I don't think Mark can blame Iveta for his poor performances. His technique was truly crap and the naffness of the theme was the only entertaining thing about the dance.

He was worse than Dave tonight and that is saying something - He's actually gotten worse over the last couple of weeks.

I didn't see enough content in the routine the last 2 weeks to judge his technique. Mark isn't responsible for that is he?

I guess Iveta noticed that Mark isn't built to Rumba so she threw in as much smoke and mirrors as possible to cover for him. Sadly at this point in the competition the smoke and mirrors stand out like a sore thumb against the better dancers. I hope he gets a good, serious ballroom dance in Blackpool so he can be eliminated on a high; last week was just a bad idea from the start and this week was always going to be a struggle.

Iveta has certainly got it wrong the last 2 weeks if indeed she was totally responsible for the choices.
I was hoping for a dance with the high emotional content of their waltz which would have worked better than the jokey content this week.
I know they can do better than this and hope they get another chance.

Mark said in the VT that he didn't want to do just comedy dances and he really does try hard so I hope that he gets a chance to go to Blackpool and perhaps have a ballroom dance. If he does get through hopefully Iveta will realise that comedy routines are not the way to go at this stage of the competition.

I hope this isn't the end for Mark. He's the only male pro I like.

Rumba is usually the end for most male celebs, agree that TPRB need to leave his routines alone and just let him dance with Iveta.

No bells and whistles.

Dreadful .

A characterisation too far.

Please Iveta. Get Mark back to dancing properly but with humorous touches.

If he survives then Iveta really needs to choreograph a routine that enables him to dance as well as he can. I know its difficult given his bulk and perhaps she is doing everything she can but I'd hate him to go out on a comedy / poorly executed dance. It would be good if he could go out like Deborah and Rachel having danced well ( for them).

Not easy to forget for me, it was horrible and what with him being bald and dressed in that awful outfit it will stay with me for ages, they seem to be going down the comedy route but it isn't even funny anymore and not working

Agree with you 100%

He'll never look elegant but he had potential at the beginning is now going to waste...it was just Iveta showing off

Oh my goodness. Poor old Mark and Iveta. I do think they've taken a wrong turning.

Mark does seem to have some dancing ability and Iveta appears to be busting a gut to find imaginative ways to use it, but they're really made a mistake taking the comedy route. I wish they'd take a chance and try just doing a dance for once.

Might not be them of course. There is always the possibility that they are under producer pressure to be funny ones. Especially likely as surely Dave can't be around much longer.

Thanks for the clarification

Me too but the last two weeks have been quite painful to watch...he's had his day on Strictly.

Mark really did seem to have some dancing ability but the last 2 weeks Iveta appears to be displaying her body to the best of her ability wriggling around him. Do some proper routeins please and give the guy a chance/

I really have not liked him for the last couple of weeks. I would go as far as saying that Dave was better than him this week.

I don't understand all the support for Dave and Mark? they are both the crappiest dancers on the show, and I say Dancers ironicaly, they both just clump flat-footedly around the floor. They aren't even funny. Please don't talk about the "journey" a journey is what you do in a car or bus or train, not clomping about a dance floor.It would be pathetic if they both survive at the expense of some better dancers.It's time for them to go.

Female pros do this to compensate for lack of technical ability of their celeb partner. Rumba is a notoriously difficult dance for male pros and it was obvious it was not Mark's dance. I think she over did a bit and made him look even worse if that was possible. Male pros too use various ways to distract the audience from the weaknesses of their partners with varying degrees of success.

Voted for the first time this week - and voted for Mark. I think there is real dance ability in him and I love that. Where Lisa Riley just got on me wick #lenisn'ttheonlyoneallowedtosaythat I really feel that Mark can dance in spite of his non traditional dance body shape. So I'm crossing my fingers they get through.

Plus....Iveta. Iveta Iveta Iveta - possibly my favourite pro ever, I love their interaction. She is mad as cake! In a good way

There's only so much you can do with a fat person.
Given the strapping on his knees, I guess even the omnipresent, "star jumps" of "The Grant," are out of the question.

Same here

I might change that to "characterful touches" - he has a great emotional range, given the chance to express it!