To be honest I don't really know what you're on about and whether "token black person" applies to Alesha and Louis but what I would say is that Alesha is probably the best dancer to ever win Strictly (a tie between her and Kara maybe) so she's far from just a "token black/mixed race" winner.

Louis Smith is probably one of the weaker winners but his storyline was very much the national/Olympic hero who came good and rode a wave to Olympics good-will to win... Which again makes him far from a "token" black or mixed race winner.

We are going round and round in circles here. Now it seems the very posters who deny racism exists seem to be turning on me just because I have made an observation. If anyone thinks it then they are lucky not to have experienced it. I see no point in arguing or debating this point anymore.

Whose denying racism exists? Of course racism exists, long with sexism, ageism, homophobia, etc.

2 cents.

The words Jamelia + racism in google throw up a lot of uncomfortable stories about tweets directed to her.

And come to think of it, what's the difference between Ainsley and Jeremy? Similar abilities, profiles, both endearing +comic.

I think Anisley is a bit OTT and a lot of people might find him a bit grating... Where-as Jeremy is a bit less "in your face" and is more understated in his hopelessness.

That said I'd love Jeremy Vine to go. He really is getting on my nerves now (as someone who likes the competitive side of SCD more than "entertainment") But I fear we're stuck with him until the end of the month unfortunately.

As far as the internet comments go, you'll always get morons posting horrible things and subjecting people to racism, homophobia, etc. This should be challenged and confronted where possible but I would be surprised if this is at the root of Jamelia's apparent unpopularity.

What "fat-shaming" comments?

Someone on another thread posted a link to a Guardian article about Jamelia's comments.

The article included quotes of said comments. Now, given that the article was written by someone who was clearly outraged by the things Jamelia had said, I'll take the quotes at face value.

I'm fat. I've gone beyond the Garfieldian defence that 'I'm not overweight, I'm undertall'.

If someone points out that being overweight is a health issue, I don't feel 'shamed'. I can recognise a truth, even when it's uncomfortable to hear.

I'm quite happy to challenge the idea that 'beauty' comes in a limited size range.

But, if we're talking about being 'healthy', that's a different issue.

I'm glad I opened up this thread, despite my misgivings. It's giving me a further insight into the 'reasons' why people say they dislike Jamelia.

And it's making me realise that I actually agree with much of what she says, and the way she says it!

First, do not address me as darling.

I don't really know why I bothered replying to you in the first place as I knew it was going to be exactly like that. It's like trying to have a reasonable conversation with a toddler. Except toddlers grow up and learn. Your opinions are so unreal and incorrect that I suspect you're a troll and I've been feeding you all along. Which, in this case, BIB is entirely appropriate.

I wouldn't swear to it off the top of my head,but I think mine does.
As I recall, the company sends me a renewal notice/quote weeks in advance and if I'm happy with the numbers,I do not need to do anything as,unless I cancel,my bank account is debited and the papers are delivered.

She didn't say anything offensive she just came to her own conclusion that based on the amount of times she's ended up in the bottom two she's not liked. It's just her feelings being worn fully on her sleeve in the very moment she has to express something. She's prob run out of things to say now to tess and the judges, so this was just something different to say that's prob been a building feeling.

Jamelia isn't disliked, this happens nearly every year to a couple that find themselves in the B.T. a couple or more times due to a combination of things, and more because others shine a lot (again due to combination of things). They can still be liked and not hated, yet still not voted enough, Being forgotten about can be as much about not getting votes, or being too quiet, being so nervous that it's awkward to watch, etc.. Plenty reasons to not get votes.

Yes, I agree.

This thread has taken a scary turn

For me it was the whininess of it. There's a *big* difference between "I'm not getting enough votes" or "Not enough people are voting for me" or even "Not enough people like me" and whining that "The public don't like me".

Okay you do have to wonder when Jamelia, Anthony, Ainsley and Oti are all in the dance-off in the first two weeks. Equally it's not hard to find good reasons for their dances not getting the votes, and it's more that Carol, Jeremy and Katie (and I think Pasha and Anton especially) are getting very good support.

Also I get the impression that she thinks her dancing is better than it is, something unhelped by the judges overpraising and overscoring her since her first D-O. Sometimes it's as unfair to the person being overmarked as it is to the others.

It's a far nicer word than "troll" or "cretin" in my book.


How can an opinion be incorrect.?

But if you're going to start that, you are the one who suggested that size-20+ people should have the same protection of comments on appearance, lifestyle and culture as people from ethnic minorities. Where does that lead to? "Obese people's history month?' ""Fat pride marches"(sponsored by Lisa Riley's new clothing range)?

