If you're implying it could be regarded as a racist comment because Alesha is mixed race, then I don't think Len meant it in any way like that at all. It was just another one of his expressions that he uses.

I thought he said an all male final two.

Loved Zoe and Mel on ITT, I love seeing people on ITT as mad about Strictly as we are!

I'm having trouble keeping track of what happened when, but I think this is right:

Nov 24, Week 8 - last time Kelly and Brendan danced; Alesha's CCC
Dec 1st, Week 9 - start of doing 2 dances; Kenny goes.
Dec 8th, Week 10 - Matt saved, Letitia goes; Alesha in dance-off
Dec 15, Semi-final - Gethin goes

I didn't think Alesha was very off the boil in any of those weeks; but in week 9 the judges pulled back a bit from piling on 10s and praise on Alesha and started talking about expecting perfection, and Kelly's leaving seemed to put a damper on everyone's enthusiasm.

I don't think she expected to be in the bottom two (who did?); it was the week after when she said things like "nobody likes us any more" and "we're going out" to Claudia. (Which was a bit unconvincing, since it should have been clear she still stood a pretty good chance. But then it's hard to know how serious she was.) In any case, she still danced well.

So while I don't think she was swaggering, I don't think she was the opposite either.

I wish Mark Frith had had time to finish what he was saying at the end; then it might be clearer what he was thinking. As it is, the whole thing seems rather odd.

Certainly not! I was chanting along with them "Alesha Alesha Alesha".

As I said - as off the boil as she has ever been (which is IMO not very ) - certainly I find it hard to read "swagger" into any of it (I never said it was the opposite - just said I didn't find her at all swaggery in that period). I agree that Kelly leaving seemed to put a dampener on the show generally and that probably was a contributory factor. The slightly shaky start to two-dances-a-week and then forgetting part of the Paso were the two weeks following Kelly leaving, I believe, the tears I think were the week Kelly's dad died, and I had the impression that all of the dancers were shocked/affected by that. Swagger is the last word I personally would apply to Alesha (or indeed any of them, as I recall) the couple of weeks just after Kelly leaving.

Anyway I was going to bed.............

and so say all of us - well me anyway

That Heat Guy is a Pr*t and he said more than enough for me.

I think I've only watched it once, and surprise surprise my favourite won - Gaynor. In fact, Aleshas is a lot like her in personality

I was really annoyed at him. He was clearly trying to criticise Alesha but when Claudia asks him point blank who he thinks will win, he started procrastinating. They clearly wanted him to make a choice. This was the point where Zoe and Mel made their feelings known

Probably thinking I`ll do my best to damage that girl ?

Has Alesha ever done an interview for Heat magazine ?

She did have a very bad day and took herself off to the cloakroom so no one would see her. Matthew followed her and she was crying, but YOU wouldnt remember it for obvious reasons

Not really, I think you're perhaps reading too much into it. Len doesnt think of things like that, he's old school non-pc. I'm sure Alesha would laugh her head off at that comment and see it for what it is - harmless.

Maybe this was the problem. She turned them down before

Really? Well that says a lot.

I can't actually recall ANY of the celebs having a 'swagger' or being cocky or thinking that they had it in the bag.
They have all had to learn a new dance each week and have never known whether it would suit them and that they'd manage to pull it off, whether their face or personality would appeal to voters and they would get through etc It has been as much a matter of having good luck as much as dancing well.

Alesha as well as anyone has been aware that there is often a great deal of politics involved in winning a competition based on a public vote and has never behaved as though she was going to do it even though she would love to.

At this late stage for this guy to spout this tripe is really in bad taste.

You also said "Two less swaggery weeks I find hard to imagine..."


I agree it was an odd thing for Heatman to say, and he seemed to be in a different mood than everyone else.

Are you saying she did turn them down, or just agreeing that might be the problem? And if she did turn them down, how do you know?

What's that supposed to mean? I can't even guess what you think the "obvious" reason is. You think I favour Matt? Or don't like Alesha? Or have a poor memory?

In any case, I did remember it, just not in detail.

Was it just me, or was Arlene even more sour-faced than usual on ITT tonight? OK, Len and Bruno can be a bit OTT at times, but it is Christmas and she didn't have to make such a fuss of Len's hat, did she???

She didn't sing either!

Why don't you read it again. I think that my post is very clear

He didn't procrastinate. He said "I'm not going to give you an answer this time. It all depends on two things" and as he started to list them, Claudia said they were out of time.

In other words, he has no idea like the rest of us

I've read it and it isn't. But if you're saying she did turn them down, how do you know? It's not the sort of thing celebs normally mention.

No when he started to hum and ha, the girls started saying who they are supporting after urging him to speak