After tying themselves in knots last night on ITT trying to pretend they only vote based on the dance-off performance (which I think has been well proven here that they change their justifications to suit themselves) Craig then goes and says he's worried about Matt making it through all the dances next week.

Well if Matt falls on his face or starts dancing a salsa to his ballroom music or, God forbid, drops Flavia on her head, and makes the whole of SCD a laughing stock then the judges have only themselves to blame. As for any future career opportunities for Mr di A, would you risk muti-million pound projects (TV, film or god forbid live theatre ie the SCD Tour) on someone who you can't depend on to complete a performance and hasn't even enough presence of mind to 'ad lib' but just grinds to a halt, hah!

Matt di Angelo + 5 dances = snowballs chance in hell.

In week 5 John did an appalling foxtrot and ended up in the bottom two with Dominic. Craig himself clearly said he was going to let John through because of what John can offer in latin dancing (in future).

It is all there on VT -- can anyone find it on YouTube?

If Alesia or Matt have an injury in training, then Gethin will deservedly be brought back to the Final methinks. But such a substitution would not be realistic beyond Wednesday.

In context, that comment made sense - that is, he felt he had to vote for Matt based on the dance-off alone; but if he'd been able to vote based on "consistency" or "potential", then he'd have voted for Gethin.

Of course, this "potential" is exactly the justification they gave for saving John and Nicole, so it's obviously not as consistent as it could be. Although I reckon that the judges have got more "vote based on dance-off only" as the series has progressed.


Aren't there enough Matt-bashing posts out there already? I don't like the inference that people are watching just to see him fail, I'd rather watch people succeed. Call me weird, if you want.

I know it was a bit bashy (is that even a word) and I felt bad about that coz I've been trying to resist that knee-jerk reaction just coz I'm disappointed, but I don't mean I'm watching 'just to see him fail' more that I'm afraid to watch in case he fails. In fact I'll probably just record the show and watch it later in the week or something. I liked Matt throughout the competition and when he was good he was great plus I felt awful for him the week(s) he messed up - even voted for him twice (). But then I just felt ok, he's now regained his credibility by making it through a lovely (not 40 worthy tho) waltz, pity the AT was so wooden and jerky and now its time for him to go, well done Matt, blah, blah round of applause. And then he gets his 40 and the judges save him over Gethin and it was all wrong, wrong, wrong.

Voting for your candidate once or twice to signify support would have been fine, whatever the quality of performance. It would not have made a mockery of the spirit of SCD.

As for bashing, was not Letitia bashed? Well, actually she was buried without a fair trial.

And the tour is influential - I don't care what the judges say.:sleep:

Craig and Bruno's feeble defence of their decision to put Matt through on ITT was sickening to listen to. And why do they persist in treating viewers like mugs?
Gethin has been made a scapegoat by the show's blatant agenda - they want Alesha to win and engineered the leaderboard specifically because they didn't want Gethin to make the final because they knew he would win by out-polling Alesha.
Most of all, I feel sorry for Gethin and Camilla who have worked tirelessly for months in trying to reach the final, only for their chance to be scuppered by 'fixed' judges scores, and a 'fixed' dance-off decision. Gethin was dead in the water before he even took to the floor on Saturday night. His only hope was that Matt out-polled Alesha in the public vote but I wouldn't put it past the BBC from 'fixing' the phone poll (easily done by putting company phones on constant re-dial for Alesha).
I think it's a great shame Strictly has now followed the other reality shows by effectively manipulating the result. It has lost all its integrity and there should be a petition made to the BBC to get Gethin reinstated in the final.
Everyone with half a brain knows Saturday's show was a stitch up.
Everyone with half a brain knows Matt and Flavia's waltz didn't deserve four 10s.
Everyone with half a brain knows Gethin had improved past Matt over the duration of the series and deserved his place in the final.
Everyone with half a brain knows Craig and Bruno are spouting total b.s. when they come out with absurd statements like, 'we have to judge it on the dance-off only' when throughout the series they have ignored that apparent rule to put their preferred dancer through.
Added to which, how can it be fair to compare a good waltz with a good paso doble or Argentine tango? The latter two are always marked down in comparison. It was also telling that Camilla said Gethin nailed every routine from week one onwards, and never put a foot wrong. He couldn't have performed any better on Sat night and yet there he was set adrift at the bottom of the leaderboard. And as soon as Matt was awarded four 10s, there was no way Gethin could beat him. If that doesn't reek of a total fix I don't know what does!!!!
Message to the BBC - stop treating your viewers like idiots because you've gone a long way to ruining what was once the best show on TV this series. You have also denied us what would have been a truly great final, and the 'right' final - Alesha vs Gethin.

