I've been watching some clips from previous Strictly's on youtube and it seems to me that Len has changed - a lot.

I was wondering if he is disappointed with the standard of dancing this year. Compared to last year, and even DWS it does seem poor.

I don't think Len's been himself at all this year and that for me is also adding to the 'flatness' of Strictly.

This is just my opioion btw.

I don't think the absolute standard should matter that much...even to Len. It's unrealistic to expect it to improve each year...and I don't know why some of the judges try always to give that impression.

As long as the contest is competitive and judged fairly, I think those factors are far more important.

I don't think it's particularly flat either. There's a casting problem with the females who lack a bit of personality and it suffers by comparison with the first half last year...but there's still plenty of interest and uncertainty as to who will make it through (if not the actual winner).

I believe doing both SCD and DWTS for the past 3 or is it 4 years has turned the experience into a chore for Len. He should stick to one and let that be DWTS.

He's sunning himself in California in a nice hotel counting his mega bucks and then he has to jump on a plane (with Bruno) and then fly back to freezing raining blighty every week to watch John marching and Austin doing what he did in week one for a pittance by comparison.......you can kinda see where he is coming from....

Apart from that California jetlag is awful and he's getting it twice a week......

I don't know if he's disappointed but he is disappointing. He has taken against Rachel while Austin can do no wrong. He can go pickle his walnuts in the US of A.

You just stole my line!!! (lol)

JJ

Len is very very disappointing this series and getting on my nerves

I can accept him being disappointed this year.

Just so long as he's not reappointed next year.

Exactly. I'm happy not to see him again in SCD.

I'm another one who is disappointed with Len!

He is getting worse each year with even worse awful jokes and such blatant bias. I thought he had reached the depths with his shoddy treatment of Kelly and Brendan last year but he looks like he is going for it again with Rachel and Vincent.

Think Len is finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the continuous jet-lag. He needs to find a way to get out of his dwts contract!

I couldn't give a monkeys if Len is disappointed.

Every year is different, every group of people are different. They can only dance what they're capable of, and I'm not disappointed at all.

That's all that matters to me.

I'll be very happy if Len moved permanently out to grass in California and we were spared him rolling his eyes on the panel and taking over ITT ever again.

I'm also disappointed with Len. He can be very rude to the contestants and its not on and it makes him look like he isn't objective with some contestants.

Great post - I agree with all of it!

And why would anyone care?

I think the while thing's been a bit flat this year, but Len seems to have had a charisma bypass. I can just about put up this season, but I really hope he goes for DWTS full-time next year.

It's annoying when people do that, isn't it?! You think you're totally original and then they blow your theory right outta the water!

I don't know why he's taken against Rachel & yet Cherie can do no wrong.

I think Claudia's right that the trans-Atlantic flights are getting to him.

Beyond disappointing. The judging of Rachel and Vincent Jive just amazed me. That dance was great and their best by a mile. It was certainly more exciting than most of the other dances. I don't get Len.

I actually agree with Len, if not the way he said it. I didn't think it was great, I was really disappointed by it and thought that Austin and Lisa, at least, were better than her, but that's what is so great about SCD, the huge differences in people's opinions.

Wouldn't this be a boring forum if we all agreed?

Absolutely. I Personally Loved Rachel and Vincent Jive. The music, peformance and choreography were spot on and even the audience seemed to love it.

Their salsa was flat but not the Jive, it might not be the greatest Jive done on strictly ever but certanly my favourite one this series.

I'm not getting Austin at all, Quickstep technically was great but peformance wise he does nothing for me. Also there is something about him as person I dislike. Lisa Tango was good.

Afraid I agreed with Len regarding R&V's Jive, I found it flat, too much flashy stuff and not enough of what I would recognise as being a Jive. I also agreed with him about their Viennese Waltz, again, I wasn't impressed, though I thought their QS was fabulous.

That being said, I do think Len is being more grumpy than ever before, I hope his mood improves ever so slightly towards the end of the series.