So sorry but I thought if I'm going to suffer the image then it's best to share the pain!!!!

Me too. As Ian Waite said he couldn't find fault in her foxtrot. Maybe they got penalised for the use of inanimate objects which surely were not their idea??!

And the whole Paso was too aggressive was nonsense. I don't really see where other than the segment at the end but I always thought a Paso was meant to be more of an aggressive dance seeing as they're meant to be a bull and a cape??? Oh I don't know, to me it was no more aggressive then Anita's.

Maybe they were scared of giving the Foxtrot 10's incase there was a big mess up that they missed because off teapots being in the way.

As for Paso I didn't get that either. I'd thought saying a Paso is too aggressive would be like saying a Tango has too many heel leads. Also they got given a big rock song like 'The Final Countdown,' it had to be full on. Other wise it'd been like Katie and O'fortuna.

Hi All!

Took an evening off the forum last night after what was an unpleasant afternoon. Thanks to the folks who showed support either via DM or here in the thread, you know who you are *blows kisses*

Moving on!



I'm with you on that one. We can offer respite care, refreshments and light entertainment.


This is how I feel about Gleb, like he is an exotic creature, like a peacock who should be put on a perch and admired. I didn't like him in the beginning; the stone face, the 90's boyband looks (bandanas ahoy) but I have to say I've been converted. I know people (me included) keep banging on about pro dancers having the "right" background but I think people like Gleb are needed, they bring something different to the table and make it interesting, otherwise it would be too samey. I really hope he's back next year if only to bring good old Len in hives again


Not a hip shaking dance but you can see why even in his old age he is still a brilliant dancer, very light on his feet (despite being a miserable grumpy goat) . And look who comes to get his partner at the end:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKRI8JbTQj8

I've had a look at Georgia and Giovanni's twitter feeds and nothing new to see there. Gio has already said he's coming to UK in the new year and Georgia is probably on her hols now, so it's all understandably very quiet. I suppose when the tour starts we'll see more of them in the press. The tour starts on 22nd Jan so let's hope we hear something from either of them before that.

I've been watching their early dances again and the Jive is what stands out most to me. I suppose it's the best of their early dances and if the judges chose Kellie's Tango which was week 1, I can't see why they couldn't have chosen GG Jive. In my opinion, choosing the Rumba was a bit unfair because while the other dancers repeated 2 dances and did a new dance, GG had to actually repeat 1 dance, change 1 dance and learn a third one. The judges' choice is not something coherent and if they choose to keep it next year I hope they choose more wisely. Not that I didn't like to see it again but I would have preferred to see something more uptempo due to their showdance being slower than a Char-less-ton or a Samba.

ETA: apologies to my fellow GGers if any one of you was upset by the unpleasant events of yesterday

Hey vics mum I don't think anyone in here would have been upset by the goings on! I didn't really know what to say and whether or not I should say anything at all! Sorry 😳 I think you covered everything that needed to be said though, there was nothing I disagreed with hope you're ok though!

They have both been very quiet on Twitter but hopefully we will hear more in the new year when they begin training for the tour

While I agree that he is still clearly a great dancer I really do not want to see 71 year old Len shake his hips or try to be sexy. Scares me enough seeing Anton do it

Anyhoo I imagine Gio will probably tweet when he leaves Italy for the UK.

well, it appeals to me, thanks for posting


hello, yes, I agree, I've watched the dance several times and it gets better each time


hi Dervla ... sorry to crop your post a bit .... yes I like the Cliftons too and Kevin did well to get three partners to the final, have to admit I even like the way he laughs, too


thank you, but I haven't watched Part 1 yet or the Strictly Christmas special , something to look forward to, also, thanks for posting the pictures of Giovanni's Christmas meal, it looks delicious and I wish I'd been there

hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and it's good to read so many interesting posts, too many to quote but I agree with everything you said Debatable.... post no. 2771 ..... my son tried to get me tickets for the Strictly tour for my Christmas present but they'd sold out, such a shame as I really wanted to see Team GG in the flesh, as it were

Couldn't find fault to it either...but apart from her nailing the technicalities, the story-telling, emotion, grace and romance was all there. Can't think of any reason for it not to get a 10. I think their paso was hugely disadvantaged by the style and music. I know this, because I only appreciate how good it was in terms of dance and performance and choreography when I look at it back again (focussing in on whats important). Georgias shoulders were hunched in a few sections, so not deserving of a 10, but I'd give it 4 9's.

