Trust me it wasn't worth it. The Paso steps were few and frantic. And every so often I kept expecting them to do an AT from the steps they were doing and that made more sense with the music.

It's just awful isn't it? A cacophony with less tune than caterwauling. The dancing was not good either so you've missed nothing.

I know I should say this as a non-dancer but my impression from watching the show is that instrumental music is great for the paso, doesn't need lyrics, and the paso has enough story of its own. The music has drama, intensity and light and shade and will build to a climax. It might not be my taste in music but surely it's a hell of a better paso choice that 'Shut up and dance with me'.

Louise is a pop star. Some similar women have had nothing but pop tracks to emphasis that. I think she'd be struggling if she was getting constant pop music like Claudia. Louise is instead being allowed to run a 'Mum who is turning into a performer' storyline, helped hugely by the music. I'm not saying every track she gets is perfect or that nobody else is getting good music, I'm not saying that at all. But she is getting one of the most helpful selections this year.

Blackpool is hard to predict because of all the extras and other dancers but on paper, just going on the song choices, I would say that Danny and Louise are meant to shine and be the dances of the night, Ed and Robert are planned to be the 'did you see that!' entertainment, Ore and Claudia are OK but eventually expendable, if one falls into the b2 it's OK, and Greg is meant to go home.

I agree, particularly with the bit in bold. I don't see anyone favouring Louise either. I wonder if some people are worried that she might win, as she is statistically, one of the best dancers on the show.

Judge Rinder's dance and song have Bottom 2 written all over them

I think the band will help Claudia and A J with "Hey Mickey."
It's got a driving beat which the audience will get behind, clapping on the wrong beats of course. But maybe particularly with this song as they are a bit tricky.

It amazes me that with the BBC's micro-management of this show, which is necessary because of its fast pace, that the floor managers can't get the audience started off clapping on the correct beat with every tune. Given that they encourage the unnecessary clapping.

*cough cough*