I can't imagine Kara's final was improved much by Len's last set of comments for her being a greasy sook about how he still didn't like her American Smooth and it was only getting a 7.

it seems like they had created the Year of the Anton storyline, spent 3 months going ...
Ooh Anton, look at your partner.
Ooh Anton, you might not be first out.
Ooh Anton, you might get to Blackpool.
Ooh Anton, you might get your highest score.
Ooh Anton, you might make December.
Ooh Anton, you might make the final
Ooh Anton, you might wi... Abort the get a 10 storyline now

And reversed faster than Father Jack spying a Nun.

I forgot that.

Well, I said it on the night -

Tonight ladies and gentlemen, the part of Kara Tointon was played by Jay McGuinness and the part of Pamela Stephenson was played by Kellie Bright.

I can live with that.

(Although at least certain judges didn't go inferring Kara wasn't the best dancer and shouldn't have won .)

I would have been ok with Bruno giving Katie a 10 too just for the sheer hell of "Anton you made it, you don't deserve it but we're handing them out like sweeties"

It's also another reason why they should do their best dances, not their worst. The dances didn't work the first time around, they're not going to work the second time around even after I've stopped holding my sides after the 40. I'd much rather have seen Katie do her rumba and VW as her favourite Latin and ballroom.

I thought Katie did an amazing job and was very brave during that barnstorming showdance. It was the only real showdance of the final. She was well aware of her place in the pecking order and had no illusions. I also would have liked her to be given more compliments and certainly no nasty griping.

Exactly.
I still don't understand why the judges (and somehow the producers) suddenly felt the need to pimp out Kellie. With Lisa and Pamela or Jason, I can remember it was more or less through out the series. This time it feels it was just after Helen left (quarterfinals).

Regarding Katie, I am pretty sure that if Anita would have been in her place, she would have received exactly the same ugly treatment as did Mark last year (or. So I have been told as I didn't watch the final last year).

I am wondering if maybe Jays vote actually was hugely decreased in the last few weeks and the felt that a shock winner (let's be frank anyone but Jay would have been a shock before the final) could actually happen. So they tried to pimp out Kellie? Remove the other popular celeb (Anita) in the semis?

Truly, I can't think of anyone's fanbase that can be happy with how it has ended.

That's the saddest thing of all - the final should be a celebration and it just wasn't. Nobody got the happy ending they deserved... and I do believe they did deserve it, because those final four did everything they could. It wasn't Katie's fault she was the weakest left, nor was it Georgia's fault she was told to do that crappy rumba again (I didn't like it either time despite thinking she's great). They ALL deserved a pat on the back for a job well done and that would have made for such a nicer ending to the series than all this stupid "the result is wrong coz Craig said so" bollocks.

Oh I couldn't agree more.
With all the whining about whether Anita or Katie should have been in the final, what seems to have been completely overlooked is that it shouldn't have been either of them - it should have been Helen. I'd bet that her and Aljaz's showdance would have knocked spots off Anton's ballroom bonanza, and anything Gleb could have come up with.



Silly moo - she can bugger off as well.
Why do they think Kellie should have won? Because she was the loudest, screechiest and gurniest? It sounds like sour grapes to me - how dare the voting public have minds of their own and refuse to fall for the blatant pushing of Kellie? I thought it was Strictly Come Dancing - and the best dancer won ( this series anyway ).
I love Bruno, always have done. I know he's loud, and inappropriate and falls off his chair at the drop of a hat, but to a complete dancing ignoramus like me, he does actually seem to know what he's talking about.

I feel really sorry for Georgia. I honestly thought she danced beautifully in the final, but because of all the Kelliewasrobbedbecausethejudgeswantedhertowinandshedidn'tandthepublicarestoopid nonsense, she may as well have not even bothered turning up.
Maybe Darcy should get the elbow and Aliona could take over as a judge. At least Aliona knows what she's talking about.

Completely agree about Helen - I reckon she'd have been awesome in the final, but alas we shall never know. I'd actually have preferred Jamelia there over Katie/Anita as well!

I feel a bit for Georgia as well, although I doubt she minds at all. That charlieston was incredible both times she did it - shame though that the judges made her re-do the rumba which I never liked at all and felt didn't suit her.

If the judges do not like the voting format for the show and the final leave . You managed to change the original format from full public vote to try and have some control. Now it would appear that the British viewing public(dont forget they pay your inflated salaries) have pissed you all off so much, that the dummies are being spat out and toys chucked willy nilly in all directions.

I wonder if the Beeb will publish the voting percentages ? ITV do

The problem is a week one Tango is always going to be week one Tango and a week 3 rumba always a week 3 rumba - even with added Joe Varney/Len kiss and make up. A quickstep to dodgy music that no one really liked even without the stuff up is an ideal show opener and a quickstep that was too challenging isn't going to be any better for a celeb who struggled with waltz content the week before. (I wonder what was lined up for Anita if she had made it through?)

Judges Choice needs to be quietly retired and never spoken of again.

