I'm not really a fan of Helen (her dances, I mean, this isn't Big Brother; I don't care for any of their personalities), found her routines to be quite forgettable bar last week, but I didn't take her launch show comment like you're suggesting at all.

The wording is unfortunate, but it sounds a lot worse on paper than it was on the show.

Her comment was harmless; she simply shared her prediction with us, it was more of a "I thought I was going to get Anton, but Aljaz is just as good!" to me, rather than the context you thought, and just by her tone, I think I'm closer to the truth, especially since you don't like her so of course will twist her words.

The fact that nearly all of the cast have come out and defended her tells me all I need to know. Like I said, I'm not particularly a fan (her Quickstep did make me sit up and take notice of her, finally), but I find the claims of her being some kind of bitchy diva hard to believe.

Craig even said that she's just quiet backstage and doesn't really join in the after show fun. Fair enough. Not everyone is the life and soul of the party, some prefer to soak in the atmosphere instead. She seems a bit unsure of herself, to me... a bit insecure. People often mistake quiet for some sort of arrogance, when it's often quite the opposite.

I fully agree with all the points you are making, and this is how I see it too, As you say, the wording was unfortunate and had she had time to think about it beforehand, I'm sure she would have said it in a different way .I don't think it was meant the way it appeared.

People seem to forget that Helen is an actress - she's more used to playing a role and embodying a character than being herself. She comes across as being quite reserved which people automatically mistake for being arrogant and conceited.

I'm sure she didn't mean it like that. Let's be honest though, most people would be disappointed to get Anton

Helen is just reserved; there's nothing wrong with that, but it does make it harder to relate to her. She definitely doesn't come across as being cold to me though.

Very true - human nature I guess

All too common on this forum

I don't understand that argument at all. Yes, she may spend 10% of her time acting but the other 90% she is Helen the person (I have plucked those figures completely out of the air).

For clarity, I like what I see of Helen.

It is funny how people on here can be really vicious, but think that's OK. Then a celebrity says one word or looks at someone in the wrong way and they are labelled for eternity.

Everyone jokes about Anton, the contestants had probably been having a laugh about who would get him offstage.

When I heard about her remark about Anton, I thought it sounded bitchy. When I actually saw the clip, it seemed fairly clear that she thought she would have Anton because they'd been paired together for the opening group routine and they had got on well. We've heard similar before (though don't ask me who!) - "Oh, I was sure I was getting so-and-so", and nothing was made of it. Only with the presumed relief that she didn't get Anton was this turned into a big deal.

Every time I see her I think she's like a little china doll 😃

I thinks she's quite lovely and thoroughly enjoying her time on the show.

These sorts of threads are the reason why people should just vote on the dancing. You can make a judgement on the dancing but nobody should be dissecting their characters if you don't actually know them. Any one of them can put on a positive show (and probably do) for the camera.

Quite. And its for that very reason I personally am not interested in the personalities at all , just the dancing. I find it incredible that some " emotionally invest" in the celebritys - their words not mine.

I don't really know how you can separate personality from dancing - surely it is someone's personality that makes a dance more than just walking through a sequence of steps. If everyone was judged solely on their dancing, you might as well just send about 10 of them home in week one.

"personality" on the dance floor is something quite different.

I really like her, although her Latin makes me nervous, loved her description of getting very British about it . Beautiful woman as well.

Another Saturday and another chance for some bile to be thrown at Helen for no reason but at least it is consistent bile.

Shame to this thread resurface. I think Helen seems a lovely person.

I dont dislike her at all, shes good with the potential to improve more and very attractive. On ITT last night she seemed to have a somewhat rather bemused expression on her face when the camera panned onto her that struck me as a bit odd.

There's about as much truth in this 'story' as in any other behind the scenes 'drama' we've had previously.

The main thing to bear in mind is that the press are largely anti-BBC and also broadly in Simon Cowell's favour (because he works them relentlessly with endless 'stories'). But TXF is not having the roaring success that Cowell predicted, and ITV is rattled that the person they've invested hundreds of millions in to hold up their channel is no longer delivering the goods in the way he used to.

So I'd fully expect these 'stories' to have no SCD source and instead to have come from ITV. The standard of journalism in the press is at an all time low - most 'journalists' do not bother investigating anything, nor do they substantiate what they write about.

Next …?

Shyness is often mistaken for aloofness.

I have to agree with Jennifer here. They are totally separate. There have been some great dancers, outside of Strictly, who have not had the most attractive of personalities off the dance floor, but on it......wow!

On Strictly it is different in that there is an element of voting for who engages you as a personality. However, I don't know Helen (or any of the other celebs) anywhere near well enough to make a judgment as to whether they are 'nice'.

I understand what you're saying, but I can't fully divorce off-floor personality from on-floor personality, because in many ways one dictates the other and affects partner chemistry etc. I don't judge anyone's personality in 'real-life' terms, because as you say I don't know any of them, but I can't help letting how someone comes across in the show affect how I view their dancing, even if only subconsciously. I think its great if you can though - maybe being more of a dance expert helps to separate the two .

I find it incredible that people switch off from what is a basic human instinct.

For the record I like Helen and her dancing, she hasn't wowed me yet though. I guess I expect her to be good so when she is it doesn't surprise me.
She's very like Pixie .. but Pixie had more wow dances for me. Still early though.