Here is a handy link to the post.

Thanks for pointing us to it!

Totally agree with you Dollystanford. I can just about the get the Ramps love ( though didn't really feel it myself) - but the other two - no don't get it at all. Each to their own I suppose.

I agree.

Not being expert at the dance did not stop Karen or Matthew from performing great routines with their celeb partners. Even Darren and Emma (and I say this as someone who could not stand Emma) performed a technically good AT (bored me to tears but that's another issue).

Karen had, I think, performed in a group AT in S3; neither Matthew nor Darren had had the opportunity to dance AT on the show. That lack of experience did not stop them from turning in decent attempts. Why should it suddenly be an excuse for Brendan? He has had as much chance as any of the other dancers at trying to learn the AT outside of Strictly if he had chosen to. He may feel at a disadvantage compared to Vincent, which is understandable, but I would have more respect for him if he had tried to do something constructive about it like have some lessons in the SCD "off season".

Most of the dancers with the obvious exception of Vincent and Flavia are in the same position, some of them having some experience of dancing one or two AT routines, but none of them having any experience or expertise in the dance except any which they may have gained outside of SCD off their own initiative. It has been mentioned before that salsa and AT are outside the "normal" range of dances the pros expect to dance (and sometimes it's painfully obvious) but I have more time for those who have produced something good *anyway*. It has been mentioned in passing before but why Brendan felt the need to make such a big deal of it...

He may have assumed that he would not get a decent partner this year after having Kelly, but the AT has been a feature of SCD since '05 and a marked danced since '06. All the dancers have had time, if they so chose, to gain a little extra curricular knowledge "just in case". If they have not, then they have no one to blame but themselves.

Generally, Len seems to enjoy not agreeing with the other judges. Usually with a higher mark.

The judges were very generous about Lisa's AT, I thought she was wobbly and they both looked a little amateurish. Her ballroom was good as usual, but to me wasn't worth a 40. That being said I'm glad all three are in the final, as long as Rachel wins and not Tom.

And occasionally lower, with the ballroom. As if to say, Len knows best.

Totally agree. I don't remember any other pro using that argument. Camilla's worry was Tom would not compare well to Vincent and Brendan, and since this is the first semi final that has had 2 female celebs and 1 man dancing the AT I can understand that.

But he does. He's judged ballroom and latin for over 30 years (he first judged Karen aged 5, she's in her mid 30's), the others never have.

I think Len's more honest than the other judges, they all ignore things when they want to give someone a higher mark, Len just admits it. Look at Tom's WV, even I could see blantant mistakes, but Arlene and Bruno ignored that because the performance was good, Craig generally mark female celebs higher than the male ones. I could probably find other examples but I think I've made my point.

Nah. Len's just as bad - "I saw some mistakes but - 10". Which is why he needs an 11, as he has even said himself.

Overall though the leaderboard usually matches the quality of the dancing. But last Saturday Rachel had the edge over Lisa and it failed to show that distinction.

Len always marks down for lack of content and is generally very fair about it, he will overlook slight errors & stumbles though which Craig will pounce on straight away.

R&V's QS AS was far better than this weeks and yet again barely any out of hold for Rachel, also thought Bruno over marked this.

Also thought L&B's AT was somewhat spiky and was raunchy in a bored pole dancer sort of way and lacked the emotional connection of R&V AND T&C.

Thought T&C were very slightly under marked for their AT which had beautiful story telling and style if not content or technicality.

The only fair marks IMHO last Saturday were for Tom's Jive, Rachel's AT and Lisa's slow QS which although slightly slower than normal did work beautifully.