The reverse is true for me. Karen and Brendan are both strong personalities and people tend to love or hate them. They're both passionate about dancing and the jive is the ideal dance for both of them. It's too fast for people to be either irritated by Karen's facial expressions or Brendan's arrogance.

Me too me too!

That's a really good point actually. If an outsider came in to choreograph a routine for a show, they would automatically be listed in the end credits. Since it's not clear to the public who choreographed what in the pro group dances, and some of us are actually interested in that, maybe the BBC should think about adding it to the end credits.

I'm still mega-obsessed with this dance! Sure, Penny leaving was sad but otherwise, this was the best results show ever for me - everything just came together. The pro jive danced to one of my fave songs (Rebel Yell), the group jitterbug starring suave first officer Gethin, John Barrowman singing one of my all time fave Sting songs and being such a sport dancing with the lovely Karen! I'm completely addicted to my recording of this show and it really will take some beating!

So wish Kate had left, would have been the icing on the very yummy cake

Actually the Sunday shows have been brilliant !

You're right, they are very good. It's fantastic to see two or three whole new routines each Sunday.

This week I'm going to really, really try not to look at the result thread on Saturday.

It`s just a pity their recorded on Saturday...... but I agree that the content of all the Sunday shows has been excellent.......I suppose they no longer have the mad, stressful rush of the live show, which gives them more time to get the whole thing right.

When I watch this James and Ola always seem blatantly out of sync with the music in their solo part.

err.... a fiver you will.........but I know what you mean. I was visiting friends the week Gabby was eliminated and not knowing the result made the whole show so much more exciting.

The entire routine has quite a few mistakes (I've watched it back enough times to notice them all!) but that's one of the things I love about it. It's so much fun and the music is just perfect...

*off for my 67th viewing*

I only spotted that and Vincent and Flavia's don't leave me hanging mistake
*goes off for less than 10th viewing* (it was good but haven't watched it that much!)

I've watched it loads! I'm thinking of listing it on an extenuating circumstances form if my thesis is late

Did someone go wrong in the bit towards the end when the female celebs are moving round the circle? There seemed to be a bit of a queue around Anton!

Yeah when I watched it I thought that too - but then I thought to myself they are EXACTLY in time with each other... and if you go a bit out of time, what's the chances you will go out of sync with the music by the exactly the same amount as your partner? I've put it down to the camera work - must have been a time delay to the sound!

Tis brilliant, either way.

I think I'm on about the 30 something viewing - I watched it back at least 10 times on Sunday and have probably done 5 or 6 every day since...

Saddo - yup.

Given the fact that J/O have been practising for years together and they would have to be in sync, to a certain extent. Tbh I wouldn't say it was them or the cameras. The speed they were moving at it's hard to tell.

Yes, it would seem that poor Anton lost track as the female pros were all moving around.

I've watched this several times and after they miss one another Vincent is left holding his hand out for Flavia for quite some time.

Several people have commented on James and Ola. James seemed fine to me but Ola didn't seem to be with him or to have the bounce of the other dancers. I love Ola so I'm not wanting to criticise her.

I think they are often among the most exciting couples on the floor in the pro dances - Brendan always seems to dance with an extra spark when he's paired with Karen, probably just dancing with someone so good, and Karen just seems to be very free and fiery when dancing with him, again probably knowing she can utterly trust him in terms of dancing really well. The do send off sparks on the floor which is incredible considering they aren't pro partners or anything.

funny, 'cos I just don't see that. I think they just look like they are dancing for themselves, not as a cohesive couple. It just doesn't work for me. I also don't think Karen's that good really, at least not compared to some of the other girls - latin-wise, Flavia and Lilia are much better IMO.

Well, each to their own. Though I think, even when she hasn't been training like she did when she was on the pro circuit, Karen's achievements suggest that she can't exactly be that bad, objectively...

GBut like I say - each to their own or Strictly wouldn't be that interesting.

I didn't quite understand your sentence. Yes, she has achieved awards, but that was a while ago. I'm not saying she's bad, anyway, of course she's not!, it's just that I think some of the other women are better. Women whom, by the way, I'm not sure whether Karen was directly competing against when she was competing professionally...but correct me if I'm wrong.

I mean, clearly she has talent, and is a good dancer. She has achieved as much if not more than most of the other female pros, and although she's not in training like she once was, I think clearly a heck of a lot of it has stayed with her, IMO anyway.

That said... each to their own. I don't need you to agree with me - horses for courses. I find them exciting to watch, you don't - no worries

Karen didn't compete against the others, but was at such a level that she would have definitely beaten the other women if they all competed at the same time. Nicole and Matt would have come the closest to her and Bryan. If she was with a different male partner, I think the Cutlers would have been pretty equal to her. (Just my opinion based on various things)

The point with Karen is that she has been retired for many years.

As Karen never competed against the others, we'll never know if she would DEFINITELY have beaten them!

The point that both you and Sarah-flute may be missing is that I said, in MY opinion, I don't think Karen is as good as the others. YOu can quote as many competition statistics at me as you like, that won't change how I feel. As you said, she's been retired for years, so that may be why she's not as good as some of the others (in my opinion). Didn't her partner dump her for another woman? Was that woman better than Karen? Don't bother replying to that point, I really don't care.

I think you may have missed the point that *I* made, that it is horses for courses and that in MY opinion you are wrong, but I don't have a need for you to agree with me

To quote myself,