I agree. We don't know what Anton has tried, but I just don't believe Kate is beyond help. So maybe someone else would do better. It's as if she is content to stumble about the floor.

But maybe she knows the best she could ever be is mid table and that's heading for the exit door.

I'm not suggesting he should leave because he's had poor partners, but like any of the pros he might just want to move on at some point. I know what you mean about poorer celeb dancers not being put with certain partners, James had little patience with his partner last year and it showed. They can't all be expected to approach the competition in the same way though of course.

Hey, but this has all been seen before. Remember Fiona? Poor bl""dy Brendan. Then she had the cheek to turn nasty on him afterwards.

When Fiona was so cr@p she had some lessons with Len and she wasn't any better. In fact she was worse. Anton did have a good partner with Patsy Palmer. I thought they had some good routines and good marks.

Yes, and he did OK with Lesley Garrett as well didn't he?

When it's suggested that Anton should have better partners, who is to know who will be good, bad or indifferent until the competition actually starts.

I would have put money on Fiona being good, she had all the right attributes, tall, slim, attractive etc. I don't subscribe to the view that Kate is beautiful, but she isn't overweight and at first glance you'd expect her to master the rudiments of dance.

Out of 5 partners Anton's only been given 3 poor ones. And I'm pretty confident that he would have been given a good one this series if his original partner hadn't dropped out. When are the BBC, Anton, the papers, whoever, going to admit that Kate was a late replacement for someone? It's obvious she was as she was only asked to take part 2 days before filming began.

Who was it and why hasn't it been discussed?

Where did you hear/read this?

Why should not being overweight mean that "at first glance you'd expect her to master the rudiments of dance"??

Dance is about concentration, rhythm, having a feel for the music and its changes and how that relates to choreography (think that's called musicality), technique and presentation. Its not about size, though overweight people may have problems with presentation.

Darren Gough had, or had mastered quite a few of the above by the time of the final, though he struggled without the natural rhythm that John Barnes and Alesha have.

I think Kate's husband was quoted as saying she was only asked to take part 2 days before filming. And there was talk on the Anton lovers thread that Anton met Kate long after all the other pro's had met their partners.

To my mind it's pretty obvious she replaced someone. The BBC are not going to ask someone 2 days before filming starts now are they?!

That was my point, why assume I meant anything else?

Particularly as I was a Goughie fan and this year have put my votes in Barnsey's and Alesha's camp. (Obviously I'm not implying that Alesha struggles with weight)!!

Oh I think I'd better shut up now

That's as maybe, but it didn't do her any good.

I would argue that Anton has got two passable performances out of Kate.

Anton's ballroom dances with Erin are sublime and he usually manages to get decent ballroom decent performance out of his celebrity partners but I personally think his latin is a bit weak and therefore it wouldn't matter who he got because he is almost the weak link himself.

I so wish that Kate had pulled out right at the start and then we wouldn't be in the positiion we are.

It's such a shame to lose good dancers just so we can see her fall about all over the place.

As I have said before I do wish this programme was not linked with CIN and that the voting was only on the night after we have actually seen the dances then there might be a possibility of getting her out.

Ooh, I'm really curious about who the 'dropout' partner is now - can you tell us?

Yes but if Kate does not show any discernable progress week after week, do you honestly still find it entertaining. Do you really like to see her struggling each week and clearly not enjoying the experience. I'm sure if Kate was really honest with herself she probably wishes the GBP didn't find her so "watchable" so that she is voted out, and then she could say what a wonderful experience it was. But of course the GBP won't allow this to happen , and so we shall go on week after week, possibly to the end. It's a bit cruel IMO.Still as long as it's all about entertainment, that's all that matters and to hell with the celebs who by their own efforts are improving each week.

lol....well, it just came across that size and appearance were what made good dancers. That's all. Sorry I misunderstood. Of course presentation is also about more than just appearance, as is dancing! If that was the case then Gethin would not come across as so bland. He is also the right weight, fit, attractive etc, but I'm totally indifferent to him, and my kids just like him cos he's part of Blue Peter!!

I don't think Kate tries hard enough, especially now she believes she's the worst dancer on the planet. It doesn't matter how many hours she puts in. Its how she focusses that counts.

I think Kate should be given credit for agreeing to step in at two days' notice. It's not surprising she injured herself as she had no time to prepare physically for the competition and certainly didn't have enough notice to take ballroom classes!

There are some people who seem to blame her personally for other dancers going out because its easier than admitting that they went out because not enough people voted for them!

Does anyone know who Anton was originally meant to be paired with? I heard a rumour it was Deborah Stevenson (Corrie and Bad Girls).

^^^ but did she step in at 2 days notice - I think if she had we would have heard about it - Kate wouldn't have let that opportunity to cadge votes go begging.

I'm almost sure that Bonnie Langford stepped into DOI at a very late date, and we were constantly reminded of the fact.

Bonnie did step in late, though I don't think it was much later than the others. David Seaman joined the show eight days before the first live show.

There's some GMTV footage on You Tube dated 14 Sept (day after the line-up was announced) where she has just started rehearsing and refers to when they asked her "last Friday" - in front of Anton. And the Daily Mail has also stated that she had two days' notice. She has never used it to cadge votes which is why few pepople know about it.

Maybe it was Deborah Stevenson. But I think Natalie Cassidy (Sonia of Eastenders) was also supposed to be in this series. Someone will let us know.