anybody popped into this thread to say they really like the rumba as a dance.

I do, and would hate to see it dropped from the show

My dad actually stated that in his opinion Giovinni didn't know how to dance to Georgia's ability i.e he obviously danced around her a bit whereas Kevin tended to dance to the same ability as his celeb and tailored the rountine to show them off. Giovinni is new at this so that's an understandable mistake and Kevin's never had anyone totally useless (not that Giovanni has either but any stretch of the imagination) but I guess the point still stands.

Now in that I can not agree! But then this is a thread for unpopular confessions.

I did indeed. I can't understand why people don't like it. Done well, it's like a really exquisite movie love scene.

James Jordan was rather good at teaching and dancing the rumba.

I think Tess is an accomplished presenter and does her job perfectly. Can't think of anyone better to front the show.

I think the Cliftons supporting each other and shouting "tens" in the final was sweet.

I don't think it's normal for a married woman and single man to be pawwing each other and making lovesick eyes - no, not even tactile professional dancers.

I loved Kellie and Kevin's enthusiastic nature after a while and found it infectious.

I don't think the judges have an agenda or over/under mark to try to influence things - I think they truly just mark how they see it.

I enjoy seeing rumbas, especially done as Jay and Aliona did it. Their's was a cut above most other couples, particularly when it is a male celebrity doing it.

He did a very memorable rumba with Cherie Lunghi

And with Artem

Which do I like best - Artem and James' Rumba or Jay and Aliona's??

Don't particularly like James, but that dance with Artem was both hilarious and a very good Rumba!

Liked Jay and Aliona's Rumba the most.

But - unpopular opinion - I liked Anton and Katie's Rumba.

Don't agree with Craig - don't see why a Rumba has to be 'filthy' or sexy as it mkes it even more difficult for celebrities to do.

I have huge respect for Tess simply because she acknowledges the singers by name. Bruce never did that. It only changed when Bruce was still hosting and was off sick. Tess took over for one show and introduced the singers individually. I always wondered if she had suggested it previously and Bruce refused. Then once it had been done they had to continue with it. It means the singers and musicians get proper acknowledgement for their work.

Mind you, she can try too hard and say too much sometimes. But when she relaxes and tunes into the mood of the studio she can get it right.

I thought Holly Vallance was very under-rated in her series. I really enjoyed her jive, charleston and paso and her foxtrot is one of the very few that I can remember.

(Thought the Swan Lake AS was OTT though and Artem's make up was just ))

I've always admired Tess's competency.

I suspect although Bruce mentioned the band, Dave Arch and "the singers," he didn't introduce them individually, either because he might have had difficulty remembering the four names (Lance tends to be in and out depending on his availability) as well as Dave Arch. Or "time" had to be found in the schedule for his daft jokes. So maybe such courtesies as the mention of individual names was considered unimportant.

Tess got little credit for holding the show together, for years, when Bruce "went off on one," it often meant she'd have to read the auto-cue at a rate of knots to make up for lost time, which she did faultlessly. She hasn't Claudia's natural flare, she can't ad-lib as well and some of her remarks to contestants seem a bit awkward, but they work well together.

The show, just evolved, that's it, and will keep evolving, the mention of the singers names was just a slight change, - nothing more.

Bruce never " went off on one" he held the show together, if it wasn't for his big name, viewers wouldn't have tuned in at the start and we wouldn't have SCD today.

I recall the classic moment Bruce filled in when the microphones got tangled up, Bruce was at his best unscripted. http://youtu.be/IdMMuH6wmPQ

To me the question is why the pro dancers names do not come up with the celebrities in the titles. They do , do it in ITT when their on the show.

I don't agree that viewers wouldn't have tuned in without Bruce presenting! The show was good anyway! And still is!

Bruce didn't hold the show together, that was Tess's job.

So you don't consider his time wasting unfunny jokes, his attempts at milking applause for them. thus delaying the show, so that occasionally when asking for the judges' comments they had to miss one out to make up the time, wasn't because he'd "gone off on one?"
You must have been watching a different series.

That behaviour showed a lack of respect for the show and the other participants. But then, he always acted as if it were "his show," and he was what the viewers tuned in to see.

Thank you for the link! I'd never seen this salsa before and Bruce was great here. He might have told crappy jokes but when the wheels came off, he kept the thing going in a brill way. Lovely vid!

Most of us have seen that particular show and the incident has been shown many times.

But that was in 2006, nearly ten years ago.

That was when I was still defending him on this board from his many detractors at the time.
But he demonstrated a rapid decline into "irascibility" in his last couple of years.
It's just a normal occurrence for some when people get to his age.

Contrast that with his behaviour when Harry Judd's friends rushed on to the floor.

In my opinion, some are seeing his final performances through "rose tinted spectacles."

I watched in spite of it - I'm sorry I never liked Brucie.

I agree with the tess bit......the rest less so!

brucie was virtually pushing them off stage at one point
He was good.....but SCD has moved on now.

I assumed that the singers were introduced by name because they'd re-negotiated their contracts! I would be very surprised if Tess was allowed to make that decision herself.

I think Artem was at his best as choreographer with Holly.

I mean with Kara was sublime, but that was more the whole partnership and Kara's amazing dancer.
With Natalie, I think he went slighlty too far for strictly. (But i enjoyed them non the less) But with Holly produced really great routines which were both innovative and some traditional.

Mentioning the singers by name is one of the best of the Tess innovations - and there have been several!

No, Bruce wouldn't do it, apparently, but Tess thought it was quite natural and polite to do so.