Thanks to those who posted reviews of the dancers. I was away for the weekend so tried to keep off the thread till I had caught up. Managed it for the first show but not the second. Quite enjoyed it, despite no Artem. Some seriously good performers and a big group in the middle. Liked Sunatra, but I have since No Angels. Surprised by how good Jake was, but he will need a soupçon more charisma to wow me. Could not watch Scott who I like or Greg who I don't for the same reason

Soupy, I feel the same about Cilla, but watched the first episode while at my mums. Agree with Anam that Sheridan Smith is brilliant.
Enjoyed watching Judy on ITT, she has poise and presence when talking, hopefully she can transfer some of that to the dance floor.

Howdy peeps,

Echoing Clartem's thanks for all of you who took the time to detail their thoughts on the first dances, had a busy birthday weekend so trotting out my excuses already this year for being slow off the mark.....

Anyways good to know I'm not the only one who really enjoyed Caroline, thought she was great - and Jake (although I agree with you Clarty that a soup spoon of charisma wouldn't go amiss). Also surprised myself by liking SimonfromBlue - as I thought originally he was coming across as too competitive - but he was ok on ITT last night.

FrankieSaturday and Pixiecan'trememberanyofhersingles, although both very good both left me a little cold - in the case of Pixie because the whole Trent thing is just too Stepford Wives, and Frankie for no discernable reason that I can think off so maybe it was just a one-off.

Thom, I agree with the 'vacant' comments, maybe it was just nerves but I was expecting more chemistry from these two, find it hard to see him livening up with some latin ???

I appear to be in a minority of one who found Alison really,really annoying - again this is perhaps due to an irrational reason, ie I can't ruddy stand that howling,shreiking,inhuman mess of a track that was designed to cause severe ear-bleed while masquerading under the title,"I'm Every Woman". Ergo, I might like her by next week.

Oh and I like Judy Murray, cracking sense of humour, hope she hangs on for a couple of weeks.

Final observation, Aliona looks like she would willingly dump Greg headfirst in a vat of rancid old custard - can't say I blame her I genuinely hope she gets a 'theme' week with the theme being 'Death by Custard '

''Waves'' to you all.
Kara is in Lewis on Friday 10th - according to the Radio Times!

Thank you all for your posts and keeping the thread going. Soupy you are a Star. Can't get up much enthusiasm at the moment but will keep watching!

Take care and best wishes J

itv.com/presscentre/ep7week42/chase-celebrity-special

Thanks Crazy, JAN and Suzie for the info about Kara on the Box. If someone can jog my memory on the day, I'd be so very grateful!

Am wondering how Nooney's cringe-ometer fared


I'm completely on board about the song. (So many cheesy/dire music connections.... Monkseal on Mark and Karen: They’re dancing your cha-cha to “I’m Your Man” by Wham! solely because it contains the line “if you wanna do it, do it RIGHT/WRIGHT!”) I quite enjoyed Alison's dance, but she got on my nerves in the VT. I'm putting it down to my being a curmudgeon and her being over-excited . I watched the dance again without the chatty and noticed how full-on Aljaz danced. I don't remember him doing that with Abbey (but then her latin was quite tentative). It didn't come across as over dancing though, I just found it interesting how he needed to dance 'up' to match her 'all-outness' (if not exactly her technique)

If you haven't read them yet, Monkseal's show 1 and show 2 blogs were a hoot.


Week One Quiz

15/15!!! Smug>

Thanks for the Monkseal links Soupy, off to read them shortly.

Also feeling smug

Nina, you're one of those people who writes like they talk in real life You crack me up! xx

Lea and Artem's cha cha from Monday night. The votes from this week will determine who leaves next week (combined with judges scores from next week. Or this week. Or both weeks! ). I haven't watched any of the other dances yet, but I get the impression they were middle of the running order, middle of the leaderboard, middle of the road and could be vulnerable. Thought this was her least confident performance and Artem's choreo was just okay. She was criticised for losing her posture.

They have contemporary next in 'personal story week'. Groan. It's always an absolute schmalz-fest, but they ought to be able to produce a beautiful routine with her ballet background and Arty's wafty inclinations

BIB - interesting observation Soupy.

Ta for the blog reminder, last night's bedtime reading

13/15 - not quite so smug !


Ahhhh Wrenster this would be because I don't appear to possess an edit button.


'personal story week' ???? I don't even want to think but by the sounds of it it will involve 'armography' and 'Artwafting'

I agree. She really didn't look comfortable in that dance and Artem choreographed to her ability. She didn't want to dance on her own. She'd be better in ballroom but they don't seem to do many of those on DWTS

I do wish Artem was on Strictly!

Frantic waving from Bretagne. Good day here, great French class with a rainbow of nationalities from Kazachstan to Magadscar. Brought brilliant fish off the quay at the French version of Doc Martin port.

