I know! It never works on any level and I wish at least they'd have music that has the right tempo for the dance - it's just hobbling the Pros and celebs before they start.

And that just about says it all really.

The Grimsby gimmick started out as a bit of laugh but is now being used as a stick to beat them with.

I love the fact that we have 'provincial nobodies' (never mind the fact that they have an impressive string of dancing titles behind them) on the show. I somehow think they would be more palatable if they were polished/fake, London/Southern dance school kids.

SNOBBBERY at it's best.

Way to completely and utterly miss the point! And how many London/Southern dance school kids do we have on Strictly exactly? How many have we ever had? Only one I can think of is Karen Hardy and I genuinely can't bear her 🙄

What's London or the South got to do with anything?

How is it missing the point?

Why describe the Clifton's as provincial nobodies? I know we haven't had London/ southern dancers on Strictly - I simply said that they would probably be more 'palatable' to some if they weren't from Grimsby.

There was a thread about 'What good comes from Grimsby' - there is (I believe) underlying snobbery re the Cliftons.

I did wonder, with Joanne and Karen both up in the gallery, 'cause I'm a naturally suspicious and cynical old DOT.

If the Beeb want The Clifton Show, bloody well call it that then, so I'll know to avoid it like the plague.

Because it isn't 'the provinces'.

'Provincial nobodies' is a very nasty dig at where the Clifton's come from - isn't it?

*Waves flag for Reading and Ian Waite*

He's not annoying

I think you'll find the provinces includes the whole country outside London, whether north, south, east or west.

Oh and me! I think many of us will turn on reveal show, see Kevin with some slinky singer or actress AGAIN and will roll eyes and turn off

I'm Irish. I don't give a flying fart where the pros come from, quite frankly. I just want them to be good, and not to rely on gimmicks. Giovanni - good. Gleb - gimmicky.

Joanne? Who knows, but good dancer. Kevin? Sometimes like the choreo, don't like his dancing of them. Karen? Good with duffers, not a great dancer.

I am unappreciating Aliona leaving, and can hardly believe I'm saying that. I will miss her non-gurning ways, and her excellent dancing. I dread to think what we'll get in her place.

Shimmy Jimmy is from the South (Kent) and I think that this threads opinion on him is fairly well known, Matt Cutler is from Chelmsford & although not disliked as such, is thought of as the Bland King Of Blandsville.

Darren Bennett is Northern (Sheffield) and is fairly well liked.


ETA- Anton is from Kent and regularly ridiculed on here. Robin is from Ipswich and is pretty disliked in here.

Well Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and Glasgow aren't considered "the provinces" either but your inverted snobbery obviously got the better of you, didn't it?

It really isn't inverted snobbery at all.

Calling somebody 'provincial nobodies' is.

Unappreciating we will be losing two long standing female pros this year It is becoming a BTF love fest.

Deleted double post

I have a feeling that among the pros at least, the final became a bit of a story akin to -

We need to root for Kevin. He's been in three finals and he's never won. That's such a shame. He deserves the win. Giovanni will be alright - he's new, he'll have other chances, at any rate he's bloody lucky to have made the final in his first year. And Aliona's already won. No way should she win twice when poor Kevin's done everything he can and never managed a win. And look at it this way, if Kev doesn't get the win this year when will he? He's going to be stuck with Mrs Overall next year isn't he? This is his last chance for a few years (one would think).

So yeah - the pros were probably behind Kevin in the spirit of sharing and "fairness" and were trying to make it look to him that if he didn't win, it wasn't his fault - he couldn't have done any more. Which is probably true actually. Not his fault someone else danced better over the series, was more likeable and connected with the audience more than his partner.

I definitely got the impression that the final was a lot about getting Kevin the win because over three series he'd somehow "earned it". However, it was never going to happen. Not with Kellie. It's a shame that this couple were pimped to high heaven to no real end other than a load of sour grapes from all directions.

I'm from within welly wanging distance of Clifton Central and I thought provinces just meant anywhere that isn't the capital? So, yes - we are

For " provincial nobodies" it's a saying as far as I meant it, in that generally those who can't hack it on a world stage end up big fishes in small ponds. It was meant for Kevin, his sister was a world champion, he was never, though I believe in his teenage years he won one or 2 British titles.

Iveta a stunning world champion.

Katya choreographer and starring in Hollywood movies,

A dance school in a small British town and a stint on a BTF show which given most of my most disliked choreographers and dancers come from, I have no wish to see, isn't anywhere near that sort of pedigree.

The insult was directed at what they had achieved not where they can from which is not even Grimsby I believe but Cleethorpe.

So no snobbery implied to the North South, East or West it was directed at Kevin and to some extent Mr and Mrs Clifton , who are really not dance royalty.

Perdie I don't see that at all otherwise all the good will should have been directed at Anton.

As I mentioned earlier the 10 chanted was started by Joanne, Monkseal detected it.

As I say really poor form, and yes possibly I am being snobby here but I consider having your family starting a chant to the judges for a 10 score is absolutely unacceptable behaviour. It is really unfair to all the other pros who don't have family there. I don't ever remember that bastion of good manners and taste James doing it for Ola , or vice versa.

Really if something is too tacky for James you really have plumed a low level, so you can call me snobby all you like but I find myself in agreement on manners with James here so he is snobby too.

Our 'local' news has featured the Cliftons quite heavily this week (sometimes the BBC regions are hard to fathom) - especially as Anton has been to their dance school and danced with Joanne there yesterday.

Anyhow, interview with Daddy Clifton yesterday to the effect that Kev and Kellie danced well, they were excellent, the judges agreed, all was going beautifully - and it was a shame the voters spoiled it. I knew what he meant - but it sounded a tad ungracious. In the same way the chanting was also ungracious.

It's one thing to support your family (and Darren/Lilia James/Ola managed without football chanting) it's another to undermine the other couples.

Well yes in England it would be anywhere not London, Wales anywhere not Cardiff etc.

USA anywhere not New York, so I have now contradicted myself in praising Katya for working in Hollywood.

As far as I know it's an insult, yes insult , aimed at a person not a town or region.

Did you mean to quote me above your post Cops? Cos it looks a little incongruous. I haven't mentioned the provinces or snobbery.

I saw it slightly differently with K&K. The support from the balcony was for the idea of work like a dog, do all your dances properly, show the required amount of 'personality' and the win is yours. After all, that's an achievable aim for all of them. Anyone can be a dancer if they just follow these rules.

Some of the more seasoned pros (Anton for example) know that Strictly doesn't always work that way and then, in those rare instances, when you get a dancer in the competition with a natural grace and talent and an intangible connection with their partner and the audience, all the hard work and doing all the right thing becomes meaningless.

We get someone like Kellie every year, contestants like Jay (or Kara or Alesha) are far rarer.

Totally - but if series 6 and the knock effects of series 7 didn't hammer it home to them, nothing will