He didn't wear these awful shoes in training for a start. They were completely flat and the soles looks so stiff they were incapable of bending. Even when he walked or should I say flapped across to the judges they looked ridiculous. He would have been far better to wear normal dance shoes. They looked enormous on his feet.

Bless Nicky, he is trying ..but imho will never be a great dancer, he seem to dance with gay abandon....legs and arms akimbo....

He doesn't straighten his legs, despite being told about this. Perhaps he physically can't.

Darcey picked up on this. May be from too much stool sitting.

Also agree the shoes did not help as they were so flat. As for Len, if someone is meant to be dancing a Jive mark them down for doing Rock & Roll, don't use it as an excuse to over mark.

I didn't think it was his worst dance to date but i just cannot take to Karen I dont think she's up to the high standard of the other proffessionals and also works too hard on making herself look good when she should be trying to make Nicky look the best that he can be (in my opnion)
It's a shame as I think that if he had got a better partner maybe someone like Natalie or Ola he would be a bit better but I do agree that there's something not right with his legs.

I'm an Elvis fan, and I always find JR difficult to dance to. But anyone who wears an Elvis wig and takes the P deserves to go.....

Quite agree. My point was there was nothing wrong with the routine, and criticism of Karen is totally unjustified.

It looked better in training.

Austin had a great Jive that Erin choreographed and Lilia tried to stretch it out to adapt it for the Tour when she and Austin paired up. It made it worse, so if Lilia can't stretch a Jive and make it work, I think its a recipe for failure to do it.

They would have been better just dancing it as they did in training, but maybe they were not allowed to.

Precisely this - arrogant and DRIVEN are two different things entirely.


I noticed this too.

As a Nicky fan, I must admit I was disappointed overall. For me, the routine did look much better in training and on the night Nicky danced better than Karen which really says a lot.

In general, he gets brutal (if honest) criticism where others waltz (every pun intended) through - you know who you are Lisa. Under those circumstances, I still don't see any arrogance in him and think he is just very hard on himself. He seems like a very likeable, genuine bloke and I totally understand the poster who bought up the point about Nicky asking after Johnny.

I really fear he may be in the bottom 2 this week with Richard and may even lose to him. Sad though I'd be, what better place to leave the competition than his spiritual "home"?

I've thought that too. I thought that jive was poor. Don't see any chemistry between these two at all.

Thanks for that Smokey - that is unfair if it was Bruno's "fault". But anyway, maybe it also has to do with the fact that his profi partner doesn't havemuch following.

I challenge anyone to perform in those ridiculous shoes/boots.
They did not look comfortable to walk in. I am sure if he had been with one of the established pros they would have protested but Karen is new and inexperienced so she would not want to argue with wardrobe. I think there is loads of chemistry when it matters on the dance floor. No they are not part of the Luvy set. Not every nationality goes in for hugging etc people other than their own families. One of the reasons I like this pair. No acting, no pretending they will be bosom buddies for the rest of their lives. Hardly ever happens. There are exceptions of course. I think Ian and Zoe are still good friends but that is unusual. Most of the time people get on well but go their separate ways when Strictly is cover.

I have to agree, I thought Nicky was much worse than he looked in training, and I still don't rate Karen as a choreographer or a dancer. If she wasn't dancing down to his level (which she shouldn't have been because it would only make him look even worse) then she was seriously below-par in their jive.

He would have been lucky to get a 6 if I was judging, the technique was once again all over the place.

Karen Hardy agreed with Len. She said Nicky and Karen's music was too fast for a proper jive. Craig was wrong again just as he was wrong about the content of their rumba when he gave them 4. I never liked the way Craig spoke to the contestants but I used to respect his views. Not any more. He picks up every fault Nicky has but ignores faults in others. He penalised them in their rumba for lack of content while others get praised for the routine's entertainment value. Double standards Craig. Not impressed.

