1 So many injuries and scandal this series - I can barely keep up!
2 Danny was my favourite last night and I have to say, I'm not usually a fan of the Rumba but the performances this year have been much better!
3 Daisy is one of my favourites and I like Louise and Claudia but I'm waiting for all three to come out and break away from their level since week one.
4 What an improvement from Anastacia - she really doesn't deserve to be in the bottom two
5 My prediction is a Greg vs. Lesley dance off with Greg leaving.

Totally agree, can't understand all the plaudits.

Yes indeed the better dancer did lose out ... Zoe Ball

Who is The Darren Gough out of Ore/Danny? Neither can be compared to a 2x2 piece of wood.

1 - 4 same

5. Enjoyed J Rinder - not technically perfect but very entertaining

1 I quite enjoyed Claudia's samba but AJ did outshine her by quite a margin and that really isn't quite the done thing
2 Cha chas and rhumbas are not dances I enjoy so it was bound to be a poor night as far as I'm concerned
3 Is the ventriloquist related to someone on the show? He was dreadful!
4 If the ventriloquist has any gigs booked? I think there may be cancellations.
5 Day Varch did dance! And, to my untutored ear, did it well.

1. Craig clearly has a personal issue with Ed. OK it wasn't a great dance but he's being overly harsh on him now. ****.

2. Whoever had the idea to set Amarillo to an AS deserves the sack.

3. Every week with Louise and Kevin has me thinking the same. The dances are great but a little dull (apart from Week 2)

4. Rinder and Anastacia were much improved. With all due respect to Brendan, it might be better if Gorka continues with her.

5. Thought the whole show was a little bland last night.

Not going to bother with my normal complaints about the Judges entrance and Winkleman.

1. Thought Anastacia and Gorka were great and surprisingly found myself voting for her.
2. I like AJ, but that choreography was clearly too ambitious, bless him.
3. Bad dance for Greg, awful actually. I sent my other two votes his way, hope he stays in.
4. The judges love Ore, I think the over-hyping may well back fire (perhaps that's what they want) I can never work out the judging.
5. Weakest show of the series so far for me.

1. Unreasonable song choices
2. Good song renditions
3. The mention from Tess of Strictly having 'rules'. Let's not stop there - call it a constitution.
4. I'm warming to Anastacia and the effort she obviously makes. If she gets much better we can start calling her a ringer.
5. The wonky Eiffel Tower. Will it be back for Xmas covered in tinsel?

Or Blackpool, covered in coloured lights and a reindeer with a flashing nose?

1. Loved Danny & Oti's Rumba one of my favourite males rumbas on the sh
2. Danny looked gorgeous yesterday
3. Anastasia & Gorka surprised me the most really enjoye their dance
4. Some of the judges scores were disappointing
5. Apart from Danny/Oti & Anastasia/Gorka it was a disappointing show

1. Anastasia & Judge Rinder entertained me the most last night, which I really wasn't expecting.

2. I've long thought that Brendan himself is the issue when it come to both the awkwardness in his pairings and the fact that most of his partners seem to barely improve. Watching Anastasia with Gorka last night kind of confirmed that for me. Brendan seems like a nice enough guy but really doesn't seem to be a good teacher.

3. No matter how good the celeb dancer, rumbas in Strictly are pretty much universally awkward, a giant cringe or both. The only exception for me since season 1 was Rachel & Vincent's.

4. Leslie looked like she was living her worst nightmare last night and Anton's/whoever's choreography was awful. Greg didn't look much happier or dance much better.

5. Whoever thought Amarillo was a good AS song is an idiot.

1- Danny remains my favorite. Oti is so gorgeous and an amazing choreographer. They have a great partnership.

2- pleased to see Anastacia do well even though she's not a favorite of mine. Gorka is gorgeous .


3- I seem to say this every week but it needs to be said. Louise and Daisy are SO bland. Great dancers but they're so boring . I'll add Laura to that list as well. I hope her ankle gets better though.

4- 2 for Ed was extremely harsh

5- the show has a whole felt flat yesterday.

