This actually warrants a thread.

Was anyone else really shocked and taken aback by how cruel Craig was to Steve tonight?

I've not got an issue with him disliking the dance although Steve did not throw Ola on the floor so don't know what he was talking about there but to suggest that Steve should never dance again if he does make it through was a really shockingly cruel thing to say and I think Steve did really well to retain his dignity because Craig deserved a verbal volley by being that openly disrespectful to a guy who clearly loves being on the show and is learning to dance. I hope this doesn't knock Steve's confidence in the future. It was nowhere near the worst two dances either.

I wonder if Craig is digging at James Jordan and his outspoken comments by going through Steve and Ola. If he is, that's really unfair. If Craig has a problem with James Jordan (and James does engage mouth before brain sometimes), he needs to deal with it with James Jordan rather than humiliating a guy who has nothing to do with that situation. It's the only reason I can think of.

Secondly, Bruno has crossed the line into obnoxious and I don't actually blame the judges for being angry with him.

Len visibly put him in place and although I'm certainly no Len fan, he was right to do so. The mucking about by getting in shot with Tess and pulling faces while she was introducing the couples was bad enough (disrespectful to the couple and it's clear Tess is nervous and doesn't need him pratting about) but the rest of his behaviour...well.

He's actually quite a knowledgable and fair judge when he wants to be and I guess we have all become used to his OTT behaviour during his own comments whether we like it or not. I thought the getting up and dancing for the audience during Craig and Darcey's comments, nearly jabbing his arm into Len's face and having loud conversations with the audience while Craig and Darcey were commenting to be really egotistical and rude. It's like the guy literally cannot function properly when the attention isn't on him for a second and he seems to have attained legendary status in his head.

He needed that humbling tonight with Darcey and Craig glaring at him and Len telling him in no uncertain terms to calm down and that he was going too far. The producers need to talk to him too because he is just ridiculous at the moment.

Both Craig and Bruno, in their own ways, ruined my enjoyment of the show tonight a little. I still really enjoyed it but they were both out of order.

I must say I missed Bruno's antics because I was out of the room but, I do agree with you about Craig. I thought his "throw away" comment to Steve was very unkind and quite frankly unnecessary. We all know that he's not a very good dancer (yet) but, unlike the front runners the guy has never had any dance training whatsoever and should be given credit for how well he coped with his routine. In comparison to the other non-dancers Steve is bliddy Fred Astaire.

Mind you I stopped paying too much attention to what Craig says after the Lisa Riley fiasco.

I usually agree with Craig's comments, if not always his actual wording. But agree with above, his comment to Steve was way out of line, and completely unnecessary. Something that deserves an apology.

As for Bruno - the guy is just plain stupid. The annoying thing is he has actually learnt quite a bit about bb dancing over the years, and is capable of giving decent constructive criticisms, but all his grabbing-the-limelight antics are now way past stupid. The producers need to deal with him before he gets any worse, or better still, replace him.

Bruno was way OTT bonkers tonight. Craig went too far and just seemed nasty without any charm.

Steve will cope. He's a 'fall off, get straight back on again' kind of guy. Craig's comments are small fry. When he wrecked his ankle in a climbing accident he persisted through years of pain and eleven operations before accepting the inevitable and getting the broken bits fused in the twelfth op.

See his article this week in the Daily Mail (of all papers) for a man who won't give up when far worse things are happening.

Backshall's all right.
(all right = big spirited, knows what really matters kind of bloke)

Craig's a tit of course but I do wonder if it wasn't a bit of panto to generate some boo... hiss... support! Worked for me. (Not that I wouldn't have voted for Steve without the prompting)

To be honest, I'm rather more vexed that the routine made so low an appeal. Would rather see signs of Ola's serious intent in teaching the guy to dance. Mebbe next week if the results tonight work out that way...

I voted for Steve tonight as well. Thought he took what Craig said with a pinch of salt. Think he has come face to face with far more frighting beasts than Craig being bitchy. But to be honest he was not much more complementry with the other dancers.

I don't know about cruel because I think Steve has more about him to take it that way and it just made Craig look a total arse. Steve took it all in good part and I think has more self-esteem than to take notice of Craig's crap whilst still being able to take sensible stuff from the comments and improving on the basis of that.

Craig is like Jason on Dancing on ice. They have constructive comments to make but lose it all in the middle of a pile of venom.

To be honest, I didn't hadn't noticed anything unusual about Craig's comments or Bruno's behaviour. It just seemed business as usual to me. Craig is going to be bitchy about somebody every week, he thinks that's what the audience and viewers want. Bruno has to act the fool for the same reason.
I actually think Bruno has improved a lot as a judge, amidst the messing around he usually comes up with the most constructive comments these days.

