Layton Williams in Strictly

Layton should get through to the final because it’s an entertainment show and there are a lot of us that get a huge amount of enjoyment from watching him

I love Carlos

Layton does need to go fairly soon, it really isn’t in the spirit of the show.
I do think the single sex couples have a harder job to do as there is often more side by side mirrored dancing. Usually it makes it glaringly obvious who is the beginner, but as others have said not so much with Layton showing off.

It was interesting that Bobby joked about how surprised he was that the professional dancers learnt his routine in about 2 hours when it took him 3 days! That's because they are professional dancers- like Layton! I didn't mind his dance last night though, even though he's a ringah!

Yeah, it stuck out a mile. Very bad form.

@taxi4ballet you’re right, Layton was being flashier and trying to out do Nikita and that’s what felt off. He definitely puts himself first.

Anyone who has been in not one but two Matthew Bourne productions has no business pretending they are just some sleb being taught how to dance and being judged on the same platform as those who don't making a living dancing.

It irked me that they didn’t say that the professionals group Fosse dance a few weeks ago was Fosse inspired as not everyone would know that.

I felt Nigel’s couples choice was quite Luigi inspired (whether deliberate or not)

Giovanni's CCs were so good because he deliberately went for something difficult and with a known style of its own. The trouble with a lot of CCs is that they are something nebulous like streetdance or contempowaft, and there's very little for the judges to go on as there are no rules attached to them.

I could definitely go for something like jazzdance (including Fosse style dance) being a separate category if they got rid of CC.

Or... here's an idea... some latin & ballroom!! 😂

Giovanni's couple's choice dances with Faye and with Rose were amazing dances and it was nice to get them mid-season, but I do agree overall with scrapping CC - it meant their final performances felt like they did two showdances as they both repeated them (I think?) and it dilutes it a little. For weaker dancers it feels like a free pass - never mind about rules and technique, just leap about to the Backstreet Boys after an emotional VT and sail through the vote.

I agree about couples choice.

with a very few exceptions it’s also always either street commercial (in the style of Lizzie Gough rather than the plethora of more current styles) or contempowaft with no Graham/Cunningham et al in sight.

Give me tap, or proper lyrical or or jazz (thank you Nigel) or heels or commercial jazz or something else.

It felt off because it was off. Craig was absolutely right in what he said about it.

If you're going to do a duo performance in that style, it is vital to synchronise and be completely in unison. It is extremely difficult to do, and is a very advanced technical skill in itself. Layton could have done it, but chose to upstage Nikita instead. He's not a better dancer than Nikita, he's just flashier and was showing off, and you just don't do that.

I reckon Angela Rippon and Nigel will be in the bottom two tonight and Angela to go.

I would love to get rid of the couples’ choice now. It’s become more like a showdance which I prefer to save for the final. Layton was amazing. But it was a showdance for the last show, in my eyes!

The trouble is, when the style of dance means that the sleb dances better than the professional, the edges are very definitely blurred. Layton danced better than Nikita last night, but something still felt off.

Completely agree, she seems to have the ability to lose herself in the dance now which is just beautiful to watch.

Angela R is wonderful but I do think she’s struggling a bit now. That said she’s still great to watch.

I haven’t bothered watching much over the last couple of years but I’m here for Angela Rippon. I think she is a truly elegant woman. As a small child I remember when she did the dance on the Morecombe and Wise show and outraged huge parts of the nation by having her legs on display, such innocent times.

I think the one this year who has done the best with no dance experience is Annabel Croft. She's tall, elegant and athletic, but most definitely wasn't a dancer before she started.

Sure it was funny when people who couldn't put one foot in front of the other came on the show and everyone laughed at how bad they were - which I suppose didn't feel very nice (for them either) - that joke has worn thin. It's unlikely someone who thought they had no sense of rhythm would agree to dance in public (unless they were desperate for cash). So we're hoping for some deluded or desperate celebs to come along and give us real entertainment so we can go back to laughing or if they are lucky we get to go on the real journey with them when they realise they can actually dance and hard work really does pay off - that I think is an increasingly rare thing.

To be fair she got 3 10s @Meredusoleil!

I loved Angela and Carlos' tango. That woman's dancing is seriously underrated imho!

Hmm I don’t know I thought he was frustrated/annoyed with himself rather than acting badly. But he could have hidden his frustration a little better.

Harman acted quite shitty last night when his dancing mistakes were pointed out, bad tempered git.

I thought their dance was brilliant tonight. I don’t think he’ll win though