Backing dancers should remain the back!
... And not dance directly with either of the leading couple.
It's so distracting.

It's a big fat NAY from me!

They fitted in with Jay's salsa last year but generally I would say no.

It seemed as though the celebs and their partners were having to almost fight for floor space the backing dancers were so close.
The worst year yet so it's a NAY from me.

Normally a loud NAY from me but for this year's Blackpool show it's a YAY

I thought this year they complemented rather than detracted from the celebs performances in every dance, particularly Louise's Paso and Neil Jones is wonderful, give him a partner next year please.

Not for every single dance. At Blackpool with the huge floor it can accentuate a dance that doesn't travel.

I think backing dancers worked really well for Jay's Salsa for example, they enhanced the dance and added atmosphere but they were kept mostly in the background.

Other dances though just don't need them.

They shouldn't just be shoehorned in cos it's Blackpool.

If they are deemed useful they should be in the background. Claudias Jive was a great example of backing dancers used badly, like Jay's Salsa it should have been a great opportunity to use them appropriately what with the cheerleader/jock theme but they were just in front of Claudia at several points and it was just really messy and detracting.

So I say Yay and Nay and FGS do it properly if you do.

was about to to say no then you remind me yes they served a purpose in that dance , then Oti and Danny,s last night they did not get in the way and added a little bit ( table dancing and even a little sequance they added , last year again G&G they added to the dance ,


so mind altered it is down to the choreographer to make it work within that hour

It's nay from me too. Very occasionally the extra dancers enhance the dance, but generally I think they confuse the celebs and get in the way of us being able to see the dances. Some of the camera work yesterday was hopeless, focusing on faces rather than feet, so I suspect they get in the way of the cameras as well.

Agreed 100%

A massive NAY, NAY, NAY from me.

Indeed, Claudia's jive steps were at times obliterated by miscellaneous arms & legs from the backing dancers (Strictly producers, there is a clue there in the name).

I have got used to the backing dancers, needed to fill the space at Blackpool, but this year they were mostly too close and the camera work was simply awful. We want to see the celeb/pro couple. Also, sometimes the costumes are too similar. So on balance, its a marginal NAy unless they sort out the logistics of their use.

Nay, nay and thrice nay!

Nope... looking at old series on YouTube there are lots of great Blackpool dances that didn't need backing dancers to fill the space etc. All they did was distract and make things look messy.

Nay, nay and thrice nay!

They distract from the contestants big time. Sometimes last night, I had problems distinguishing where the contestants were in the scrum of extraneous dancers.

Sorry, I hadn't seen your post when I did mine. I didn't mean to copy. Clearly we are both Frankie Howerd fans!

Louise's paso-
The dancers were good at the beginning, framing her as she came down the steps.
But then they obscured her quite a lot and made the routine look messy (which it wasn't)
The bit at the end was looked like Louise fighting her way through an Oxford Street throng, trying to get to John Lewis before closing time

A very big NAY from me....

That made me laugh, but I know what you mean....they did the dance no favours at the end

BIB I second that

And backing dancers should not assist the celeb in any whatsoever - and that includes lifting & carrying (all of which should be done by the pro partner as it is his/.her dance).

Otherwise it turns into a West End show (and the wow factor will impart an unfair advantage).

Blackpool's dance floor isn't huge compared to the normal one, just a bit larger. The dancers made it look crowded. it's a Nay from me!

Nay from me, thankfully they didn't spoil Danny and Oti's sensational Charleston.

Nay from me, it was too messy at times

In general I find them distracting and irritating. I found them particularly distracting in Louise's dance, a couple of times she was actually hidden behind taller dancers! . If we are looking at them then we are not looking at Louise which defeats the object.

NAY NAY & thrice NAY

The problems as have been said before they are a distraction from the contestants dancing for us and a distraction from the routine for the contestants themselves.

I understand why they have them at Blackpool because the floor is so big and there would be a lot of empty space otherwise but they should keep to the back and well away from the contestants

naynaynaynaynaynaynayvnaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynayvnaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynayvnaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynaynayvnaynay apart from very special occasions and rare exceptions.

I can see why they use backing dancers. I don't mind them if they are used like how they were during both Ore and Danny's dances.