I don't know if this is going to make any sense but this series has brought out a big bias in me, I've realised. I like watching Strictly to watch people who can't dance at the beginning find some surprising natural ability over the weeks. I realise that I actually enjoy not knowing if they will be able to do the dance or not - because when it turns out they can, at least a bit, it is a real thrill. I have liked some who had obvious ability from the beginning - I was rooting for Jill and the girl with Vincent last year. But they aren't usually who I watch for.

Now this year I feel like it is stuffed with gorgeous women who can dance already - and I like them as people, and I know I should be excited to see them be really good on Saturday - but I just feel a real sense of anticlimax. I feel really sexist as well because I suspect if they were goodlooking men able to dance I'd be more keen. I watched the training on ITT tonight, and I could see how good they were and if I'm honest I felt really flat about it, which makes me feel a complete cow. Either they will be great, which I already know, or they won't be through nerves - and I've no wish to see anyone not do themselves justice. This is a serious request. Clearly lots of people on here are really excited about Kelly, Gabby, Penny and Alesha (and I really like them as people). What is exciting about it, if they can already do it on their first week? Please tell me something I can focus on to make me really enjoy Saturday!

I won't be much help as I agree with you.

Stephanie might be worth watching as she's the underdog in age

And very entertaining

Right Northy - listen to your auntie Shaz!!

Get excited about: Stephanie and Vinthent (She is hilariously honest and a bit of a game old bird - v v glam one obv.)

Get excited about Letitia - I personally think she's extremely attractive, but not in the obvious way kelly/penny et al are!

Get excited about the fact that Rod seems to be fed up already!

Get excited about the fact that the bigger they are the harder they fall (which would be funny in a very sick way)

And finally - root for hop - a - long peg leg Kate Garrway and fab Anton and cross everything that she is the one that comes through (Please god - she recovers from her injuries)

I know what you mean, but Saturday will be really entertaining - I think the producers have done a FANTASTIC job of the pairing up of celebs to pro's this year.

I'm focusing on cheering on the likes of Dominic, Gethin, Willie & Stephanie - not only because I like the pros they are dancing with - but also because at various times they've all been described as "no hopers", either by the betting folk, poster pundits, or after the first show, some of the Judges. They are all underdogs to some extent, and I think are all giving me entertainment in their own way. It's why I watch the show too, though I can appreciate high quality dancing from people already trained, I don't necessarily always support them, and am a bit fed-up that the quartet of glamorous young ladies are the only ones getting the publicity thus far.

Thank you, Inner self - it really helps to feel I'm not the only one. And thank you, shazzer, you're completely right. I shall read that to myself every time I feel grouchy. Come on Stephaania, Vinthent and Hop-a-long! Yeah, it'll be great.

I can see exactly where you are coming from .
I don't watch Strictly to see expert dancers from the word go , but for the enjoyment of watching beginners grow in confidence and ability and really learn how to put on a performance .
If they are all so good to start with , where can they gol ?
I fear a show on Saturday full of superlatives and 9s .I sincerely hope the judges aren't daft enough to give 10s .

sorry to hi-jack but I need help - how do you make a spoiler mark! (ive only just learnt how to read one)

You click on the very pale grey S on the extreme right of the row at the top of the reply box .

Here's a picture.

I've circled in blue the spoiler tag. Go to 'advanced post', then start as normal. Type out what you want to say in your spoiler, then highlight it and click the S. It should then look like:

Blah blah blah lookit me I'm text...oh hey, have a spoiler.
[*SPOILER*]whoo I'm a spoiler![*/SPOILER*]
Blah blah blah blah...

Minus the asterisks, obviously! And so you get:

Blah blah blah lookit me I'm text...oh hey, have a spoiler.

Blah blah blah blah...

The girl with Vincent last year, had already had dance lessons. Someone posted a link to her CV which said something along the lines of being an expert in jive. Then the cv was removed. So hardly surprising she could dance jive that well when she only had a few lessons with Vincent, as he was injured. Wasn't it discovered that Jill had had lessons too, even though she said she hadn't?

I would rather we had people that hadn't had dance lessons before too as it was really good watching them progress. It seems now that people who haven't danced before are going to get thrown off by the judges. The public can't even have their say now.

I actually like the new format. The public still have their say as it is the bottom 2 couples and the judges can then save the best dancer. For example, last year Spoony went too soon. And in the first series Chris Parker who was hopeless stayed too long. I think it should be about the dancing more than whether we like someone, although that does count too.

I'm really excited about Saturday and would love Stephanie to do well, also Kate because it's time Anton shone.

In principle the new format can work but what is going to happen when a couple (a la Emma or Zoe) are clearly unpopular with the public and always end up in the bottom 2 only to be saved time and again by the judges.. If that happens i think the BBC can forget about any ratings.

But to go back to the thread topic - I agree, I don't feel nearly excited as in other years because feel there is no chance of seeing people progress because the judges will vote them out -(based purely on dancing skills of course)

Personally I think it's more interesting this year because it's so open. There are more potential winners. Last year it became obvious that no one but Mark and Karen stood a chance and I have to say that did make it a little dull for me.

