[This was a classic SCD confrontation, and not unexpected.
I bet John has been dying to have a go at Craig for ages.
Every week he has taken the judges sarcastic and hurtful
comments with good grace and a smile.
But tonight ,WOW, John really spelt it out to Craig. Just outlining the rules of SCD was the best way of responding to Craig, who predictably reacted in his usual arrogant way.

I do not recollect any previous celebs taking such a positive line with the judges. As John said rules are rules.

Doubt if Craig will take up John's suggestion about considering his position.

Keep going John, you a star.

Craig, like the other judges, are condescending, telling them what and who we should and should not vote.

John is very witty, and cutting, and rightly so to Craig, putting him firmly in his place and brought him down a peg or two.

But I would still like John to leave this week, unless he markedly improve. I might be forced for the first time to vote this Saturday, not for John, of course.

we can all have another listen to John, it's on youtube
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=K_EKZ4EF4Pg

AS per usual - Craig is full of spiteful and nasty soundbites when let loose on ITT on his own and his "victims" or experts can't answer back.... It was obvious he didn't know John was listening and gooing to come on and fight back.


I wonder if that's whty he has a pro with him for mid week training review this series!!

WTG John - but its not fair to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person!!

Sorry but I'm losing patience with John. For a while he was entertaining, and seemed to be trying to master his dances. But as soon as it became clear the sympathy vote was with him, any effort to dance seemed to stop and it was all about getting across the nice chap image.
Apparently he has spent 166 hours training? I would suspect a lot of that was spent reading papers, drinking tea and the like...hours spent in the training room is different from hours spent training.
But the most annoying thing is that he now thinks this is John S v the judges, and he doesn't seem to care about the fact that each time he stays in, someone that is actually working hard to improve goes home.

There is a real danger of John winning. To put it in political terms that he could maybe understand...the Monster Raving Loony Party standing in elections is fine, but were they to win it would be a complete travesty!!

In the 'behind the scenes', he did say he regrets better dancers left the competition and that he didn't deserve to be in the finals.

I totally agree with you. I have respect for John as a political reporter but I am afraid he is just making a mockery of the contest. As you say the other contestants work very hard to get where they are and shed tears along the way.

People can vote how they like it is their money and they earned it. I certainly won't be one of them.

WHAT A PICKLE!

John was SO brave to state his case, speak the truth about the rules of the game, and challenge Craig and humiliate him in the way Craig has tried to humiliate him.

John won hands down but then he had nothing to lose - the judges want him off the show and whereas the other celebrities wouldn't want to rub the judges up the wrong way, John could challenge Craig because the public are keeping him in, not the judges.


Yes, its a dance competition, but its not a professional dance competition.

Its Saturday night viewing and its meant to be entertaining.

A lot of people obviously find John far more entertaining than Rachel or Heather for instance and in some ways, I'd have to agree with them.

The more the likes of Craig do John down, the more people will vote for him if they enjoy watching him and Kristina doing their best. The Great British Public just ADORES an underdog!(especially if he looks and sounds like Churchill off the insurance adverts!)

You would think that they would have learned from past experience...Chris Parker?!?

Precisely.

I've never taken to Craig because he's one of these bitchy individuals who is very good at spouting bile about people when they can't defend themselves, but place him in a debating situation and he is inarticulate, repetitive and foolish.

I am getting bored of John now. We all know the public has half the vote and we all know they like an underdog, but enough. If he was making a tiny bit of progress I would feel differently.

The best thing Craig can do is to keep his mouth shut about John, because every time he bemoans John remaining in the competition, he is only encouraging more people to vote for John. Its about time Craig realised that when it come to public voting John is the expert.

Craig clearly wasn't amused by John’s comments.....Loved John even more after this!

I used to like John but I can't bear him now.

John would be pissed off soon enough if Craig showed up on Question Time every week talking rubbish.

Yes I agree - I just think it's really selfish. If it were me I'd feel really bad for the people who are good dancers & taking it seriously. I'd thank the public for their support but ask them to put their support behind more deserving contestants.

It would be democracy in action.

The difference is, Craig hasn't been invited onto Question Time. John was asked to participate on Strictly and he's won over many of the viewers.

Why?

It's a competition (as people keep reminding me). Like everyone else, John is there to get as far as he possibly can. Why on earth would he jeapordise his chances?

It's up to the other celebrites to outshine him and generate votes. If they can't, that's their problem, not John's.

He's playing within the rules.

Good luck to him.

I don't think Craig has the acumen for all that political stuff. He'd look an idiot - er alright what's new?

Selfish?

Hardly he's fulfilling his contract to the best of his ability and people are enjoying watching and voting for him.

As John McEnroe would say 'you cannot be serious'
How do you think poor Kristina would feel if after all the hours of hard work she put in to have John telling the public not to vote for them. When are people going to realise its the BBC and the way they have set up the format, that is to blame.

More to the point, Craig wouldn't have the guts.

John has shown a great deal of courage. I respect and admire him for that.

No sh!t Sherlock. He hasn't, & won't ever be, because nobody, least of all John, would put up with him being as crap at discussing politics as John is at dancing.

The judges are there to do what they've been payed to do just as much as John is. And he should respect that.


Simply because he's rubbish, & the British love mediocrity.

She would totally understand, being serious about dancing herself.

In all her 'hours of hard work' she hasn't managed to make his cha cha cha distinct from his tango.

I don't think the BBC is to blame - I think it's certain elements of the British public that love amateurishness.

John fully respects the judges. What he takes offence to is them questioning the result. Why should they, when everything is above board?

The judges have their say, the public has theirs. That's the end of it.

If Craig was truly outraged and felt the show was losing all credibility, he'd leave. But he'd be waving goodbye to a pretty hefty salary so he stays put. He knows which side his bread's buttered but he can't have it both ways.

Put up or shut up Craig

John was very cool, calm and amusing in the first few weeks of the series. Listening him speaking to Claudia tonight it is clear that all the criticism from the judges is getting to him. He doesn't have quite the same confidence and his voice is becoming a little shriller - but he has no ned to worry. There are people around who will vote for him however awful his dancing.