Yeh, I think it's too early for the 9's, especially where Kelly and Brendon were concerned. There was lots of passion but even I could see there were mistakes and some parts just looked sloppy. Gabby was great but she certainly isn't at a professional standard which getting 10's as Craig wanted to give her, would suggest.

In Kelly's defence, I have said elsewhere that the choreography was TOO difficult for Kelly (though she had dance experience) to handle. The the spin-and-cocking-leg-backward moves was the case in point. I mean, why do so many of them and she wasn't even really good at it? One or maybe two times would suffice and it wouldn't then cause her to look SO uncomfortable and unstable on her feet. That looked to me to be very difficult to execute and I am sure it was...

I agree that Dom and Lilia were way overmarked, The choreography was fab, and I think this hindered their judgement. Dom was out of time most of the dance and I noticed at one point lilia wasn't keeping up with the beat, don't know if the music was too fast or if she was trying to sychronise with Dom rather than go with the beat, but it was obvious to me that depite being an enjoyable dance, it was waaaaaaaay to hard for Dom to master!

Jive is NOT an easy dance, unlike cha cha cha where you can shake about and just about get away with it with a good performance.

So did I.

In last week's DWTS practically ALL the dances had illegal lifts in them, and Len was rather peeved about it ~ guess he's even more annoyed to get back here and find it happening again (although doesn't Brendan have a tendency to put illegal lifts in e.g. with Fiona, Claire,etc ~ you know, cos he's superbad and all that ).

I thought Gethin's face was scary too, there's a difference between intense and downright angry. I thought Dom and Lillia were overmarked, he was out of time and fairly flat footed. Maybe Lillia's bobbles on her bottom hypnotised the judges!!

Yes, they have ~ off the top of my head, Arlene took marks off Jill Halfpenny in one of their dances (may have been the cha cha) when Jill's feet came off the floor accidentally in their finishing position ~ it was acknowledged to be a mistake, but she was still penalised.

There have been exceptions, but overall if the lift looked like a mistake nd not intentional, it has been ignored. It happened to Jill in another dance and was ignored and has also happened to other couples (such as Louisa for example) and it has also been ignored.

Well, the judges are nothing if not inconsistent!

That's true!

a 10 for me should be when you can't tell who's the pro and who's the celeb, and the only person really to have done that is Jill - Zoe came pretty close

but Louisa, Mark, Darren Gough, Emma Bunton - not one of them did a '10' dance

I just think the audience expects now too

Louisa's ten came after Emma being overmarked for her jive (33) and then Louisa coming out and doing an obviously better one. Bruno had nowhere to go but to give a 10.

It was really good though!

Disagree with Mark....

I just never found Mark THAT good, I enjoyed watching him but didn't see what others see I guess!!

Hi dancingbearbear - you were right, it was the cha-cha. I remember it because it was one of my favourite performances of theirs. Arlene said it was the only Jill's foot coming off the floor accidentally that stopped her giving a 10.

Agree with the general comments on overmarking. 10s should be for, as Dollystanford says, a performance where you can't tell the celeb and the pro. For me, Jill's jive is still the dance that best shows that.

I thought the placings were pretty fair this week even if the marks were a little generous for Aleesha's jive, Gethin's tango and Kelly's tango.

Don't forget to add Natasha, Denise, Colin and James to the list of ten receivers (although James' was in a Christmas special).

Well that's almost right.

A lift is deemed to have occurred when the lady has both feet off the floor whilst being supported by her partner, where her feet are above the knee level OR they leave the floor for more than one beat of music.

This ruling allows for accidental lifts which happen from time to time. I didn't watch all of Brendan and Kelly's Tango and so didn't see this alleged lift. I'll have to watch it back on You Tube!

Does anyone have karens interview up on you tube by any chance

Which goes to show that his 'lift' is not all that memorable (even if intentional).

I remembered seeing James 'lifting' Gabby in their jive as well and the judges didn't mention it at all.

Totally agree they did not deserve those marks if they mess up as they have deduced points from others in previous weeks for mistakes, Alesha to win I say I think she is an amazing dancer and I love her energy.

TBH I don't recall seeing either of these lifts (B&K, G&J) ~ must be the eyes failing with age! I shall have to watch them back again tonight

I didn't see the lifts either at first till I watched them back after being told about them... I don't think it was an intentional lft...

Thanks I thought I was the only one that thought so.

So did I........ and Karen Hardy according to this morning's Breakfast