?? I might have misunderstood though...

Energetic but all over the blinkin' shop. Tatty.

But there was very little accuracy or finesse to be seen last night.

From the very start Nicky seemed to me a self-involved person, whereas Karen struck me as bubbly and friendly and enthusiastic. I reckon the couple's chemistry has failed largely because of Nicky, and Karen who once seemed fun and lively looks like she's struggling to enjoy it now.

He really is the most narcissistic bloke I think there's ever been on SCD. Can't stand him.

His dancing was no worse than most of last night's routines.His professional teacher doesn't seem that good, to me.There were perhaps, two good dances one of which was by Denise v Outen. The whole of last night's show was tacky, noisy and pointless and had nothing to do with dancing. Stop it, please and although I don't like saying it, but Bruce ought to call it a day.

I thought it was presented well, and looked quite good stylistically but was quite flat footed. I don't really accept Len's point about it being more rock n roll, since isn't there an expectation that it is ballroom jive? I.e It is one of the 10 dances which have a particular spec.

He puts me in mind of craig Kelly!

Can somebody explain to me - with examples - of Nicky's arrogance? He is by no means my favourite (that goes to both Louis and Michael) but whenever I have seen Nicky in VTs or on ITT etc. he seems just like a happy go lucky type.

I agree. Nicky seems to be very enthusiastic, natural and relaxed, and not as calculating as some past contestants, since I think he has less at stake, career wise. That all gets mistook for arrogance.

Mud sticks unfortunately and I suspect Bruno's first week critique of how Nicky spent the routine concentrating on capturing his best side in the studio lights instead of on the actual dancing has prejudiced a lot of viewers' thinking. Once you're given a label like that it is very hard to shift, especially if you haven't got the dancing skill to win people over.

Nicky is obviously able to laugh at himself - he and Michael appear to have become good friends, despite (or because of) the fact Michael ran with the vanity theme by insisting Nicky doesn't go anywhere without a mirror. And when not talking to script, Nicky seems a nice guy and very real. For example, during an ITT interview, when Zoe mentioned "Dad" he immediately asked how Johnny was. It was spontaneous, a complete reflex and genuine too. Far from the vain, 'all about me', persona some people perceive in Nicky.

Wembley is hopeless for Strictly. It might be fun for the 6000 there, but for the 9 million at home it's dreadful. Sound and vision both appalling. Nicky was just one of several very poor dancers last night, but the problem might be that the arena is just too big. Michael stayed mainly on the raised part and it looked much better. I've always thought of Bruce as a real pro, but last night he was bad. Why doesn't he go before he's made to ?

I agree, I was really looking forward to their jive, it looked so good in training, but it was a big anti climax.

Not the worse dance of the night, but nothing special. Maybe it was the vastness of the Arena which made it seem as if something was lacking.

I agree. He has had really harsh treatment from the judges while others get their faults ignored or glossed over. Not easy to stay enthusiastic under those circumstances.