Judges' reasons for saving John after his acknowledged poor foxtrot:

Craig: "... And I want to see a little latin hip action again."

Bruno: ".... I want to see him doing the salsa."

Well said Johnnyutah! And it's nothing to do with being anti- anyone; it's just to do with fairness.

They scored Matt higher than Gethin, how could they have let Gethin go through?

It might have been feasible to put Gethin through as it's supposed to be a dance off - one might perform better one worse than the original. What's the point of the dance off otherwise? Just go on the first score.

well if you agree with Arlene thats why she picked Gethin - based on the dance off but I saw little difference with either dance.

The whole reason the dance off was introduced was to stop what happened last year when Emma Bunton went out because the public voted for their favorite and it wasn't her.

The BBC wants to attract the biggest 'names' it can to do the series, so it has to have a way of protecting them - ensuring that next year they can get more high profile celebrities to take part. Inconsistencies in judging have usually occurred depending on how high profile the couples are.

Penny (International millionaire rock star wife and gossip mag favorite) v Gabby (sports TV presenter)

Kelly (actress/model/tabloid darling/Hollywood connections) v John (ex footballer)

Matt (Prime time TV actor taking part on SCD tour) v Gethin (kid's TV presenter)


Is it really just a coincidence that all the people who lend the show kudos as celebrities have been favored in the dance off? How many celebrities would be jumping at the chance to take part if they knew any old cricketer/rugby player/Blue Peter presenter could beat them because the public liked that person better?

If it was really to protect the best dancers we wouldn’t have had ‘Gabbygate’. And it’s not going to hurt the SCD tour to have a finalist and quarter finalist in the billing.

I didn't see any difference either - thought he was wonderful both times

I'm sure in the semi final, it would look bad to be a whitewash so Arlene goes for Gethin.
Stupid stupid system with only three in the semi final with a dance off and I will bang on about this to eternity

I was surprised. They normally always say, well I have to go for the best dancer, and now all of a sudden they chose for the best performance of the night?


I know for sure that if Aleshia would have been in the dance off with any of the 2 guys and she would have danced poorly they still would have voted off the guy.

Yes, & I reckon they think Matt's the better dancer.

Well I liked both of them Gethin and Matt and both are good dancers but I get so annoyed by how they change there rules.

It is obvious who is going to win anyways. :sleep:

The judges have had too much say this year. To save us from Chris, Fiona & Kate seemed like a good idea but now we have two show's let's go back to the old format and those in the dance off have to compete for fresh votes from us to remain in...don't forget it is for charity..lol

I've been sickened by the heavy handed bias from the whole lot of them especially Arlene and Len. Obviously power corrupts.

Are you saying you think they think Matt's a better dancer than Alesha? But they would have still put her through?

If so, that's an interesting speculation...

So what you are actually saying is that there has been blatant manipulation. Manipulation + reduction in the power of the viewer = demise of SCD. I've never known a series before where there's been so much dissatisfaction and whining. The programme makers can call it controversy and congratulate themselves on the 10 million viewers but they need to take note. The wrong decision has made once too often.

I think on balance I preferred the suspense of the old system without the dance off. The public know where they stand. If they don't vote for their favourite, the favourite may get knocked out. The dance off lulls public into a false sense of security thinking all will be well for the best dancers - when in fact it isn't.

arlene. You mean Bruno and Len. Alesha could never do anything wrong.

No you don`t.

The system was great at the end, the winner was ours whatever the outcome but I do think the new system keeps the standard higher by clearing out the dead wood at the begining

Think you are right.
I was amazed that the judges again even in the semi final were the ones that would decide.
So I knew immediately that whatever happened, one of the boys would go home.

They should change this stupid fake dance off.