This annoys me every week, not just in week 1

Over the years, the amount of "hype" introduced into this programme has increased out of all proportion, in an effort, not to produce a better programme, but to beat anything shown on ITV on Saturday night.
Some of the best seats in the front row every week are given to favoured so called "celebrities," mostly those associated with the BBC, just so the director can give the viewers a brief glimpse of them.
The producers aren't bright enough to appreciate that many viewers will not be thinking "Oo! look who it is!"
More "For chrissakes, there's more seats given to the favoured few, that could have gone to a real fan of the show." But that's the BBC all over. They think people who watch this show want to see these freeloaders each week.
You can bet none of them won the seat in the lottery. Kara Tointon made the point that before the year she was a contestant, she managed to get a seat for most weeks. I don't s'ppose either being a present or past actor in Eastenders, was an advantage?

You can't blame these personalities using any opportunity in a show with 10M viewers to draw some attention to themselves. But let no one believe that everything they see, or more likely are deliberately shown, has not got an element of that in it.

I always record this show as there's not much that they can ruin with the dancing apart from choosing some rubbish music on occasions, so I mostly watch that, which I enjoy. I skip over a lot of the hype.

Nothing wrong at all.

Ore Oduba poking his tongue at the camera in the middle of his Tango.

It's a bit like these stand-up shows at the Apollo which are shown on the BBC. That point at the beginning when Michael MacIntyre (or whoever) announces which celebrities are in the audience just makes me want to lob a brick through the telly.

I DON'T CARE WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE! Get on with it!

Definitely agree - what were they wearing? Even my husband who does not take much notice of such things commented on them and said he hoped it was not a new fashion!

Were you to look closely and not distract yourself with throwing your toys out of the pram you would see that these 'celebrities' are past contestants, 'superfans' who have contributed to It Takes Two, or personal friends and supporters of the current contestants, all of whom have therefore every right to be there as members of the Strictly extended family and 'proper' fans.

That was so immature of him. Everything about that Tango was bl**dy awful, the outfits, choreography, music and just 40 seconds of dancing.
I wonder if Jo Clifton looked on at her sister-in-law's performance afterwards with envy - better on every level

As a bloke that does both cry and understand I found Linda's reaction perfectly natural. Compared to the sobbing mess I was after Bindi Irwin's freestyle in DWTS it was also incredibly restrained!

Why, because you don't agree with what I said, are you accusing me of "throwing my toys out of the pram?"

That's a childish reaction.

My post was quite a reasonable one with a valid point of view.

I'm not sure where you get the idea of "every right."

They have none. If they were in previous series of Strictly, they were paid for their contribution, their "rights," ended there.

The mention of "Superfans," makes me smile.

Any so called "celebrity" might call themselves a "superfan," if it will get them some exposure on ITT.

These sort of people obvious impress you, I don't mind. But don't have a go at me for not being taken in by all the hype surrounding this entertaining TV show.

If anyone needs to "look closely," at anything it's you, at your over-reaction.

Try passing a comment on the programme without having a go at someone else at the same time. That sort of behaviour says a lot about you.

Seeing Greg and Nat falling down the leaderboard as everyone on Saturday was given better marks. They'd probably have got an 8 from Bruno if they'd been on the Sat.

The 8 from Craig for Anastacia was the moment that I literally shrieked at the TV in disbelief. The sight didn't so much annoy me as totally astonish me.

I agree with this. I gave her a 5!

Agreed.

That was worth a 6, at best.

I actually shouted "whaaat" at the TV, I couldn't believe he gave her an 8.

Trousers, specifically those adorning Will, Ore and Melvin.

Scores, specifically can someone please remove the happy pills from Craig.

All the ruddy props.

On the contrary. Unlike you I am able to see them as ordinary human beings who just happen to do extraordinary jobs. And unlike you I am able to believe that they are there simply because they enjoy the show and/or want to cheer on their friends and family members, just as with any other audience member. It appears to be you that can't cope with them and must therefore demand that they be treated differently (rather cruelly so, in fact).

I simply find it incomprehensible that you really think it right that previous competitors should be cast aside as if they had never existed. You seem to have forgotten that with the tour the show occupies the largest part of some competitors' attention for up to a year in something which goes far beyond just another job. It is completely appropriate and entirely within the spirit of the show that they should always be welcome to return to watch others being put through the paces that they know so well from their own experience. Would you ban people (celebrity or otherwise) from attending their school reunions and the annual dinners of sports clubs and the like? I assume not so why apply a different standard to Strictly?

You really make my smile, such intensity.

Try reading your post back when you're in a better frame of mind.

Some of what you've said is ridiculous, you've chosen some pretty tenuous excuses. You seem completely enamoured of celebrity culture, to post what you have despite your denial, but you aren't on your own.

Why should these people get special treatment?

I can understand contestants getting a couple of tickets for their family. Claudia Fragapani's parents for example. So they should.
But some of the best seats are taken by BBC people who have no connection with the show. It isn't like Sports Personality of the Year, where the audience is made up of pretty much all sports stars. Likening Strictly to any sort of reunion is completely daft.

The numbers of licence payers who apply for tickets far exceed those made available to the general public many times over.
Having "friends in the band" or whatever, shouldn't give people a divine right to a seat, except according to the BBC...and apparently you.
I guess it's a case of "We want some well known telly faces at the front in the audience, the viewers will like that, it'll add to the glamour." Not all of us think that way.

I don't particularly care who's in the audience. I'm always just a bit bemused that the BBC imagines that we should all want to know.

Most annoying sight? Len giving Danny, Anastacia, Claudia and Laura the same mark for their Cha Cha's. So much for having the same dance so we can really compare eh- honestly, what is the point of Len?