Some sense in this place of chauvinism. I'm liking this man more and more.

Oh dear I think I'm a misfit. You see I really enjoy watching both Danny and Ore dance. I also enjoy both Laura and Daisy. Then there is Greg and Louise - they are both so nice. Ed and Robert are both such fun to watch. Whatever shall I do?? Can anyone recommend an agony aunt I can consult. I need to find someone, just one someone, to support or hate or get worked up about one way or another. I can't go on liking them all. Yours confused of Strictlyland.

It's ok - those of us who are sane love you for it Wish there were more like you actually.

Yeah ✌🏾️

Did I miss something? The board seems remarkably peaceable this year after some initial nastiness was faced down. It's bound to get a little testy however as people think that defending their favourate means tearing others down or people get twitchy by prolonged exposure to an irritant (like Rinder).

You left out one competitor, Claudia...

OOps so I did, I wonder if there is some deep psychological reason for that? No, more likely my grey matter needed a shake - or caffeine! Now which box to put them in?? They are very good, very watchable and very nice, never mind I shall just carry on enjoying them all. I think I am having a better time liking them all for whatever reason than getting hung up on just one. Makes the elimination sad every week though whoever goes.

I love Strictly, it's fun, sad, glorious, cringey and a sparkly pantomime.

Nomination for post of the day

Deleted.

This year is absolutely bland in comparison to both earlier years here on DS and compared to the old BBC Message Boards for SCD.

Any criticism of Cherie Lunghi and it was time to leave the country.

It feels bad to me this year because it turns out that both my favourites (Ore and Laura) are terrible people

Hahaha! Same here, it's one of the reasons I love Strictly. I've not got a favourite this year and only once have I really disliked someone (Peter Andre).

The thing is though, that some people's ideas of what is acceptable criticism and what is not completely varies.

Some people seem to get upset at genuine, valid criticism of technique and performance.

Others seem to magnify criticism and then claim everyone is being horrible about their favourite, when usually it's no more than a handful of people on one thread. The reverse happens too, with some people claiming all fans of X are the same, usually in a negative way. Both these are issues to me because they stifle genuine discussion.

There is also the fact that, when it comes to personalities and human behaviour, we all see things differently as our assessments are filtered through our own life experiences.

For example, some people may find Louise dull whereas others find her sweet and shy, and really we all have to accept each other's opinions in that case because we can't prove otherwise. I see people getting upset about this kind of thing a lot, though.

I don't know. I don't think it's that bad on here at all but I think there is a lot of difference in boundaries of criticism along with levels of fanaticism and that's what causes any issues.

This is very astute and I think this is where a lot of issues come from. There's also overriding forum 'moods' - i.e. Clifton criticism is accepted and tolerated more as an in going thing, yet if non cliftons get the same treatment as there isn't that overriding mood of 'bash the cliftons' it somehow seems worse. Plus the age old human foible of 'you can be mean to anyone but me or my favourite' which I think EVERYONE suffers from whether we admit it or not!
There is also an issue if people reading between the lines of what people say and interpretation of comments - again with the 'fans'' thing where people haven't explicitly said they mean every fan ever but as they haven't outrightky said 'some' people have assumed they meant all and taken offence, whereas another person reading the same thing has thought 'well I'm going to assume they don't mean ALL fans' and it hasn't been an issue. Neither side is right it wrong it's just an issue of interpretation.

Absolutely. You've hit the nail on the head really - it's all an issue of interpretation. Nobody is perfect, either!

I'm not at all opposed to proper discussion and disagreeing with others, but that only works if everyone leaves their emotions at the door and puts across opinions and facts backed up by examples and evidence. In a competition where we're all encouraged to "vote for your favourite", that's not always going to happen!

Laura is not exactly old so both of those presenting roles aren't bad on a CV - While Laura & Giovanni are not my favourite couple this year - I think Laura is working hard and I can see improvement. It is not her fault that she was paired with Gio on SCD just after he and Georgia broke up.
I just think fair play to her, she is looking to spread her horizons career wise and if exposure on SCD helps her to do that, then I have no problem with that.

