Personally, I love it when Anton does a sexy rumba.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M2blukuhkk

There are older women dancing with younger male teachers (and older men with younger female teachers) all over the UK every weekend in medallist competitions and pro ams. Noone at these competitions seems to have a problem with this. It is perfectly possible to choreograph something that is appropriate for the person's age. I think the rumba is the only dance which is potentially problematic (the other dances certainly are not) but this is to a large extent due to the fact that Strictly judges go on about a rumba needing to be raunchy. It doesn't have to be that way. I guess some viewers might have a problem with any kind of rumba.

Edit: I guess the argentine tango might be problematic although I feel less qualified to comment on that. Not sure how well an AT would go down if it was choreographed in a more distant (open, social) embrace.

With regards to 'Handy Andys', no latin dance needs to be hands on. You can choreograph something in all latin dances that uses closed (in hold) positions and hand/hand connections.

Very good point.

DWTS utilised Corky Ballas (55) whenever they had an extremely old female cast member. So far, he's partnered Florence Henderson (who was 75, I think) and Cloris Leachman (who was 81).

I think Lesley and Anton will be a great partnership. What does it matter that it's an obvious combination, if it's a very suitable one?

I don't think partnering the two oldest is any different than partnering the two youngest - Claudia and AJ. It may be obvious but usually it makes sense. Can you imagine them partnering AJ with Daisy?! Or AJ with Lesley. It can't all be 'pot luck', I expect sometimes it is just aesthetics! I would like to think that after they have planned the necessary ones the rest of the partnering is just random.

There was a 30 year age gap between Felicity Kendal and Vincent - that was an interesting partnership. She was 63 when the show started and did the splits in their rumba. Bruno described her as "bendy", I seem to recall.

I love them together.

And, at 31, Robin was exactly half Anita Dobson's age when they were paired together.

I am sure older male celebs like it when they are paired up with a nice young thing, older female celebs would think the same. Why should older female celebs always settle for an expired sell-by date Anton, who may even ridicule them on top of everything.

This is is where my thinking for this post came from, it can`t all be pot luck, there are other factors that go into partnering up pros with celebs, height, age, asthetics, and also contracts and agents, we as the viewers don`t know what goes on behind the scenes when the Beeb are trying to secure the celebs, SCD has been going for so long now and everyone that appears on it knows the show, its not like Get Me out Of Here where celebs says they have no idea about the show (however i`m not sure they are truthful on that, they just want to rekindle some sort of career) , so when the beeb approach celeb agents there will be terms . Also when they are securing the pro dancers, these guys will have agents and no doubt causes and conditions will be placed by agents for the pros.

But that was also the year of Nancy D`olio & Lulu , there were more older women on that series so they needed dishing out and Anton got Nancy, Brendon got Lulu (what a partnership! lol ) and Robin got Anita. The age ranges this year are not as spread out. I think after Lesley, Anastasia is the next eldest at 47, hence why I thing she has Brendon, and naga who is next youngest has Pacha who after Brendon is the next eldest male pro.

That was also the year of Pamela Stephenson & Anne Widdicombe, and so I think the age spread of females was greater, this year the age spread doesn`t seem the next eldest female after lesley this year is Annatasia at 47. If there were more females nearer Lesleys age I think maybe some of the established pros who have been in finals may have been paired off with them.

Sorry to post on this tread again, but after I replied to a couple of comments I thought I saw a common theme running through the pairings.

So looking at the pros ages and the celeb ages, and apart from one pairing that I think comes down to height or aesthetics, it looks like the pairings are by ages.

1) Anton 50 - Lesley 71
2)Brendon 40 - Anastasia 47
3)Pasha 36 - Naga 41
4)Kevin 33 - Louise 41
5)Gorka 26 - Tameka 39
6)Aljiaz 26 - Daisy 27
7)Giovani 25 - Laura 31
8)Aj 21 - Claudia 18

The exception to the rule os Giovani and Aljiaz and when I look at those parings I must admit that I think Alijaz wouldnot look as good with Laura as he does with daisy and vice versa Daisy and Giovani - aesthetically those two parings suit .

Just my thoughts

I just finished watching SCD red carpet with Zoë Ball and Lesley said she's really looking forward to Latin dances, oops. They were also introducing new pros, doing lots of close ups and I noticed Gorka had a bit of Tristan in him. And I mean in a totally non double entendre way

ha ha ha Oops indeed, however if Anton gets his latin shoes in gear he may serve her well.

Apologies, But I don't get what this has to do with Lesley being partnered with Anton.

Also, in what way does Gorka have "a bit of Tristan in him"? Looks, dance style, personality...???

I am sure that's true for the celebrities but I'd be surprised if it was true for the pro dancers. I've read somewhere (on this board) that Lesley said she would only do Strictly if she could be partnered with Anton. That sounds quite feasible to me. I'm sure the pairings are decided as soon as they have the confirmed line-up. All that "wasn't Brendon surprised he was with Anastacia and not Laura" business was absurd IMO. It was obvious from the start that Giovanni and Laura were going to be paired together. The PTB were not to go miss an opportunity like that.

Lesley wanted Kevin. I read an interview saying she loved Kevin and really wanted to be partnered with him. I think she was actually disappointed to be partnered with Anton. It's pretty obvious from her reaction that she was acting pleased and was secretly gutted.

Nothing, just something else I noticed, he looks a bit like Tristan.

creaky!

And apparently Will wanted to be partnered with a man & Danny thought he was going to get Natalie (i read or heard)

Lesley Joseph has made a career out of playing a sex mad cougar who tottered around on high heels and tiny mini skirts, so I doubt whether she would feel uncomfortable doing a sexy dance.

Lesley is a performer and I am sure she would take everything they threw at her in her stride.

But at least he won't out-dance them in the Latin routines!

(Sorry Anton fans - I'm one too - but couldn't resist!)

But maybe she wants to be Lesley Joseph and not Dorien on SCD

And maybe not, we don't know either way. We just know they gave her Anton, because she's old and that's what they do to old women on SCD.