I'm was sad to hear that Nicole wouldn't be returning, and I was disappointed to read all the newspaper articles hashing the story out (to be honest I don't think anyone came out looking good) but to be fair I wanted to be open minded about all the newcomers to Strictly.

Whilst I've warmed a lot of Brian and Kristina, though, it's been less so with Hayley - I haven't really got a sense of her character, teaching or dancing style, or they dynamics of her partnership with Mark. With Brian and Kristina, their quirks and relationship with their partners have already shown themselves. It's early days, so I still have an open mind and I'm ready to change if needs be, but at the moment I got to admit that she's leaving me a little cold.

Brian and Kristina are good dancers but not exceptional there are plenty of dancers here who could have come into the show and put pressure on the regular crew. I just feel for the UK dancers who may not have got the opportunity to appear on the programme - and I can think of many off the top of my head who are as good as, and as easy on the eye as Kristina.

I accept your point though, and indeed the forum I help run, has new members from the USA and Far East and New Zealand on the strength of the newbies

I'm just a Strictly fan and very ignorant about the ballroom world generally - but aren't a lot of the dancers non-British - Lilia, Ola, Camilla, Erin, Brendan, Vincent, Flavia?
If we can have non-British managers of the England football team, I don't see what's wrong with foreign dance teachers on Strictly. I don't have a problem with nurturing British talent, either, but for me it's not a big issue.

The simple reason is that UK is dismally lacking in top class pro dancers at the moment. There's a few at the top in the ballroom, but they are rapidly reaching retirement (from competitive dancing) age, and there is then a very sad lack of anyone even vaguely near Kristina and Brian's quality. Regrettably - very regrettably - UK is no longer the 'Mecca' of the dance world as it was years ago.

The difference to me anyway is all those you quote have lived here, trained here and many competed for the UK. I suppose with me seeing Uk dancers progress over the years from kids to adult comptetitors and then professionals themselves (indeed many of the present professionals I have either known or watched from kids) I feel a programme like this should support the 'local' talent. Though I realise that most will not have a problem with what nationality the dancers are on the programme, and it is just my personal view.

LOL. An excellent point. Mind you, I think things have gone a bit far in the football world.

Do you really think Kristina and Brian that good - I can think of a fair few as good as if not better - to be honest the pros for the show don't have to be actively competing at the moment do they? Whilst I agree the UK doesn't have the top class dancers it once did (oh to have the Sammy, Hiltons and Donnie days again) it still is a 'Mecca' for some for the training.

I apologise if this thread has gone off topic a bit but always love to discuss dancing!!

This is my opinion only but I have suspicions there was more to Nicole's departure than her having low scores & not getting very far in the competion over the years (& yes I agree she can't help the partners she was given). I don't expect we'll ever get to find out the nitty-gritty on the real reasons that were discussed in hushed tones, behind closed doors at the BBC .
At the moment I am just not warming to Hayely, I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt but tbh I really rather dislike her personality so far. She comes across as too laid back; as if she does not have to make an effort to be charming & likeable (& Kristina does, so the comparison is startling). Also unfortunately they have partnered her with a celeb that appears so laid back he's horizontal & the combination/chemistry appears like dead fish for me .
I think the Beeb made the mistake of not shuffling the pro-dancers around every two shows or so, like in the States, that way the audience don't get too obsessed with a particular dancer & the new ones can inject new blood in, when it starts to get a bit stale. I'd love some really young, contemporary dancing talent like on DWS, that can stick to the rules but can show a more updated slant on things. However they would need a young judge too; one that is under 40 FGS!

It does look as though it was a deliberate move on the BEEBs part rather than them not having a partner for Nicole. I see that she and Matthew are still dancing together and are due to appear at the Donahey next year.

Imo part of the antipathy towards Hayley is due to her being seen as a replacement for Nicole. I find nothing to actively dislike in her personality.

I totally agree with you there. How about one or two of our dancers going on DWTS? Surely it's possible to find a couple of other judges rather than Len and Bruno flying backwards and forwards to the States every week.

I've another idea - how about just dropping Bruno altogether, so that he's saved the expense and jetlag of commuting across the Atlantic? We could then have a three-judge panel like the Americans, thus saving "Head judge" Len ever having to cast his casting vote?

I'm afraid I've had enough of Len, his saccharin smile and complacency.

You have a point. How about one-way tickets for Bruno and Len, promote one of our professional dancers to the judging panel (no need for a head judge), and do a major trade-in with DWTS of some of our regulars? (And promote some local pros to please Bendymixer). Sorted!

