Poor Helen. She's screwed.

Not sure she is. I mean it can be memorable even if it's for the wrong reasons. It's the only strong dramatic dance with Anita's AT. So it's bound to stand out.
I would worry more for her if she had the rumba.

Or, just that he can't teach. Just being good at something doesn't mean that you have the ability to impart the knowledge.

Teaching is a skill, and it does look as if Joanne is the one to inherit the family teaching gene.

Personally, I'd have Kev down as can do - can't impart.
Gleb - shaky on the doing, even shakier on the imparting.

Ouchy! 😯
Hope it looks better today and isn't too sore 🤕

Yes, I agree!
though Joanne is yet to prove herself that she can actually teach in the strictly set up.

Dunno why, she did a terrible rumba with hips that didn't move at all and got a relatively high score for it. I didn't think Helen's rumba was any better than Anita's if I'm honest. In fact, I would say it was worse, at least Anita's hips moved.

Just listening to it, flipping heck, the faces are likely to be epic, scary as hell, but epic Helen may be in trouble

(Slightly confused as to why the version I'm listening appears to be sung by people putting on very bad London accents, isn't it set in France )

Yes it is, but the London cast always do use London accents, particularly M and Mme Thenardier (the landlord and ladlady of the inn). It was originally played by Alun Armstrong, brilliantly I might add. They are the comic relief of Les Miserables.

When you actually see the show, the accents are irrelevant. It is so stirring that you go along with it. We also saw it in Boston, Massachusetts, and the accents were, obviously, American!

That is why I would worry for her more if that was the case.
It's not so
Much about the scoring, it's about the voting public that I would be concerned about.
It's hard to be memorable with a rumba. Unless you dance it to perfection, in which case is legendary (Kara).

And the disco salsa...and the prom themed American Smooth...and the Liver Bird jive where she just sat on a fecking wall for half of it...

Lest we forget that Helen's party latin this year has allowed her to fulfil every woman's dream roles - slutty nurse, slutty mechanic, and slutty mummy.

I not sure they were totally pandering to just the women in the audience with two-thirds of them

Slutty mummy was the best. I mean, who hasn't had the fantasy of dying, mummified, being put in a sarcophagus and then waking up and dancing a samba?
That is what dreams are made of!!

S'all feemin though isn't it? Aliona and Anton I'm persuaded haven't relied on it this year, Aljaz not so much.

Isn't Anton's feeme Anton?

Who can forget Alijaz on his uniform?
Or even in the tango.



Or Gleb in ... All the dances....

Helen is due a really early slot ; like 1st or 2nd. Has she ever opened the show Surely this weekend should be her turn
I really can't see the Paso suiting her but I would like to be proven wrong.

As far as I can see, third is the earliest she's been in the running order - week one and last week. She does seem a bit last half heavy in the order?

Yes but maybe this will change this weekend. Last week was the earliest she has ever been on and that was 3rd .

Anton's had a lot of set dressing, I think. Bar last week, boat for Hallowe'en*, Art Deco thingy in Blackpool, sofa for tango, island for salsa, top hats and canes for something - QS?, some business with shopping bags for their Pretty Woman Latin thing and certainly some sort of set up for the jive, harp I think.

Actually, I think the rumba might have been the only one played absolutely propless.

*which I discount slightly as everyone has things that week, whether they like it or not.

Me! Don't remember a single thing Aljaz has worn and my most abiding memory of Gleb is the godawful extensions in the Maleficent waltz that made him look like Prince Farquhar.

*raises hand as well* although the slutty mechanic does remain in my memory, mainly because it added to my Billy Bob Deliverance feelings about him

Do you mind a quick drive-by unappreciation?

I would like to unappreciate the rumba. I would like to unappreciate every single thing about the rumba as a dance. I have just been watching various competition dancers dancing it presumably properly and I feel a bit ill. It might be the only dance that I like less when it's done properly. Hate the over the top hip movement, hate the way the man has to hold himself like a magician's charming assistant, hate the silly arms, hate the opening the curtains move again and again, hate the almost lifts with one foot on the floor - what's the point? - and the move where the man drags the woman's straight body backwards for no reason, and the woman sliding down the man like a helter-skelter, and the undulating and the whole smug fake exaggeration of it. Ughhhh.

Thank you for that. Apologies to anyone who actually knows about dancing. Wanders off muttering 'But he could have had the Charleston this week...'

Pretty much how I feel about it all really.

Still, fingers crossed, if he gets through this week - Charleston the week after???

Also calling out a quick unappreciation of Anita''s childhood and life so far as the poor child never ever ever did a handstand at all until she did Strictly. What an inspiring journey that girl's been on so far.

Tell us how you really feel

I think that I'm VERY excited and almost glee with anticipation at seeing this weekend because I know that Jay will be very good at it and has the potential to produce one of best if not the best male rumba on this show ( colin Jackson. ....watch this space ). Other than that it's not really one of my favorites dances mostly because most of the times it's not done well and make the celebrities uncomfortable at the prospect of it but when it's danced well it is pure magic ( like Kara and Artem ).So I see where you are coming from with this.

Yes, she is due an early slot.


Helen -W1- 3 /6 -W2- 15 /15 -W3- 7 /14 -W4- 11 /18 -W5- 10 /12 -W6- 11 /11 -W7- 4 /10 -W8- 4 /9 -W9- 7 /8 -W10- 3/ 7

Only Peter has had a better treatment throughout.
Week order/total of dances.


Maybe, I don't really know who is going to open. There is no obvious candidate in terms of dance type. But I would guess, Paso to begin and AT to close?