I know it might be a somewhat unpopular view, but Anthony and Ainsley were in the bottom two because they just werent very good dancers - nothing to do with their race. Don't forget the first out was the very white Iwan Thomas, and I do think he would have been first out even without the dance off.

Jamelia has been there because she's really not as good a dancer as she thinks she is, and coupled with the fact that she has made some pretty daft/ unpopular comments on a programme which is popular with Strictly's viewing demographic, means that she was never going to get far unless she turned out to be an absolutely amazing dancer up at the top of the leaderboard and saved by the judges scores. Again, I don't think that her race has much to do with it - she's just not a popular panellist, and added to her mediocre dancing she's ripe dance off fodder!

I don't get the fuss some people make about who goes out in the early weeks. Most of the contestants are there simply as also rans who have no chance whatsoever of winning or even getting to the final. Occasionally one of the duffers gets further than their abilities would indicate,- but that can be because either they (or their pro) are hugely popular before they start the show, or they just strike a chord with the public.......

I seriously wonder if it could be a race thing. But I don't take offence to what Jamelia said about the public not liking her. In any case, hopefully she can be like Simon and just keep doing the danceoff and get to the final. Simon is way better than Jamelia though lol.

Simon was my favourite last year. So good in ballroom especially. Caroline was overrated imho.

I don't think Jamelia feels like she's a good dancer. The vast majority would think "people don't like me" in her position, so I'm not sure why she's being attacked for that.

I also don't think race has anything to do with it, as many factors are in play. The public tend to support someone who wasn't expected to be good, but pleasantly surprises them. Jamelia was expected to be very good, but is crap - that means the public have written her off. Carol is probably being supported because she's an older woman who is giving it a go despite being awful.

Just my two pennyworth on the racism debate.

The person who disproves this in this series of Strictly is Anita - if we were only voting for the white dancers, then surely by now she'd have been in the bottom 2.

At the end of the day, it's nothing to do with the colour of your skin, any more than the colour of your eyes, your clothes or what shoes you wear. It's the person you are and the dances that you do which make the public decide to vote for you (or not).

Clearly, for some reason, the public are not as engaged with Jamelia as they are with Carol, Katie and Jeremy (all of whom jumped above her following the public vote). Jamelia may not be that unpopular but she's the victim of being the celeb who isn't good enough that the judges score her right at the top, but not bad enough that you get the sympathy vote - she is a classic case of mid-board danger.

Wow! So hard-hearted. Would that life was so simple!

Her comments about overweight people were unforgivable and now she's paying the price for being so ignorant about something she knows nothing about.

As a run of the mill euro mutt I'm not really in a position to discuss racism with any authority but Spoony's early departure did niggle.

Am I being naive here but how many people actually watch 'Loose Women'? I think maybe people are giving a lot of credibility to a show that doesn't warrant any. I didn't even know she'd made any comments about overweight people and are you sure the majority of people watching SCD on Saturday night are aware of these comments or by and large actually know who she is?
Could the reasons she is in the dance off be because 1. the routines are not exciting or engaging (with exception of the charleston) 2. She's not actually that popular, people don't actually know who she is, therefore can't really warm to her and maybe 3 her professional partner is relatively new and doesn't really have much of a personality either.
When she said on Sunday night the 'public don't like me' I thought she'd automatically written herself out of the show. It just sounded like sour grapes. Generally the routines aren't very good and look quite laboured as if she hasn't put enough practice time in. If she's wowing us every week, had a bit more of a personality so we get to see the type of person she really is then maybe she'd not be in this position. Just a thought.

There was a big hoo-hah about her comments .. so you didn't have to watch Loose Women to know about it .. it was everywhere (including here on DS) at the time. Twitter especially.

I am perplexed as to why she is continually in the dance off though .. she's not brilliant but by no means the worst and her personality (on Strictly) seems every bit as engaging as Carol's. Tristan is quite a new pro still .. that might account for something but then new pro's have done well in the past and he's likeable enough.

I don't know if it was the right thing for her to say on Saturday (well Sunday .. but you know .. I'm not playing that game ) .. it could have been the disappointment of the moment but she said something similar in her VT. Not sure it will gain her much sympathy/empathy but that's the way she was feeling and so she said it. She's honest at least but .. given what we already know .. doesn't always think before speaking.

Also, she knows how she was previously perceived by many so I guess .. though she might have hoped to have changed minds .. this is just confirming what she suspected.

WHAT?!!!
and they do it on top of their day jobs???!!!!

Don't they know this country is broke?
and the BBC has a funding review......

F*&k 'em all

Vote the lot of 'em out,that's what I say........greedy bas*@rds

I think she is finding it tough facing up to her image

I like her.

Me too.