Given the stick and mean spirited/petty comments Georgia supporters have been subjected to both on the MF (and on other appreciation threads!!!) when Georgia was seen as being a challenge to the winning position...and we sat back in dignified silience as people wished she fell on her face and LOL! about the thought! keeping our comments about how low it was only to our thread alone, it disappoints me you felt the need to take time off from your own appreciation thread (where we seek refuge!) ....but ho hum! Glad you're back and here to discuss what this thread should be about - Georgia and Giovannis brilliance on SCD this year, making it a show worth watching

Can't say I'm a big fan of either of Kellie or Kevin - but admire their effort and ability to pull it out of the bag every week - never thought they might have a wobble or underperform before their performance - was always confident they'd perform which is a sign of how good they were. I see no reason for them to be critisiced, thats for sure. Admire what they managed to achieve. Its a far harder ride when you haven't got the publics unquestioning support and you have to work for it.....they did well. Still think Kevin can be a bit bitchy at times though (couldn't resist mentioning Gleb and his mirror or trying to undermine Georgia and Giovannis emotional moment) but still like him

Awww sorry you couldn't get tickets at all... there I was moaning because I couldn't get tickets on the date I actually wanted (my birthday) because it was sold out not realising how lucky I am to even have a chance to go and see the live tour... will remember to count my blessings next time

So just throwing my hat in the ring on the interesting question of undermarked/overmarked dances:

Undermarked:
Quickstep - she was marked down for 'not smiling' but she did smile for the majority of dance particuarly her solo bits (only not when she was been dragged across the room at fullspeed) - should have got minimum 8's all round for that

Salsa - I loved this dance and the whole 'anticipating lifts' reasoning was not entirely true; again she deserved minimum 8's for this

Samba - apart from the glaringly obvious mistake which was quickly corrected and the occasional balance issue, this dance was practically perfect - so much energy and lots of style, definitely all 9's

Tango - did she make any mistakes in this dance? I can't tell and because of that at least one 10 should have been given

Paso Doble - I keep going on about how much I love this Paso; it brought out a new side to her and it had the right level of aggression and passion required, slight shoulder problems but I found the musical phrasing to be on point and I loved the beginning with Gio on the drums and the dramatic ending - should have got all 9's

Foxtrot - absolute perfection of a dance, no mistakes that I could see - definite 10's from at least one of the judges

VW - Semi final - again, absolute beauty of a dance, no errors - a perfect or nearly perfect score should have been given

Rumba - Final & Showdance - seriously they were being so stingy by not awarding at least one 10 for both of these dances - she was superb and stunning in both

Overmarked - Nothing, what the Cha cha cha lacked in technique it made up for in performance, energy and by being very enjoyable to watch

All other dances were scored about right imo i.e. Jive, Waltz, week 3 rumba, both Charleston's and the American Smooth

Not to make you go over everything, but could you please give me a brief summary of what you're referring to here. I don't venture into the main forum too often, and I'm curious to know what this unpleasantness is/was.

Aw, no need to apologise VicsMum - we're all right behind you!
Only caught up with all that had been going on late yesterday evening, but agreed with everything you said.

Hi humpty, sorry for cutting the rest of your post. I agree that Kevin and Kellie is not to everyones taste. Much as I liked them there were times especially earlier in the show where I commented that I liked them better as individuals. When they were together it sometimes seems to magnify the manic IYSWIM.

However as time went on I grew to like them both more and just to pick up on your points here. See, maybe Kevin is bitchy in private I don't know but I really don't think that he was being so here. Even Gleb would acknowledge that he loves his mirrors, it's his schtick. I love Gleb, I'm a big fan but his love of mirrors and cameras is part of why I do. I really don't think he'd be offended by Kevin saying that, it's just a bit of fun.

And as to the second incident, I imagine you're referring to the bit around 7.25 in this interview. Well, without second guessing peoples emotions and psychoanalysing people I don't know I would say that Kevins little joke was not done to undermine, or take the p*ss out of Giovanni or Georgia, it was more to break the tension of the emotional moment which was straying rather too far into um.. well lets just say that Giovanni may have been a leetle bit in danger of being misunderstood in his comments by some IMO. and I think Kevin knew that. Kevin knows live TV perhaps a bit better than Giovanni and also knows how things can be misconstrued. He was doing them, maybe Giovanni particularly a favour by bringing in some humour IMO. Plus, it was quite funny too.


and therein ends my defence of the Cliftons today.

I'm just very simple with folk. I like the people I like to like the people I like

And when they do it makes me like all of them even more. The whole 'one big happy family' aspect of SCD is something I long for to be real. Kevin and Jo and Karen and Aljaž and Giovanni and everyone... they all knit in together and are welcoming, supportive, teasey, friendly, and I'm planting a great big seal of Approval on that.

One slight rejoinder to this point - Georgia had already undercut any possible tension in the emotional moment by saying 'I was a pain' and having a laugh about it, so Kev's snarky little contribution wasn't needed really.

Also he should realise that they are two young people experiencing something totally new and eye-opening for the first time, and the fact that they've gone through it together, along with Georgia being an emotional person, meant that it didn't need to be undercut. Allow them to have their moment, and say what they want to each other and respect it. Not everyone is a grizzled, seasoned Strictlyite with half of his family and friends running the show.

