Well, they've known each other for a long time so she must've known what she was getting herself into.

how can they be equal when tom did at least 50% of his footwork totally wrong!

Tom is too smug for my liking and his lack of concentration to training this week due to his wedding showed!!! He made lots of footwork mistakes and 9s were clearly misplaced 8 at best imo!!! Austin and Erin outshone them by a mile this week!!!

I'd never heard of Tom before SCD, but he seems really lovely. I think it's sweet that he is obviously really in love and give the guy a break - he's only been married 6 days! Now the wedding is over, I'm sure the constant references to it will ease off.

It's driving me mad as well. In fact he's really beginning to enjoy me now I hate his hair and that look on his face creeps me out. In fact I felt a warped sense of satisfaction when Len critiqued him and wiped the smugness off his face

Yes. Basically. Summed up with one word. However I much prefer Tom to Austin though!

Not impressed with how he had other days to train, but Claire kept sitting in on the training. You either commit to Strictly, or if you're not that bothered, don't do it.

Think Claire is not leaving anything to chance..............she looked very.....this is my manish.........very clingy..........very sickening

I have actually quite enjoyed the attention that has been given to Tom and Claire's wedding, although I think (and hope) it should all die down now after this week, because it will start to get really irritating otherwise.

But so often in Strictly there has been negative publicity about dancers' and celebrities' relationships - the Brendan/Natasha/Camilla triangle, the stuff that came out about Mark Ramprakash, the Matt/Flavia/Vincent hoohah last year. So it has in many ways been really nice and refreshing this year to have media attention focused on something romantic and positive instead!

That said, though, I do think enough is enough - wedding's over now, so back to the dancing Mr Chambers!

The only reason we see Tom banging on about claire, is of the editing, i am sure he doesnt put the production of the clips together himself.
If theres any story of any person who is in scd, they tend to overdo. the promoting and editing, no matter who the celebrity is.
Tom seems a lovely chap , who is besotted with his new wife,. and thats to be expected.

tbh its Austin I find the most annoying. Its him thats the most smug, so full of himself. Checking the boards to see what people are saying. Get over yourself Austin

Rubbish, Austin did not outshine Tom whatsoever

It wasn't 50% by any stretch of imagination. 25% maybe.

But for me the marks Tom deserved was for performance, while for Austin was for technicality. Austin danced better but Tom performed better.

Austin's performance left me a bit cold; Tom's footwork had much to be desired. They evened each other out, hence I think they should've recieved the same mark.

Im not sure if its the Claire thing that annoys me about Tom or the hair, or indeed the hand movements, but something does. He seems overly confident imo and I am not keen on overly confident types.

I am sure he discussed it with his wife to be and they agreed that he should take part

I agree.

I think he bangs on about Clair to avoid any rumours about him and Camilla, also it gives him a good story for the show.

To be honest one week would have been fine, but we had the build up to the wedding, then the wedding week, now Camilla on the honeymoon. I guarantee you next week it will be how the competition is taking him away from opening the presents or some such rubbish.

And also bleating on about how much in love he is still doesn't make up for spoiling the most important day of a girls life. Either she is very understanding and lovely and/or he is very selfish as he could have done Strictly next year!

The hair annoys me also, but the worst thing for me is the way he is trying to whip up a competition between him and Austin as if people can't like them both. When he isnt going on about the wedding he is going on about beating Austin. Austin to my knowledge has never commented or compared their scores even last week when he was below!

Being cynical as I am, maybe his agreement to do the show had something to do with a great big fat fee that he will be paid!!!!

Good as Austin is, I prefer Tom on a personal level. Haven't missed an ITT or SCD, but I somehow missed the wedding overkill

That's because Austin wasn't been asked about the competition with Tom last week. I was waiting for it, because it was practically the first thing they asked Tom teh previous week...but no, nothing, Claudia just moved on.

I'm glad they've cut the edit where Austin and Tom are made up to be rivals, because when you see them together naturally (on the ITT sofa/during the group dances) they seem to get on really well, and seem pretty close. They both have a competitive edge, but they're fine together.

The SCD editors are using it as a storyline - and if you disbelieve me, ask youself this: how many times did Tom bring up the wedding off his own back this week, and how many times did Claudia/Bruce/Tess mention it?

Austin bleating on about his old rugby injuries bores me to death

Sorry Fudd but Tom has been banging on about Austin in his Vt's since day1 off his own back, it's only since he suddenly remembered he had a wedding last week that he's forgotten to bleat on about Austin!

Yes he gets asked about it but because he created the story in the first place, Austin doesn't get asked about it because the one time he did ( on the sofa with Tom), he made it clear he wasn't interested in the little rivalry Tom had invented and was there to do his best with Erin!

No, I think it is a romantic story and they are a lovely couple. By next week they will be an old married couple.

He's a smashing chap though, lovely dancer.

spot on, OP. He's sold the whole, 'I had to move my wedding and have been unable to train cos of my honeymoon routine but can I help it if I'm hopelessly in love' routine far, far too much.
He's a good dancer, technically proficient but lacks any real zest to me, and he's definitely a shade too smug..

sick and tired of it