I used to watch DWTS back in the days when it was shown on UK TV, and the spring series in particular used to fill the gap between series of Strictly quite nicely. It was pretty much identical then, with a few dances like the mambo thrown in because they are popular in the US. Then something changed, they started doing weird shit like country and Western week where they danced around bales of hay and I stopped watching then. I think it was dropped from UK tv about then as well.

Fast forward to now. I've been looking at some of the routines on YouTube and its now changed beyond all recognition. It looks like a completey different show. Awful costumes, routines that last less than a minute and bare no resemblance to what they are supposed to be. Absurd theme weeks as well, 'partner swap week' anyone? The year that changed my life week, usually sentimental bullshit featuring emosh crying on the VT's (even the X Factor hasn't gone down that road yet). And my personal favourite, 'Disney week' where CGI cartoon characters appeared on screen and danced with the couples...

The set is now hideous and you can't even see the band or singers anymore. Tacky, tacky, tacky. Why did Artem and Gleb chose this crap over our Strictly?

Please don't let this ever happen to our Strictly!

Money and a bigger market for dance-themed underwear lines I guess.

The dancing teapot was bad enough - if they ever get CGI cartoon characters on Strictly I think that might be the final push needed to switch off.

Actually the real reason Gleb chose DWTS is because he and his wife want their daughter to attend school in the US, which is fair enough. I can't believe anyone would opt for it because they think it's a superior show. What the hell was Artem thinking though? One of the most popular pros on Strictly, reached two finals becoming a winner on his first series with Kara and runner up with Natalie. On DWTS lumbered with duffer after duffer, which is what always happens if your not a Hough or Chmerkovskiy. People talk about Kevin getting preferential treatment, it's nothing compared with what happens over the pond.

I've watched bits and pieces of DWTS over the years but it's not for me.

I watched thinking what dance is this supposed to be? It was all about costume and staging and Len with a big, stupid grin on his face saying the exact opposite of what he says over here, the two shows are nothing alike.

And for the most part, despite a contestant being absolute rubbish they are praised to the heavens......sighs....nah.

I think Artem's was to do with citizenship, he was finding it hard to work here and had to keep returning (I forget where), but he could work in the US and apply for full citizenship over there too.

Gleb, the US were willing to pay for his family to be over there with him, but the UK couldn't, so he went to the US.

I do miss Artem, but not Gleb. Artem seems to get the duffers over there, so a bit of a waste.

I agree with you about how bad it's got. I don't watch it anymore, like you, since it went off of UK tv, but I saw some youtube videos of some and was shocked at it, it was not a thing like it used to be, heavy on the production, but barely any dance. It all seems very frenetic too, not enjoyable to watch. It used to be very good way back when, I slightly preferred it to ours at one point. It's gone downhill and fast.

Oh, and also, how many times has Derek quit, for real this time, only to show up at the start of the season again? It's a bit tiring and predictable now.

I know that 'visa problems' were cited as the reason that Artem left for DWTS, but how come Pasha and Kristina never had these problems? Both appear to be based in the UK now.

Personally I feel that Artem wanted the money and prestige of being on DWTS. Nowt to do with visa trouble.

(Secretly hoping that backstageone comes on here soon and posts a snippet into what really went on here).

I'm not sure entirely what it was, wasn't it something to do with him being a part time US citizen, so had to keep going back there?
Possibly Kristina and Pasha are nothing to do with the US in the first instance? I don't know the ins and outs of it, but I do agree that he could possibly have wanted the 'bigger' show. However I think he went over when it became more of a sinking ship.

Kristina also lived in the US for a while, and Pasha came from SYTYCD USA before joining Strictly.