you can tell Len's a smoker from the wrinkles and the voice

us smokers have to stick together now we are scumbag pariahs (I'd just like to remind everyone that smoking is still legal, yeah? If it's so bad for me then why don't they make it illegal - oh that's right, cos they make too much money out of me. so I'm perfectly entitled to do something dangerous as long as the treasury makes money out of it...)

bit of a bugbear of mine as you can see

Just because something is legal does not make it moral.

If you're ever in the west end at interval time, see how many of the casts are out at the back of the stage door having a smoke. I saw a crowd of chorus at the back of the Novello Theatre in full make-up, costumes and even head mics!

i quite agree with this!!
i was just interested before thats all..

im just going to have a little moan now..
if ANYONE wants to smoke, then whatever, its the persons life and own choice, we shouldnt start judging anyone who smokes, celeb or non-celeb, does it really matter anymore??
about half the country smokes probs, does it really matter, the only thing i didnt like was them doing it indoors, but thats sorted now..
i think people should just drop it now..
theres worse things anyone could do..

at the end of the day, people are going to judge on who they want to win strictly, by their dancing skills or their fave couple, not by who are the non-smokers who are the smokers..
it makes no difference at the end of the day

Matthew & Christine or Austin & Erin to win SCD!!
just thought i would slip that in there

It's legal but immoral because it's hazardous to your health (and others too). It's expensive to you and to the society. And don't tell me it's none of our business because collectively we do have to pay for the huge NHS bill. It's not better than drug and the only reason it's not make illegal is because of the tax revenue concern. The cigarette companies are so powerful that no government is brave enough to make them illegal, a bit like the gun trading in the US.

But I think the point here is not the rights and wrongs of smoking, but if smoking has hampered or could hamper a contestant's prospects to any significant degree as it might impact on their ability to perform a dance, especially a very energy-intensive dance.

And in mine!

no it really really doesn't

Smoking is not immoral, but the tax on tobacco definately is

The only thing imoral about it is that it is so low.

Smoking related illnesses cost the NHS £2.7 billion last year. The government earned £10 billion in taxes from tobacco products in the same year.

Disapprove of smoking all you like, but at 80% tax income per packet of cigarettes, the government are doing OK by smokers.

Well they are totally deluding themselves if they believe that. You will never hear of an opera singer smoking.

Oops, Pavarotti was a smoker (mainly cigars). Mind you, he did die from pancreatic cancer (which is linked to smoking, but not so directly so as lung cancer or throat cancer).

Smoking is linked to every illness going though. So is obesity/being overweight...and he was a big man.

On a related and coincidental note, a Dr said to me today "smoking is the most under-rated "bad" habit." Tickled me no end

I think Jodie Kidd is a smoker and I know Jellie Wallace is. Don't think Gilly is.


Queen Heather don't smoke though!

Jeez that was an intelligent post - and people have a go because I criticism Christine - grow up

christ, what a lot of sanctimonious posters we have on here - smoking is not immoral when you do it outside in your back garden

it's fair enough that we can't do it inside in public, I have no problem with that, but don't tell me i'm immoral when what I do isn't hurting anyone other than myself, particularly when there's people getting pissed up every night, beating people up and attacking NHS staff

Oh, I'm terribly sorry, must be my mistake then, I stand corrected.

So, according to you, smoking does not affect you physically, and most singers do it because it improves their voice.

Either you're woefully deluded or have access to some revolutionary new medical research to which the rest of us are not privy. Care to share?

Interestingly enough, alcohol abuse is estimated to cost the NHS £3 billion a year, and smoking £1.5 billion. The cost of obesity has doubled in the last 3 years from half a billion to £1 billion - and is rising exponentially, of course.

But then I've no doubt there are no binge drinking, Big Mac eaters amongst your critics, either.

Perhaps the fact it's considered an appetite suppressant has a little to do with it in the entertainment world?

jellie wallace- what a classic bruicie coment

doddery he is not.

well at the end of the day, it depends on how your body takes to it..

alot of performers do it, i dont know why..
with singers i have heard from some of them in interviews it helps them get a certain voice they want.
who knows..
its just my opinion at the end of the day..
everyones entitled to one.

and a few people are being so hypercritical on here.
i bet you if you take a step back and look at whos in your life, a few of them will smoke.
who cares if someone smokes or not?? it dosnt change them as a person..
and theres alot more things that are worse than this..
worse drugs like heroin, crack ectasy etc..
murderers..
theives..

completely agree

I think a lot of models smoke for that reason - Kate Moss springs immediately to mind. I think a lot of actors do because some roles require it - I remember one saying about 1920's plays having a lot of smoking in them - and you can't get away with herbal ciggies because they smell like cannibis.

I never used to mind smokers until I got pregnant now I notice that I pass a lot of smokers in the street and wish I didn't have to because I think that inhaling their smoke can't be doing baby any good. I'm probably just being paranoid though.

It's amazing Nicole can move so fast putting that rubbish in her lungs though.