Good and bad.
Bad; Too much going on about Blackpool. Too much flashy camera work. The backing dancers were distracting. I would have much prefered to see the dancers on their own. It is so much more spectacular when they dance well without other dancers spoiling my concentration. Remember Brendan and Jill's famous jive?
Good; beautiful hall, Pixie and Trent. Simon's sexy argentine tango. He so suited that dance. His confidence and skill at such a technical dance was surprising.

I really loved it, but have to admit, the scoring was all over the place. It was a far better show that going to Wem-ber-ley. I really loathed the place and the hype around it

I must admit I have a soft spot for Wembley.

I thought it was a fantastic show. Loved it.

I am not usually a fan of the Blackpool show. I think the floor is too large. The year when there was a stage in the middle was awful IMO.

However, despite the annoying backing dancers, and a few iffy vocals, I thought it was Fab-u-lous!!! Almost everyone upped their game - Dame Shirley Bassey was amazing - Simon and Kristina were spectacular. A really great show.

The judges arrived in the Tower Ballroom Donnyville.

The person who approved Pixie and Trent's VT is the one who should have been forced to wear the donkey suit.

I'm hoping that when Len hung his head and muttered, he pictured himself bent over scraping the bottom of a barrel for yet another superlative, and just thought 'I can't ****ing do this anymore!"

Strictly is all about illegal lift-fests, the celeb hanging around in the background while the pro dances with the backing dancers, don't bother matching the music to the dance, VT's about not being able to recognise Pasha if he puts a head scarf on. No thanks Louise - I prefer the things that made Strictly great in the first place.

Highlight of the weekend for me was Sunetra's reaction to her scores - I admire her for keeping it real.

Where was Len "Swearing"? played it back 4 times, I cant hear any.

Clearly you don't remember that well - wasn't it Darren Bennet and Jill! Perhaps your memories of all previous shows are a bit off kilter - I thought it was a fabulous show. I know it's only my opinion but I do think I, and the other pro posters, are in the majority.

A fabulous show indeed.

Strictly is all about hype and trompe-l'œil so I'm struggling to understand how a show that is all about fluffy, glittery, camped-up hype can be overhyped. It's already hyped to the max. Tone it down and the cracks begin to show

That's a good point.

I wonder if there is a bit of sour grapes from the Southerners that even the foreign professionals acknowledge that the greatest dance venue in the country is in the North of England, not in London?

What a strange comment. Do you know where the people making the positive or negative comments live? I'm a "Southerner", I thought it was a great show and I said so. This type of generalisation is as daft as the claim that Judy stayed for ages because everyone in Scotland was voting for her.

No, not at all. Any dancer ANYWHERE in the world will acknowledge that Blackpool has the best venue in the world. All dancers want to dance there, but I must make one small correction. It is not the Tower, but the Wintergardens that is the best venue to which they refer.

he didn't swear, he said fudge and it was whilst he was talking to Simon and Kristina

I wish one year they could go to the true home of dancing - but think the Empress Ballroom at the Wintergardens might be the wrong layout for the show - such a shame - having judged at both places (not ballroom and latin events) find the dressing rooms and facilities at the the winter gardens far better - but the stage area etc not right for SCD I think which is prob why they use the tower

I have not been to the Tower to compare, but as you know at the Wintergardens, there are ample changing rooms upstairs but most of us use the large area out the back, behind the stage. Plenty of space all around. Perhaps its too costly...or not available

Just seemed to be a lot of people wanting to knock Blackpool, I think the Scots think its part of Scotland anyway by the way or at least for a few weeks each year during the Glasgow Fair.

I was there and it was F A B U L O U S