I think they've both become caricatures of themselves. Craig the pantomime baddie and Bruno the clown! (and who knows, maybe with a few tipples before hand, then finds it impossible to rein in.)

As a matter of interest do Bruno and Craig get on as a rule, or is the permanent look of disdain on Craig's face towards Bruno because he irritates him too?

I usually agree with Craig and his honest comments but that was a bit unnecessary. Bruno is just an idiot and really needs replacing.

With regards to Bruno, it's the sort of thing that happens when you have a weak host in charge of the show.

Totally agree, I usually like Craig and his comments but that was too far, I didn't know who Steve was before this started but immediately liked him and his whole attitude and style. I hope he goes a lot further as he has a lot of potential. It was harsh but looked like Steve didn't take it too seriously.

I felt it was an attempt to be humourous, Tess commented that Steve had never danced before and Craig retorted and shouldn't dance again (or words to that effect). I don't think he intended it as a vile comment, but unfortunately that's how it came across.

I have quite a sarcastic sense of humour but will always apologize if I offend someone (I have also learned to tone it down as not everyone gets my "Scouse" humour )

But he was always dicking around when Bruce was host too, remember when he fell off his chair?

Yes, but that is part of the "schtick", he always falls off his chair, either on the show or the tour.

Tess should have spoken to him the way Len did or came out with a one liner to put him in his place.

It's the sort of thing a good host does straight away; the host is not there just to introduce the dances but to keep control of proceedings.

I don't think they mind if Bruno is doing it during his own review but he was speaking loudly, dancing around and playing to the audience during Craig and Darcey's crit. I think Tess was torn with not interrupting them and trying to control Bruno but Len did take control of the situation and humble him on this instance.

I think as well as Tess helping the judges, I think they need to help Tess too. I know she's done it as a replacement for Forsyth before but this is the first time she's been the main face on a permanent basis and she doesn't need Bruno making the job more difficult. He's experienced enough to know this, how long has he been judging for?!

[quote=snafu65;75070841]I usually agree with Craig and his honest comments but that was a bit unnecessary. Bruno is just an idiot and really needs replacing.[/QUO



I agree with you. Bring back Arlene or replace Bruno with Adam Garcia, Ian Waite, Darren Bennett, Matthew Cutler or Erin Boag. Last night's performance was ridiculous!!!!!

Craig's comment on Steve better not dancing again was just a(n unwittingly) brilliant pass by Tess. All he had to do was a slight nod to head the ball in the goal. Which he did.

Double post...

Craig was a bit of an a*se but I think Backshall is a good hearted guy who won't take it personally. I hope so anyway, the show would miss his and Ola's sense of fun and class....which despite all the fakey backstage bonhomie, it is really missing for me this year.

The annoying thing about Bruno is that underneath all that nonsense, he does have good critiques, usually better than anybody else, but now has to smother it with a lot of unnecessary panto.

I took Craigs comment as more said in off the cuff humour rather than nastiness the deadpan po faced way in which Craig sometimes comments can be open to misinterpretation, as for Bruno len is right Tonioli hes becoming a parody of himself a ludicrous figure, would much prefer Arlene to this clown.

Craig always targets someone who is male and lower to middle of the table and usually someone who is pretty decent and is able to just laugh it away. It is just part of the show. Maybe things are a bit sensitive because of the James/Craig antagonism. Under the circumstances he might have been better targetting Thom.

I think Bruno is a show off who likes the limelight on him. I also think he needs slapping down as he's getting a bit too much now but there isn't a strong enough personality on the show to do it.

I would agree with this. Bruno really should be able to judge the moment after all these years and shouldn't need 'controlling' from the host. And the judges should be doing all they can to help Tess. But I suppose Bruno thinks he is helping because presumably he thinks he's hilarious.

I think Craig's comment to Steve was just that he was unable to resist Tess's line and not a planned attack. I didn't like it, but then I love Steve and I don't like Craig at the best of times. If he makes a habit of it, that will be completely out of line, because dancer or not nobody could miss how hard Steve is trying.

When Craig isn't being unnecessarily nasty (like that comment to Steve) I actually think he is the best judge, because he points out what was wrong (hand placements, pigeon toes etc) which as a viewer, I find quite helpful so I can 'judge' future dances myself, and decide who to vote for. It's when he resorts to personal insults that I find it distasteful. There's no need for it. He can still be the mean judge without saying things just for shock value.

Bruno was even more OTT than usual last night. I sometimes wonder if he's on something! I'm jealous of his boundless energy but he really needs to rein it in a bit sometimes.