thats not saying much this year

It's astonishing, isn't it, to open a thread that implies someone's overmarked only to find people agree with that sentiment ?

I haven't seen anyone displaying hostility towards him, only folks saying he is overmarked due to his BBC status. As for all the other guff, that's is your personal opinion and in no way absolute.

Actually, my issue (and a lot of everyone's else's too) wasn't with Ashley's scores. His Salsa had the 'wow' but not the 'how', as Len would put it.

However, Patrick's Rumba didn't deserve the marks it got. Yes, it was technically strong, but there was an obvious air of awkwardness to it. Think Carol Vorderman's Rumba, though obviously in a different league.

And by the way, I'm a dancer, too, and have been dancing for over two-and-a-half years, so I know my stuff too. Hmph.

Just had to repost this. The man has natural rhythm so he doesn't have to throw his hips out like Ola had Ashley practicing to do. Patrick knows how to move. The rumba was strong and masculine that's what made it look passionate. It actually looked like a man dancing with his woman. Patrick will never be able to do anything right for the ones that have personal dislike of him.

He is miles ahead of some of the others and so is Anya's choreography. I hope they make it to the finals.

Exactly

He's so stiff it's untrue yet they constantly pick faults in Ashley's hips, neck etc. I think Darcey is not actually judging him on his dancing ability anymore..

He dances like a man Maybe that's one of the reasons for the irrational dislike. I cannot even begin to consider another reason .... so I won't even go there

Is there any chances that he can end up in the bottom 2 tonight despite topping the leaderboard

Just asking.....

I really like him but yeah the bias for him was quite clear tonight. I felt he was a bit overscored in the Rumba (althuogh it was really good in parts but okay in others) and he lasted a lot longer in the dance off than I thought he would have.

I am sure you do. I made no comment on your ability to judge: I do not even know you. I have been dancing for over 20 - and that includes teaching.

I thought he did well, I liked their dance. Lovely choreography by Anya. It's the woman's dance and I think Anya owned it while Patrick framed her movements pretty well. Didn't think he deserved second place in the swingathon though.

As for Ashley, it's not that he can't dance it's just that he doesn't look good doing (some) Latin steps. If you watch his side by side steps next to Ola his movements are jagged while hers are oily. It doesn't flow naturally and there isn't an ease to the shapes his body tries to make.

It's more about the swingathon, where Patrick was shockingly bad (didn't help that the camera kept zooming in on him).

I didn't think there was a lot wrong with that Rumba, maybe he could have had a little more hip action, and maybe it was a little intense, but other than that I thought he did well. It was a passionate dance, performed well, with total commitment, and so I wasn't unhappy with the scores.

Personally, I don't think Ashley's even in the same league as Patrick.

Patrick is the better of the 2 male dancers in the competition. That's really not saying much as they are both totally outclassed by the women...

The real problem I have this week though is Darcey. How on earth can that be the first male rumba to score a 10? It wasn't in the same league as Colin Jackson, Matt Di Angelo, Matt Baker & Harry Judd - none of whom rated a 10. For me it was an 8, I wouldn't have objected to an overall score of 34 but the 10 was ridiculous and clear overmarking

Someone wants him to win.

I hate being cynical and it winds me up seeing too much cynicism - but it's bizarre. I'm no dancer, none of my family are, but we all said during that Swingathon, "Patrick's wooden" or something to that extent. I can't believe none of the four judges agreed with that.

Agreed. I liked the rhumba, he was clearly rather good in it, but the awingathon was terrible and if the judges were being in the remotest bit objective he'd have been one of the first out, not one of the last.

I want to see Patrick in the finals, but tonight its blatantly clear that the judges are prepared to totally overlook a poor dance by him just to manipulate him into it. Thats not fair IMO

Thought Patrick's rumba was OK'ish. There wasn't a great deal of rumba content, and Anya did most of the work, twirling around - shades of Kristina!

Definitely not as good as Ashley's rumba of last week and what on earth was Darcey thinking giving it a 10????

And the swingathon - every time the camera was on him he was just standing tapping his feet, again letting Anya do all the dancing. Of course he may have done more when the camera was away from him, but even so I thought he'd be out 1st or 2nd.

There is, but you probably wouldn't want that as, based on tonight, the judges would save him over anyone bar Natalie and possibly Abbey

Like I said someone wants Patrick to win. BBC like to keep it in the family.

is it the illuminati?

or just the evil bbc at it again.

Am forced to agree. He's been as consistently overmarked since being in the dance-off as Sophie has been undermarked. As people say the judges seem to have given up an any pretence of impartiality.

I don't think it's a BBC thing or Susanna wouldn't have been jettisoned. I think it's more that they've nailed their colours to his mast - "best male dancer" - and now want to 'prove' themselves correct.

I don't blame Ashley for being furious at the judges. Or Brendan. The fix was in last week and still is.

How come the worst dancer ended up top of the leader board?
Are the judges totally incompetent or are they acting under orders from on high?
What ever it is it doesn't do them any favours. How can Len face his peers in the ballroom dancing world! I suppose the pay packet is what counts at the end of the day rather than one's credibility.

He's been to drama school and is the most experienced actor there - its not surprising he can dance and act - he's trained at both at a higher level than Natalie. . He avoids anything dynamic and gets allowances for it because of his age.

IMHO there wasn't much right with it. There were heel leads. He stumbled a couple of times. There were very few basic rumba steps. There was no rumba hip action and it was very wooden and static. A very poor rumba not reaching basic bronze medal standard!