There is an aura of desperation about the program, trying so hard to compete with the BBC SCD program that it has forgotten some important considerations. Remember that ballroom dancing is not renowned for bad falls and injuries.

Ice skating at this level is difficult it is also very dangerous. We have professionals who are used to the bumps and bruises that go with the territory, who are able to rescue themselves when in difficulties and help their partners.

We have rank amateurs who have no skills they can draw upon, who are accidents waiting to happen. Who certainly cannt help themselves. Remember someone has chosen people who can inhabit certain roles that gaurantee talking points and controversy. SCD did this but fortunately no-one got hurt.

How professionals can put themselves at so much risk I don't know. I suppose the financial rewards are, for the moment, making it worthwhile! Jam today......

There is a distinct possibility that someone could seriously hurt themselves; and we are morbidly watching, barely concealing the fact that we don't want to miss that!!!

And of course there is the duty wicked witch or warlock. A character who spends his/her time manufacturing clumsy and bad similes that could not be thought up on the spur of the moment, that chip away at the confidence of the pseudo ice dancer so they go dangerously beyond their abilities in order to get an encouraging word or at least not be embarrased by unnecessary and hurtful insults.

One has to admit the program has its fascination, the irresistible need to watch someone you know is going to have a fall.

This is irresponsible broadcasting, feeding on a showbusiness persons need to earn to get applause, 15 minutes of fame and all that.

The broadcasters should be satisfied to produce a program that seeks to entertain and not create more headlines than the competition.

Also please select judges who are interested in finding and encouraging talent rather than getting their own persnal limelight.

Although I think you have a point: i.e. David Seaman should NEVER have been allowed to attempt that move which resulted with his partner in hospital last Saturday, I think you are being a bit hard.
Apart from Jason, I feel the judges have put the skaters and celebs first and have not pushed and tried to further their own TV careers as much as the SCD ones did.
I can't speak for other fans of the show, but I certainly don't watch it in the hope of someone having a fall.
If you find this show so unacceptable, perhaps you could contact the makers and find out their safety policy?

Thank you for your response. The point I would make amid my typos is that someone had the bad judgement to permit that and, as I assume everything is overlooked and if you like approved; the programmers let them get on with it. What came first the ratings or the safety of all involved?

Obviously one panelist, in my opinion, causes unnecessary tension, embarassment which adds a potentially dangerous element to the proceedings.

I am glad you don't watch it for 'THAT' reason. Some do I would suggest, or at least it provides a talking point, a point which somehow glosses over the fact that there could have been a serious injury. There are those who get lost in celebrity worship and just cannot see beyond that.

I would not be surprised if the insurers underwriting the risks are re-assessing as we speak, or they will in the future.

I would guess that few lessons will be learned by the programmers and already someone is thinking about another 'interesting' element to add to increase the dynamics of the event. They may eventually think about safety perhaps.

I still sense some desperation to gain a mass appeal and good ratings, rather than produce good entertainment. All about ratings regardless.

The OP has made a very good point and maybe the safety aspect of it is making the show not as exciting as ITV would want it, BUT we still get horrid accidents, that of course is the ONLY thing anyone talks about for 20 minutes.

Whereas Bill Turnbull's injury on SCD was the very rare exception, I fear Saturday's incident was almost a certainty, will anyone dare to suggest ITV were relying on something like that happening? NOT me libel lawyers could get stroppy for using the wrong smiley.

Plus the fact that the whole idea is forced IMHO, ITV has seen the success of SCD and wants to replicate it, instead of having a new idea, OK celebrity based, and waiting to see what happens. GO for jugular, get T and D still revered in the country's memory, twenty two years after their Olyimpic success, and well I could go on, but I won't cos frankly I have given up now.

I was watching the regular ice dance on the olympics and was quite shocked at how many of the competitors were falling over and risking injury. The new marking system seems to be forcing the dancers to push themselves to the limits.