Karen Hardy made the point that when the music is fast you dont do a full kick and retraction but instead do a smaller flick. The point being that Craig was wrong in what he said Nicky should have done.

You can see Karen doing the smaller flicks at times in this Jive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL2x_Yvm2xQ

I did enjoy the jive, what I don't understand is having listened to Karen tonight how did Craig get it so wrong, surely He must have seen it was a Rock and Roll jive

I think Craig was in a league of his own. He at times was just so deluded. Nicky I don't think is of the same mindset, he just maybe doesn't realise that looking like you enjoy yourself and really going for it in a dance doesn't equate to executing something technically well.

He is the same with Louis most weeks too

I thought it was only Louis he treated this way so will have to watch out for him and Nicky next week.

I agree Mystical that Nicky looked worse on the night than in training. I also think that it should not have been a rock and roll style jive! you don't have to dance rock and roll to this song (see clip below!). It has been a separate dance on Strictly - 2009 Ricky Whittle and Chris Hollins so is not in the tens dances they are supposed to be doing. I haven't liked Karen's choreo (except the qs) - but I DO rate her as a Latin dancer - she was particularly outstanding in Burn the Floor. I just don't think she has come across well on Strictly so far. Partly because I agree with many that Nicky never even looks at her - there's no chemistry at all and although I really love her, I don't like the partnership.

Matt told me once that you have to dance down to your celeb because they can't do what you can do - as you saw in the pro tour how the pros can really dance, or look back to when they were competing - example here of a jive to Jailhouse Rock where he is clearly dancing way off his ability to choreography that Christine could do. They have to match them as a visual.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVrASR6ZAvU

I just think Nicky is flat footed and doesn't seem to execute the techniques we have seen Karen telling him about. And that is his fault. I have seen that Karen has tried to teach him the correct technique - same with Natalie and Michael - but look how Michael, in the beginning a truly shocking dancer, has listened and put those things into action whereas Nicky has not.

For that jive, overall I gave it a very generous 5! And that was pushing it!

Not true - same tempo - and classic jive done to this song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVrASR6ZAvU

Craig isn't qualified to judge ballroom dancing - and its things like this which show up his lack of knowledge.

Its not surprising that some of the pros have made comments about his comments and marks - even the normally quiet Flavia made some comment about Craig after 6 gate - she basically said said he didn't know what he was talking about in a very nice way!

Anyone who can mark someone down for an excellent dance with a thumb sticking up whilst overmarking others who make massive mistakes because they are "fun" really doesn't deserve respect anyway.

it was that bad!!!! Nicky was flatfooted and stompy and Karen wasnt much better in all honesty.

I was at Wembely and during the dance off I made a point of just looking at her feet - dreadful!

Ewww...I remember hating that jive, but more because of the celebrity performing it than anything else

Point stands though - I know Karen was the world jive champion or whatever the proper title is, but I thought saying you couldn't do classic jive to JR was pushing it a bit. That's the second time (after the rumba comments) that Karen's stuck her neck out for Nicky and I do think he might be a bit of a favourite of hers.

Interesting point about the boots Nicky was wearing - perhaps it would all have looked a bit less stuck to the ground in decent shoes.

I'm actually feeling a bit sorry for Nicky as he looks to have lots of potential. He has energy, musicality and seems to be taking it seriously. I just think that Karen isn't teaching him properly. True his kicks and flicks were not correct but I wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't even told him he was doing it wrong.

If he had any other professional I think he would be improving each week.

I felt a bit differently LL because I was the guest of her and Matt that night lol ! she's always been such a sweetheart to me - she is really kind and lovely! but...I understand lol - I can't stand people sometimes who other people find fantastic.

yes the point does stand - I do think sometimes they just say what fits that year to please people - do you remember in the first 3 or 4 series Len would go positively apoplectic (sp?!) if anyone deviated from what the dance should be - and now....it's hit and miss depending on whether he favours the celeb or not!

I'll go back and check those boots out - but Karen Hardy? shut up!