It's not a pure dance show - if it was it wouldnt have survived past series one. There are not enough pure dance affecianadoes to make it a ratings success. (ever wondered why 'come dancing' stopped?) So therefore it is an entertainment show, and competitors like JS hike up the ratings and make more series possible.

(Having said all that, I cant stand him and want him out next week)

What 'forum bullies'? I'd like to see John go all the way with Kristina well perhaps not.

Perhaps John should sign up for Dancing on Ice. that would show him a thing or two about taking the p*** out of a tv show.

That is also an ' entertainment' show but if the celebs dont try to perform they find themselves hitting the deck.

Starsailor is right; if this were a serious ballroom and latin dance contest then three of the judges would not be qualified to judge as they simply lack the experience and technical knowledge that is a prerequisite of being a ballroom and latin judge. These judges may be able to stage a West End Show - but that's an entirely different world.

Serious dancers regards the programme as just a bit of fun; and that's exactly what it is. And just as an afterthought - most of the celebrities would be all at sea if they tried dancing on a good public dance-floor where you need years of experience and not just a solitary routine.

I can see the argument from both perspectives.

I watch it for the dancing but also for the celebrity doing the dancing with their now well known pro. If it was just 2 non household name people (ala come dancing) I wouldn't bother.

My husband can't stand the programme, however does, week on week, watch it when John dances.

My perspective for John being left in - I just feel sorry for the celebs that do go out and take it seriously. They train hard etc only to have someone that marches around and doesn't take it seriously to stay in.

So like I said really, I can see it from both sides.

I thought I had said all motives, points of view are equally justified, and people should accommodate them.

I was only responding to a poster who argued that this wasn't the case.

And the "this is a dancing competition" exponents should relax in the knowledge that the best dancer (pretty much) has always won come the end.

Please not to answer the mobile phone or type forum replies when driving a taxi.

Well if they did that the only competitor in the whole competition would be Christine Bleakley - no-one else in competition is under 30. In fact now that Brian has gone I don't think any of the professionals are either. So being under 30 is hardly a requirement to being able to dance.

And no-one has said it's a pure dance competition - it's an entertainment show based on dance. Except that as long as the likes of John are in it you can delete the "based on dance" bit because the ability to dance seems to have become irrelevant in the show.

The way I see it is just Britain being Britain - we are a country that thrives on mediocrity, we celebrate the hopeless and we vilify the successful. Then we wonder why all of our jobs are going abroad and why we only exert influence in the world by sucking up to the only remaining superpower - otherwise we'd have become irrelevant long ago. SCD is just another manifestation of that national trait.

And I'm not immune to it either, I'd rather someone like Christine, who doesn't interest me, go instead of Jodie, who I find adorable (and love her relationship with Ian) even though Christine is the better dancer. But at least there you have only a relatively small margin between them. The gulf between John and the next worst is now huge and half decent dances will now start paying the price if John continues to walk and march his way through the competition.

And if the man has any decency he'll know himself that this has run its course. I liked John to begin with but now his presence is demeaning the show and making a mockery of the other dancers. Do the decent thing John, know when enough is enough.

This gentleman knows what he likes, and he is not the only one. They do not log into this forum so would not see the sulphuric missiles hurled at them, and we are indebted to a dutiful wife for reporting from both sides.

The inference from voting figures is that if two West End musicals each invites an SCD couple for cameo dances, the one inviting Christine and Matthew, or Rachel and Vincent, will see little rise in takings. The one inviting John and Kristina will be packed. Arlene and Bruno who are hired to put bums on seats ought to sense this.

So should such people be banned.

Corrected that for you.

LOL! That'll be tea all over my keyboard then!


Loved John in the first few shows but please let him go (dancing-not-so-very) gracefully this week. The thing is, it is entertainment but at this stage of the competition we should now be down to the "best" dancers.

Craig will mark the handbagging out of 10.

No, but they need a licence to breathe.

It isn't a serious dance competition, such as those that the pros would dance with their own partners in. But it is a competition, and it is about dancing, and to a large degree that is what it should be judged on.

Think of X-Factor, Britain has Talent etc.... they have auditions so that those who are truly horrendous (i.e can't sing, or have no talent) get weeded out so the main program can be creditable. So why should Strictly be so different? John may be lovely and cuddly etc etc if you like that type, but HE CAN'T DANCE, and I can't see how stomping across the floor, and looking smugly at the judges can be in the least entertaining. I feel sorry for Kristina who's body language is that she has truly had enough.

