Noooo Anton (minus must get to the final at the expense of Helen and Anita storyline) and Brendan to stay, love the 'old boys' as they call themselves and they both still produce moments of choreographic brilliance for their celebs in ballroom. 'Old school Strictly' routines.

BIB; Make a quick cake seeing as how Bake Off is the most popular series on the Beeb

TBH watching all the finalists try to make a successful Baked Alaska probably would've been more exciting than last year's showdances . I'm sure the Beeb could've gotten Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry to dance around in the background dressed as giant cupcakes.

BIB They could join the teapot.

Agree with number 5 the panel should have more then one woman bump it up to five if needed.

Hip Hop Like to see Anton dancing that and Len judging but seriously I think its too far from the ballroom roots of the show.

1) Agreed. It is so tedious
2) No. I know it isn't particuarly popular but I'd keep the rumba as it is one of the most challenging danes.
3) Keep dance off for early weeks but from say last six onwards scrap. Also add a fifth judge (for dance off only) to get rid of Len deciding (possible role for Aliona?)
4) I've been for a switch up week in the past so maybe give it a try.
5) Be good to see it balanced out or maybe they just need bigger name male celebs

My own 5

1. Bring back dance fusion week

2. You've already said it but cut the judges opening. Revert to introducing them in seats.

3. Change the format of the final. Cut the judges choice and replace with unlearnt dance. Or even better, all contestants have to do the same dance (eg Argentine Tango, or bring back Lindyhop) in the final as well as showdance and contestants choice.

4. Give music choice back to pros

5. Only have three in final

1. Give the celebs more training time in the run up to the show (it used to be 6 weeks)*

2. Have the couples who make it to the end perform all the dance styles.

3. Abandon comedy VTs and show more training room footage so we see more of the relationship between the couples.

4. Attempt to have more consistency in the judging and place greater value on appropriate technique.

5. Stop micro-managing everything and give some of the decision making back to the pros.


*I appreciate this is tricky with the launch show needing to be closer to the start of the series, but maybe the celebs could have access to some pre-training classes where they cover some basics.

I would like to have something to watch in between the launch show and the start of the series - maybe an ITT each Friday with a teeny bit of training footage? Or just interviews? Anything!

1) no props!

2) appropriate music - Zorba The Greek being a prime example of what NOT to use for an AT!

3) back to basics - less of the "showdances" for each dance - make is compulsory to have at least 3 recognised steps in each of the dances - points penalised if these are NOT used - we may then get a cha cha that looks like a cha cha, a samba that looks like a samba, a tango that looks like a tango - get the idea

4) please let the professionals choose their own music

5) save the AT for the semi finals

You are Len Goodman and I claim my fiver I agree though and the pantomime booing and hissing of Len when he points out such things as illegal lifts gets a bit ridiculous/tedious.

I can assure you are I not - Im female

the dances are getting more and more showdance-y IMO and they shouldnt be - a cha cha needs to look like its an actual cha cha

a foxtrot needs to look like a foxtrot!

a 'rampant crab' has NO PLACE in a ballroom dance!

hip hop has no place in a salsa!

there are basic steps in each dance that the celeb needs to be taught and we should be able to see those otherwise all these beautiful ballroom and latin dances become very samey and showy

Couldn't agree more (but I have to make an exception for Iveta and Mark's "cha cha").


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crv-0jHOcX4

Agree with all of these. Definitely think the AT should be kept as the semi finalists dance as it used to be.


I may be in the minority here but I agreed with Len's criticisms of Giovanni in Week 3. Not enough steps choreographed for Georgia. I was a fan of Gleb's 'rampant crab' though Fickle me?

You are brave!!

BIB agreed with him too

When you see it done properly, in a dance that it fits properly with (12 secs in), it's lovely, but I thought it was shoe-horned into G&A's and done awkwardly as well.

Wow, thank you for the link! That performance was incredible. I don't watch DWTS at all but I loved Meryl Davis and Charlie White's Ice Dance partnership, was so chuffed when they won gold in Sochi. Meryl won DWTS too didn't she?

Having watched that I see what you mean about the 'rampant crab' in comparison to Gleb and Anita's. I do admit I loved theirs because Gleb performed it If it had been Brendan or Anton I might have felt differently

I think that it wasn't so much the criticism that bothered people but the way it was expressed by Len, although he did apologise later. As for the 'rampant crab,' to me it was just ugly.

Anyway........

1. I certainly agree that the judges entrance should be curtailed

2 Having more training in the main show VTs might make ITT a bit redundant but I agree some of the comedy VTs are rather cringey although one or two were quite amusing.

3 Give the pros more choice in choosing their music, although this could lead to problems with them wanting the same track or wanting similar tracks in the same week. If the producers choose the music please make sure it is appropriate for the dance!!

4 I like Monkseal's idea of the finalists doing 2 favourite dances from the series plus the showdance.

5. Cut down, or better still get rid of the props! If you must have props make sure they don't block the judges view!

Len has always been old school, always will be.

I don't think that Gleb really cares what Len thinks and does his own thing, Giovanni as a recent competitive dancer changed his thinking after the Len roasting.

Remember this dance from Kara and Artem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RUKCeoUgb8

Len did not like that one either, they repeated the dance with Artem not changing a step. I loved this dance by the way

Aliona had been a bit of a rebel as well this is a tango with Harry Judd which Len hated https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_A9n2TCUJY

Its always interesting when Len blows his top

Giovanni seemed to take the punch on the nose well and worked harder with his choreographer but I felt Len was aggressive in the extreme. He did the same with Trent the year before and has done it with others too. I don't know why he seems to need to shame the pro rather than remind them of the dance and how they are, or are not, delivering for their celeb partner. Len labelled it a rampant crab; good description.

Same with Artem's AS for Natalie. Len criticised it. They repeated it unchanged in the final and Len backed off from his earlier nasty stance.

Oh gawd!

Len's criticisms ought to have been voiced by someone to Giovanni earlier in the week. Choreographically it was one of the poorest Rumba's I can remember on Strictly, and for Georgia who had talent. I understood Len's irritation, I remember thinking she'd barely danced a step! Then of course they made a storyline out of Len's apology and 'improving' the Rumba in the final. With more complex choreography from another pro it could have been a strong dance for her.

Although he expresses himself very bluntly at times I do like how Len actually cares about the correct steps being included and comments on footwork.

Yeah Artem did not care a jot what Len thought, good old Artem.

Giovanni is younger and probably thought the best way to progress with Georgia was to follow the rules .

1) Five judges
2) 16 or 18 couples
3) Get rid of the dance-off
4) Reveal who finished in 2nd, 3rd and 4th place according to votes
5) Add some more dance styles that featured in Strictly Dance Fever such as; Mambo, Merengue, Guapacha, Hustle, Lindyhop and introduce Hip Hop, Bollywood, Lyrical and Contemporary.