I've been surprised to read so many posts saying the judges favour Patrick and Susanna because they are BBC employees. To be honest, I find this really hard to believe. I had a look back at who had the highest average score from the judges per series to see how many of them had been BBC employees:

Series 1: Natasha Kaplinsky – BBC Newsreader - Didn't watch this series but many people seemed to think she was one of the better dancers

Series 2: Jill – in Eastenders - I think most people would agree she was the standout dancer this series and probably one of the best latin dancers ever on Strictly

Series 3: Zoe Ball – correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think she was a regular BBC employee at the time

Series 4: Emma Bunton – not a regular BBC employee

Series 5: Alesha – not a regular BBC employee

Series 6: Rachel – not a regular BBC employee

Series 7: Ricky Whittle – an employee of Channel 4, BBC rival

Series 8: Kara – in EastEnders - Most people would agree she was the standout this year.

Series 9: Harry – not a regular BBC employee and had a higher average than BBC employee Chelsee

Series 10: Denise – not a regular BBC employee

So out of ten series, the judges have only given the highest average to three who were regular beeb employees. And I think most viewers would agree that Kara, Jill and Natasha deserved their respective top judges’ spots.

Really, I think the so-called "beeb advantage" is pretty much non-existant.

Kara had left EastEnders over a year previously. This also overlooks that in series 7 the eventual winner was a BBC employee, one of the current favourites this year is a BBC employee, and Alex Jones - a BBC employee - progressed through the competition until she found herself in a position in the semi-final where it was virtually impossible for her to get out of the bottom two.

I remember Alex Jones was continuously overmarked by the judges and that is probably how she lasted until the semi-final. She never got the harsh criticism that poor Sophie is getting. Is it because Sophie is not going on tour and they want her out now?

Alex received Craig's withering and rather contemptible comment about being sexless after her Rumba.

That was a low point for Craig, I thought.

Neither woman was treated kindly by the judges.

Alex Jones wasn't particularly overmarked in the scheme of Series 9 to be honest. I struggle to see who out of the mid-table was supposed to be superior to her. Robbie Savage? Lulu? Audley Harrison? There were plenty of times (Week 4, Week 7, Week 9, Week 10) when she was in a dangerous position and the public saved her.

I find it unbelievable that anyone would think for a minute that the judges are bias towards BBC employees!

The public are the deciding factor and I think that Craig (who I love BTW) is really hard on Susanna!

I really wonder what goes on in the head of some people with their conspiracy theories!

Seriously!

When it's "your ball" you've always got an advantage.

Seriously!

What would be the benefit of doing this?

I can't think of one!

The dancers are the employees NOT the employers so why would there be a need for favouritism?

I don't even like the BBC (too English bias for my liking) but I find even the suggestion farcical!

Read through any thread relative to your question.
You'll find some credible answers.

Alex had to have good public support to stay in as long as she did, as she was actually generally in the lower half of the leaderboard.

I think they favour the ones they think have the most potential nothing to do with the BBC

The BBC advantage comes from the viewers rather than the judges. I'm guessing that most households nowadays entirely avoid some major channels and they have no idea who the celebs from those channels are. The Strictly viewers are guaranteed to watch BBC some of the time and are more likely to be familiar with the BBC celebrities.

Why would I do that?

I have seen no evidence of this whatsoever!

The only thing I've seen that annoyed me was Craig saying that Patrick was the best male dancer of the series.

Poppycock is the word that jumps to my mind!

Err..

You would if you actually wanted an answer to the question you asked. Either way, I don't mind.

Agree, interestingly the consistent No 1 this year is from an ITV soap. If the BBC were trying to be unfair they wouldn't given her the very best choreographer Artem.

There's always conspiracy theories in here lol. Why people can't just sit back and enjoy the show goodness only knows

Yes bur neither alex nor chris hollins were, in my opinion, particular favourites of the judges. It was the viewers that loved them-thus I still don't get the whole "producers unashamedly pushing beeb employees" argument

I don't think Susanna is being overmarked but she's certainly had more than her fair share of good slots in the running order.

4/6
1/15
10/14
13/13
10/12
11/11
5/10
8/9
1/8
7/7

The only times she has been on early she has opened the show.

Even when she was 5/10 they sandwiched her between Dave and Mark to make her look better.

I do like her though

My head is fine thanks but thanks for the insult. The BBC is biased 365 days of the year there are plenty of sites out there to prove that along with the evidence to support it. In the case of this show I believe that according to another thread that Susannah has more than her share of the pimp slot on the show.

I thought Denise worked all Summer on BBC's athletics coverage.

I don't even like the BBC (too English bias for my liking) but in the case of Strictly I think some people are over analysing the whole thing.

I watch to be entertained and I have seen NOTHING that makes me think that the BBC show any bias towards those who work for them.

And she got one of her worst marks for a bad dance. A bad dance that would, going by the theory, be remembered more easily by the public.

And just as she did last night going last.


A far more reasonable explanation would be that the balance of the show and the running order would be more even, as this is primarily a show that people sit down to watch and enjoy as a show.

Series 10 was denise van outen, the actress. I think you've confused her for denise lewis, sportswoman, series 2.....

I am sorry you are correct.

If there was BBC bias then the year Kara won the judges favourite should have been Matt Baker (BBC employee) but he wasn't.