I'm still a bit vague as to what the judges are actually looking for in DOI though. There should be a definite limit to the degree of difficulty which can be expected from an amateur, otherwise they may be tempted to try things beyond their capabilities in the pursuit of points.

I was very conscious on Saturday, that Bonnie could have been sent flying during that lift where she was clinging by only her feet. If it had gone wrong she could have done serious damage. I assume they are closely supervised in training and aren't allowed to attempt things which they aren't ready for.

I really don't want to see people being injured in the name of entertainment .

Yes, of course It's horrible to see people getting injured, but both the Celebrities and the Professionals knew the risks when they signed up for this program, and obviously would have had to sign something saying they understood what it would involve and that injuries may well happen.

That's what skatings all about, to improve and get to a high standard you have to take the falls along the way.

Having said all that, a few people have said they watch the program hoping to see someone fall, which I think is disgusting.
Personally, whenever any of them fall no matter how small a bump it may be, it always makes me screw up my face and go 'Ooohhhh, owww!!'

I am sure that everyone involved was told of the risks. I am sure that all those involved in selecting the final set of contestants made sure that all the antcipated problems were understood.

What that may not have taken into account was the unbridled enthusiasm of some, the obvious lack of of potential of others, and the mismatches. By that I mean as a trained dancer Ms. Langford had certain dance rudiments as second nature and no doubt a flexibility and sense of balance after years of performing that others could not reasonably aspire to.

Now if they had recruited half a dozen trained dancers we would have had a level playing field and a bit of nouse (sic) among the contestants. As it was, obvious fall guys were employed as well as potential ice dancers. A scenario that could produce jealousy, disappointment and a will to go further than was safe for some. This is enhanced by the at least one judge who creates so much tension and emotion that we are gauranteed controversy and some uncomfortable and undignified moments. All very unnecessary and not even dreamed of by enthused contestants.

So in short it is over simplifying the situation to say they all knew the risks. I will bet none of them thought about the potential of broken bones, head injuries and periods of not being available for their proper careers.

I appreciate what you say and the way you say it, but for someone like me who rarely raises his head above the parapet, you must apprecaite genuine concern.

Where is it all going to finish! celebrity suicide, celebrity trapeze, celebrity knife throwing. All an exaggeration but there are some pretty weird things happening in the name of 'unreality' TV.

I feel I should shut up now. I appreciate the quality of responses to my posts.

Well we have all ready had 'Celebrity Shark Attack' so are we that far away from going too far, though in reality the shark attack was a bit of misrepresentation, but there you go.

Please don't shut up, if you ever say too much I assure you that someone will tell you to shut up (or worse).

This thread has certainly made me think. I'm really enjoying being entertained every week but I would feel dreadful if one of the participants ended up being seriously injured. I suppose I presumed that the programme makers have made every effort to ensure the safety of those involved but in view of the amount of injuries and increasingly dangerous routines I'm not so sure accidents can be avoided.

I also think it is becoming too dangerous. The professionals are very ambitious and are prepared to use increasingly risky moves in an attempt to stay in the competition - I have heard on more than one occasion - 'we will do this next week as it is something Bonnie hasn't attempted yet'. According to the judge who appeared on This Morning on Monday, David and Pam's accident was one that was waiting to happen. She said Pam's arms were held behind her in a totally unnatural position during the lift as she had to hold the canes - this was still the case as she went back on the ice with the result that she wasn't as well balanced as she would have been had her arms been in the normal position for such a move - ie David did nothing wrong. It seems that the producers, the trainers, the professionals, including Christopher and Jane, have lost sight of the fact that the celebrities are amateurs - yet they are demanding more and more risky moves, each of which could result in serious, if not life-changing, injuries. I do like watching the show but don't feel comfortable seeing Bonnie being spun around holding on only by her feet which are clamped round her partner's neck or any of the other potentially dangerous moves. So far nothing really serious has happened but it is only a matter of time - if not this series certainly at some point in the future.