Well I'd hardly call that comment venomous! And you are only quoting part of what Len said! And his 'anger' has hardly been worthy of ant special mention!

Can't you come up with something better than this to justify saying Len is venomous???


Exactly!

Talk about grasping at straws by quoting what you think fits your argument whilst completely ignoring anything else!

Hang on though...that approach might get someone a job on a red top...maybe Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms A Source is a poster on here!

That's all fair enough. Personally the one who does annoy me the most overall, mainly because he now seems to think he should try and be a comedian, is Len. Bruno has been on the whole very good excepting the cha comment to John. Arlene does wind me up at times but I respect her viewpoint. I think Craig's I mark was the start of the tipping point in Johngate which escalated more and more, and although he's probably the most consistent I don't think I'd really mourn his departure if it happened, though I doubt it. He's gone very catty which he managed to keep in check up to this series.

Professionals don't act as they do, I am not talking about their experience in dance.

You can comment without being rude of belittling, and yes you can still be funny, if you have the ability to do so. Which I find these four do not.

I don't think it's what they say in the show that's disappointing, they were just as critical to other poor dancers as well as John but where they went over the top was appearing on other shows belittling him. Arlene was the worst in this respect (in my opinion).

Professionals who can actually feedback constructively,without the need to ridicule, belittle or be down right rude. It's obvious they don't have the ability to do this.

They think the show is all about them that is what is ruining the show.

I'd beg to differ about Craig. What he says often makes sense, but, from one dance to the next, he's not consistent. He's partial in different ways. Sometimes he ignores technique and fixates on the 'drama'. Other times he stresses technique and ignores everything that was positive. Sometimes he seems to ignore everything and just makes some kind of symbolic point about that week's decisions. That's what niggles about him. Under the facade of being 'serious' he's been all over the place.

I dont see a problem with it, they refresh the celebs and the pros so why not the judges their jobs are not set in stone are they. They are not the stars of the show.

OR ARE THEY?

They vie with each other to see how extremist OTT each can go with impunity, to seize maximum media attention as boldest of the bullies, hijacking Strictly for personal advancement.

"There is no such thing as bad publicity," they think.

Well they advance their own career at the risk of putting people off the show, or attracting people who think what they do is actually funny.

Its not doing the show any good,......

I would like to see Arlene replaced,she went totally OTT going round any TV or radio station that would listen ,and this is why it became very,very, personal,Craig did too but not as much as Arlene.Len overstepped the mark and he probably realises it now,just look at the fallout from this.... and so does Craig hopefully,slap on the wrist for those 2 and a reminder that SCD is a reality show,Bruno has been no different to the Bruno we see every year,he didn't resort to extreme personal tactics and insults,and didn't jump on the bandwagon.
I'd like to see Brian as a judge,he was excellent on ITT,and at least we'd have 2 from ballroom then.
Unless Arlene has some athletic male celeb to drool over ,she seems incapable of making an informed judgement,so no loss to the show.
I really don't want James back next series,all the goodwill he was getting he's destroyed by behaving so unprofessionally... I can't see how he would have any credibility ,who would want to dance with him?They'd be out the 1st week,his outburst shouldn't affect Ola though who I like and the OH loves...can't think why

Ellie

Every street gang contains members desperate to raise themselves higher in the pack by mugging innocents with impunity.

As I've said before about Len - I know it'll be ignored again, but hey-ho - he was always the most likely judge to go a bit mad. He's the equivalent of an academic English Lit examiner (used to automatically marking such things as spelling and grammar) who finds himself in a showbiz version where he's told judges still mark in terms of spelling and grammar except, er, when they don't want to. Then he finds the same judges sometimes ignoring near-illiteracy because the love the story, and then pompously demolishing someone else for being ungrammatical. After a while, observing such contrariness would send anyone a bit nuts. Craig is particularly maddening in this sense, because he's not only switching criteria from one dance to the next, he's dressing up his contrariness in the tones of an Olympian arbiter of all that is right. Even dear old Hermes Pan would want to smack him after a while.

Arlene practically accused John Sergeant of perving over Kristina, which there is no proof of whatsoever, while she clearly does the same thing at a similar age re Mark Ramprakash and anyone else she fancies, and that is all right in her book.

If older contestants, who are clearly unfit, such as Willy Thorne and John Sergeant, are invited to appear, they should be treated with the respect awarded to anyone else. And if Kristina can respect her partner, why can't the judges? How has he lost weight by 'reading the paper'?

Yes I would agree with you if this was West Side Story.
But its BBC light entertainment show about celebs.

Yes, and one of the show's great effects - to inspire people of all ages, shapes and sizes to dance has been undermined by this spate of age/weight insults.

My take on the judges

Bruno is like an over excited puppy, but he doesn't seem to bitch people up outside the programme and doesn't seem to be desperate for publicity like some of the others. I think that is to his credit. I loved the way he danced with Lisa Sunday night!

Len, who I used to like, has lost the plot. He's grumpy and behaves more and more like a dirty old man every week. It's not attractive. His comments seem more and more out of place on a so-called family show.

Arlene is Queen bitch and a right pain in the behind. I sometimes have time to go and make a cup of tea waiting for her to splutter out her rehearsed alliterative rubbish. She is only in it for Arlene and she thinks she is a bigger celeb than the celebs.

Craig talks some sense sometimes but ruins it by being downright nasty at other times. Like Arlene he needs to learn when to keep his mouth shut and not to be such a total bitch on and off the show.

Good post......I agree with you apart from the tea bit..coffee for me.

And a nice choccie hob nob!

just one......and dunked I bet

I'd rather not have a unicorn blown up my arse thankyouverymuch

...except possibly, if it promises to keep its horn pointing downwards as it enters

I'm not ignoring you - I agree!! What Len doesn't know about ballroom and Latin dancing - including judging both at World Championship level - wouldn't cover half a postage stamp (small postage stamp at that!!)

The others are experienced in their own field, but when they start letting off about "technique" etc they just show themselves up... They should stick to commenting on performance, because that's all - as far as the Strictly dances are concerned - they are qualified to judge.

I think if I had Bruno leaping around one side of me, and Arlene screeching in my other ear, and Craig pretending to know what he doesn't (at the very least someone should explain to him that we don't use ballet terms in BB & Lat) - I'm pretty sure that I would let rip from time to time as well.

They need to take their arguements or disagreements behind the camera or with the producers of the show.

BuddyB you can roll your eyes all you like but no amount of sarcasm will change my opinion. Len has been particularly nasty and less constructive this year than normal.

You and I watch the same show, we hear the same comments. Not agreeing with me is fine but I'm curious as to why you think Len's anger needs to get a "special mention" before it has the ability to turn me off. It doesnt; I can think for myself thanks

Up to a point I sort of agree, if their arguments are genuine, but most are done for sake of the camera. And how dull if we had all 4 judges saying - words to effect - "Oh I do so agree with you Craig/Arlene/Len/Bruno darrrrrrling....." all the time.

I seem to remember X-factor ratings started soaring when Louis had his first row with Thingy Osbourne (sorry, can't remember her name) - and that's when the Strictly judges started getting in on the same act.

I agree kaycee, I dont mind a bit of a spar. I dont mind the harsh comments to an extent. But when the judges refuse a couple constructive advice it niggles me. And the real outrage directed at the public over who they favoured really ticks me off.

If we were all to think the same way as the judges then either a) they arent needed, or b) the public vote is irrelevant. They need to stick to doing their job and leave us to do ours.

None of the judges are irreplaceable, most people would probably object to their replacement on a matter of habit alone. I personally would like to see what some new pro judges could bring to the role.