True indeed!


But, by the same token Todd, himself a former performer on 'EastEnders', managed to demonstrate a singular lack if any such skills. Although, to be absolutely fair, he was of the very very few performers on that show who could deliver lines without screaming, screeching or shouting, or worse, muttering inaudibly. For that he is due credit.

But, when all said and done, DOI is primarily about skating, with acting is a secondary requirement.

What's the point of acting anything? He's not been invited on the show to play a character, he's on there as Sam Attwater. I'd far rather see a bit of genuine irritation than an insipid 'oh you know I'll do my best' speech which you could practically recite along with the giver.

I for one was a fan of what Sam could do on the ice and while I'd agree that often his performances were marred by sloppiness, he's capable of dynamism and emotive skating that can match Suzanne and Ray. As muchas I like Kyran, Bonnie, Gareth and Zaraah, I don't think you could say that about any of them. (and no, I don't like Hayley).

I also think that whatever their off ice relationship, Sam and Vicky's on ice partnership is one of the strongest out there. They're similar in terms of performance style and I thought it looked really evenly matched. That's going to be an important factor in future weeks.

Worse than I thought for him. According to a radio interview he did this week, there's no skating rinks at even some of the biggest stops on the tour. At Bristol he's having to commute to Cardiff or Swindon for which ever rink is available on the day to train early - then commute back to do the musical show. No one wonder if he's a bit stressed and making mistakes....

In proper competitive skating there is a requirement to present the piece through facial expression, but it has never seemed to me to be anything other than subtle for the most part, although in fairness the ice surface is larger and the audience, judges and cameras are for the most part further away. But of course competitive skaters are skaters first and foremost and don't have to worry quite so much about getting the technical bit right, possibly at the expense of performance. So whatever the need to emote, it's something they can probably put their minds to a bit more than even the best celeb skaters on DOI.

Indeed if acting wasn't required there wouldn't be music to interpret or stories in the choregraphy. Anyone not acting would have the music doing one thing, their feet doing something else and their faces doing nothing. That would be be bizarre.

The top routines ever have all been strong on acting. Too litle dance or acting, and the best you can do is to do lots of tricks - that tend to run into one another.

The problems DOI has are Robin, having non actors competing, and getting the acting right for the camera. Robin isn't great at acting himself, and didn't compete in the pairs, or female, forms of skating that are strongest in it - so how he marks it is a bit random. (Jason is pretty random too -= there's at least 5 people with more successful acting careers on this series) The non actors usually can't act - though some actors have been poor too. The camera though poses big problems. In long shot, and for the studio audience, you need a theatrical style. In close up, though, that may look exaggerated and OTT. The judges often end up seeing something that differs from what the viewers of studio audience saw, and subtle acting gets noted on a hit and miss basis. Thats seems common to all shows if you bring someone trained for the stage onto a TV in close up, and even when they can do both styles, they can't do both at once for whatever shot the director then uses.

Was thrilled he wasn't in the Skate off again! I think he did a fantastic performance, he's a great skater! I think he also genuinely realised that he had been a tad overconfident the week before and that had slightly humbled him.