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Len is such a bully.


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Old 14-10-2015, 15:20
ricardoylucia
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The problem is as I see it, is that SCD has evolved over the years, as programmes do and Len is still stuck, shall we say..
Len is not a bully, but he is old school when it comes to ballroom and latin dance and he is the only judge with that experience on the panel.
Len hates all as he calls it 'faffing around'. He wants a couple to go straight into a waltz, foxtrot, rumba etc, etc, without any lead in.
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Old 14-10-2015, 15:25
MinaH
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If Giovanni doesn't give someone like Georgia rhumba content for a rhumba dance she will not progress and viewers will get the wrong impression as to exactly what the rhumba dance entails.

If you get rid of Len who would you replace him with? Remember he is the senior judge. If you replace Len with four Donny Osmonds who always responds with platitudes then SCD will quickly lose its appeal to many.
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Old 14-10-2015, 15:29
The Swampster
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Can't stand him, but at least when he's on Strictly he brings some relevant knowledge. What's worse were the BBC's attempts to turn him into a 'personality' a year or two back, which had him popping up like Japanese knotweed on documentaries and daytime shows with horrifying regularity.
I'd gladly swap him for one of the old pro dancers as a judge - Anton, Matthew or Karen spring to mind, but most of them would make a refreshing change.
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Old 14-10-2015, 15:37
duckylucky
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If Giovanni doesn't give someone like Georgia rhumba content for a rhumba dance she will not progress and viewers will get the wrong impression as to exactly what the rhumba dance entails.

If you get rid of Len who would you replace him with? Remember he is the senior judge. If you replace Len with four Donny Osmonds who always responds with platitudes then SCD will quickly lose its appeal to many.
Karen Hardy is extremely knowledgable and fair


I actually found Len speaking to Giovanni like a child very uncomfortable viewing
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Old 14-10-2015, 15:58
mossy2103
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I haven't said anything else, have I.
I didn't say that you had. Just making the point that any such comparison would be incorrect
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Old 14-10-2015, 16:30
MACTOWIN
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Len thinks he is the show it is about time he was brought down a peg or two.
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Old 14-10-2015, 17:40
IvanIV
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The problem is as I see it, is that SCD has evolved over the years, as programmes do and Len is still stuck, shall we say..
Len is not a bully, but he is old school when it comes to ballroom and latin dance and he is the only judge with that experience on the panel.
Len hates all as he calls it 'faffing around'. He wants a couple to go straight into a waltz, foxtrot, rumba etc, etc, without any lead in.
I think it's a good thing if he scares them into doing basic steps, too. I don't want them faffing around in something bland and unrecognisable either.
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Old 14-10-2015, 17:58
sunnymeg
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Len was horrible to Kelly Brook a few years ago when she did hardly any training when her father was dying and she was spending time with him rather than perfecting her dancing. I remember her circumstances being in the press and thinking how brave she was to continue with Strictly and then he just ripped in to her.
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Old 14-10-2015, 18:07
The_Bonobo
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Bully seems a bit much. Also chastising the pros at times seems reasonable enough.

The problem is that he loses his temper. It makes everything feel uncomfortable and is not appropriate for the show. Craig, for instance, is panto and when he goes too far it seems more a misjudgment than meanness. When Len loses the rag it all feels a tad dark.

The truth is Len has had these angry outbursts for years and it has often been put down to fatigue from travelling but he no longer does DWTS. Sometimes he snaps at the audience booing even though its all just supposed to be a laugh. And sometimes he snaps at the pros. If I am not mistaken he has actually had at least one snappy moment every show so far this series. It is also not his "persona", which is otherwise supposed to be the genial traditionalist. It is pure temper and creates awkwardness. Simply it is unprofessional.

