True, but it's an entirely different activity, which it is of course for most of them, but some are used to performing live, be it on TV, in the theatre or the sports field.

That's where I saw her be the most emotional as well. Perhaps it was feeling for Julien, but it could also mean that she was prepared to be sent home and could put on a brave face for that, but hadn't given a lot of thought how to react to staying so her emotions started to show.

Wouldn't call it a melt down though.

However, the public have a great opportunity to vote her away from that bottom. But it seems that they didn't. Which probably hurt.

At least she had the manners and courtesy to go over to Julian when he was eliminated unlike the first week when he was too busy celebrating to speak to the couple eliminated as is normal.

I'd be worse than her, it's why I'd never do it. To the horror of my family, I cry at everything, sad, happy, angry, frustrated, I cry. I hate it about myself, I've cried at every single parent teachers evening my son has had, I'm so mortified.

I would never do something like this as if they were too nice to me I'd cry, if I was in the bottom 2 I'd cry, if one of the others was in the bottom 2 I'd cry, you'd all accuse me of trying to gain the sympathy of the audience. The only time I'd be ok would be if the judges laid into me, I can accept criticism quite well.

I'm the same. I always sit near the back at my kid's school plays as I know they'd be mortified at me crying with pride .

I didn't see anything wrong with Rachel's reaction. She didn't seem surprised that she was there or seem to think that she didn't deserve to be. No matter how prepared you are for the bottom 2 it won't be any less embarrassing to find yourself there and know that you haven't had many people vote for you.

The experience won't do Rachel any harm. She ahs been playing the I'm-slightly-dizzy-and-having-fun-here card since the beginning.
Now it's reality time.

It didn't do Kimberly any harm either.

However, Kim was a better dancer than Rachel. Rachel just has to take it on the chin and work her butts off for her next dance with Pasha. Then again, if she's given a latin dance, there might not be much hope.

Well, she has no musicality or sense of rhythm so she will always find it tough to do a good job. But her attitude has to change now - maybe she has sussed that one out after her experiences at the w/end.

I've always got the impression on DS that Rachel has a big fan base from appearing on Countdown. So I was rather suprised to see her in the bottom 2.

Does this mean her fan base don't generally like strictly? Or had they assumed she would be safe and not voted? Suffice to say it's a wake up call to Rachel and her supporters!

They are usually too old to make use of the loophole of voting online.

I'd go as far as saying that Rachel showed some emotion. She pretty much explained why before it happened. She hoped to dance it as well as she could in the dance-off and didn't dance as well as she wanted to.

She is a big Strictly fan so must have known the format but when you are working all the hours you can for weeks it is going to mean more to you. It was also a sign that she is invested in not letting the team (ie. Pasha and her) down.

She did everything right except the dancing and she still danced well enough to deserve to get through. Just imagine Julien trying to dance Rachel's routine.

Countdown has a tiny audience. Less than 500,000 on average these days I think, on a different channel.

I found it a bit odd that Pasha told her "it's ok, it's not your fault" after the dance-off. Either something proppy/costumey went wrong in the reprise or she's got self-confidence issues generally. Either way she did seem kind of a wreck afterwards.

I should imagine that Pasha has an even bigger following, both male and female.

Something costumey went wrong wwaayy before the dance off. Around storyboard time at a hunch

Crikey me too! and it's not something you can control. I appreciate that some women put it on for effect, but I don't think Rachel was doing that & it's a bit unfair to criticise her so roundly.

I remember defending Victoria on the same grounds last season (and in fact the number of times VP actually did cry was small - it's just they were endlessly rehashed )

He might just have meant that it wasn't in her control that enough people didn't vote for them in enough numbers (nor was it his before I'm accused of suggesting it )

Very confusing. I thought she was some sort of bell hop to begin with and the big spaceport door was a lift, but then it had a big submarine sort of closure thingy, after that I just winced a lot.

I do hope she does something simpler and better next week, I like Rachel.

Unrelated to the topic of this thread but is Rachel the youngest celeb this year?

I think she's the same age as Abbey.

Edit:
Almost to the day!
Abbey 10 January 1986, Rachel 11 January 1986.
Last edited by aggs : 21-10-2013 at 11:49

Rachel's the youngest - a whole day younger than Abbey.

I cry for Britain so I wouldn't call that a melt down. It's a stressful & upsetting situation for her & she obviously thought she had let Pasha down.

She could probably do the mental arithmetic and work out that the highest she could have placed is 9th with the public. That's gotta sting, especially knowing that the 8 celebs receiving more votes than her includes Dave, Mark, Fiona, Deborah and Susanna plus at least two other celebs out of Natalie, Sophie, Abbey, Patrick, Ashley and Ben.

Well said.

Don't you think perhaps countdown is for older people? The young voters probably hadn't a clue who she was.