1. Surprised my self in liking Anastasia this week
2. Do better next week please Greg
3. Thought Daisy was very sweet
4. Terrible music for Aj and Claudia how are you supposed to get the beat from that?
5. Kevin's hair! Is that a weave or whatever? Looks rediculous

1) Anastasia's best dance - well done Gorka - shame it wasnt pointed out it was Brendans choreography tho - he deserves credit too - get well soon Brendan

2) Claudia's samba was just too fast for her to cope with - would love to see it slowed down so she can do it justice

3) got very bored with Daisy's charleston - sorry

4) ditto with Louise - she NEEDS to do something to make an actual impression, so beige, bland and blah

5) didnt like Ores waltz, way to wafty for my liking and I thought he was deadfully over marked - glad Andrea was given a mention - she smashed that song

Louise is coming over very 'beige' - she really needs to start selling it more (or Kevin needs to up his choreography) - she really hasn't stepped it up a gear since week 1.

Ore on the other hand is improving week by week - and Jo's choreography is also helping him. After the first couple of dodgy weeks they are getting much better.

Anastacia was a revelation - whether just a better style of dance for her or change or partner something certainly worked.

Surprised by Daisy being in the dance-off - she must be doing really badly in the public vote for so many people to leapfrog her.

Sad that Lesley has gone but Ed and Judge Rinder apart she was probably the weakest left.

Sneaky 6 - get well soon everyone!

1. Really shocked Daisy and Aljaz were in the bottom 2.
2. That samba was ridiculously fast, Claudia coped really well with it though.
3. Love the pairing of Gorka and Anastacia - really works
4. Louise and Ore bore me rigid for different reasons
5. Ed's lift - oh how that made me roar


6. Sneaky 6 - so relieved Greg and Nat were saved, he looked so uncomfortable doing that dance.

Thoughts on contestants for week 5 (in alphabetical order):

Daisy & Aljaz - nice to see the two show magicians at work and thought the choreography complemented the music. Thought the routine highlighted her long limbs and that she showed those assets well. Maybe just a hair late, but liked her mime handiwork feeling the streaking space around her as she added her own flavor, yet still kept up with Aljaz. Thought Aljaz made a nice effort to salvage the original ending routine with his squeezing hands and that they finished on an even crisper note in the dance off.

Danny & Oti - thought he was a bit nervous at first, but then he slowly relaxed into the music, made a concerted effort to engage his hips and showed nice care/attentiveness to Oti. Thought there was a back and forth intimate dialogue between the two throughout and that it was nice to listen into. Maybe keep his weight a bit lower and grounded (seemed high in moments) and blend in the feminine quality of his freearm to his upper half a bit. But an enjoyable routine and look forward to his upcoming dances.

Louise & Kevin - liked the sliding door variation, the slow developpe/delayed step then straight into syncopated opening outs. Maybe a bit more fluidity in her upper half (seemed a bit hesitant), and shift her weight a bit more to the balls of the feet at the end of the rumba walks. Though the worst anyone could do, hope Louise won't be tough on herself from the judges' inevitable constructive criticisms. Nonetheless, thought it was nice to catch a glimpse of her sultry side and hope she can build upon it in her latin dances.

Ore & Joanne - thought there was a slight vulnerability to his waltz and that it was nice he gave a hint of his own personality to the routine. Thought his free arm was fluid and that it complemented his lines well. Maybe careful of the rising shoulder in the standing spin towards the end (just a hair) and let the swing in his body travel through a bit more. But nice to see a different layer of Ore and liked the ending of the routine as it was simple, uncluttered yet understated.

Best of luck to all the celebs and looking forward to their dances.

^
Thank you as always for your calm and knowledgeable appraisals. It's very much appreciated

Brendan wrote Gorka changed some parts, probably to adjust to her capabilities. Also I think the last stop in hold where they did whateveryoucallit with their feet, standing in one place, Anastacia did not do it properly compared to what Gorka was doing, but the angle was not good, maybe she did. But definitely her best dance. If/ when she leaves, this is the one to remember.

1. I love watching Gorka dance! Delightful. His and Anastacia's QS was great. Please bring him back next year!

2. I want to love Judge Rinder and I do like him but there's something forced or fake about the partnership - she doesn't seem fierce to me, more like too timid.

3. I love Daisy's voice and her warmth. Not sold on the partnership though. I also don't think Oti/Danny and Joanne/Ore really work.

4. Ditto with Claudia/AJ. He way way way overdances and the little dear gets lost. I wish she was with Neil Jones.

5. I so wish I could turn back time and put Kevin with Tameka and Gorka with Louise. That dull (K&L) duo is a lot of what's wrong with this series imo. Only good matches for me have been Ed/Katya, Lesley/Anton and Greg/Natalie.