What makes it interesting and exciting for me is which of these apparantly fantastic girl dancers is going out first? This week you could say Kate (injured) or Stephanie (the age disadvantage) but Kate could stay in through sympathy votes and Stephanie because she's hilarious. What could happen in theory is that one of these gorgeous and talented girls - or even two of them - ends up in the bottom two. Very exciting I think...

With all the focus on the girls, what will the boys do? Will Matt, Gethin, Dominic and John be able to keep up with the girls? Will Willie surprise us with a fabulous latin , or will Kenny be this year's 'all the way' rugby slash cricket boy?

I love Strictly this year, although it's quite different from series four. I even love the extra long result show on Sunday (except for the 'pretending to be live' farce), but I might be the only one here .

I sincerely hope Saturday's show will make you enthusiastic again jtnorth!

Wow novio you have decribed my sentiments exactly .
I am hoping for a dance-off between two of the "vain girls" & no you are not alone I like the long results show on Sun too .
(NB I hate the recording pretence tho - but hopefully they'll get the message & drop that farce, now they've been outed in the media).

jt --- Although I agree with your sentiments, all is not lost. Firstly, the last two winners were people who went on the proverbial 'journey' and Louisa and Emma both went out before the final.

I do think it's a bit disappointing to have Gabby, Kelly (who clearly has had some dance training) and Penny all in the one SCD when clearly they have an advantage over other celebs however that is not a guarantee that they are going to be brilliant at every dance. Also, the judges will be expecting a lot from them and viewers still hold a lot of clout re voting for their faves.

So dont' despair too much and focus on the lovely Stephanie. She might be maturer in years but she's youthful at heart. She's not going to roll over and die and she's looking likes she's going to provide a lot of entertainment with Vincent.

Yeah, he's a bit of a sourpuss, isn't he?

Stepahnie also has dance training having at one time intendedto teach deaf children dance , she is deaf herself in one ear at least .
Also Gabby was a rhythmic gymnast and we have all seen the gymnastic floor exercise .... a mixture of dance and acobatics involving performance and musical interpretation . She will also have been at one time flexible and agile ,surely a major advanatge .
Any of the clebrities who have been to stage school or studied drama will have had movement , if not dance classes .
The only ones with no dance experience are generally the sportsmen and presenters .

It is hard to get away from that fact .

I disagree that there was only one winner last year .The only person who wasn't going to win was Emma , that became obvious in the last 4weeks or so .

I do feel that this year , the BBC went searching for a very strong female line up .

Ooh, interesting thread! I do agree with you jtnorth that the female line up appears to be so strong that the room for development is not obvious. I also fear that the judges will go into gushing overdrive and award enormously high marks again allowing themselves little room for increase in future weeks (Bruno - please note it will not be possible for you to award an 11 at any stage).

There is of course the chance that they have simply landed dances that they are naturally good at right at the start. As soon as I heard the Kelly & Brendan pairing I immediately thought 'rumba' and it may well be that there are plenty of dances that come less naturally.

I know - what is that all about 1st show "I'll be glad when it's all over and I can get my wife back!" - I honestly don't think he realises how much more serious it's going to get? And where was Penny's good luck message from family on ITT like the other celebs. I love her pairing with Ian Waite - but can you imagine The sexy one's mood if she'd been paired with Brendan? - Now she would have been making a "rod for her own back". sorry but I've had that line in my head for 4 weeks and needed to use it ha ha!

LOL!

Height aside, the cynic in me did wonder if she was paired with Ian for more than simply height reasons ~ would Rod have been happy with her dancing with someone more likely to have an interest in the ladies? (am I being too vague here? )

While we're totally off topic and dicussing OH's ~ how cold exactly was it in the studio, that poor Billy Zane had to wear a hat AND a scarf?

Ha ha!!! - No - I get you - it's a happy coincidence that Ian is tall as well as being on Anthony's Bus xx

Billy Zane - just ashamed of being a baldy methinks - which makes him a Silly Billy cos Mr Quirks is as bald as a badger but a real stud muffin!

Agree entirely with this post. Am so disapointed with this years SCD. Hope I get to eat my words and Stephanie or Kate do really well.

Good grief, you DON'T want to see, sundry sportmen, tv presenters and soap stars excel at dancing from day 1.

OK the schadenfreude (sp) element is pretty good at the start, and it is nice to see 'the journey' of those seemingly less able each year.

BUT just look at what we have this year, uber glam puss Stephanie Beacham, who let's be honest no matter how long she stays in is going to upstage every single one of the other women and there are some who are going to get their pretty little noses well out of joint cos they just will not be able to keep up. AND the good thing about that is those are going to be the women who are obviously in it to win it.. Enjoy their 'pain'. WE have Letitia Dean who on Saturdays warm up seemed determined to be so OTT as to make quite a comical turn.... We have Brendan not quite being able to keep his hands to himself and all that will create.

Never mind 'Brave Kate' struggling on just long enough to make her colleague at GMTV look the silly moo she is/was.

Good grief, I haven't even started on the sheer bitchiness of it all and not one mention of anyone's dancing ability.

If that can't keep you hooked, there's always the male celebs you could have a good giggle at.....

Leave the standard of dancing till the last three weeks, when usually it gets b****y good, and just peek underneath and there is a one heck of a lot of pleasure to be got fro others misfortune, you've just got to know what you want, there is sure to be something to keep anyone happy.