Apparently, he said he'd fancy his chances on Strictly but they wouldn't let him on it. I wonder why? Can't be because he's a ringer as, according to some, we have loads of those on every series and it hasn't done us any harm so far.

That's quite a lot still.

I did gymnastics for around three years when I was younger...one night a week. I'm still able to do handstands, cartwheels, flips etc and I'd be miles ahead of amateurs on a show like Tumble. I'm not saying that out of arrogance, because I wasn't even the best in my class, not by far. It's just once you've had that sort of training, it doesn't leave you.

I'm not one of the Jay bashers...I do enjoy watching him...but he really is at a real advantage - above the stage school alumni too.

In particular .. the person who can't even bring themselves to use his name. But also anyone who is singling him out for criticism as far as dance training is concerned.

Fair enough

Do you mean gymnastic training or anything? I only ask because I used to surf (proper long board surfing not body boards) when I was younger, but now I can't get up on a surfboard to save myself. Mind you, I am 97

Well, I think gymnastics is a good example as it requires a lot of elements that are required for a dancer too.

Balance, coordination, body awareness, flexibility etc.

The muscle memory you pick up for both tends to stick with you.

I know your post was in jest, but decided to elaborate on my post anyway

You maybe have more inate talent than my son he loved it, but bless him N Sync don't have much to worry about.

I'm sure your son has a natural affinity for something else! Everyone has something they're good at

Now this is funny.

I am really impressed by Jamelia's pumping in her jive. She's looking very good technically.

Driving me to drink, he's world class at that

But you're right, everyone has something Wish I knew what mine was

She is looking good .. think this could be another dance that suits her.

Stop being a silly billy . He (Jay) has had 6 years of dance training simple as that . It's just a fact , so no amount of trying to play it down will work , he's the ringiest ringer they've had since DVO 'just sitting on a chair' . For that reason, and his playing the ingenue, I don't want him to win , but I know he will . I'll be happy for anyone else to nick the glitterball from under his nose . Anyone , even ones I'm not keen on . His level of training leaves nothing for his partner to do but add her little flourishes to his experience and choreograph a decent routine .
This kind of over control is exactly what has caused XF to slide in the ratings . Head hunted and chosen ones (like Jay) meant to emit a high level of professional training will only make it harder for the producers to sign up bearable celebs next time round . We'll end up with an endless list of towies and pop singers from the stone ages and the show will become a joke .
If they want all pros then just revive Come Dancing .
Other than that I'm enjoying the series .

Actually, the surfing bit's true. That old 'riding a bike' saying doesn't work for everything.

How about Mark Cavendish vs Ray Quinn? If not for the main series, then for Children in Need or the Christmas special.

Heatherbell, so you obviously don't understand the concept of one day a week training? And not in the disciplines of ballroom and latin dancing, but ballet and tap! Yes, he did go to drama college but dance was, I understand, only part of the musical theatre course.

Kellie probably did much the same thing at Sylvia Young Theatre School!

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Anita did gymnastics rather than any formal dance training. She looks like someone who may have had a lot of energy to burn as a child.

Plus the former gymnasts - Matt Baker & Louis Smith turned out to be alright on the dance floor

Lets be really generous and say he did 5 hours in his weekly classes, (the equivalent of a full day of education) over 3 years that's 160 sessions @ 5 hours per session, translated to "full time" (5 days per week) is 32 weeks of full time training.

Let's add madd 3 year Musical Theatre course (confirmed as the course he did by his teacher on local radio interview, which includes singing acting and dance) and be generous and say dancing was 1/3 of the training (acting and singing making up other 2/3)

That makes less than 1 and a half years of full time training.

Can we stop with the 6 years of intensive training now.

Yes of course he's trained, no one denies it, he hasn't denied it, there is no DVO covering up going on. It's actually the opposite with people and the press trying to make out he was practically a professional which is far from the truth.

So Anita's mum did ballroom. Do we know for sure Anita didn't either.

The annual who is the biggest 'ringah' debate is always a cause for much gnashing of teeth on the forum.

Personally it really doesn't bother me if some of the celebs have had some sort dance experience. The nature of the programme and celebs means that it is inevitable. Surely the show would suffer if all the competitors were of the same level? This year my two favourites are Jay and Jeremy, complete opposite ends of the scale. They both entertain me and I look forward to watching them each week more than anyone else.

If there is even a sniff that a celeb attended a dance class when they were 8 years old this is quite often discussed in the media (at great length) so the voting public can decide if they would rather vote for a 'Jeremy' or a 'Jay. It's up to the public and I would imagine the non-experienced celebs are well aware they will be up against dancers that do have some experience when they sign up to do the show.

In the past I have voted for so called 'ringahs' and complete beginners, it's the whole package for me, who engages me and I can connect with.

This forum is a hot bed of conflicting opinion, which is what makes it such fun! On the one hand you have posters bemoaning the fact that dancers such as Carol and Jeremy who are beginners and not particularly gifted are still in the competition and on the other posters up in arms about dancers with too much experience being too good. I wonder how many of these actually share both opinions?

I look at it as a fun family entertainment show with a mixed bag of celebrities, who are in no way to blame for how far they get in the competition. It's really not their fault if the public engage with them more than another dancer

Every word exactly how I feel.

I like the Jeremy's as much as the Jays.

To be honest the most dull for me are the middling ones who never get any better or any worse despite the training.

Great post sradia, couldn't agree more!

It can never be a level playing field anyway - not just in terms of past dance training or experience, there are so many other factors that come into it. What about natural dance talent, (which Anita has in spades, and Jeremy/Carol don't ) rhythm, the ability to hear music, age, fitness and flexibility, the amount of time in the week each celeb has to train, etc.
I'm enjoying lots of celebs for different reasons this year, from Carol and Jeremy to Anita and Jay, and I'll probably vote for the latter two towards the sharp end of the competition.

With Katie it balances out though, because whilst she might have had dance training as a teenager, she certainly isn't getting any now, thx Anton.

Hear, hear. My two favourites too. I totally agree with you sradia. Because all the celebs are so different it is interesting to watch Strictly. Everybody stop moaning about ringers and just enjoy.

Didn't Kellie actually teach dance at Sylvia Young?

The whole question of whether or not someone is a "ringah" is pretty pointless, as the producers are always going to recruit a bunch of celebs of varying abilities, since that's what makes the programme entertaining. Good-natured, good-humoured duffers such as Jeremy, and "ringahs" such as Jay all have their place in the show, and that's what makes Strictly such fun to watch.

As long as the previous dance experience and training of the "ringahs" wasn't in ballroom/latin, what's the problem? Besides, previous experience in another genre doesn't always help -- Helen's ballet experience seems to be more of a hindrance to her, especially in the latin.