I have never been overly keen on Arlene Phillips - as I've always found her a bit awkward on the show and very lecherous over the men...but this year someone HAS to stop her!

On both show she has dolled out cliche after cliche in what is embarrassingly obvious pre-planned little packages - I know most of the judges probably do it but hers are SOOO bad and she looks so cringingly pleased with herself.

The way she laid into Anton and Kate was just plain weird...I mean it was obvious that Kate wasn't very good but the reason why she wasn't very good was glaringly obvious and not anything to do with talent. Len got it perfect by just saying 'well done for doing it' - but Arlene completely misread the situation because she was so determind to say her rehearsed lines...why? She always sounds over breathy and as if she is struggling to remember these snippets which just sound SOOOO false...why can't she just comment on the dances! The rest is just toe curling!

As I have said on another thread, Arlene likes to spout out the technical flaws of the celebs but her comments are really based on whether or not she fancies, likes or dislikes the personality she is critiquing. I think it's time to get her replaced!

Yeah - I agree - but its not only that which I despise - its her delivery that is SOO false...she struggles to get it out because its so pre-planned...what was it she said to someone last week...if I remember rightly 'one word. That was stiff' - CRINGE! Bearing in mind its all so pre-planned, its so BADLY worded! The premium bond thing this week was painful too!

You can imagine her going home on saturday night in a cab with a scrap book and pen, desparately thinking up one liners for the next week. She is just sad, and i KNOW she really doesn't like the judges praising Alesha- you can see her going green on set!

IMO this thread is a tad OTT. I find her funny. Obviously laughing at her rather than with her, but she does makes some valid comments and all the judges have their flaws.

Yeah - great mental image...maybe she writes the comments on the back of her hand and reads it (badly) on the night! I just think if she relaxed and spoke naturally instead of in cliches...(obviously using the lyrics from the music to critique/praise the couple...thats just SO endearing when she does that...NOT!) she would be better. I wonder if she is better when she's just interview naturally?

It's time SCD had a revamp, like X factor did (Louis Walsh's unfortunate return aside) Have a send off party for Brucie, Arlene and maybe even Tess, and bring a ballroom/latin expert for the panel (Karen Hardy'll be great, and she's so passionate she'll put everything into it - she'll be the Paula of AI)

Yes, Arlene is awful. She's the Louis Walsh of Strictly - biased, silly personal remarks, and no background directly relevant to the show!

She was ok on ITT on friday.

Arlene was horrid to kate and anton yeah she may not of been the best dancer last night but at least she is willing to give it a go and not quit.
Arelebne is just rude and i mean how long did it take befor arlene got the fiona comment in

I do agree she's not incapable of making valid comments but I just find her embarrassing. I do find her occasionally funny - but just when she does her critique and she starts to use her pre-planned stuff is when I find my toe's curling. I think I saw an interview one to one on ITT last year and she was fine! That's why I don't understand why she's so awful on Saturday (and now, unfortunately, Sunday) night!

I used to take Arlene's jazz classes at Pineapple back in the 80s. She's always been like that - but we knew what we were letting ourselves in for. So does everyone who enters SCD.

I admire the woman, despite her rudeness

Let's not forget that this is all supposed to be for charity, why are the judges so harsh, so quickly- if there is anyone to admire, I'd say it's the contestants, it's easy to sit in judgement harder to dance from scratch.

60-year-old Arlene has worked exclusively with professional dancers for decades, and has the unforgiving approach expected in pro dance circles -- if your foot is injured, you do not move on the floor pretending to dance while trying to please the audience with your beauty and gown. Can anybody imagine Anton participating in a pro dance with one foot?

Len Goodman does deal with amateur dancers and the public and currently runs his dance school. You can see him always trying not to discourage non-dancers too severely, always trying to soften the blow and emphasise the silver lining.

For myself I believe high standards will not be reached, if low standards are congratulated. The pro dance partners will have no surprise about stern criticism so long as it is accurately justified. Celeb contestants are paid £25K to take part, no doubt with fat bonuses according to how far they progress. It's tough at the top, some say tougher still at the bottom, but if you do not like the heat, do not enter the kitchen.

Yeah - Delilia I think you're right - I don't mind the judges being critical - but Arlene seemed over the top and so PLEASED with herself on Saturday - it was just the others held back a bit with some of them but she was like 'Listen to me and this quote I've been saving ALL WEEK!'

Usually I don't mind Arlene but I did think she was unkind and rude to Kate and Anton....Fine about the marks (She didn't give the lowest score).....but the comments were not helpful.