For me, he should have been replaced long ago. I am sure, as well as someone like Karen Hardy, there are many knowledgeable people who could give it a go while also remembering that the show is supposed a light-hearted family-friendly bit of Saturday night fun.
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Old 14-10-2015, 18:32
MinaH
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Len gives the show gravitas. A level of credibility. It is not easy maintaining a dance show. Shows like "so you think you can dance" didn't last long. You need strong credible judges otherwise the professionals would walk all over them - James Jordan, Brendan, ... and Giovanni was heading that way - some people had been calling Giovanni sleazy in the way he approached SCD and Georgia.

When Bruce was on the show he was able to handle any issues ... but Tess is weak and certainly can't handle Len. As soon as one person goes the dynamic changes with it.

Perhaps in the future such shows will be completely anodyne, completely politically correct, sanitised, bland.
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Old 14-10-2015, 18:46
Tall Paul
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Bully seems a bit much. Also chastising the pros at times seems reasonable enough.

The problem is that he loses his temper. It makes everything feel uncomfortable and is not appropriate for the show. Craig, for instance, is panto and when he goes too far it seems more a misjudgment than meanness. When Len loses the rag it all feels a tad dark.

The truth is Len has had these angry outbursts for years and it has often been put down to fatigue from travelling but he no longer does DWTS. Sometimes he snaps at the audience booing even though its all just supposed to be a laugh. And sometimes he snaps at the pros. If I am not mistaken he has actually had at least one snappy moment every show so far this series. It is also not his "persona", which is otherwise supposed to be the genial traditionalist. It is pure temper and creates awkwardness. Simply it is unprofessional.

For me, he should have been replaced long ago. I am sure, as well as someone like Karen Hardy, there are many knowledgeable people who could give it a go while also remembering that the show is supposed a light-hearted family-friendly bit of Saturday night fun.
Unfortunately the executive producer doesn't care less about what we think about len, as long as she feels she is doing a good business with len on the panel, she is as happy as Larry. Wish SCD wasn't run by entrepreneurs and more run by ordinary people. Len is on borrowed time, reasons why I've said that is because he doesn't do DWTS anymore and he just seems like he's gonna get more of an attitude with people. He's got such a temper now, you can tell he's just doing it for the money now rather than enjoying whatever he is doing.
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Old 14-10-2015, 19:19
broadshoulder
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Oh no that Brucies gone we haven't had an ageist thread

Lets start on Len (rolls eyes)
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Old 14-10-2015, 19:21
Tall Paul
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Oh no that Brucies gone we haven't had an ageist thread

Lets start on Len (rolls eyes)
Absolute rubbish about ageism, len is on borrowed time and he knows he is, well why is it he doesn't do DWTS anymore?
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Old 14-10-2015, 19:50
Jim Kowalski
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Bully seems a bit much. Also chastising the pros at times seems reasonable enough.

The problem is that he loses his temper. It makes everything feel uncomfortable and is not appropriate for the show. Craig, for instance, is panto and when he goes too far it seems more a misjudgment than meanness. When Len loses the rag it all feels a tad dark.
........
I'm not jumping on the anti-Len bandwagon,but I agree with you there.Craig;s comments seem laden with disdain,but not malice,whereas Len,as you say,casts a dark cloud over the proceedings.

Len gives the show gravitas. A level of credibility. It is not easy maintaining a dance show. Shows like "so you think you can dance" didn't last long. You need strong credible judges otherwise the professionals would walk all over them - James Jordan, Brendan, ... and Giovanni was heading that way - some people had been calling Giovanni sleazy in the way he approached SCD and Georgia.

When Bruce was on the show he was able to handle any issues ... but Tess is weak and certainly can't handle Len. As soon as one person goes the dynamic changes with it.

