I'd have to disagree slightly with this. She has only done a couple of songs a solo artist that have a real dance to go with them and even then there is a huge a difference in something being done in twenty takes and edited together and Strictly. Even though I love her, I do admit she has an advantage, in the performance element i.e letting yourself go and performing to an audience which she has done before. But Spice girls dancing could have been (and was!!) performed by 6 year old children and Emma was atrocious, has everyone seen the footage of her falling at the MTV music awards?

She does work hard and I agree with the previous poster about her being damned if she does and damned if doesn't. I hope they've had a good week of training and she can put in a real stellar perfomance this week.

Does anyone know what she is dancing this week? I really hope it is ballroom.

Am loving the board btw!

The original posts figures are correct but there is some interesting information hidden in the figures. Most will get the reaction “dah” from DS regulars.

1. Bruno gives out most points, followed by Len, Arlene and finally Craig.

2. The present cumulative order for each judge is:

Craig – 1st Emma; =2nd Mark/Louisa; =4th Matt/Carol; 6th Claire

Arlene – =1st Emma/Mark; 3rd Louisa; 4th Matt; 5th Carol; 6th Claire

Len - 1st Mark; 2nd Emma; 3rd Matt; 4th Louisa; 5th Carol; 6th Claire

Bruno - 1st Emma; =2nd Mark/Louisa; 4th Matt; 5th Carol; 6th Claire


3. If you take the average score of all the judges and then look how each judge compares

• Craig favours Emma. His score for her is average but his scores for all the other dances (bar Claire) are lower than average. Matt’s scores are noticeably lower but, his scores for Matt over the last two weeks have been in line with the other judges.

• Arlene has shown above average marks for Mark and Louise and lower marks for the three lower dancers, particularly Carol and Claire.

• Len has scored Emma and Louisa below average and Matt and Carol above average

• Interestingly, Bruno’s scores are totally on-target for the judges’ averages.

Obviously, this is historical data and doesn’t note that some people are moving upwards, some are static and some may move down.

And thats why mathematically challenged people keep on making the same points.

The fact is someone has to be top. If its not Emma it has to be someone else and either the gap is too large or you can make the same arguments about the someone else and the judging as you can about Emma.

The gap between Emma and everyone but Mark is more substantial than the odd mark from Bruno . Someone else would need a lot more marks to catch up let alone put Emma anywhere near the bottom

As Gritty points out all the judges prefer the styles of different dancers - for every extra mark thrown at Emma there are other marks thrown at the people in real contention below her - Arlene for Mark, Bruno for Louisa. if you adjusted it all it would still come out in much the same order .

As Gritty also points out some markers undermark Emma and Louisa relative to the average. Its a two way process.

The point is that 3 judges have Emma first over the series and the other one has her second. If the judges are that sure she is in the top two its pretty clear she doesn't belong in the bottom two.

The real problem is with the public vote that puts her at or next to the bottom. Its not even just her as Louisa and Claire have both had the same problem too. Its bad enough that who has gone so far has been determined by voters voting to save people who danced badly with the result that someone who danced better most weeks went, but we now have people not voting for the better dancers on the grounds that the teachers like them, they are good, they might have danced before in their lives, they are not rhythmically challenged and they are not hunky males or they are younger than the viewers.

The anti judge vote is frankly just perverse. Its illogical enough not to vote for someone because the judges like them. Chances are the judges know what they are doing between them. Even if they don't, its childish to vote against someone or decide not to vote for them regardless of how good they are just because the judges like them or give them extra marks. Its the attitude of the class moron who bullies the teacher's pet. Its also not their fault if judges like them - what are they meant to do refuse the marks? Its also impossible for the public to adjust the judges marks. The change required is small - Bruno's one point for Emma - and inconsequential (Peter needed to beat three other people as well as Emma to survive ) The consequence of people not voting for her because of it though is large - a top dancer ends up in the bottom two - its totally disproportionate. . I know most people have never been top at anything in their lives, but its pretty incredible that on every reality TV show currently voters are voting for the people who the judges criticise and not voting for the ones they praise - its not everyone but its enough to swing the votes and its a decidedly deviant way of voting when its not motivated by personality or stories but simply dislike of judges.
Last edited by thenetworkbabe : 21-11-2006 at 03:07

Sorry but at the end of the day - Emma doesn't get my vote because at the moment, there are other dancers better than she is in the competition.

Should she actually turn in the best dance of the night - she may well get my floating vote, but up 'til now - despite what the judges say - she hasn't.

