Did I just hear Vincent correctly (on BBC Breakfast Time)?

When asked by Bill who her favourite was, Louisa said she would be supporting Emma to go through to the final and to win, and Vincent said that he was supporting one of the guys as "Lousia is now out of the competition, Emma is the only dancer left in the competition, therefore it's not fair on the guys"

Am I understanding this correctly, is Vincent now saying openly that the playing field was never level? Was he admitting openly that Emma & Lousia are trained dancers and that they have an unfair advantage???

Note... I do know they weren't trained in Latin & Ballroom, but Vincent seemed to me to be admitting (what many of us thought all along) that their stage-school dance training was an obvious (unfair?) advantage.

That's what it sounded like to me too. Somebody has actually admitted what a lot of people have said from the start.

I do worry this will very quickly turn into a bashing thread!

It was lovely of a pro to say what a lot has been thinking all along but seems a bit odd as he was more than happy to dance with some who in respect he thinks has an unfair advantage!

He probably just doesn't want E&D to win after just getting knocked out by them.

Spacecadet,

I’m glad you interpreted it in the same way I did. I was shocked, pleasantly shocked. I do think it’s a pity that this admition has came after Louisa is out of the competition, but either way it is so good to hear from one of the professionals, that yes, their partner is a trained dancer and no, the guys (Mark & Matt) are not, hence the playing field is not level.

I bet you Emma & Darren won’t be happy with what he said, or the judges for that matter.

Vincent has said the complete opposite of what Arlene, Craig, Bruno and Len have been denying for weeks, that is, Emma & Louisa are to some degree at least, trained dancers!

I could kiss Vincent.

And regards the now not wanting Emma & Darren to win because they got knocked out by E & D, no I don't think that's it, because Vincent spoke about the dance-off and said he was actually very happy they had faced Emma & Darren in the dance-off as E & D are the best dancers left in the competition and it was better to get knocked out by the best dancers.

As I heard it, he was not denying Emma was the best dancer left in the competition, he said as much... he was just saying she is a dancer, and Mark & Matt are not dancers.

Totally agree with what you have just written, although I haven't actually seen the interview yet so I can't comment.

It doesn't mean he wasn't thinking it all along. He is obviously not going to say it while he is in the competition, but doesn't mean he didn't always think it.

I completely get what you are saying it just seems weird that he would say it at all as people will be quick to pick up that he was dancing with someone he considered to have an advantage

Anyhoo, it was nice of him to say it I think.

What would the alternative be though? He may have thought he had an unfair advantage, but not sure what he could do about it. He was probably thanking his lucky stars

I must be really naive... but where's the risk of this thread turning into a "bashing thread"?

bashing of who?

Emma and/or Louisa for being "dancers" (well at least as far as Vincent is concerned) ?

Or bashing Vincent for not "admitting" earlier that they both were dancers?

Or bashing of the judges/SCD production team for telling us that Emma & Louisa are not trained dancers.

I hope, I REALLLLLLY hope, this doesn't turn into a bashing thread... I felt Vincent's words this morning were one of the most important points made by any professional or judge in the whole series. (if not THE most important point)

It seems strange that just repeating what a professional has stated has been interpreted as a bashing thread. Perhaps a defensive measure from those who maybe have tried to argue that stage school doesn't help.

I think Vincent was extremely brave & honest in what he said this morning. And in Vincent's defence, i'm sure that if he had been asked this before, he would have given the same response he did today - regardless of whether they were still in the competition or not. I've seen him call the judge's comments 'rubbish' & say that 'he doesn't trust anyone' (re marks/comments) on ITT/SCD - so i'm sure that he's not one to refrain from saying what he thinks. It's something that Claudia should have brought up on ITT early on, but she's probabaly been gagged by the BBC and isn't allowed to (as it would also affect a certain other contestant!!!)

He has said from day one, that Louisa is extremely talented, which is why he has been able to provide her with such difficult choreography. I don't think he has ever denied that she had some dance training (unless i've missed something).

But Emma & Darren will NOT be pleased with what Vincent said this morning - i'm sure they'll put up a defence tonight on ITT. But even Rob Brydon commented about Emma being at an advantage because of her days in the spice girls (which Claudia was quick to deny).

Personally, I think that the stage school training has helped but the sports stars also have their advantages (performing live to crowds, training, dedication, physical fitness etc). It's never going to be possible to have a level playing field from the start and that's the fun of the show (ie the likes of Georgina, Christopher, Fiona) but I do think that the favouritism & over-marking of certain couples has been blatant.
Last edited by SnapCracklePop : 13-12-2006 at 10:05

Probably! Just as Karen is probably thanking hers she got Mark and not Tarby!

