To not be enjoying strictly as much this year?

[Midge1978]

Judging seems very biased, they seem to pick a 'fall' guy or girl each week who they underscore so that Alexandra stays in. Shirley's dreadful nasally grating voice patronising everyone, Bruno flapping about and saying nothing, Tess and Claudia's dreadful 'comedy' skits, the dumbed down "in training" VTs that show bugger all actual training. Feel like I might not bother with it next year!

YANBU at all.

It's dreadful this year. And it's the first year I really haven't warmed to any of the contestants. I mean I quite like Debbie but not enough to vote.

I'd say it's a middling year - Mollie and Gemma are like two turds that won't flush but the other four are pretty good.

I watch it because it’s important to DD (7). It’s fairly dumb but entertaining nonetheless. Surely no worse than other years. Although I do miss Len.

I disagree about Alex - she's the best dancer by a country mile and if she were in the dance off most weeks she'd be saved.

However the judging is oddly inconsistent - how Shirley could give both Molly and Joe the same mark was bloody bizarre and it really irks me.

"Mollie and Gemma are like two turds that won't flush" - amazing! 😂😂😂

I think Shirley gives an additional mark for particular moves she considers more advanced that are completed competently.

We're huge Strictly fans in this house and I have to agree. From week 1 it's been clear that the judges want Debbie and Alexandra in the final. Cannot stand Debbie, and all the fawning over her by the judges. Of course she's amazing - she was a professionally trained ballerina who has obviously kept up her training!

We loved Susan, her joy was obvious and she was a non-dancer before the show. The whole POINT of Strictly is to take people who can't dance or who have very limited experience and to see them improve week by week.

And yes, they need to stop the crappy "comedy" by Claudia, she's better than that.

YANBU according to my mum as I do not watch it.

YABU because the essential components of Strictly - the music, the dancing, the costumes, the fake tans, the sequins - are still there. But I do wish they could find more contestants like Susan who don't have a dance background, because watching her transformation into a dancer was wonderful.

And YANBU to dislike the clunky, unfunny "comedy" sketches.

I do understand that they want to get a mix of contestants - it would be a poor show if they were all as rubbish as Simon Rimmer or Brian Conley. But there's a difference between "can move competently" like Joe McFadden, and "trained dancer with ample performace experience" like Alexandra or Nauseating Debbie.

Perhaps they should look further than the acting profession for their stars, people who act and have been to drama school will have all done a bit of dance. Newsreaders, weather people, politicians, sports people, models, business people - just lots of people who are not in showbiz. My Strictly dream list would be people like Tim Peake, Richard Osman, Nick Clegg, Kirsty Wark, Sarah Millican and Peter Kay.

We were discussing this at work recently. I remarked that we are never shown the scores after the public vote, which I think is rather dodgy. However, I do not like Alexandra at all and thought her Charleston last night was dreadful. She looked like she was barn dancing in those brown clodhoppers.
Mollie's Rumba was also not good, far too few actual Rumba steps and far too much lifting and being dragged around. I still cannot work out why Aston was booted off so early or why Gemma is still in it.
Personally I would make the beginning weeks much more structured and possibly only have 2 or 3 dances per week. That way the audience would be able to compare like with like.
I have also noticed that the cameras often only concentrate on the upper part of the bodies for the first 4 to 6 weeks. Presumably because the feet are just not "there" for most contestants.
In addition I am finding a lot of the costumes this series rather bizarre.
I would like Joe, Debbie or Davood to win.

I think we all know the judges want Alexandra to win and Debbie as runner up.

I agree about both the training videos and the “comedy” links, I don’t know who told Claudia she is funny, as I find her about as funny as fingernails run down a blackboard.

I’d love to see Joe win, he has improved consistently and seems much nicer than either of the judges favourites.

I thought Tess asking Mollie and AJ 'did you kiss on the lips there' was thoroughly naff and cringworthy...it was like she had one of the producer's in her ear telling her to ask. It's as if they HAVE to have a least one romantic pair per season, another box ticked.

I know what you mean. I sort of have one eye on it while reading James Jordan's Twitter feed. He and Ola went out last night.

I love Alexandra - she's fantastic.

Can't stand Debbie, very insincere and not helped by everyone fawning over her.

I was surprised by Shirley giving Mollie a 9. Didn’t they do an illegal lift? So if Shirley docked them a point, which is what she’s supposed to do, that suggests that she thought that boring rumba was worth a 10. As if!

Can’t believe that she gave Joe’s clearly superior dance the same mark. But I think that he’s going to win anyway, even though he isn’t the strongest dancer left in the competition. That girl Katya is a fantastic choreographer.

I don’t bother listening to any of the judges bar Craig and (sometimes, when she’s not being biased) Shirley. I think that Craig usually gets the score right.

The whole judging panel needs replacing bar Craig IMO.

I have an inappropriate crush on AJ

Inappropriate because I’m an old gimmer practically old enough to be his grandmother

Can't stand Alexandra, she's ruining it for me. Smug faux shock at doing well for someone who did dance from a young age and Gorka clearly struggles to find a spark with her.

She was shite in the bodyguard too and a shite pop star

Aston and Debbie should never have been contestants because of their dance backgrounds.

I don't like Alexandra I find her really false.

I loved Susan and agree the show needs more contestants like her where you can see the progress and transformation. I don't really care who wins now.

My favourite thing about strictly is Katya she is friggin amazing

I also have a huge crush on AJ he's just so pretty, and that bum

I normally watch out with the kids, but even they aren't bothered this year and one of them is usually obsessed. I think I've just got fed up with the format, I hate the pre dance videos and the tiresome booing of Craig. I think it might be on its last legs, although I'm sure they'll milk it for a good few years yet.

And that beautiful smile!