I can't stand it when fat people are referred to as "larger than life personalities". No, they're not larger than life - they're larger than average! All fat people aren't exuberant extroverts and all slim people aren't mousy introverts!

As a large woman myself and with a big bust, I share the worry about large busted women not having enough support. However, when you're doing something very strenuous, large bosoms can be very unwieldy - they carry on moving after you've stopped, and generally get in the way. Maybe strapping them down is the best option?

There must be a lot of limitations and to be honest, I'm surprised the BBC agreed Alison could take part in the show.

I think I read Alison weighs something like 25 stone, so surely a doctor must have been consulted about the potential health risks. Every exercise video you can buy comes with a warning about consulting a doctor, etc. Training for several hours every day must put a terrible strain on Alison's body. I remember Amber Riley having knee problems when she was on DWTS and she is a lot smaller and younger than Alison. I realise some celebs hope to lose weight and get fitter by doing the show, but unless Alison is taking part on the show under medical supervision, I think Alison is too heavy to be doing the show. Please do not misunderstand me. I am NOT saying someone of Alison's size shouldn't be dancing or anything like that. I'm saying I question how sensible it is for someone of Alison's size to undertake the intense SCD training programme.

I've managed to offend twice this weekend, no doubt this post will make it a hat trick.

Actually you are saying she shouldn't be dancing. If your going to be insulting and uneducated about something why not go all the way.

Alison really hasn't done any strenuous dances yet. Ali is very clever in the choreography he's giving her. She has personality and rhythm. Something ill-mannered people always seem to think big people are not supposed to have.

You're lumping all full figure women together assuming they can't do the same things thin people do. Amber Riley's leg condition can't be compared to Alison. Why would you think because Alison is big she has to be under constant medical supervision, wouldn't all the celebs need that? Guess you've never known a big person or been near one by your comments. Get to know a few, you might learn something.

In my experience the problem with big boobs is getting control while also getting them to look good. There are plenty of effective sports bras out there that will squish the boobs firmly out of the way no matter how gigantic, but they'll never win any awards for creating a nice shape. But anything designed to lift and separate and make the boobs look nice will be a bit of a flop on the support side. If you and your boobs are bouncing up and down you really need support above as well as below which is going to be a problem to pull off unless the dresses are high necked.

Oh, and she's really not about to die on the Strictly dancefloor! I'm not saying her size is the healthiest life choice in the world, but some of the comments here are insane.

Bring on Gok Wan to give the wardrobe people some advice!

Overall, strictly has by far the BEST costume department BUT imo dancing with the stars does a much better job at dressing their plus sizes celebrities than Strictly.

From widdy, to Lisa, to Allison, they can NEVER get it right

Allison is too fat to look good dancing and I don't want her to go through on good for her size. She should be judged as others, good or not.

I worry about her ankles and knees and would not be at all surprised to see an injury.

By the way by too fat to look good I mean her chest is in the way of her getting the correct close hold in ballroom and in Latin the contrast with stick thin Aljaz is too jarring.

I don't know what size she is but her health is at risk trying to dance and train to the level needed to succeed to stay in on merit.

A bubbly personality only goes so far.

If SCD are going to have a large contestant every year at least get the underwear correct, use a specialist firm

I do so agree with the OP. It is many years since I was a size 12, and although not as big as Alison I would have looked ridiculous in that dress she had on this weekend. I feel her chest needs more support, but having said that, I doubt there's much can be done.
I enjoy her personality, but feel she is being patronised quite a bit and as soon as the competition gets much older she will go.
She certainly can move, has no inhibition about her size, and comes over as a lovely woman.

I don't see anything wrong with Saturdays outfit.she looked great to me and clearly having a ball. Im sure she and all the celebs would have had medical checks before and throughout the run. They all complain about the strain on their bodies, blisters etc. Yes her joints will be going through more but she took it on knowing that.what irritates me more is the patronising you did well 'for a fat girl' insinuation. All sizes, all ages, all skill levels welcomed.

No she isn't beIng insulting! Don't deliberately misinterpret someone's post.

Noone is suggesting that Allison cannot dance or turn in an entertaining performance. However the bottom line is that her extra weight will limit what she can achieve and disguising those limitations with 'clever choreography' is unsatisfactory in a programme which is about acquiring a skill. Dancing can put strain on various parts of the body, and her additional weight makes her more likely to be injury prone.

When I started to learn to dance I found regular gym goers were much better than me at getting the required posture and movement. I had to start pilates in order to understand my body, concepts of isolation and learn how to activate various muscle groups (glutes etc) and deactivate others. etc.

