I largely agree. I think the main problem is the way 'ringers' are handled by the programme makers. Everyone knows that Helen has had dance training, its mentioned pretty much every week, yet Jay's experience is barely mentioned - I suspect that's a big part of why he is getting more praise and less moaning.

It was the same last year, Pixie's dance training was often mentioned but Caroline's was largely ignored, although I believe it was mentioned in her online BBC biog. I remember it being mentioned to Zoe on ITT and the reaction was "has she!?" I honestly don't mind having people who have done some dancing before win, but it would be so much fairer if they were equally honest and open about all of them!

It's on his official Strictly biography which is linked from Facebook, it's hardly been hidden away in a little corner of the internet. Plus anyone whose watched the show for more than just this series who doesn't have an idea about contestants having some form of dance experience is incredibly niave or has possibly been living under a rock.

Yes, that is the bit I find unfair too. The advatage of having dance training can be balanced by the public judging more harshly/not boting for them because they do. A good dance wins votes, but warming to a personality or having a big fan base wins botes too so its all swings and roundabouts. But I can't help but feel its unfair if a large section of the population knows one dancer has dance training but thinks the other will not. One will be judged more harshly in comparison to the other, while the other will be able to impress them more.

But when it comes to the vote theres always going to be a bias, but I'd prefer if they were to be informed on some dancers, they should be informed of them all.

I'm not suggesting its been deliberately hidden or hard to find....just that theres plenty of the general public who may still love the show but don't go on websites or check out there history. Maybe I do live under a rock, but I didn't realise he had dance training and I'm not alone. I did judge him more favourably against the likes of Helen earlier on as I knew she had training and thought he did especially well as a novice. I don't think its too naive to think someone is just talented...Anita (as far as I know) hasn't had dance training and she has done well.

Jay has more than earned his support with his last dance, I'm not disputing that...just explaining that there are many who might be unaware of his training as I was and I know of a good few more as well.
Last edited by humpty dumpty : 13-10-2015 at 21:09

At the moment there's nothing to suggest Anita's had any dance training no but it wouldn't surprise me if there's people out there trying to dig and see if that's the truth.
Helen's dance training in ballet was given as a reason for why she might be finding a particular Latin move to be difficult though - so given as an excuse not a case of "you've had dance training you should be good".

They are all ballroom/latin novices so in that instance, all have a level playing field to work from.

As I've mentioned elsewhere on the forum, I danced from age 4 to 15 regularly and then ad hoc until my early 20s doing ballet, tap and contemporary dance, I even had two ballroom lessons during my work as a journalist to write a feature. Doesn't mean I'd be any good on Strictly Come Dancing

You have to have the talent as well as the training.

That's what I find so odd - I don't see how anyone could have watched that jive and believed he had reached that standard after about 3 weeks training with no prior experience Maybe if you'd never seen an episode of Strictly before, but if that was the case I don't know why you'd care if he had training or not.

caroline 'x factor' flack had training...yet they loved her on here!!

I think a large majority of people watching don't necessarily even go on line and talk about it, let alone read about it. Even logging on to this site probably makes those who do more interested than half the viewers watching! They aren't naive or living under a rock, they maybe don't have the same access to on-line information or people that they want to talk about it with.

I think that rightly or wrongly, strictly is seen as a dance contest where the pro's are teaching the celebrities from the beginning and they compete to see who can do this the best. It's implicitly suggested in all the first steps stuff, VT's about how they are learning, comments about early days - the natural message for most people from this is that these guys are novices and this is what they are learning on the show.

If you have been watching and talking about it for years then yeah, you'll know there will be ringers, that it's just a light entertainment show and not a competition but if you just watch it once a week or maybe ITT Some nights then you are just not going to know - previous dance experience isn't talked about often - sometimes it's mentioned in specific cases such as Pixie or Helen, but not usually.

Again, to clarify....I'm not suggesting you don't need talent as well as training. Not my point at all...merely stating a fact that I (as well as other posters on here and other people I know in RL) didn't realise he had training though knew about others. I only mentioned Anita as an example that you can get dancers without training who are good, so I might not be quite as ridiculously naive as you think I am for not assuming he had dance training. I don't have any dance training at all, so I can't tell as easily as you and there are many like me

I'm not suggesting that its difficult to research either...only stating a fact that many don't bother, hence unaware of Jays training and perhaps thats why Pixie et al got a harder time (as more people knew)

But it would give you an advantage over someone like, say anthony or iwan or carol....lets be honest.
Its like saying someone who hasn't played pro football but has played at parks level wouldn't be any better than someone who never seen a football in their life. It isn't and never has been a level playing field. In the end its down to who is POPULAR, and who isn't...