But then couldn't you equally construe "you've never danced before" as "you haven't had dance training, people need to know why you're shoite"?

Great post, I almost feel sorry for those who think it isn't manipulated just because their favourite won. It is obvious to anyone with a brain that it is. I have stopped watching XF a few years ago because of the manipulation and this year I have finished with both IAC and Strictly. Bye bye Reality TV you're farcical. Who needs it?

Not when it's followed up by clear praise!

I usually agree with you. However, not this time.

Fair point, but at the end of the day - people make up their own minds.

Last year, people were claiming that promotion from the judges turned people off Kellie, but this year it's supposedly why Ore has won. It just seems convenient.

Fair point.

My honest opinion is Jay was gone by the time the final arrived and nothing the judges could do would turn it around. It was an ill-tempered final though; yesterday was much nicer to watch. But yes, I think the Judges have impact with what they say.

It was the judges who made it bad-tempered I think.

I respect your opinion, and I'll leave it there!

Have a good Christmas!!

Well said. IAC was shocking and Strictly is almost as Bad.

Again, reading too much into soundbites produced from the judges mouths.

I mean what is there to vote for in Len saying a couole were like two sizzling sausages?

What did they say to make people vote for Jay or Caroline? It's all just praise. Would the fact they said Danny had messed up he QS not be a vote encourager?

It is utter madness to take innocent comments about Ore not being a dancer and now a great one to this level.

Can you say a turn of phrase that would have made people vote for Danny last night?

Just for you then... I'm sure you'll enjoy dissecting these:

AS:

"Tess: So, you wanted perfection this time round Len, did you get it?”

Len: I… you couldn’t hear me Ore, I was screaming the whole way through it. You are, no I was, you’re the boy that brings joy. You were singing in the rain, but my thoughts were only of happiness. Honestly, I thought it was such a great number before, you’ve taken great to an even greater place. It was brilliant. I love it.

Bruno: Oh fasten your seat belts, it’s gonna be a fantastic night, judging by this I’m telling you we are off on a high. It was such a beautifully crafted tribute to Gene Kelly, but what I liked about it it wasn’t an imitation, it was true to the spirit of a great star but your personality and your talent really showed through it, your cheeky charm, you put so much of yourself into it and yet it was true to the brief and a great American Smooth Foxtrot as well. Spot on. Spot on.

Tess ”Did his frame make you happier this time Craig?

Craig: Er, yes, the frame was vastly improved this time and also you were much higher up on your toes which I noticed, but I did also notice that you didn’t point your foot on the retiré section - it’s a small thing, but it’s a final. You had style, you had substance, it was sophisticated, it was polished and you know what I think you are a miracle, I really do.

Darcey: Well, Ore, Joanne, I wish I could play this on rewind, it is heaven to watch. I first, I said in week 3 it took my breath away, you made me gasp again. It is heaven; how you capture the style, the understanding you have when you’re on that dance floor. It all came together and you pulled it off again, thank you.

SD

Darcey: Well, a round of applause I have to say. That was fun, that was full, fast, and classic, my cup of tea, oh my goodness. When you got up there and you were beating out that rhythm on those drums, that was so difficult, how you just jumped and you were able even to have a glance at the camera, how you missed, you didn’t miss one of those.. it was close, it was close. But what was excellent, I loved the highlights from all the dances you’ve done over the competition, they appeared in so many special spots and brought back great memories, you did that with such class, I am so impressed, well done.

Len: Who could ask for anything more? (stands and applauds)

Bruno: Exceeding all expectations. On a different class altogether. It was a ballroom based extravaganza that mixed all the best of classic Hollywood, glitz, glamour, and Broadway pizzazz, I am totally razzle-dazzled by it.

Craig: It was like an advanced aerobics step-class that. Blown away I’ve got to say, the cross-section of steps was just brilliant, you did hitch-kicks, tapping, quickstep, Charleston, trenches, it was all in there and it was brilliant, brilliant.

Jive:

Craig: I can’t bear it, you’re so good darling. I’ve got nothing to complain about and I hate that. Virtuosic darling, absolutely virtuosic.

Darcey: Wow, I was impressed in week 4, I am even more impressed. How do you keep that cool? I mean the repetition, the stamina, I mean, the sharpness, the cleanness of those kicks and flicks. You know, you know how to perfect, you know how to work and that is a true dancer.

Len: Well, it’s people like you that give me the most pleasure on Strictly, people with no dance background at all, and gradually, as the weeks go by, you’ve grown to love dancing and we’ve grown to love watching you. Ore, you are the spirit of Strictly.

Bruno: I am so glad I was right first time around. Your star is shining brighter than ever. that was sheer perfection. (Len: Yes!)"

How do we know he didn't? The phrase innocent until proven guilty applies - you need evidence someone is lying to accuse them of it.

Then don't watch then your loss.

I am sorry this the SCD Forum not the Crown Court Forum. I should ad that he is in fact Innocent until proved otherwise.

Or yours.

Ore was liked at the Olympics, which meant people sort of knew who he was. Add into the fact he's just signed a new 5 year contract with the BBC (so he can't run off to ITV like Susanna Reid did) and you can see why he was picked and then pushed to win. They have a brand new BBC star now and they'll be trotting him out on everything. I expect him to get some sort of Saturday night quiz within a few months.

Len always likes the celebs with no or little dance background, he loved Goughie and Mark Rampakash.

I stopped watching X-Factor because it's shite. Who cares who wins anyway, it's usually the runners up who go on to have a better career. Just out of curiosity I did watch that strange creature everyone was talking about this year. God, I've heard drunks in our local singing better !

I'm a Celebrity ? That's just a bit of fun isn't it, what does it matter who "wins" ?

Even winning Strictly doesn't matter that much. I suppose it could kick-start a fading career and open doors to doing different things. But it's not essential to win the whole thing for that to happen. Danny, Louise and Claudia could all benefit from taking part if they have a decent agent ready to exploit it. That's if they want to take off in another direction of course.

Danny is represented by one of the big agencies so should be fine. Also, he also has new management.

He's due for bigger and better things, that's for sure, and no deserves it more than Ore. I very much look forward to seeing more of him on future programmes.

Er! ......... He won because he was the best on the night. While the British public are indeed fickle, I was supporting Louise and sadly Ore was indeed the best dancer last night.

I will lose nothing.

Of course it doesn't really matter who wins unless people are spending their money on voting then everything should be fair and square. Why don't the judges and producers just let everything go with the flow instead of manipulating the voters. It was all wrong last week, I genuinely believe that, not sour grapes. It's not the first time it's happened but that doesn't make it right and I am fed up with it and I'm also very disappointed.

If there was a like button on DS, it would fo to a post like this for me.

Describing Danny's dance as moments of magic was not good enough to get people voting.

Well, to be fair, as Len himself has pointed out in interviews, the GBP love an underdog, so praising Danny to high heaven wasn't exactly going to win out over the "Ore has never danced before, he's such a plucky amateur that worked hard and got better, he's what Strictly is all about" narrative.

(Of course, completely ignoring the fact that Ore was actually just a naturally good dancer who was the first to get 10's, and in fact got THREE tens in week four of all things. So...yeah, the "struggling underdog who works hard to keep up with the dirty ringahs!" narrative rang really hollow to me.)