Actually you couldn't be more wrong. I am a big person. Not as big as Alison, but as big as Lisa. And as I've already said, I'm am size 42J in a bra, so I also know what it's like to have a big bust. And no, I don't think she shouldn't be dancing, but there is a world of difference between learning to dance and taking part in a physical show like SCD.

And it's up to me if I choose to use Amber as another example of someone carrying a lot of weight. I'm not breaking the T&Cs. There's also a world of difference between being full figured and as overweight as Alison is. For all we know all the celebs do take part after a doctor has said they are fit enough. Jennifer Grey's cancer was discovered during her medical for DWTS.

It has already been said Alison's weight is the reason she's not wearing heels. Thank you to coppertop for agreeing there could be a health risk for Alison. Thanks also to spin for her post (even more so because she's involved in the world of dance). We're all entitled to voice our opinions on here and as someone who voted for Alison, I'm saying she looks to me like she's risking her health taking part in the show. She's a joy to watch, but I am surprised she's on the show.

Absolutely agree. It is VERY difficult to get the bosom looking good when you're J cup or above. Trust me, I know. I struggle terribly not to have channels in my shoulders, and backache, despite being a patron of Bravissimo!! But the larger ladies on Strictly don't seem to have even an attempt at proper support built into their dresses, which is why I opened the thread. They bounce all the time. Their dresses are also never half as classy as the slim ladies, because they are not designed properly, to minimise the larger parts.

It's almost as though her outfits have been designed to emphasise her largeness rather than accommodate it in as sexy a way as possible.

One problem is that the tricks of minimising a big bust don't really work if you're doing hot and sweat stuff like dancing where you need to be wearing less rather than more.

It does bug me that we end up having this same conversation every year and it started with celebs far slimmer than AW, Lisa or Alison. Just off the top of my head I remember the same discussion about Letitia Dean.

What would you suggest they dress her in. I mean it, what Moreover why does she need to look sexy

I don't have a problem with what she wore either week, just that it would have looked better with proper bust support.

I'd be surprised if that proves to be so.

I never even noticed what she was wearing on Saturday and whether or not any of her constituent parts were unrestrained and in danger of smothering Aljaz.............

All I could see was someone who can well and truly get into a groove - as she did in Week 1 - and is obviously having a blast. As a result I was grinning from ear to ear - she must be fantastic fun to go clubbing with!

i think she'll accumulate a big following - much as Mark Benton did last year. I sincerely hope so anyway.

I do accept the views of those who feel apprehensive about possible health issues - if nothing else, her joints must be taking a hell of a hammering.

BTW I don't know if I get carried away in the moment, but I don't notice the judges being patronising towards Alison.

Me too!

I love Alison and have really enjoyed both her dances and despite her size she has the potential to be an excellent dancer and do really well on Strictly and I for one would love to see her in the finals! I say despite deliberately......how much more difficult must it be for her to look graceful and elegant and be energetic when she is carting around twice the amount of weight as everyone else doing the same dance? So instead of giving us all this "real woman" claptrap....say it like it is, she is clinically obese and should lose weight for her health's sake therefore wouldn't training for Strictly be the best motivation/opportunities for doing just that? Then the" badly designed/fitted dresses" and "ugly footwear" would no longer be such an issue.

If she is happy with her looks and is willing to take the many health risks that being significantly overweight brings, that is her choice but purleeze will people stop saying she looks like a "real" woman, when what you actually mean is a woman with "real" weight issues!

Are you a medical professional?

It's fair enough not liking her (I didnt at first), and its up to you if you dislike her because she's fat, but don't try and dress it up as some kind of concern.

I think you've misunderstood the 'health issues' point. I don't doubt Alison wanting to do the show and yes, it is well known as a way of losing weight - quickly too. My point in raising the health risks, was the risk the BBC is taking allowing someone who is in the highest obseity category (Class III) to take part in such a physically demanding show.

Hmm...probably not at the moment. Her footwork and posture was not very good in the foxtrot, but I think Len mentioned that. I think her getting a good mark for performance is ok at the moment, but the acid test will be later on in the series when performance should not be enough. There will need to be technique, likely to be more of an issue for her ballroom than latin.

I can see that happening in the same way it did with Lisa, although I think Alison is the better dancer.

She actually did a heel turn which is normally enough to send Len into ecstasy, but it was at the side of the floor furthest from him, nearest to the camera, so he most probably missed it

What high score? She got 22.