Are they great friends? Did they work together?

No, they are both overweight and Strictly contestants.

Two fat lassies together giving each other moral support ?

They are both very fat and massively overscored on Strictly? Not the nicest thing to say, but true.

True, but I found Lisa very likeable, while I find the other one totally unlikeable.

I love Alison, but it was pretty patronising putting them together, how ever much they may have privately bonded over shared issues (apparently Alison learnt some useful stuff about dance shoes from her). It was kind of reductive thinking putting them in a VT together.

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Yeah, the common (implied, yet unspoken) link is their weight, and unfortunately the show itself invited LR comparisons from week 1.

The thing is, they wouldn't bring in, say, Audley Harrison to give tips for Simon to dance well as a black man, or Denise Van Outen for Pixie as a blonde ringah, but because they're both energetic and fat (sorry, 'bubbly'), that's somehow appropriate to that week's training. They needed ideas for a VT and Lisa had a gap in her diary, that's all.

Im the opposite - I like Alison - and do not like Lisa at all.

That VT made me very cross. So because Alison is overweight the only person she can relate to or have relate to her is another overweight girl. It was very patronising

Isn't it time Lisa moved on from the show and got an acting job or is she at a loose end until panto season? I really hope she is not presenting the live shows as I would quit like to go this year

fatism by the BBC shocking!

Alison has basically given up on ballroom dances because, by her own admission, of her size. That's disappointing and I wonder if she really has been putting much work in.

I think Alison is getting bigger.

Because (for some strange reason) Lisa did well, they want to give Alison a 'Lisa boost'.
Perhaps she's not as much the peoples' favourite as they thought she would be?

I actually like Alison okay, but she isn't doing well.

It was odd wasn't it, and when Alison said 'have you got your shoes?', 'yes' - then dancing in outdoor boots. Bizarre.

its all about the BBC still trying to force Lisa Bloody Riley down our throats any way they can!

Lisa wanted to look thin for a change.

New cliche

Comedy fat birds

You know what, I thought that too. She is absolutely huge and Lisa looked quite trim beside her.

I would have expected Alison to have dropped a significant chunk of weight by now. Lisa did - and last week Tim said he had lost 2 stone during his time on Strickly. It's a truism that weight is lost faster by people who have more to lose and Tim wasn't what you'd call porky even at the start.

Well there's a bit of a difference between colour of skin and hair and being overweight when it comes to dancing.

The fact is being big is a huge physical limitation when being taught to dance on a competitive level. Being blonde or black isn't.

They're both big girls fully aware if the challenge their size brings (as much as certain people like to act like its no biggie). Which is why she no doubt why Lisa wants to show a bit of support.

But it made no difference to how Alison danced on the night - if they'd wanted to make a VT about learning to be better at the dances taking her size into consideration, they'd a) have done it earlier in the series and b) gone to a more credible source than Lisa Riley. It was hardly as if Alison improved on previous weeks, so it didn't really serve any point (nor would Audley giving tips to Simon, etc etc).

Lisa was there to make the points Alison can't really make directly. 1) Alison is having some issues unique to her because she is a big lady that can dance fairly well (no she's not technically the best of this years bunch, but she does a respectable job, and in terms of performance and musicality, she is one of the best. 2) Most importantly, when you are a bigger dancer you HAVE to exaggerate your lines, or it looks as if you are not doing them... even though you are. You have to in fact, work harder than slimmer dancers. That was the key point.

There was nothing subtle, everything was explicit or heavily implied. That said, I felt it did come off as patronising.