Oh, yes! How can one forget Mammon?

So, anyone with any sort of previous dance experience are excluded? Wow! Then many actors/actresses will be out of the question! I won't be able to see - for instance, Louisa in that case...

Russell Brand
Richard Madeley
Neil Sean (from Sky News Showbiz)
Anyone from GMTV

Callum Best, any WAG, anyone from Big Brother or famous for being on a reality TV show...

But that won't stop me from watching as they can all be voted off. If Kate Thornton replaces Tess, I definitely won't be watching.

Good choices - add to that list Ade Edmonson, Jennifer Saunders and other members of the BBC mafia :yawn:

No - the original quote said "anyone with lots of dance experience"

I for one am fed up with seeing the judges rave over some stage school darling who comes out and burns the floor in programme 1 and dissing the poor rookie who hasn't had a dance lesson in their life.

You can't compare apples with pears and that is what they do when they have such a variation in the experience levels at the beginning. It was very obvious that there were some celebs who were already accomplished dancers (not necessarily BALLROOM dancers) before the start of the series (eg Matt, Kelly) and the rookies who never really stood a chance against them (Willie/ Dom)

Not every actor or actress (eg Brian/ Stephanie) has a dancing background - even those who went to stage school (eg Letitia), but they would do better with the public if they came clean about the experience they DO have - being upfront about her experience didn't do Jill Halfpenny any harm did it?

Jill apart though, the judges pet seems to lose out every time to the ones the public see as having the greatest "J". It seems the public prefer to see those who who have to work really hard for it win - rather than the ones with the perceived head start.

No chavs from BB so that could rule out just about everyone. No WAGS and no to Ainsley Harriott-he's too overpowering a personality

Agree up to a point. Do you know in her CV, Louisa listed jive as her speciality dance? I think Matt listed tap dancing.

I don't think either of them denied they have stage school (thus dancing) experience. But with Kelly, I think in her defence, no one really asked her point blank. If asked, I am sure she'll come clean? I am assuming here, though...

What about those who allegedly did several weeks of their ballroom training before doing training with the SCD pros (last heard Gabby did that)?

I think as long as they don't go about like, O me? Good? Really? What's a line, what does that mean? (which i think Kelly unfortunately did), it would be fine by me.

I don't really want to see people like Nicholas (SCD4) or the likes of Jimmy Turbuck dance. They are there just to make up the numbers...

BTW, Stephanie did some ballet when she was young, so I was told... And I like her!

I was meaning to ask, what is WAG(s)? *feeling stupid*

Amanda Burton (Silent Witness) - NO NO NO

Footballers Wives/girlfriends and that also applies to SWAGS - sporting wives and girlfriends

Okay. What about (ageing) rock stars' wife, or actors' fiancées (like Penny and Kelly)?

Providing they have actually done something themselves rather than by being the partner of someone famous

No-one in a relationship, it's hard to watch people get hurt from the 'strictly curse' and I like to watch romances blossom

Hmmm it's not just celebs who know abou the curse as you put it but a a couple of pro dancers know what it is like-allegedly

She'd be great I reckon!

That's offensive and insensitive, don't you think?

That's very unfair to Kelly. I believe she's be a TV presenter nearly 10 years ago and has been a actress and model since then. She didn't appear because she has a actor boyfriend.

Difficult to put it more sensitively.

But if a celeb has got something like that hanging over them it doesn't do them (or the other competitors) any favours. Their mind can't possibly be 100% on what they are doing, and its not fair to make allowances or get the sympathy vote.

Whilst I was sorry for Kelly losing her Dad she must have known that the end was near and should have dropped out before the series started (but then agan she was the BIG star this time so was probably under pressure from the Beeb to carry on). She could always have done the next series like Gabby did.

I felt that Jane Seymour and Marie Osmond on DWTS handled their similar sad situations very professsionally by carrying on with the show - even though those deaths seem to have been more unexpected.

It seems like a ploy to keep boosting the Eastenders' ratings! Two from that particular soap last time was OTT. (Some of us really don't care for Eastenders you know - and I'm not suggesting an actor from Emmerdale because I'm from Yorkshire either!)

Some of us don't ever watch EE. I had no idea who Matt DA was when it was announced.

No more....
Eastenders for at least a year.
GMTV presenters ever.
Members of manufactured pop bands-male or female..
Dom-alikes.
Obvious finalists from the start-tough, I know...
Obvious "Hasn't got a cat in hell's chance..." celebs.
Models or anyone else that is famous just for being a pretty coathanger...
Anyone into shameless self-promotion...


Hey, I think that only leaves me! When do I start?

Me neither - I hardly ever watch the telly these days

That said this year I think Matt D and Alesha were the only 2 I'd never heard of before (too old for pop music like misteeq's ) DD told me who Gethin was!

I'm concerned about people not wanting anymore GMTV presenters. Not even Ben Shephard?!?! He is very nice to look at and he has a dance history (which won't work against him since he is male) so we know he would be good.

This sums up my views (although Jack Dee was on an early Celeb Big Brother and wouldn't mind him).