My favourite couple, dance-wise, this year are Danny & Oti.
My favourite couples for entertainment are J Rinder and Oksana and Ed & Katya

Goodness this is NOTHING, believe me.

It's bleedin' fluffy compared to some previous years. The Clifton thing bores me to death mind.

I don't think they are Dervia

Laura and Louise and Daisy have all came in for a bit of the 'bland/not warming to them/wouldn't miss them if they're gone' comments

Just as Ore has been too emotional and twee with Joanne

Just as Danny is a ringer that isn't connecting with people nomatter how good he is and its not fair he should win/he doesn't deserve it

Just as Greg simply isn't a good enough dancer

Just as Rinders 'comic' personaltiy is winding lots up to the point they can't stand him

Just as Ed shoudn't be there as hes rubbish

Just as Claudia and AJ are getting annoying because of this 'young thing' being pushed down our throats

But I've seen as many saying they've loved Lauras dances and are a fan

That Greg is trying hard and they love his partnership with Natalie

That Daisy is warm and happy and they'd like her to stay longer

That Rinder is an entertainer

That Claudia is blossoming and doing so well

That Ed is trying and makes them laugh and they'd like him to stay a bit longer

I haven't seen as much postiive stuff for Louise (though I have read people saying shes nice) or Ore, I'll admit that, but this is a small forum, I'm sure they have supporters out there. At least I haven't seen anything coming even close to the obsessively negative ones we saw last year, but that may still come as passions increase further down the line! I hope not as it wasn't very nice.

(I very rarely like the 'peoples favourite' so I do sympathise with never sharing the most popular view though!)

No your right obviously she is on Strictly to raise her profile like nearly every contestant form about series 5 has been. I'm not a fan of the partnership but that's just me.

Ore is apparently topping the Ugov poll of who people wanted to win so outside of here is not unpopular and if he was he'd have been in the DO on Saturday.

Bloody hell - what a series.

That stick of vanilla fudge dancing with the male Clifton jumping bean. Does she actually dance on a Saturday? I swear I just nod off for about seven minutes every time she takes to the floor.

And what's with that garden sprinkler dancing with the Clifton sibling? Overmarked or what? Ever so 'umble prayer hands every two minutes - does he think he's in church?

Don't get me started on that pretty boy with loft insulation for brains who's paired with that smug trollop. Thinks the giltterball's hers already that one does. And as for dance training - bigger ringer than Big bloody Ben.

Oh Jeez - I forgot that munchkin bouncing around with the hyperactive twelve year old. Lifts, lifts, lifts, cartwheel, somersault and more bloody lifts. Have her feet even touched the floor yet?

Who the heck does that camper than a maypole pretend judge think he is? Does he think he's funny, mincing about with that vacuous Russian, milking cows or floating about on wires or whatever other hilar(yawn)ious ruse they've come up with this week?

Mustn't forget the other Olympian. That ginger lamp post attempting to dance with St bloody Natalie. Every week he "cahms ahht" (sorry - he's a sportsman, automatically slipped into Len mode) and every week he's... a bit sh*t. Then one or other of them gives it woobie face and the nation melts.

Oh and finally - the huge (and I mean this literally) standing (well he ain't bloody dancing is he) joke that is the politician. Never has a contestant on Strictly been so aptly named. And that upstart he's shuffling about with is no better. Call that choreography? Pity he didn't drop you the other week love.

Hang on... that doesn't seem like enough people. I'm sure there should be more? Surely there can't be any celebs sooooo dull that I would forget them altogether can there?

Fan wars - what fan wars? I just loathe all of them.

See you Saturday - it's my favourite time of the week .

You forgot to insult Daisy and Laura

Did you not get my final paragraph?

I tell you what's doing my head in this year.

All the consultants posting on this board, every year we have the psychiatrists, that's par for the course,

But this year we have been over run with, fertility specialists, oncologists, orthopaedics and now respiratory consultants.

Some appears to have multiple qualifications, how on earth do they find the time to post on here?

Oh in addition these consultants are also experts on every dance under the sun.