Um....its a TV show for Charity....not a proffessional dance competition. I'm not saying you shouldn't be critical - but just don't pre-plan some stupid little sound bite which has nothing to do with the dancing (i.e. the stuff she said to Anton and Kate) just to try and sound clever.

So are you saying it's better to treat the celebs as pro dancers, Arlene style, and not as amateurs, Len style, just because they are being paid?

I take the point, Mistermind, but I thought she crossed the line with Kate - I don't remember them openly pitying Brendon for dancing with Fiona like that, and Fiona wasn't injured. I thought Bruno was just as bad.

I'd just say two things in response - I'd agree with you if I thought they were genuinely reacting to the dancing. Personally, I think they have favourites and score accordingly and are very guilty of being stagestruck by certain celebrities. When they don't like someone they are all capable of crossing the line from critical to spiteful, in my opinion. I could list loads of examples of that but they've all been said on here many times before.

And they should bear in mind more that they affect the voting when they are hurtfully rude. I don't want to say more than that because this isn't a spoiler thread, but they have all done 5 series now, they should have learnt to control themselves better.

I don't see why that should stop her being able to apply some perspective to this show though. I've said before she talks to them as if they're going to pursue a a career in dance, which obviously they're not. Maybe she is just fulfilling a role as a 'mean judge' but I do find her comments overly harsh at times.

I am not the biggest Arlene fan in the world but I would IMAGINE Arlene THINKS she is doing her job! judging a dancing competition! although her comments to Kate and Anton were not called for she could have been diplomatic like Len and just said well done

Rightly or wrongly SCD IS a competitive show, the different marks necessarily making invidious comparisons. Few will disagree there are different standards on display, and few will protest at the warmth of praise heaped on dances which come off well.

The dispute centres on what to say when a performance is bad, in what technical ways was it bad, and how to find the words to say it was bad. All four judges are no doubt superb dancers and ex dancers, but doubtful if a single one would make an outstanding diplomat.

I believe the celebrities cannot be expected to reach pro standards in one week, but I would not expect their performance in front of 8 million to be laughed off like a shimmy at the Hammersmith Palais on Friday night.

But I do not believe that Kate knowing in her hearts her foot will NOT hold up to 30 hours practice this coming week, should proceed to deprive Stephanie of a job.

After all it is STRICTLY Come Dancing, not CASUALLY Come Dancing. Of the four judges, for me Len is too complimentary, Craig's merciless pinpoints wake the audience up. Bruno's comments I find the most helpful. Arlene is erratic, she probably has too much fun with herself seeing how far she can go, how close to the edge of the precipice.

If every contestant was praised and thanked for their effort, fine, but SCD would be a wholly different show.

Just wading into say that I think there's a difference between constructive criticism and just plain rudeness. Last night Arlene was rude sor the sake of it to Kate and Anton and her comments were obviously 'planned.'

Remarks akin to people on GMTV having no sense of rhthym because they sit on a couch is just stupid and it was so not ''off the cuff' that it made you wonder even if Kate had danced better would Arlene still have spewed the words out regardless?

I don't dislike Arlene and respect the fact that she knows what's she talking about but her blatant favouritism and rudeness do her no favours with viewers.

I like Arlene, but will admit she did go a little OTT at Kate and Anton, in my opinion they were not the worst dancers on the night, but they can't expect special treatment because Kate has had an injury...she is either fit to practice and dance or not...if it's the latter she just shouldn't be there.

It is the Hard Cop, Soft Cop interrogation technique, with Arlene hard and Len soft. Bruno supplies the enthusiasm and passion, and Craig never misses a chance for shock. All TV executives know that controversy makes a show. If you have two nice guys in one boxing ring, no viewer would care about the outcome.

The audience WANT to take sides, for or against the dancers, for or against the judges. Lovey dovey all round, and the audience will fall asleep. There needs to be bad guys as well as good guys.

To purists and pro dancers, faking a quickstep probably comes as an affront. I cannot remember exactly what Arlene said about Kate, while I was in shock seeing Craig's score of 2.

Sitting on a GMTV sofa is unrelated to dancing merit, Natasha Kaplinsky had done plenty of sitting in the newsreader's chair. I believe Arlene said the first thing that came into her head rather than a spitefully prepared script. But I think many dancers of high standard would have deplored a faking of the quickstep. By all means come down to slower elementary steps to protect the foot, the effort would have been praised within its limitations, but flying round the flor with a fake dance is a travesty causing offence to those who appreciate dance.