For me, it was "Katie, you're shit. Kellie, you're great. Jay, you shouldn't have won" that annoyed. If someone is a finalist, they're good at some level (unless you're Mark Wright) so some praise is needed, even if faint.

And it wasn't like Katie had survived multiple dance offs and been hauled through the competition at the behest of the judges. She'd survived one. The week before. And been saved. By them. Did they expect her to recuse herself in an 'I'm not worthy' way?

I agree with this. The judges always pick a dance where they feel the celeb can show improvement, but they don't have the time to put in the amount of work needed, to vastly improve the dance. Any improvement will be minor.

Once they have done the dance originally, I doubt it will be worked on afterwards as week after week they have a new dance to learn. They will only learn which dance the judges choose for them, at the start of the week leading up to the final, when they also have their own choice and a brand new showdance. Bin it.

I believe that is just quoting what both Craig and Darcey said in the ITT the winner interview said.
And to be honest, it was a bit of Jeremy Vine leading question that led to that. (I am giving him the benefit of the doubt and assume he didn't mean it and was a rush job)


If a rumba had to take place on the final, it should have been either Katie's or Jay's (glad he didn't though it would have been better than the QS).


bib totally. Not only on the final but throughout. If someone should have been pimped out, it should have been her.

I choose to believe that Darcey actually is happy with Jay winning. I truly can't accept that someone like her who throughout has championed Jay in sorts, she had a change of heart on one or two nights and her preference was for a competent but without inner elegance dancing. Had it been Georgia or Helen that she said that about, I would have believed her.

I agree. It's one of those soundbites that gets cut and pasted and all context removed. Darcey meant every word she said to Jay.

I totally agree about the removing the judges choice from the final, shouldn't it be a celebration of what's good and not rehashing mistakes. I'm not even a fan of repeating a winning dance either (I agree with Jaliona here) because it's rarely contains the same magic. Not sure what they can give them to do unless it's just two new dances. I wouldn't mind seeing a proper ballroom dance in the final to sort out the wheat from the chaff - all Fred and Ginge...

Yet again I concur..

Saved by three of them, so three of them thought in that dance off she deserved to be saved and therefore in the final. She can't really help it that Anita chose to do her non-salsa, or that Helen suits paso about as well as Craig suits anything subtle.

Think we need a campaign. End Judges Choice.

I'd agree. It was the way they seemed to regret putting Katie in the Final and then tried to shift the blame for their decision onto her, as though she'd shoehorned herself in. Yes, she was in over her head- but *they* were the ones who saved her last week and they would've anticipated her struggling when they put her through. If the 'sorry, you're not finalist material' speech wasn't made last week, when it could have enabled a better dancer to go through, it shouldn't have been made at all. What purpose did it serve on Final night except to completely humiliate Katie? Neither Katie/Anita would have wanted to hear 'you're a bit crap'/'you were eliminated so somebody a bit crap could take your place' on their final night.

The 'you're not nearly as good as the others but you should be proud' speech was also the biggest load of condescending crap. Yes, Craig, those who've had limited dance experience *tend* to be less accomplished than those who turn on day 1 with seven years at Sylvia Young/dance school under their belt. Who'd have thunk it. I like that Strictly is a mixed bag but it irritates me no end when the judges try to suggest that the non-trained dancers are a bunch of incompetent idiots who just can't reach the dizzying heights of the other contestants when former dance experience is the single biggest leg-up you can get, coming into the competition.

And the 40 for Kellie's tango was bonkers and did her no favours - when will they learn, overmarking rarely helps a contestant's case!

I didn't really like the Judges' Picks being the celebrities' worst dances (Katie excepted); I'd have preferred dances they all did well the first time, but could do much, much better with a bit of polish, rather than routines that had huge issues that couldn't sensibly be corrected in a week.

Something like:

Jay & Aliona - Waltz (original score: 31)
Georgia & Giovanni - Salsa (original score: 31
Kellie & Kevin - Charleston (original score: 32)
Katie & Anton - Rumba (original score: 31)

They would've all shone, in their respective areas, with those dances; even Katie would've gotten 35 minimum there, possibly with Len going mental over the content and giving a 10.

And also gave scores to Helen on paso week which put her in danger thereby eliminating the only dancer capable of keeping up with the other 3.

I feel it's a bit of the judges reaping what they sowed and blaming the public for it.

You just know Anita would have had the you are awful treatment if it were her not Katie, and I don't beleive she would have had any chance of winning either the tide turned against her the week before she left, the never danced before had worn exceedingly thin



Whilst I am this subject why when the pros choreography is challenged does the bloody celeb who danced it to the best of their ability get marked down.

FFS this shows judging has been horrendously unfair this year

Good post. They way they treated Katie left a very bad taste in my mouth. I make no secret that she was my favourite but I knew she would never win. It was as though they wanted to break her graciousness. I'm glad they did not.

especially if they didn't make any mistakes.

Thus bugs me too.

True.
It can make people vote for someone else as a protest.

But maybe the judges know that and did it on purpose to make people NOT vote for Kelly.

Don't just end it. Kill it. Kill it with fire.