Perhaps in the future such shows will be completely anodyne, completely politically correct, sanitised, bland.
Again,I agree with the need for judges who can keep the show grounded and your point about Bruce reminds me of similar thoughts I've had about the value of somebody like him at the helm; he always mediated effectively between contestants and judges.
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Old 14-10-2015, 19:54
nancy1975
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People kept going on about Bruce...but more than once he was needed to keep tempers in check and the show on a keel. Tess is efficient but she can't dominate over when it gets too heated it seems.
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Old 15-10-2015, 09:57
broadshoulder
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It was Brucie, now its Len

Someone has a problem for men over fifty...
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Old 15-10-2015, 10:19
holly berry
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Bullying involves sustained psychological and often physical intimidation. I don't see any evidence that this accurately describes Len. Throwing the occasional hissy fit doesn't constitute bullying.
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Old 15-10-2015, 10:19
Nicky_Gardenov
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Len was very harsh to Giovanni.

but i hope TeamGG shows the judges a good quickstep, and than Len has to comment positive.
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Old 15-10-2015, 10:36
Lou_Black
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Bullying involves sustained psychological and often physical intimidation. I don't see any evidence that this accurately describes Len. Throwing the occasional hissy fit doesn't constitute bullying.

Voice of reason.

What some people also forget is that the judges are all given a persona to play - it's naive to think the producers say "just be yourselves". EG, Craig is actually one of the nicest people one could hope to meet but he has to play up to his pantomime villian caricature.
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Old 15-10-2015, 10:44
mossy2103
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Voice of reason.

What some people also forget is that the judges are all given a persona to play - it's naive to think the producers say "just be yourselves". EG, Craig is actually one of the nicest people one could hope to meet but he has to play up to his pantomime villian caricature.
Yes, and as Len also has a role to play as a judge (i.e. to give a critique of the dance), it does not help matters if the audience is encouraged to boo when he points out some aspect which they do not like - after all, he's just doing what he's there to do
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Old 15-10-2015, 10:47
Lou_Black
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Yes, and as Len also has a role to play as a judge (i.e. to give a critique of the dance), it does not help matters if the audience is encouraged to boo when he points out some aspect which they do not like - after all, he's just doing what he's there to do

Exactly!
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Old 15-10-2015, 10:53
dancingbearbear
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Given that the current line-up does not contain that many "British" pros, then by the laws of probability he is more likely to be judged by some to be "picking on non-British" pros than British ones.

If people did the maths then they would see this to be the case. Or, given that some are so quick to judge, and others seem to suffer from confirmation bias, probably not.

Off the top of my head, is Kevin the only 'British' pro (and I guess Joanne, if/when she partners a contestant again).

So yep, laws of probability do suggest that any criticism of any pro will likely be criticism of a non-British pro.

Edit: just remembered Anton. I tend not to remember him at all, if I can help it.

Last edited by dancingbearbear : 15-10-2015 at 10:54. Reason: I
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Old 15-10-2015, 11:12
perdiedumpling
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Len gives the show gravitas. A level of credibility. It is not easy maintaining a dance show. Shows like "so you think you can dance" didn't last long. You need strong credible judges otherwise the professionals would walk all over them - James Jordan, Brendan, ... and Giovanni was heading that way - some people had been calling Giovanni sleazy in the way he approached SCD and Georgia.

When Bruce was on the show he was able to handle any issues ... but Tess is weak and certainly can't handle Len. As soon as one person goes the dynamic changes with it.

Perhaps in the future such shows will be completely anodyne, completely politically correct, sanitised, bland.
Len gives the show gravitas? Len "pickle me walnuts" Goodman? Len "as confused as a baby etc" Goodman?
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Old 15-10-2015, 16:34
Englishspinner
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I'm not absolutely sure, but head shaking as a gesture does actually mean "OK" in quite a few parts of the Mediterranean.

Any road, all it's done is installed Georgia May as my new favourite celeb.
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Old 15-10-2015, 16:46
kaycee
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Absolute rubbish about ageism, len is on borrowed time and he knows he is, well why is it he doesn't do DWTS anymore?
He doesn't do DWTS anymore because he found the continuous flying to and fro USA too much. Not only was it a matter of age, but also health issues - cancer for one. He actually wanted to leave DWTS before he did, but they persuaded him to stay longer.
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