Famke: A bashing thread on Emma and to a degree Louisa therr previous dance experience has often been bought up and the subject done a hundred times!

I really hope it doesn't go that way too!

DerChef

Going rather off topic but I was thinking this all puts James Martins excellant performance into context.

Who had neither Stage school or a sporting background

Ohhh Yeah

I saw this and thought his comments were interesting too. Prior to saying he hoped Matt or Mark would win as they were not dancers didn't he say something along the lines of how the dance off had the two best dancers in it, they being the best dancers as they had previous dance experience? I'm paraphrasing from memory, but good on Vincent for telling it like it is.

Spacecadet, thanks again… I should have thought of that. If you were in the “Emma and/or Lousia do not have an unfair advantage” camp, then I suppose Vincent’s comments definitely put in a spanner in the works.

Although I like both Emma & Louisa, I always felt it was sooo unfair to place them in the same category as a Peter Schmeical, Matt Dawson or Carol Smiley etc… who really are not dancers (in any way, shape or form).

Dippydozy, you too thanks… and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that it doesn’t head that way.

And just for the record, I don’t blame Vincent for not saying earlier that Louisa and Emma are dancers – why should he, it would have cost him votes and it would have been professional suicide on his part.

I honestly think there is a “party line” that the professionals have to toe on SCD with regards to what they can & can’t say to the cameras or the press. I think that Vincent will get his wrists severely slapped for his comments this morning, I don’t think they fell within the “toeing the party line” that the SCD production team set. I just hope this admission doesn’t cost Vincent his place in future SCD’s.

Vincent totally contradicted Arlene, Bruno, Len & Craig who have been saying all along that Emma & Louisa are not dancers.

Good on you Vincent!

How can you say that?!? Surely his experiences of the vageries of the "Red Tomato"/"Green Pepper" scoring system on Ready Steady Cook gave him an unfair advantage when it came to the random scores of the SCD judging panel

Dancingbear,

Yes, he did definitely admit that Emma and Lousia were the best dancers in the competition. Now that Louisa is out of the competition he’d be supporting either Mark or Matt as he felt Emma had no dancer left to compete with. (implication, Emma is a dancer, Mark & Matt are not)

I felt that Vincent felt that it was okay having two dancers in the competition, but one dancer left in the competition (Emma), against two non-dancers (Matt & Mark) wasn’t as fair.

He did verbally stress the word dancer when referring to Emma & Louisa.
(it's not just me getting carried away with the bold button )

DerChef says

ummm Watching last nights Royal Variety if Gary Barlow entered next year would he be a Dancer as well

He didnt do any real dancing others did some falling about

Ohhh Yeah

Thank you for making me laugh for the first time today.

It was funny on ITT when Bruno said Craig was too harsh with his scores recently, then talking about something else, he began something like "When you are up there, you can't judge.." but Claudia cut him off.

A judge's life is hard, especially when you can't....

So if Emma had gone on Saturday instead of Louisa, then Vincent would have happily withdrawn himself and Loiusa from the contest due to them being the only "dancers" left and having an unfair advantage? I think not!

So much easier to admit a bias when it no longer matters to one's chance of progression or success, so I feel no new found respect for Vincent. If he had admitted it whilst still in the show, then it would be a different matter.
Last edited by Shappy : 13-12-2006 at 10:32

Yes! So very true. James Martin showed real talent in the ballroom, having had no relevant experience, and not being incredibly physically fit to start off with!

I don't think Vincent meant it to be vindictive against Emma - he was just stating the obvious. And it felt like an off the cuff kind of remark - I don't think he was looking for a reaction or WWIII

But I do agree with those of you who have said that he will get a slap on the wrists from the SCD posse for saying what he did.

From me he gets a grin, rolling eyes (done with a smile) and an extra vote for Mark!

I agree wholeheartedly, Vincent was absolutely not vindictive with his comments.

And I do have a new found respect for him, because I think this little admission will cost him his place in any future SCD’s.

Sure, it’s easy for us to say he should have admitted this earlier, but we also have to admit he would have been committing suicide with the voting public if he had said it earlier.

I’m just happy that one of the professionals finally had the balls to admit that Emma and/or Louisa had an unfair advantage all along.

repeating myself again... the above is not a dig at Emma & Louisa on a personal level, I do like them both... if anything it's a dig at the SCD production team and the judges for denying that they had an unfair advantage.