I think the difference is that James has a connection to the show and also knows the people involved so it could be seen that he is talking from a position of personal knowledge and insight rather than tabloid speculation. He also seems to forget the minute he approaches a keyboard that his wife actually has to work with these people!

Yeas, I see what you mean. Although some of his comments last year were even worse, so that could be classed as "restrained" by his standards.

Give him time - it was only the launch show

True.

,
Err I'm not a mind reader and never claimed to be!

I found the fact that Ola has known Iwan for years in an interview with Ola herself somewhere on line - easily enough found if you Google for it.

I didn't think she was at all upset with the pairing - just a bit discomknockerated at being flung around as she was and nearly flashing her boob, and if he bent her nail back as he broke it - probably in a bit of pain as well! If anything it was IWAN who looked less than thrilled - not Ola!

I don't think Iwan has a reputation in the same league as Greg's last year - it was so clear that not one of the female pros wanted to be paired with him last year, but one of them had to do it - poor Aliona! Glad to see she has a potentially good partner this year in Jay - let's hope he can conquer those nerves!

This is only a tabloid headline.

It will have a little bit of sustainable life until we see them in training.

To answer your question truthfully, no, I did not read any of the thread before I posted because I wanted to tell it exactly as I ( not anybody else) saw it. In fact, I even saw the Sun report at the top of this thread AFTER I had watched the show - therefore, absolutely nothing influenced the way I saw it.


I'm not a mind reader of any sort - but I do have eyes and an opinion which I am allowed to express on a discussion forum without being influenced by newspaper reports or what someone has said in Post 60.

And if Post 60 is true, then so be it. Amazingly enough, I do not know Ola nor Iwan - just like everyone else who has dared to express an opinion here.

As for Ola - how lucky for her that TWO male celebrities who have previously and consistently turned down the show, claiming they would only do it if she was their partner, both end up on the same series. Talk about spoilt for choice! I think a Harry Hill-style fight should have settled it!

Thank you.

sorry, its Ola - no R

Saved me typing out much the same James & Ola were on periscope just before the launch on Saturday night, she seems very happy to have Iwan and just wants the tabloids to leave her alone.

Shame Ola had to come back she is unlikeable as her bellend of a husband.

I prefer her to Kristina. I liked Kristina the first two seasons but have one off her rapidly since.

Totally agree.

She's lucky to be there frankly after her and her oik of a husband's behaviour last year.

I am quite amused by the fact that she seems to have got the charisma free sports star with all the mobility , moves and panache of a brick wall.

I can't help sticking up for Ola and Kristina. Maybe it's because I like them (I don't personally know them) and I detest seeing them dragged through the mud - especially in the DM).


Carol I don't think that post was directed at you (I could be wrong).

?? I wasn't aiming the remarks at you, Caro!

I actually agree with your comments regarding the 'swing round' and the aftermath.


I like them both, too, Buddy. I loathe the gutter 'press' (and I uses that latter term advisedly as what they indulge in isn't journalism. it's gossip and insinuation and outright lies most of the time. Unfortunately, it feeds the public's insatiable need for such things. Personally I give credence to nothing they publish .

FYI Caro, Cally's comments were squarely aimed at me.

Apologies if you felt that you had taken a bit of a "hit"....

Except when she's flogging her tacky calendars or appearing with her husband in some 'fly on the wall' documentary thing...basically, Ola is happy to use the tabloids when it suits*. Unfortunately, when you court the media, it does tend to backfire on you from time to time - hence the Strictly pros who tend to do that (Kristina, Ola and James) are the ones who tend to be most in the media firing line.

*I don't remember Ola rushing to play down 'bullygate' or blame it on the media twisting the story - in fact my enduring memory of that mess was walking into a supermarket and seeing Ola's 'tearful' face splashed all over the front page of at least one of the tabloids!

Excellent post. I think James and Ola would be pretty horrified if the papers actually 'left them alone' completely.

It's oxygen to them.

That is the very face that put me right off her.
Can't remember who but I think someone was being accused of 'bullying' her.
She had that face on and neither the story nor her 'upset' were (imho) genuine.
She annoys me.

It was Karen and the BBC confirmed the incident happened at a pro dance rehearsal, with Ola accepting Karen's apology at a meeting held to resolve the problem. Tabloids wait outside the studios so it wouldn't have been difficult to get a photo of Ola.

The point is, what was clearly a spat between two female dancers morphed into a supposed campaign of bullying by one against the other. Ola made no attempt to put the media right on what had happened. In fact, there's a distinct possibility that she was the one who leaked the story in the first place, and she certainly milked it for all it was worth.

I don't know where you get your facts from, but there was no suggestion of a campaign of bullying, just a one off unprovoked verbal attack towards Ola by Karen. It was over in a few days and neither spoke directly to the media because they are not allowed to do that. On what basis do you say there is a distinct possibility she leaked the story and in just what way did she milk it for all it was worth? Given what was reported, surely it is far more likely that someone working on the show earned money from talking about what happened? You really seem to have a very strong dislike of someone you don't actually know.

That was how I saw it , and I read the stories about it at the time .
For sure I wondered if Ola's reaction was the result of a 'straw that broke the camel's back' situation . Lets be honest, Ola is a pro, has handled lots of difficult partners and has taken criticism from judges on the chin (including the claims in the gutter press of her bullying Steve B ), so her upset at Karen made me wonder if it was just the latest in a series of jibes and she'd finally cracked .
I like her and hope she and Iwan do well , but I worry her recent injury could play on her mind and hold her back from giving 100% . I hope I'm wrong .

Ola and James set their attack dogs on Karen after that so it's nonsense to suggest they didn't play it up. They might not have spoken directly to the media but they used it all they could & Karen got dogs abuse for what was a nothing story...or should have been a nothing story. Much like the story last year of Ola ~bullying her partner last year.

Unfortunately, during the previous couple of series, James and Ola did feature in the press - possibly linked to what seemed to be plans to break out of the Strictly box and be the new Richard and Judy or something - and when people appear in the Sidebar of Shame doing such riveting things as walking down the street or similar, rocking or showcasing various outfits of bits of their anatomy then it's because they want to be there. Unfortunately (again) once you invite the press in - then they are in regardless of whether they are actually wanted or not at times.

Basically, if people have a habit of courting the press when a story appears about them, there is always the suspicion that, rightly or wrongly, they could have been involved in the release of it - especially if it relies on such vague things as 'a source' or even 'source close to xxxx' which again are fairly well recognised as being the actual person, just given a bit of a disguise with a false nose and dark glasses for proprieties sake