I'm glad he's had previous training, it made him VERY good to watch. We need to have people who have a sense of rhythm and timing, and know how to move. It would be an incredibly boring programme with only spotty dog contestants.

Not that I'm watching much of it, but still.....

I totally agree with you. I hate all the waffle. Just let me see the dances and judges remarks.


But as has been pointed out by Darcy, Helen's ballet training is counting against her because you need to adopt very different postures and usually very straight backs and legs for ballet. It's hard to overcome the muscle memory and dance differently.

natalie was an example of previous training, talent and ability not being the be all and end all of the show. she was the best dancer in her year, but people preferred the journey and the partnership of abbey clancey for their winner. as long as natalie was there at the final, i thought that was fine. likewise with jay, he's clearly finalist material, but that doesn't mean he'll win, and personally i want to see more depth and integrity to the presentation to match the level of technique as i find him competent but oddly disconnected.

Not sure I know how much more the BBC could have done to highlight his previous dance experience since a good 2/3rds of his bio on the site is about it

This!

Having contemporary dance training may well help with fitness, flexibility and the concept of moving to music, but it certainly is not ballroom dancing.

Anyway - why single out Jay when Kellie spent years at Sylvia Young and apparently even taught there and Georgia also has lots of dance experience?

Helen has done ballet and I see the knives are out for her as well even though the discipline and styling is miles away from ballroom and latin.

I believe the rules are that the celebs should not have done ballroom or latin before.

None of them have, so picking on individuals and starting to claim they are liars or ascribing unpleasant motivations to their every facial expression seems pretty pathetic.

I don't think there is any such 'rule' except in people's heads on here. Caroline had been taught both ballroom and latin for the previous tv series she did. According to the curriculum at the institution Jay studied dance at, he took classes in both for at least a year. I am pretty sure quite a few others have been in the same boat over the years even if to a lesser degree than those two.

I dont think he comes across as clearly desperate to win, he seems a really nice lad and seems genuinely surprised when he scores so highly.

Agreed.

They are open and upfront about it, it's all on the BBC website

I agree

I loved both

Someone, anyone will get the Flack(ers) as sure as night follows day.

It's unbelievable the amount of "It's not right!!!" underwear fankling that goes on

I thought this too - and let us not forget Kimberley Walsh, Denise van Outen, Jill Halfpenny, etc etc etc - just about every actor/actress who has appeared on Strictly has studied dance and movement in stage or drama school.

I think the difference is that Jay is genuinely talented and seems to be very modest. I would love him to win.

Me too - loved them both. Both felt like 'real' performances despite the vast difference in technical ability. I guess I'm saying both made me feel the 'celeb' was in love with what he was doing.

I can't believe I fell for his I'm a little boy in a big boy's body routine.

He is certainly playing a blinder but still loving his last two dances.

Oh dear God, not this tedious nonsense again? The world is going to Hell in a handcart and this - this - is what gets trotted out every year. How can we make this clear? Strictly Come Dancing is a bit of fluff to keep us entertained.

It. Does.Not. Matter.

Len took a dislike to her - like he has Georgia - and that was that. Grumpy old git.

Maybe he just doesn't like Coronation Street.

Agreed. My thoughts exactly.

Just because someone has studied a particular type of dance - in Jay's case I believe it was contemporary - that doesn't make them a professional dancer. Trained, if you like, but not professional.

Ahem!

I will always give Pasha a good goo

Well I have to admit to being disappointed to finding out here this morning he has a lot of previous training.

It explains a lot about those spins.


I know people watch for different reasons, but I watch for the evolution of the performers. From Zero to Hero!

I was excited last night watching Jay because I thought he was some dance savant - I totally believed that he was a shy boy who bumbled around in a medicore boyband and he turned up at Strictly and suddenly discovered this jawdropping undiscovered talent.

Now I'm realising it was quite a lot of canny work on the behalf of the BBC.

Feel a but duped, tbh. Thats not to take away from his talent, which is exquisite. But it does mean I look at his future dances with a bit more of a head-tilt.

Just read an article in the DM about how Katie 'honed her dance skills' in her school's synchronised swimming team in 1988 - I think this has to be their most bizarre attempt yet to stir up 'ringer outrage'

How unfair!! Ringer alert!! Ridiculous but what else do we expect from the DM.

I look forward to her charleston performed upside down underwater.

*but where is the swivel? The SWIVEL Katie! Oh buggah, you've lost your noseclip. PARAMEDICS OVER HERE PLEASE!*

Exactly . Entertainment and time to shut off the world .Thank God for dancers like Jay to make me stand up and clap