Not at all. I don't believe this bullying allegation and I don't believe there was a bullying allegation last year. I think Karen and Ola had a spat which was blown out of proportion by the media. I do believe in the heat of the moment Karen said the things she is alleged to have said, that Ola walked out and that the producers had a sit down with them both to enable them to continue working together. That's all.

Ola has been on the show so much longer than Karen, so we have a far better impression of Ola's character than Karen's and that's what I based my comments on.

Doubt anyone in the production team would want to scupper his chances .. I expect the BBC have lots of ideas for him post Strictly .. just as they did Chris Hollins and will want him to go as far as poss.

Despite everything looking okay on ITT .. I did get the vibe that something was not quite right between them. Perhaps this was just down to the disastrous performance on Sat night. They were almost talking to each other through Zoe .. there wasn't much joshing around with each other .. as there is with so many other couples. Ola I think can be too demanding .. that's not going to work with everyone.

Be interesting to hear what they have to say about it .. James definitely won't let it ride.

According to DM, Steve approached the producers though, and now He and Ola have a chaperone with them all the time. This stuff would be silly to make up, as Ola/Steve could easily call it out as rubbish.

IMO there was no need to leak either stories to the press, last year it was most likely done by Ola/her team, as no one else would benefit from leaking it. Also the endless articles with appropriate pictures of glum, depressed Ola walking around in the midst of horrid Karen bullying her, were kind of a hint who leaked it all.

Karma's a b*tch.
The Jordan's leaked the Karen stuff last year & now the tables have been turned.

Either of them could have put it to bed with a tweet - I've not read anything yet?

*snicker*

I,m surprised but even more so that James hasn't responded yet.

Perhaps he is being smart for a change (if there is some truth to it, a reaction from him would detonate the bomb underneath this partnership). Wonder if luigy is cashing in and we can expect a S&B story next week (if so, the leak has been found).

We have absolutely no evidence to show who leaked last year's story, but I'd put my money on someone from the set, not any of the dancers. I can't believe people think bullying is ok if the person is usually the bully.

As I said earlier, this thread will degenerate into another I hate the Jordans thread and it's well on it's way now.


That does bother me. Any comment would have to come from Steve though because anything from the Jordans will be ridiculed.

It never ceases to amaze me how people can express strong emotion for someone they've never met.

Or a journalist with a very vivid imagination. I call bull!

Yes, it's odd there has been no response on twitter.

The problem is that if there is an issue, you can't generalise. There are all sorts of things that go into the mix, including frustration about other people's commitments, the 'James' situation', the stress of learning something new and performing, all of which might magnify people's sensitivities. If there is a problem it is better to deal with it sensitively and discreetly at first, which doesn't seem a possibility if the story has been leaked. It is quite possible for the tables to be reversed and the alleged bully become the bullied, especially where there is a group of people (the general public) sitting in judgment. So you have to be careful with these things. That's why I don't like these sort of leaks.

Possibly or Ola has hidden his phone 😃 his fingers will surely be twitching. Luigy has been quiet since the comment on that thread 😲😊

Because it wouldn't actually put it to bed, but just keep the story going longer?

Best thing they can do is just get on with the show prep.

If you follow Jame Jordan on twitter, he never stops going on about how Steve and Ola are ignored by the BBC. Whenever someone else is on ITT, the beeb announce it and promote it, when it's Steve and Ola, they're silent (or so he says) and he even said their picture wasn't used on something or other (you have to read his timeline to get the full story). So is this leaked story just another ploy to derail the Ola train? It sounds to me like James thinks they are trying to get rid of Ola in any way they can. Rumours have already been surfacing of this being her last ever Strictly. This does play into that.

This is not surprising.

If it's true Steve did the right thing, it's not like he can put his foot down it would be all over the Sunday People and the Mirror about Steve being difficult and poor Ola the victim... again.

It must be an absolute nightmare working with Ola treading on eggshells all the time worrying about "leaks" and stories turning up in the papers.

Just shaking my head. Smh.

Poor Ola

I remember them asking Andrew Castle what he thought of the judge's comments and he said he only cared about what Ola thought. Sounded like he had a good opinion of her.

I agree.

The normal situation is that the celeb does not respond to stories even if they are not true. To do otherwise opens you up to being prodded into all sorts of exchanges with papers in public. Good for the paper - bad for you.

Sid Owen clearly wasn't a happy bunny either.

Normally I would agree, but it's the bit about speaking to the producers and a chaperone that bothers me. Normally I'd say the person/people shouldn't deign to respond to articles like the DM one, but not in these circumstances. It bothers me that Steve hasn't tweeted. I don't want James or Ola to do it, because that will just fan the flames.

If we don't hear anything this weekend, then the story will be brought up year after year (like so many are) and if it's mentioned on ITT, some people won't believe it.

Though this may be SB's reply

#FOTD Loggerhead shrikes impale toxic lubber grasshoppers on spikes for two days to ‘age’ out the toxins they contain

By that token, we can expect to hear something on Monday

Steve is a nice guy and Ola is a nice woman, they just can't stand each other.

Are they nice at the DM (lol)?

Oh stop being so independent! Eyes are designed by evolution to ingest what the Daily Mail tells you, not to judge for themselves


I have some concern that the story is so outlandishly far from what the audience can see plain for themselves that Steve and Ola's vote could steal floating support from the other mid-table / beginner contestants tonight, which I suspect would run counter to the intention behind the piece. Though maybe I'm just extrapolating from my own reactions, which apparently are not shared by the whole country!!

Still, much as I loathe Iago, a backfiring, duff Iago would be pitiable.