Lots of good points here. To say that the public however don't want a young, blond less talented dancer is a bit unfair. Although most of us would love Nicole back and we know her history and her credibility speaks for herself, I don't necessarily think that it is Hayleys fault that she is young and blond or for that matter offered the job.

I am not so keen on us having too many Dancers from DWTS although Kristina and Brian are making a huge impact I feel when watching DWTS the dances are a lot less technical etc, but then again, maybe thats what people want?

I must add I would love to see Nicole back...

So many posts saying:
"I don't dislike her....but,"
"I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, but....."
"I'll keep an open mind.....but,"

all of which suggests the reverse.

Hayley twice came 3rd in DWTSNZ so she must have a reasonably good idea of what she's doing. Mark is less extrovert than John or Heather, and so needs to be brought out of himself more - but I can see that happening - she may need to bring in an acting coach, but first she needs to find her way around SCD - she's only danced with Mark twice, once in the opening programme and once in a group; surely the negativity can wait - if indeed it's at all necessary.

I too liked Nicole, she is a fantastic dancer, but I felt she could have taken John Barnes further. He started off better than Gethin - but lacked the performance element. Camilla overcame the same obstacle by getting an acting coach in, Nicole could have done the same for John.

I agree 100% ignazio Hayley does know what she is doing by getting him to be someone else for the Tango, she perhaps thinks she will try this before an acting coach as feels he is still to shy to try one.

Donnie showed an interest when the show was initially put together but backed off; Marcus has other priorities, and Sammy - though I loved his dancing in days long gone by, is far too old - and fat!! (Have you seen him lately?)

To answer your first question, yes I do think Kristina particularly is "that good". She was amazing when she danced with Michael Wentink. Brian is known for the Latin dances - and salsa, mambo etc are all included in the American Rhythm section. I haven't seen him dance ballroom, so can't pass comment on that, but his Latin is terrific.

Does anyone think that, just possibly, Nicole was thrown out for not being attractive enough for telly? She's often reminded me of a member of The Simpsons cast next to the red-lipsticked, shiny-haired, elegantly coiffed types around her.

That is in no way to diminish her talent or niceness, it's just that in a business where looks are everything, I wonder whether it caught up with her.

Replacing her with Hayley and Kristina, both of whom are extremely glamorous but (so far) don't seem any more or less talented than Nicole, seems to add weight to this for me.

And just to stay on topic, I think Hayley seems perfectly nice so far and needs more time to let her personality show. Flavia didn't get a chance for a whole series and nobody wrote her off straight away!

Maybe I worded it badly then, perhaps I should have said;
"So far I am not warming to Hayley's personality from what we have seen so far, because.......
however I am open-minded enough to change my mind if proved wrong."
I was like that with Ola at first btw, I thought she was too bimbo ish for my taste but now have totally warmed to her & don't think that at all.
I'm afraid this is a forum & anyone that posts on a forum has to put up with what they may see as other people's negativity & bitching, as well as the postive things. Free speech & all that jazz - it's the nature of the beast imo .

My post wasn't targeted just at you. Few will like/dislike all pros or celebs but I simply feel that Hayley is being judged before being given the opportunity to establish herself.

According to her profile she is a fun loving young woman - and in 2007 was voted the sexiest woman in NZ - let's hope she brings some of the to the dance floor.

My feeling is that she realises that in Mark she has a quiet, modest guy and she wants to bring him on gradually - far better I think than trying to turn him into an extrovert overnight.

Time will tell if she succeeds - I have high hopes.

This may be the week we really see what Hayley can do with Mark.

Hayley doesn't stand out I'm afraid.

She doesn't have much presence on or off the dancefloor - much like her partner.

Aren't most of the Pros latin specialists?
Hayley is a ballroom specialist, and it is likely that she was hired for this.

I don't blame her at all for the Nicole thing, it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

However, comparing her to Kristina showed her up as a dancer. She's not the strongest and doesn't bring the kind of fire that Kristina/Brian or even Ola/James brought when they were new. I think she'll drag a weak dancer (Mark) down instead of up. As well as that, I don't find her overly personable.

I have not warmed to Hayley. She doesn't appear to have much of a personality, and so far, I don't rate her choreography, especially as both of her dances have been ballroom ( her speciality)

Well oh well, the girl was crying, so childish.
Hayley doesn't have any personality. She's not my type.