Maybe - like a lot of things these days, if you want them done properly - whether it is plumbing, electrical work or a Cha Cha, you need to hire an Eastern European iimigrant.

PLEASE get Nigel Farage do the Strictly Xmas special !!!

I enjoyed HIS cha cha, and thought it a shame that Katie didn't mirror his steps. It was almost like he'd forgotten he had a decent partner this time round, and choreographed as if for one of his previous duds. Baffled as to why she just stood there shaking her hips. She looked lovely though. Very disappointing this week.

Forget how bad Katie was, that was an appalling ChaCha from Anton . Looks like he hasn't got a clue how to dance a ChaCha . No wonder Katie was left stranded on the floor .

LOL

So true

Agree, watch Anton carefully, he can dance Latin, I've seen him. The trouble is he is more old school sometimes, not as flashy unless its meant to be comedy like with Ann Widdecombe or in one of his own shows. Latin for him is not as important so just basic routine and move on.
If he has pro partner Erin then you see perfect Latin

Their jive gave me the hope that maybe just maybe Anton isn't that crap at Latin dances but after seeing this chacha it's back to square 1.

I thought that they could possibly make the finale and now I'm not so sure.

I agree. It was completely lack lustre...

What was that semi-circular move round the floor he did halfway through the dance while Katie was stood there doing nothing, he looked like a car salesman who lost his keys and was late for an appointment

Ha ha, I thought it weird too. I'm shocked how a pro ( whether he likes a dance or not) can screw up like that. I'm calling this -ITS ANTON'S LAST STRICTLY SEASON.

I've loved the previous 2 dances for Katie, the legs, the musicality. Last week during the dance, a tango I believe, I saw Anton break character ( serious ) and smile in a ' god she's brilliant isn't she?' He had his back to the judges so they didn't see him.

Nobody's saying this but, he's getting on a bit, having a decent partner, first one since Layla seems to be beyond his choreography. He's the oldest pro by far. I'm not being ageist, I'm around the same age but, I'm not a pro dancer on the the biggest BBC show not involving a cake.
Sorry I really believe this could be his last series.

If Katie and Anton survive this week and I really don't know if they will then Anton wants to take stock and get someone in to help with his Latin choreography, he can't let Katie down like that again and also there has been suggestions that Katie's cha cha technique might not have been up to scratch but personally I don't buy this as that Jive was great and is I think a more difficult dance to master than a Cha Cha Cha.

The way they chop and change the pros, with really good ones not coming back, I think Anton is very lucky to have lasted as long as he has. He is a good ballroom dancer and has been good for the show (seems to be good fun backstage according to the other pros) but thats not enough. As much as he joked publicly about being given the worst dancers, I think it has saved him. Now I find it really awkward, as I'm sure he must be aware that the sympathy is now with Kate and the public feeling exactly the same way about her as they did with Anton in previous years - that she has the dud partner.

They were disappointing last night, Katie basically just stood in one spot for most of the dance. It could be the first time a pro isn't good enough for their partner.

Hard to believe the number of Anton apologists on here. Can only assume there is some sort of anti-Katie agenda going on.

There was no indication from the first two weeks that she wasn't able to make a decent fist of this dance. Maybe not a 30 dance but 25-26 should have been a distinct possibility. If there were problems (nothing in the short clip on Friday to suggest so) then it is up to Anton to bring out the improvement rather than just 'hang her out to dry' with a routine that had zero content.

That was the biggest drop in level I can ever remember. She went from a final contender to fighting off a potential dance-off in one week.

Unfortunately, partnered with Anton I can't really see a way back. He hasn't got the talent and he still sees the show as being about him and not his partner. Secretly, he has probably been very pleased with poorer partners because it hasn't exposed his limitations.

