She gets a lot of stick on here, she's what I'd call gawky, I don't like her over accentuated occasional northern vowel sounds (which weren't so much in evidence tonight, the reason for which I'll explain) and she can have an appalling taste in clothes.
However, I was very impressed with her near word-perfect command of the auto-cue. She was able at times, by speaking at a rate of nineteen to the dozen, (no time for northern vowel sounds) to make up for the time wasted by an old codger who insisted on telling unfunny jokes and trying to hog the cameras with trivial remarks.

They must've been seriously over-running because a lot of the times they went to her she hardly had any time to chat!

I agree :P Much preferred it last week without Bruce.

Agree - time for Brucie to go

Yes, I've changed my opinion of Tess since last week. She did such a good job when Bruce was off. Now it's difficult not to notice how much more competent she is than Bruce.

Yes, Bruce reminds me now of Corporal Jones, always slightly out of step.

Good job Tess, her ad libs knocked Brucie into touch

And she didn't assume everyone was blind and need telling to "Look! Look! That's all for you!"

Nor did she feel the need to give the dancers tips on what they should have been doing in their dance. Maybe because she doesn't know how to refine what they're doing, but then neither does FF and he always has to add his bit to what the judges say.

She is always smiling and doesn't feel the need to appeal to the audience for approval. She just does an efficient and slick job, allowing everyone to do their bit - that is when she isn't acting as a zimmer frame for a geriatric.

Another week, another thread started by you, I thought from the thread title it would be something different but again its another attack on Bruce.

Please change the record??

What have you got against Bruce so much that you have to post negative comments against him on new threads every week??

Give him a break please!

Bruce was on top form tonight and didn't make any mistakes

(Assume why you had to start the thread by default under a different title). .

And whilst you praise Tess in the title you then are rude calling her, gawky, and over accentuated occasional northern vowel sounds.

Why do you not turn over and watch X factor, at least there now putting ad breaks in between acts and judges comments to upset their viewers! Thats something you could complain about.

Looking forward, ( not) to your next anti Bruce thread.

Err..

It's just a telly programme chum, not life and death.
If you like Bruce's performance, (that's glaringly obvious), then that's fine by me, why should I care?

For your information, until a few years ago, I was always defending him on this board,(obviously from when you first posted, long before your time on here). But to me, he's well past it now.

I started the thread because Tess was obviously at times, trying to play "catch-up," because of Bruce's timewasting, which she did admirably (I've often been one of her harshest critics). That bit with the oversize mug was childish in the extreme.

I just tell it how I see it.
I guess from your post you're quite young, or maybe just seem that way.

delete

And showed that she could handle the show with panache.

There is a difference that you obviously haven't noticed - the thread is in praise of Tess not bashing Bruce. The fact that Bruce has to be criticised in order to praise Tess is just an unfortunate fact, but is not the drive behind it.

She was allowed to show how good she is last week.

Just looked at A.D.P.'s profile and hes 51 - so yes, Doghouse, he's quite young!

Doghouse Riley is the best username ever. Fact.

As for Tess, short of having a 'Please come back Claudia' sign above her head in giant pink flashing capitals, she couldn't have made it more plain what her opinion is of working with Bruce.

Yes she carried the show, despite the occasional irritations.

Well done girl.

A wonderful analogy!!!

Made me smile

Nice to see some praise for her, but I admit to some confusion over the accent. I am sure in the past she has been accused of covering up a suggested "natural" pronunciation pattern only to "slip up" when talking at speed, yet your assessment above suggests the opposite?

Being a Londoner by birth yet having lived in Cheshire and worked in several areas around Manchester for a few decades, I think I'm qualified ton spot a "wrong un."
I think over the years Tess had lost her "northern vowel sounds," as has Cilla Black her Scouse accent.
Cilla is an extreme example, as she over accentuates the brogue in front of the cameras for effect.
With Tess, her native New Mills (a "stones throw from Manchester) accent, I'd suggest has pretty much disappeared, but she revives it for certain words, again for affect.
But with her she isn't consistent with it, particularly when she speaks rapidly. That's my observation on it.

I really agree with you and with the OP.

Tess is fine for this show, the dancers and judges all seem comfortable with her - no timewasting, no interruption of or argy bargy with the judges.

Next year, just Tess and Claudia, please.

I would prefer Tess out front and Claudia in Claud Nine

Plus I loved her look of barely contained horror when Bruce kissed her hand.

Bruce is beyond a joke or lampooning now.
What mid 80's bloke can carry a show like Strictly? I don't know of anyone who thinks he isn't way past it with his deeply unfunny "jokes" Inability to read an autocue or move the programme along at a decent pace.
He is no longer a national treasure, he's an embarrassment. I didn't realise quite how much until last week. That was great and no cringing or rolling my eyes.
I cant remember how many years people have been asking him to retire gracefully instead of being in danger of becoming a laughing stock of a former hoofer who is long past his sell by date.
If he was female he'd have got the chop 40 years ago.
I feel so sorry for Tess. She does a really good job yet I bet he earns loads more than her while she carries the show.

Tess seems weirdly unable to really connect with people in a natural way on that show. Either she's in fact shy or Vernon has to wind her up with a key before she goes on.

The oversize mug was a crock of shite .... and then it got worse.

Tess really kept the show together tonight - kudos.

"Look, that is just for you", as Brucie says after instructing the audience to stand after every dance. I'm sorry he was a great entertainer in his day but the time has come for him to step down, can't the BBC realise this and put him out to pasture.
The show last week was so much slicker without him.