Steve? Freudian slip?

Are you mistaking Steve for Scott or Ola for Joanne - because either way is equally funny

Was happy to make an exception for Steve

Full of admiration for him, and that beaming smile never leaves his face

I felt sorry for them last night. It just didn't work, did it? I think his memory just blanked on him and he forgot too many of the moves. It does happen.

if steve had not forgotten parts of the routine it would have been fine a fairly good charleston done to difficult music and theme - you cannot plan for nerves and it was beyond Ola's control and whilst on the floor she did her best to dance out of the errors these things happen in dancing all the time - one momentary slip and thats it

I thought it was a good routine a bit messy but not a disaster and if it had of been executed correctly would have been a great memorable routine to a difficult song and theme unfortunately Steve forgot some of it but he did keep recovering and never gave up. Simon also went blank and only Darcy mentioned it. At least he didn't totally forget completely and sat on the steps There have been far bigger disasters on strictly than that charleston

I was looking forward to it but he just messed up - the makeup also removed all expression from their faces and was just awful

how can it be just Olas fault? it takes two to dance ...... if he'd struggled in rehearsals badly she would of removed it- he may not of been perfect but obviously got through it - nerves.... stage fright.... anything can happen on the night but no i would not blame one person entirely for a routine that went wrong ........

I thought the judges were particularly harsh. It wasn't great but they got torn to shreds.

I think it was brave to take risks but I think she gave him too much to do. I fear it may put Steve in the bottom two. Shame if so

No, they're not for dances they don't know. Most of the pros learnt Charleston for the first time for a Strictly pro dance or when their celeb first had to do it. I'm not sure they can even really object to much in those routines - if you listen to various interviews through the years several of the pros talk about learning the Charleston/Lindy Hop/Salsa etc and struggling with it sometimes just as much as their celeb.

You can't choreograph a dance you don't know, whether a pro in other dance styles or not. Maybe some of them say no to the occasional dangerous lift, but their input doesn't go much, if anything, beyond that.

From the training clips we saw, Steve was coping very well with the routine... And seemingly enjoying the fun factor in it too.

I think it was a bad rehearsal spooking him, and he just went blank several times.

Not Ola's fault at all - she did her best to help him recover- maybe just as well the (awful) heavy make up masked their expressions!

There was not enough actual charleston and too many lifts.

It was a shambles and three judges ridiculously scored 7's!!

Ola seemed very downbeat throughout the show. I'm not going to second guess why -given all the theories out there. She was quiet before the dance and almost silent afterwards. She was emotionless in the results too. Perhaps that didn't help Steve.

Under that make-up, how could you tell? Seriously - Zoe said to Steve that she couldn't tell if he were sad or smiling, and she was standing next to him. They didn't celebrate their getting through in the vote because they were the last to be called and in that situation it doesn't go down well if you celebrate when someone else has been put in the b2 (remember people's reactions to Julian last year?). I mean, of course after their costumes got tangled up in the dress rehearsal they would have both been on edge beforehand and down after it went wrong, so I'm not arguing really. I just feel really cross about anyone being sent out to do a Charleston with so much make up you couldn't see their facial expressions.

On the main question, no, Ola didn't choreograph the routine and couldn't predict that Steve would go blank, so I don't see what she is to blame for. Just sometimes things go wrong, particularly when you're not doing something you know how to do and if it went wrong earlier. It's a shame but there we are. Hopefully they can put it behind them.

I dont know that anyone was 'to blame' - it just didnt work on the night.

I agree the make up was too much. It left them without expression at all.

I really like Steve though and I hope he comes back fighting next saturday.

I really quite liked the make up -- for Halloween, not for everyday, y'understand.

But it also looked to me like both Steve and Ola were relaxed and enjoying others' performances after they'd got their dance out of the way. As far as you could tell under the bony exterior, they were grinning away most of the time and I thought 'Good on ya' for not brooding but taking part in the others' experiences…

Course, I think both look better without the make up. In the same way I think Ola looks better without the Photoshop …


ETA I've just changed my mind completely. The make up was to blame for Everything. Just think if they hadn't had to spend however many hours getting make up and costume, they would have had time to put right whatever state of mind came out of the bad rehearsal, practice and get the thing grooved again

My thoughts were that they looked so anonymous and expressionless that less invested and/or casual viewers might be less likely to chuck a vote their way. As it worked out, they didn't need it, but I still maintain that the make up did them no favours whatsoever.

After all, viewers' perceptions are not solely limited to the dance - which had its own problems! - but also include what they perceive of the couples both receiving the judges' remarks, and up in the Clauditorium. That's a whole load of negatives they had stacked up against them on Saturday.

That they survived is thus a very positive sign - in fact, it probably means they're going to win!!

From the ashes of disaster.......

I'm certainly not arguing that the make up - good though it was - did rather mask anything but the most extreme facial expression. It was more body language. And that to me said she appeared flat in affect. So I'm not apportioning blame but wondering if she was anxious about the routine.

Well Ola hugged Steve after the dance in a supportive way and on Claude 9 they embraced and showed support for each other.

Steve's makeup seemed to me to give him a permanent worried look - which isn't ideal for a Charleston.