(no offence to you, by the way, just the Clifton mafia annoy me intensely and nothing has dissuaded me from this opinion)

I was gonna make a post but Pretzel said everything for me.

I just viewed it differently...you're obviously seeing the nicer side and I'm seeing the worst Zoe had already mentioned at the start of the interview that most of the audience were Kevin fans. I don't feel there was any awkwardness after their 'moment' at all - they had a giggle and were perfectly comfortable with what they had said. Zoe moved on smoothly. I felt Kevin deliberately used the moment to play up to his crowd - at their expense - to perhaps make them look like the more fun and laid back couple or make them look a bit soppy and OTT - and I could sense that it did make Georgia and Giovanni feel a bit silly. Anyone with a bit of sense would realise that a comment like that would make them feel a bit silly in front of an audience. The fact that their emotions were genuine, just made me feel it was a bit unecessary. (The Gleb thing tbh I took as good humoured banter at the time...I reflected differently on it after this incident! Haha....and I do accept that Gleb quite happily plays up to the 'role' hes been given)

Having said that, my original comment about Kevin being a touch bitchy was actually said in the context of me liking him and only a little added comment (which I've now gone into much more detail than I probably should have as I've probably made it seem like a bigger thing than it actually was) I still think hes a nice enough guy and I know him and Giovanni get on well - its not a big thing, just a little moment that I noticed.

As I said, I have admired both Kevin and Kellies hard work and the solid performances they've put out week after week. And I've responded on the MF many times in defense of both him and Jo against those ridiculous and nasty posts against them, analysing their childhood and trying to make them out as horrors. So no major critisisms from me!

So what dances do we think GG will do on tour. From what I've seen the couples do one Ballroom and one Latin. I think Charleston will definitely be doing Charleston as Latin. Ballroom though there's so many great ones. I think it'll be between Quickstep, Tango, American Smooth and Viennese Waltz. I'm thinking probably American Smooth but changed a bit to not include backing dancers.

Do they have to the same two dances each night do we know?

I'm just so looking forward to seeing them live, I'll love nomatter what they do. I know Charleston will be a definite. I was really hoping for Samba, but doubt it I'd LOVE to see that samba live.

But I'd love to see their rumba live too, or their American Smooth, or foxtrot, or quickstep, or jive.....

you get the idea

Kevin's tissue thing is technically known as phatic expression. *swanks and preens unnecessarily*

He 'joined in' with the tears but in a jokey defusing way that brought things back to a social setting, which was fair enough. Georgia was genuinely moved and yet Kevin and Kellie were just at the start of their bit. It smoothed things over in a harmless way is how I see it. Monkeys and other furry social creatures do a lot of phatic stuff too.


I've stared with a microscope and tweezers in hand and can't find the harm in it

Dunno. We all see different things

To stay on topic: the Cha Cha was over marked. The foxtrot and the VW were under-marked, IMO. And I still hate rock Pasos!!

I would struggle to pick just 2 of their dances that I'd like to see! I don't think you'll be disappointed then HD 😀
I would guess the charlseton and vieniese waltz!
Would love them to do the samba as well though! Or the quickstep, jive, tango, fox trot or American smooth! I'm not fussy not that I'm even going to the tour but I'm sure there will be videos knocking about

Sorry to clip your post Humpty. Maybe this is my 'Protect Kevin from the MF Mob' spirit kicking in but I thought Zoe mentioned the audience support because Kevin gets such criticism on DS, twitter, fb and the Daily Mail comments section. My immediate thought was that she was being supportive to him and Kellie against that. Again... everything is perspective

Who knows The Truth??

I was thinking samba and either VW or AS. But if the charleston is going on tour then I guess not samba. I personally think the samba would work brilliantly in an arena setting. QS would be amazing too but I think Jay is doing his or did I make that up? So hard to choose for these two as they could do virtually any dance. And yes it's the same dances every night.

deleted cos it's just me binding on Again about the Cliftons...

D'you know, I've never heard of that before. and after a small misstep where I read it as 'phallic expression' ( my mind is a dangerous place) I totally agree.

I really really don't think Kevin meant any slight on either on them, quite the contrary. but as you said, we all see things differently.

That's my favourite group interview with GG alongside the Gleb/Anita one in Blackpool because I kind of like Kelly and Kevin and their bit was emotional in a different way.

Also sometimes there's a sort of awkwardness between some groups somehow, but you don't get that there.

There was a wee linguistics bit in my degree, which is where I pilfered phatic expression. I wonder what context would suit phatic phallic expression!?

The Gleb/Anita interview was where I first started to get Gleb better... Gethin thawed him out a bit and he seemed more relaxed. Or maybe Georgia and Giovanni did... Did you catch the thing he said to Georgia (Gleb, I mean), something about taking her out on the town, was it?? I just wondered then if there was a personality mismatch with Anita that worked on the dance floor and in the training room but didn't show either of them especially well in conversation???

Love all the GG interviews. Shamefully, I think I've watched them more than the dances