Strictly Come Dancing 2012 Thread 5: Blingtastic!

[AndiMac]

Godets, ruffles, THOUSANDS of sequins, all for your dance viewing pleasure!

I missed last year digerd but I have been watching a bit of Harry to catch up. Seems a lovely dancer but it's funny how I can't get the same emotional connection when I haven't had the chance to get to know the characters.

And I remember Ramps, and Arlene's reaction to his hip movements. And the big sportsmen - names elude me- who gave their all, and one won with a brilliant performance in the final. And the rugby player with the massive "guns", . Those were the days of great excitement.

Wish arlene was back. Didn't like her much when she was on but she always gave great comments and it's not the same without her

Right, I'm back from footy - just thawing out!

Somebody didn't record last night's prog for me, so I need to watch iPlayer before tonight"s results show.

Ps, good result for your lot Pan!

Frankin
You have had to see his progress, and how intense he was at first. I loved Aleisha, but normally my hearts are with the men who have not had training and start off keen but not a natural dancer. And some suddenly come out one week transformed in the latin, which is usually the men's weekness.
This was while Arlene was on the panel

ps. " weakness" even - got all excited at the memories!!

Baking
I always agreed with Arlene about the performance aspect.

I think the cricketer who won with Lilya Kopulova in 2005 (?) was fab. Apart from the constant self-ref. to "just being a big butch Yorkshire lad" which grated a bit after 10 weeks.

Darren Gough. He was terrible! He got significantly lower marks than the other two from the judges in the final and that was a fair reflection of their respective abilities. Zoe (who got the top mark firm the judges) was robbed. :(

yes, fab only in terms of improvement, MA - agree, he shouldn't have won.

OK why cant you tell us the gossip with the words apparently or allegedly inserted ??? If not if anyone fancies PMing me to brighten my glum afternoon !

Darren was awful, and his "ooh I'm just a bloke" approach bordered on the homophobic. Austin is my idea of a manly dancer - I like a man who's confident enough to do the Cha Cha to It's Raining Men without having a OMG I might catch Teh Gays panic.

Pan
What a brilliant memory you have, just looked it up and it was 2005 when Darren Gough won. He was not a good dancer, but gave a magnificent electrifying performance which wowed the majority of viewers in the final.
I think Colin came 2nd and he was a good and talented dancer and won the later contest?

digerd - thanks but I couldn't remember his name.

was that when Erin had Colin dancing with a mannequin in the semi?

Lady.
His name was on the end of my tongue - Austin Healey with the big guns. he worked so hard he lost a lot of weight and I was worried about his health. I admired him too.

@digerd no that's not what happened. Colin did a show dance which while choreographically brave completely misfired on the night. So Darren won by default. At the 3rd place knock out Len and Lilia and Erin all did a big 'it's SO much harder for a man' thing and poor Zoe - who had got the highest marks - was kicked out in viewer vote. She then went on to do a show dance that was significantly better than either of the two dances that were actually in the competition.

How can people not remember this stuff?

I don't need the gossip (insert pure and innocent emoticon) but from the chorus of eewwwwws and grosses I can only assume it involves a Knight of the Realm. No other combination could do more than raise an eyebrow, surely?

Pan
You are my memory jogger YES, it was and judges didn't like it, still can't remember his surname though, - was it Jackson??

Still get over the shock of Austin Healy leaving :(
He was great.
Loved ramps.
Couldn't believe Darren gough won...
If nicky and Lisa are in the bottom 2 tonight then nicky will go (hurrah)
But if its anyone else and Lisa then she will go.
Probably her time to go tbh...she is being left behind by the others.

yes Colin Jackson - we watched in with jaw-dropped WTF expressions. He should have won, but they managed to grasp defeat from the jaws of victory.

Austin Healy - I had him booked for something else, to do with my job, on the understanding he wouldn't get v far, and so be able to do our job. (sports related). The little tyke did better than expected and so we lost him. [grr]

Pan
Mind you can't remember if it was the semi, I thought it was the final, but was 7 years ago. He was really good wasn't he.

Wasn't he a sportman? here we go again!! Where's the Ginko?

Zoe, unfortunately, was Box Office Poison. She'd been in the dance-off twice despite high scores. I think there had been a story about her home life which had portrayed her in a bad light, and she was up against a couple of very popular men (James Martin and Darren Gough) and a really fabulous dancer in Colin, so the "purity of daaaaance" vote was split.

Rumour has it that Dummygate had no effect whatsoever on the result - Darren was streets ahead in the vote before the showdance, but it was a useful fig leaf to cover up the fact that the worst dancer won on the night (much like Tom Chambers' showdance).