THIS ⬆️👏👏

Yes but they need someone who is very good at both as in the days when Matt Cutler and Ian Waite were on the programme. Anton's poor Latin is more obvious the older he gets, he doesnt seerm to take it seriously which is hard on his partner

For every "apologist" on here there are at two or three who are desperate to hang him out to dry when things don't go to plan, as was plainly the case last night.

As mentioned elsewhere he choreographed a perfectly acceptable Cha Cha two years ago for Fiona, but she had trouble remembering it and kept stepping off on the wrong foot. The choreography was not the issue.

If they get through I'll be interested to hear what has happened with regard to this dance, he's already said that he pitched it wrongly and hopefully they improve from this.

I think it's worth remembering is that what has actually happened here is a disappointing dance after two weeks where they as a couple surpassed expectations by a country mile. |If anyone wishes to cast their minds back to pre show predictions Katie moved fairly freely between the "middle of the road" and the "duffer" category.

The fact that she performed so well in those two weeks is as much due to Anton's input as is the disappointment last night, and remember the dances are coming round faster now, they had a total of four weeks for the first two dances, and I'd be surprised if it was all spent on the jive.

If they remain hopefully it's a blip, and I quite agree that he should be looking for some help with the latin side of it, there are quite a few eventual winners who had bad dances, ended up in dance offs and came back stronger for it.

Anton and Katie's dance was poor last night, I assume he only planned to be in a couple of weeks and didn't have anything prepared. She seems good, so it was too tame. To little content. Karen Hardy will say that next week on ITT.

Yes, totally agree!

I'm surprised at the number of people who think Anton took responsibility for the poor choreography or "fell on his sword". While on the surface he seemed to be saying "the choreography was my fault", what he actually said, twice, is "Don't blame me for the choreography, Katie's not capable of anything more complicated!"

I can't believe she's not capable of anything more complicated than standing there wiggling her hips. It would've been better to give her something a bit too complicated and have her make a few mistakes than leave her looking so exposed.

That made me LOL...I think in a previous life Anton was Bob Hope's brother called Noah...

Their jive was a very basic jive, in which Katie held Anton's hand for all the side by side action. She didn't do anything spectacular. I think people have overestimated her ability to be honest.

I thought Anton might have some spark beyond ballroom given his Hungarian & Spanish parentage but seemingly not?

Don't know about that last bit, as even Kevin said this week (on ITT) that he hated the Cha Cha Cha and found it difficult to choreograph.

Hopefully this at least makes people see how good the Kellie and Helen ones were from last week (at almost ten times the speed also).

Also expect the likes of Kellie, Anita and Helen to do a much better Jive in the future (and Katie's Jive was the one dance I repeatedly watched the first week).

In short, she will struggle with the latin dances and there is probably only one spot available in the final for a female presenter. That said, if she does get a Charleston to for instance The Avengers theme tune then it's something that could be a crowdpleaser (and tip the scales in her favour).

Tonight's Cha Cha performance was dreadful......Just posing as we said at home and as the Judges said.....Katie has looked exceptional in previous weeks but IMO she was just not up to doing a Cha Cha as it should/could be done....I don't blame Anton....He's had to be good at Both Latin and Ballroom to get as far as he has in Dance...He has to have done completion dancing for most of his life where they have to be able to do both to an exceptional standard...We'll see what happens with their next Latin Dance...!!

Wasn't up to doing better??? Did she break her both legs? Even if she wouldn't do an idiomatic cha cha cha, she could move. Repeating her jive would be better than this. And unless she explicitly asked Anton to do this, which she didn't as Anton told us, it's his fault. After her two excellent dances he could have hardly thought she couldn't do at least a competent cha cha.

True. Anton let Katie down this week and rather than it showing a lack of her ability, I felt it showed the weaknesses in his ability in Latin. He did own up but the judges were having none of it as what Anton said sounded a bit like he thought his partner was the one not up to something more complicated. I wish one of the judges had bluntly told HIM that Katie is much better than that but their criticism was more directed at her. If he needs help in the Latin he has plenty of people to ask. He needs to work harder for her.