Her quickstep and foxtrot were worse than Louisas and Claires and her Samba was the best of a mediocre bunch of Sambas - but Matt and Claire's Smooths were the top dances in that week

No doubt the Emma fans will bash me for this - Emma was definitely overmarked on Saturday night, but then again given that she was better than the previous week it therefore goes without saying that she was overmarked last week as well. But getting back to this week - if everybody takes their "Emma coloured" specs off for a moment perhaps they would like to consider this:- Had Matt and Lilia or Carole and Matt turned in the same performance as Emma and Darren with the same comments we know full well that their scores wouldn't have been higher than 5's or 6's.
Please Emma fans consider this before you "have a go" back at me - especially when Bruno openly admits that his marking IS BIASED

Probably going to be a bit controversial here!

I actually like Emma (together with Carol and Matt and Mark and Karen), and have always tried to champion her. However, I was disappointed with her dance on Saturday. I'm also becoming more and more disappointed with her lack of training - granted she's had the CIN thing but most of the other celebs have other commitments and I don't think we should be using this as an excuse any more. I wish she would get more serious about this (for instance, I cringed when several weeks in, she stated that she had just realised this was a competition! I also shook my head with dismay when she admitted on ITT that she smiled and hoped they looked past her feet (or words to that effect)). I know the voting isn't her fault (she has no control over the judges, who, it has to be said, equally overmark others for no valid reason), but the dancing is under her control.

And I've been rooting for her from the start! Plus trying to defend her on these boards.

I shall continue to do so - but only when she deserves it.

I really, really want her to do well. I want to see a wonderful dance that blows me away. But until she puts in some more work then she's not going to rise to the level required to win this programme (or even appear in the final). My dream final would be Emma and Darren, Carol and Matthew and Mark and Karen ... The final two do work incredibly hard and put in the training hours and they also have talent. They would deserve to be there. Emma has the talent, definitely - but I'm not entirely sure about her commitment.

Throw yourself into it, girl! There's only a few weeks to go -
just get your training hours up and really push yourself. I want you to do well and so do all your other supporters. And you can do it if you really try.

I agree Emma is a poor dancer (especially on Saturday) but she will win Strictly Come Dancing I am convinced it is written somewhere in her contract!!! The comments from the judges and the marks she received on Saturday were laughable and make a joke of the whole show. Bruno's comments were enough in my opinion to get him kicked off the show as a judge!! You cannot have a favourite and mark them up because you are upset with the other judges! What happened to judging the DANCING!! Emma was awful, wooden, smiling all over the place but her steps were poor and she seemed to think if I sell the dance, smile look good and show as much leg as possible, nobody will notice cos I am a Spice Girl. I used to like Emma especially on Absolutely Fabulous but I am right off her now after all the gushing she has received on SCD.

^^ 'zackly cally's mum!

She should top whining about being too busy and crying about being in the bottom 2 and go and spend the necessary time rehearsing!

She has one of the best teachers - just listen to him and get down to some serious work - the potential is there - it just needs to be worked on!

You all know I am supporting Emma and Darren. I do think Emma was overmarked by Bruno but depending on what angle he is looking at it from. It was a good performance it was fun just not technically very good on Emma's part but she did not deserve to be in the bottom two. Hopefully though being in the bottom to is the kick up the bum she needs and now start training more and more instead of promoting her single/album whatever. At the end of the day Emma has gone in for the show so should be happy to do the training hours that is required so she can do the best possible performance on Saturday. I absolutely Love Matt and Lilia too and would love for them to be in the final with Carol and Matt and Emma and Darren

Emma definitely needs to up her training and start taking it more seriously.

The judges may favour her, but the public are the ones who can change the votes and I don't think she will keep getting through unless she puts in exceptional performances.

i really like emma and cant see why the public aren't voting for her what has she done wrong????

Not a lot!

However she didn't put the required hours in this week, it showed in the dance and she very nearly paid the price.

mmmm but was it her fault that they didnt put in the practise wasn't Darren doing extra practise for the British championships

Speaking for the SCD fans in my house its because she was dubbed the favourite from the start, she doesn't do the footwork as well as some of the others but scores highly- acknowledged by CRH- and puts in less hours. Also the BBC always seem to use her picture to promote the show.

Think thats it! We base our votes on the best dances and I have to say that I started as a Matt fan as I am a rugby fan but have now switched to Mark- and Team Cutler and so share the votes.

Nope I don't buy that Darren mentioned in the VT on ITT that they couldn't rehearse much as Emma had a very busy schedule that week.

Lilia had the championship too and produced the performance of the night.

I'm resigned now that Bruno is bonkers but even him giving a 9 for what was basically little more than a disco dance amazed me.

Even somebody like myself who can write on the back of a very small envelope what I know about technique (actually as much as Craig ) could see Carol's routine was so much better and had proper footwork that wasn't all about gyration.

I wonder why Craig didn't say it looked like a pole dance.

When you're doing a show of this kind that demands commitment...don't go off and do other things which whittles your practise down to 3 hours or something.