Just out of interest. Who thinks this format of splitting the men and women for the first two weeks is a good thing? With only 7 contestants the very passionate-but let's face it- not very good Nicholas Owen was voted off in short order. I know I'm going to get jumped on from a very great height for this by some. But last year Fiona Phillips and Bill Turnbull were kept in the competiton waaaay past whatever talent they possessed for dancing while more talented dancers went out. Yes I know they got the sympathy vote as a reaction from the savaging they got from Arlene and Craig but I feel they were also able to slip under the radar as it were as they were quite a number of contestants. On Saturday with just 7 couples it was so glaringly apparent to see the daylight between Nicholas Owen and the rest.


P.S. Before I am attacked I am ONLY critiquing Nicholas Owen's dancing and nothing else. I don't know him he doesn't know him and for all I know he may be a very nice bloke.

In many ways I didn't like the format of showing all the male dancers individually, but its true that this way the very worst of the dancers will be exposed. Let's hope it means the real dead wood and no-hopers will get kicked out and we can see some decent dancers!

I really think that the ideal format would have seen no vote off in the first week with a 50/50 splitt of ballroom/Latin dances in the first week, In the second week again a 50/50 splitt with the dancers doing both disciplines over the first two weeks. Only after doing both should anyone be voted off.

For example Jimmy Tarbuck doing Latin should be a veriatble feast for the eyes! I think it's worth noting that the older Celeb's seemed to get the balroom and the younger the latin - presumably to prolong the older Celeb's chances of staying in!

Oops I meant to post I don't know him and he doesn't know me. That's a good point you raise kitten's heels. Especially as a celeb maybe stronger in one dance than the other. But also I think this way keeps the contest "balanced" as it were. As you are sure of an least one male and one female celeb going out in the first two weeks. Last year if memory serves me well it was the female clebs being kicked out in at least 2 consecutive weeks whilst the woeful Fiona and Bill stayed in

You have to remember Diamondlife that it is in part a popularity contest - the only reason Fiona went as far as she did was because of Brendan. I desperatley wanted him to stay but got to the point where I wanted to throw the TV out of the window because of her. Iu am only now starting to be able to watch GMTV without being restrained!

ROFL laughing. Maybe it's her interview technique you don't like. Try BBC Breakfast instead. Altho I disagree with you that it was Brendan's popularity that got her as far as she did. I think it was the sympathy vote as Craig and especially Arlene tore into her week after week.

It's as much about popularity as ability.

Look in series one - how else would the moronic, clumsy idiot Christopher Parker have got to the final otherwise? He was useless on a monumental scale!

One thing I did notice from Saturday is that all the dances seemed to be longer than at this point last year and the judges all got to speak. The increased time per couple can only be a good thing.

I think it is a good idea, in that it let's SCD have more couples BUT doesn't mean everyone suffers from routine fatigue in the first two weeks. Also it is a good idea in that instead of rushing the whole lot through the first time we see the contestants we can get SOME introduction.