When did the X-Factor become credible?

I have voted for John & Kristina in previous weeks, but admittedly not the last couple of weeks. I love their partnership and that, particularly in the earlier rounds, John was just so obviously embracing and loving the experience.

For me, the SCD producers seem to be a bit to "blame" (sorry bad choice of word, but can't think of a better one) for John overshadowing others, in that for several weeks at the start of the show, the training and ITT footage they showed of some of the other contestants - eg Lisa and Rachel - concentrated very heavily on how stressful the whole process was, how hard they were finding it all, the tears/tantrums etc. All I wanted to see at the start was a partnership developing, and the celeb throwing themselves into the dance, enjoying learning and for watching them to put a smile on my face. John (and Kristina) delivered that for me more than anyone else on the show and that contributed a lot to why I personally voted for them.

During general SCD chats with work colleagues and friends the point has been made by several of them also that they have voted for John because he's enjoying himself and makes them enjoy it too, despite not being the best dancer.

As lots of posters have already said, eveyone votes for different reasons and each reason is as valid as the next. If John gets the public votes, irrespective of the reasons for them, he has earned his right to remain in the competition, so far as I am concerned. I would not be unhappy if next week were to be his last week, but am grateful for all the entertainment and warmth, he and Kristina have provided me with in the last couple of months.

What??? Rather off topic reply!

Exactly! Else Come Dancing would be back on our screens.....

But you've just admitted you vote for the more mediocre dancer based on personality, so you can't rant about others doing the same. You say it's only a small margin, but others may be just as irritated with your decision as you are by John's fans.

I have no axe to grind either way, I'm not particularly a John fan, but I do find the judge's being so precious highly amusing!

How many forum inches has John generated? That's why he was invited to take part!

Exactly. He was invited to enter, he has a right to stay.

Next year will the judges have the right to vet possible celebrity dancers and disallow any they don't like?

Methinks the judges are taking themselves much too seriously.

Happily they are not the only ones with votes. They have as many as they care to buy each as do the however many million it is that watch the programme. So that makes all our opinions equally valid.

Personally i have never voted for Kristina and John but have read some very nasty comments on here about the person I do choose to vote for. Simply a matter of opinion.

Rentamob can shout and scream, but the silent majority can stand up for themselves. That is the resilience of democracy.

I do always vote on dance performance, and I admit to finding it irritating year-on-year when we are deprived of a higher quality dance because the public vote is in favour of the John/Kenny/Kate/Chris figures.

However, I would not say it is a serious dance competition. Indeed, it is light entertainment. The crucial thing though I think maybe gets lost in the debate is that these things are not mutually exclusive polar opposites. I get the feeling from many posts and opinions off the forums that people see it as a vote for either dance or entertainment, and that there is the associated dichtomy between the judges and the public's voice.

I would like to say however that, though a light entertainment show, it is (without wanting to sound blindingly patronising) based on dance. It is the dancing which should provide the entertainment. And, for me, I find it far more entertaining (and this has to be distinguished from amusing!) to watch really good dancers, and watch dancers who display an increasing and substantial improvement.

In my mind I ask myself, "Would I rather see a show filled with Aleshas/Jills/Marks and be blown away by their dancing, or a show filled wth Johns/Kates/Fionas and chuckle along to their relative ineptiude?" I can get light comedic entertainment of that nature elsewhere on TV, but no tthe effect that beautiful dancing can have.

So, yes, it is light entertainment, but which crucially has dancing at its heart. I cannot understand why people who enjoy dance would rather see someone stumble around over someone who actually can dance to a competent level.

SCD does indeed seem to be different things to different people, and also I am sure different people might have different ideas how they'd prefer it to be.

Personally I'd like SCD to have all couples dance the same type of dance in any one week so I could better compare like with like. I'd also like there not to be any elimination of couples so I get to see all couples doing all the different dances and get to see how they all progress through the series. I'd have Len and a choreographer provide comment on the dance at the end to point out the good and the bad bits, and then just to provide an element of competition I'd have marks from a faceless panel of judges.

That'd do me but I'm sure many/most others would hate the idea.