How the hell can anyone say that Aliona was incredibly rude!
There is a difference between disappointment and 'making the best of things', which is what I think she showed, to being surly and belligerent, which she was not.

She was also the first professional dancer to be picked, so didn't have the over-the-top reactions of the other pro dancers to compare her reaction to.
Aliona is what she is. She doesn't have the same false air that some others do. She shows her feelings.
Such a pity her feelings get misinterpreted so often.

As to Gregg, as the SCD opening program was filmed mid week, before some of the tabloid nasties got to stick their knives into him, he would not have known what we had been reading about him and probably nor would Aliona.

I don't particularly like Gregg, but I want to judge in on his dancing, rather than a one-sided story as it is at the moment.

I found her just abit quiet, but as they were the first pairing it didn't really seem odd. Gregg didn't seem to notice



I noticed this aswell but in the whole show he was very straight faced and mr cool so i'm thinking maybe he was just nervous, but his expression didn't change even in the group dance bless him

man wasn't she rude!!

not fair on Greg..

Ah the annual Aliona is rude thread. Now you know Strictly has really started.

Link please?

I'm looking forward to the training videos. Aliona's expressions last year with Tony Jacklin were full of fun. Too early to judge if this partnership is going to work. But I do think sometimes there has been an over-interpretation of those first few seconds of footage. Remember how Flavia and Louis were never going to fare well because of the coldness and distance between them??

I wonder if what people are seeing as Aliona's rudeness is actually a kind of rootedness in her character. Maybe she likes an initial time where she gauges a person.

Aliona said when asked on breakfast TV that she hadn't Googled Harry before meeting him and wanted to make her own mind up.

She's not one for throwing herself at her celeb and wrapping herself around him, regardless of whether they're Harry Judd or Johnny Ball, and personally I like that about her. She has class.

Vile women. Greg is no saint but that was uncalled for.

Ah, now that makes sense.

She'd probably be quite formidable. On the BBC site interviews it looks like Gregg is in overdrive, trying to warm things up between them with offers of training-room food and Aliona parries with 'Are you trying to make me fat?' It's not the words so much as the attitude that's striking and changes the atmosphere.

I dunno. If you close down the distance too soon between yourself and someone you have to deal with, maybe you don't get to know them well. It's why I feel she will have to be in charge of the tempo of their partnership. And I don't dislike Gregg either. It'll make interesting watching

As others have said, with Aliona you get what you see which is a great strength rather than some of the dancers doing their posturing and OTT happy reactions. Getting Greg is a short straw and I personally am sad because Aliona is one of the dancers left who has a personality plus she is a bit rebellious which adds interest. If she had been paired with someone likely to be good she would have probably produced some interesting dances which again would have divided opinion but added some excitement.

Personally I am a fan of Aliona and am sad with this pairing, but hey ho that's the way it goes - was she rude?? No, I don't think rude, obviously disappointed and did let it show, possibly too much but that's her way - better than the falseness of some of the others.

As for Greg - I HATE him on masterchef and he is a reason I rarely watch it as I don't like his shouty over-critical manner, especially about the minor mistakes contestants make with food when a large part of the World is starving (sorry - just a pet hate of mine) but he's no doubt made a fortune from it, and if that's what drives him he's doing what works for him. However, from the launch show, I don't think he'll be endearing himself to me at all. Got to say, his 'WOW' and boggle eyes at Aliona was a creepy "old man/young woman" moment...yuk! (Mind you - not as really creepy (in a 1970's Carry On way) as that weird antiques person...but that's another story).

Think it is sad for Aliona but who ever was paired with Greg would have been disappointed - if they hid it more is that actually better? I don't think so, as it's just false.

She faces the prospect of being handled by a sweaty Greg Wallace for hours every day for at least three weeks, it's a wonder she didn't run screaming from the building!

Not really asking for hammed up excitement but also not appreciating the very obvious dissatisfaction that Aliona's displayed two years in a row now. There's a middle ground. Last night, she was stand-offish and rude.

I guess I'm just not one of these people that wants honesty at all times. I think there are some situations in which you need to show some decorum even if you have to force it a bit.

Aliona is usually more subdued than the others, but she has hugged some of them on the reveal. This would be her most subdued meeting though. It still wasn't rude.

Put like that....no wonder she looked downcast

didn't Gregg revel on Alan Carr that he doesn't wear underwear....

This was Aliona meeting Tony - and some people complained about her attitude then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0b8hHCHWoo

It doesn't matter how Aliona reacts, people will see what they want to see.

And as for 2 years in a row, she was hardly that bad that she and Tony remain good friends, despite being eliminated so early.

If a pro plays it cool, like Aliona, then they're deemed rude by the public.

If the public decides a pro is too enthusiastic, then they're deemed desperate, like Kristina is often called.

It's not an easy situation for the pros and it must be very hard to get the balance right.

I'm not sure it was rudeness just disappointment with her partner - and Greg does have a reputation for wandering hands.

Personally I don't think she has been very well treated by the Strictly Team and I guess she expected a better partner.

I am very disappointed with quite a few of the pairings.

Hi Sid! I can appreciate that last point. A bit of a smile and a lively way are generous sometimes, even if not felt right through. But that's not Aliona's way. Did she actually make you uncomfortable watching?

I ask because I know and like some outstandingly 'direct' people so my scale of judgement might be off a little. She was cool, I thought, and she looked like someone to be reckoned with but I didn't suffer on Gregg's account at all.

Though, thinking about it, if it was a male pro who looked unimpressed with his partner, who was older or less attractive, I think I probably would judge him more harshly than I'm judging Aliona here. Not quite sure why the difference...

I think its harder for a female pro to establish the rules with a male celeb than the other way round.

If you start off on the wrong foot, that could make it even more difficult to get things working correctly.
I think Aliona learned a lesson with Rav, that it is best to get the relationship firmly fixed at the start, or it could get into conflict.

It's not like it's the first time they've done this sort of first show, and all the other pros made the effort to show enthusiasm, not because they're fake, but because it is part of the show and the audience expects it and because it's kind to the nervous celeb. Think what a horrible show it would be if every female pro who didn't get Thom dragged themselves over to their celeb not smiling or every male who didn't get Pixie or Frankie walked off. The dancing over and hugging is ridiculous but it is a long established part of the over-the-top, glitter-on-everything nature of the show.

I don't have any idea about Gregg, I never watch Masterchef. But whatever you think of him, I think Aliona does herself no good by her - nicest way I can say it - lack of enthusiasm. She's her own worst enemy. Everyone's impressions will be different but what I saw was Gregg putting his arms out to her and she unsmilingly dragging herself over, and I felt for Gregg, and the person I was watching it with said, 'Wow, she's a cow, isn't she,' which I'm absolutely sure she isn't, but it's what I mean about her doing herself no favours.

I know that if I ever was asked to do something like this (obviously never going to happen), I'd be useless, so I tend to judge the pros very hard on how they handle being given a partner who isn't young and gorgeous. It's part of the show. Natalie was text-book how to do it beautifully in a way that wasn't way too fake but was warm and kind.

Poor Aliona. Whatever she does she can't get it right on these boards.

and your comment is uncalled for, Aliona is not a vile woman