Nina I now have an edit button. The one that requires me to translate my sentence into French without sounding like an ijeeet.
Wrenny having moaned at my OH's encouragement of magpie's. I have found they have their uses. Ours pick our neighbours walnuts and bury them in mole hills in our garden, the molehills provide both beautifully sifted soil and enough walnuts to make a cake.

Phnarr! Perfect .


You're right, laters. The ballroom dances are an endangered species . BIB - Oh, so do I


Walnut cake - nom. (Date and walnut loaf - nom, nom, nommity nom )


Off-topic - but on Cake - I was sooo sorry to lose Martha and the beautiful and serene Chetna

Gregg and Aliona on ITT..... her face when his trousers split was priceless

Ze waving of frantic back. I'm both suitably impressed and enlightened with your French adventures, my knowledge of all matters countryside and recipe ideas is improving immensely.


Off-topic I did like Chetna, but I also like Nancy and her nonchalance towards all thing Paul Hollyroooooody says.

Aliona's look was priceless !!!..................but.....Greg...............and ...........no.............................underwear

From now on will everyone post everything in spoilers. I tried to catch up on BOFF tonight, but I player was down. I did love Chetna. Is it me or is there a lack of inspired taste creativity this year I have been a bit underwhelmed on the flavour side.

Oops.... sorry!

The "male judge"

Joining in with the off topicness (is that a word) My favourite from early on was Chetna. I know finished bakes have to look good but to me, flavours count for an awful lot and Luis' bakes have been more style than substance imo. Chetna always had flavour uppermost in her bakes. I was also rooting for Martha (she had some great flavour combinations I think. So, not too fussed who wins out of the three left, though if pushed would want Nancy to win only because I like her!

I enjoyed the show this evening. Don't have a favourite at the moment and that makes it so much more relaxing to watch the show.

I thought Jake and Janette's dance was A-MA-ZING. She is a brave lady to trust him with some of those moves I really hate Jake's character on Eastenders and don't find him at all sexy but he is a good dancer and I hope he continues to entertain

Interesting tweet from James Jordan that Jake has kept his previous dance training under wraps yet others are pilloried. I can't believe Janette would give him 3 lifts unless she knew something we didn't. It was an exhilarating dance but does nothing for me.
Thought Caroline and Pasha were a little undermarked.
Gregg Judy Scott

Mark Wright's trousers

Laters, totally agree with's for the trousers. I started off thinking his flies were undone, so missed the first part checking they were ok
I am furious with Anton, he needs to go now and Judy needs a partner who wants to try and teach her to dance. Perhaps she is as incapable as he makes her look. Praps not
I was left rather cold this week, couldn't warm to anyone. I couldn't see the brilliance of Jakes dancing, though I was mesmerised by Janettes show dance. I suppose he had to be good to give her that platform. If I have a favourite it is Sunatra and Brendan. ( never thought I would say Brendan and favourite in one sentence)

Interesting indeed. I didn't see the tweet but his comment makes sense, there is no way he is a beginner. The salsa was full on and as you say Janette would not have trusted someone with no dance experience with that last lift.

I thought the same about Mark...must be the 'Essex' look.

Judy was the only one not to improve...

...agree with you about this. Anton is so annoying. Judy does not have the personality to pull off a 'comedy' routine. I could barely watch...

Sunetra was good and may be one of the few with a real journey ahead.

Crazy4kartem- thought I quoted you...this is the first year I haven't had a favourite. I do miss the buzz I got from Arty performances and anticipation of what genius routine he would come up with each week.

Rather a marathon watch this evening. How animated was Aljaz, he must love the real contrast in personality from last year. as a result he can showcase a whole other side to himself.
Marking, as always a bit strange, especially for Caroline and Pasha.

Any thoughts on who will go?

I really enjoyed the show. Like Crazy, I'm finding it relaxing to watch without a favourite.


Thought it was great although I find him quite hard to like. Salsa is Janette's thing, and it really showed. I loved the choreography. His outfit was dire.


Oh, just grimmer than a grim thing. Yucky.

He would have looked lovely in a tail suit and it might have hidden his sticky-out mincey bum .


Me too, Clarty . She may be hopeless (or not), but Anton's a disgrace as a teacher. In a century of appearances on the show, how many good performances has he coaxed out of his partners? I don't care if he almost always gets duffers, one or two of them must have had a good dance in them somewhere! Poor Judy .


I thought some of the women's dresses were interesting and lovely but the men's outfits were dreadful.

I'm warming to Pixie a little and even Gregg a smidge . In fact I thought he deserved to be a couple of places higher up the leaderboard.

I've quite taken to him (after finding him nice but not very interesting last year).



Think the dance off will probably be Judy and Scott with Judy leaving, sadly.

Did anyone else notice Ajax and Janette with arms around each other in the claudia cupboard. Don't think i have seen a couple do that before.
Perhaps he needed a bit of quiet support after being dominated by Alison in the foxtrot