Strictly fans over here!!

[FamiliesShareGerms]

who do we think will be the early favourites? Who will get to the grand finale? Who will turn most orange?

It's starting now and I am very excited...!

Thanks Cloud, so I'm already behind. No, dd likes the fact that in X-factor they are 'ordinary people trying their best' not 'posh celebs'. I love her for that, amongst other reasons obv. Damn, why does she have to be such a nice person.

Arlene Philips was asked once, who is the worse dancer/singer that she has had to teach, apparently it was sophie ellis bexter. Two left feet!

Nothing is allowed to stop Strictly being on tv! Everyone gets relegated to other rooms. Missed most of tonight's due to cooking

Thank God for iPlayer!

My DS2 loves BGT If there's one prog I hate it's BGT!

Not a fan of Xfactor either really, just love my Strictly fix of reality tv!

Didn't like new super skinny female dancer who got the fat guy in the red shirt.
James will be well pisses off at getting Vanessa.
Gutted Robin has Deborah so will go early. He is so HOT!

Yeah I feel for Robin too...Deborah seems lovely but she won't go far, she's no Pamela Stephenson! Though I guess she could surprise us.. Robin deserves one of the hot young things next year!!

I'm sure Iveta wasn't that skinny last year. I didn't realise she was that tall either. Perhaps she's been stretched

Matthew Cutler knocked about for a bit in show dances and twirling around when the guest singer performed type pieces, like Ian Waite did for a while too. But funnily enough Nicole Cutler was never seen again on Strictly after she got the boot and complained about the conditions behind the scenes

Maybe Iveta has to fit into Natalie's costumes

I think Ian gets to hang around because he's Darcey's dance partner of choice, and because Zoe does ITT.

Dementedma, you do know Robin's gay, don't you?

I read somewhere that the policy is generally to team celebs who've had a year or two getting to or near the final with someone likely to go out early, which is probably why they've put James with Vanessa. He probably is genuinely pleased to have a reasonably restful series in prospect.

My theory is that there's something in Anton's contract that says he will never be teamed with anyone likely to make the final. Either that or they do it deliberately because his Latin dancing is a bit pants.

Just read in the dreaded DM that it took 5 hours to film the launch show because poor old Bruce isn't up to it, struggling with stage directions and reading names etc. I have a tendency to believe it because I follow a couple of the celebs on twitter and they were up and tweeting in the middle of the night that they filmed it.

It sounds like Tess really has to hold it together, I think she maybe has more presenting skills than we give her credit for, and acts the ditzy blonde for the partnership.

I am hoping Natalie Gumede does well, I'm a big Corrie fan and she acted so well as the evil Kirsty. I liked Mark Benton too in a little known programme called Early Doors a few years ago, anyone remember it?

brave I can well believe that about Bruce! He's terrible with pre-scripted stuff..but did u see the trailer straight after scd for 'when Miranda met Bruce' he cane across as funny & totally with it, as he always does on ITT aswell..he's much better off the cuff, they really need to get rid of him now. I hear you that Tess does hold it together well but sorry I still think she's crap - soo bad at making interviews/comments seem natural, always reading off her little card & stumbling over words. I've said it before but Claudia & Graham Norton should be presenting scd! That would be a dream.

Aw I really warmed to Mark last night he seemed really funny & I reckon he might have some moves!

I really like Bruce. I know he dithers and gets things mixed up and his timing on jokes now is something we sort of laugh at. But he's an elderly chap who is still working and although many think he should not be, I admire him for getting up each day and doing something that he loves. His work ethic, the way is is generally a very nice person with no nasty side to him. Put yourself in his shoes, he knows time is running out, when you are his age, time is of great importance. He knows he has not got long left in him to do the thing he loves the most.
To all those who slate him and jeer, 'get off' lets see you at 80 odd being jeered at at being told you are past it and get off (or out or whatever it is you are doing at that age) Its not very nice, is it? If you can't say anything nice then say nothing at all. Say you dislike him by all means but previous threads about Bruce have been very spiteful and horrible to read. Karma will bite you folks - wait till you are 80 and somebody younger than you writes you off in not such a nice manner...

I really like Bruce too, the Generation Game was my favourite programme when I was young and I have always liked him. I agree Tess holds it together to some extent but I find her very wooden.

Natalie Gumede is my favourite too, loved her in Corrie.

Marking my place for 3 weeks time, can't wait.

My issue with Brucie continuing to do the show is that it feels as though people are laughing at him, not with him. It feels uncomfortable and disrespectful. He was an absolute broadcasting great and now there are people who only know him as this bumbling, stumbling semi-idiot who can barely read an autocue. That's not entertainment in my book.

I hope Vanessa (annoying if she intends to talk back to the judges as she stated) and Tony (I'm not an Aliona fan) go out first, because the others all seem pleasant and fun.

I will try to remember this current feeling of anticipation and goodwill in a couple of months' time when everything from the judging to the music choices to Tess's costumes to Anton making Fiona into a figure of fun is annoying me.

Didn't Matthew Cutler get the boot because Evil Moira Ross thought it might be awkward having his winning partner judging him?

Marking place.

I think Artem and that Corrie girl will win. He looked pleased as punch to be matched with her, and he has a big fan following in his own right.
Awful awful Bruce and Tess. Please make this the last year for both of them.
I think the male celebs are a huge disappointment this year.

Did anyone notice if Anton danced in the pro dance? There are 15 pro dancers, leaving 1 male with no professional partner. It makes sense it would be Anton with Erin gone. He may not take part in the pro dances, or they may be choreographed so everyone is not partnered, I suppose.

And yes, it was completely illogical to have a former celeb judging, even though they don't really judge the pros themselves it would have been really awkward up there for Matthew with his new partner. He had to go, I suppose. I think there was a bit of a cull that year, didn't Ian, Darren and Lilia all go in the same year?

Marking place. Love Strictly

brave he was in the Pro dance, though I didn't see him with a partner - he was dancing on the stage with all of the female pros. His Latin is the weakest of the group, understandably bring a ballroom specialist, so I imagine they'll drop one of the other male pros for any ballroom routines.

I'n guessing Iveta will swap between Anton and somebody else for Latin. I think she favours ballroom, though of course she dances both very well.

Yes I cannot imagine a pro ballroom dance without Anton involved. There are so many new / recent dancers that there aren't many 'established' professional couples, only James and Ola. I just read that the new supposedly sexy bloke (as in the one who isn't little Kevin, the English guy,) is in a relationship with the new American lady, the one who is partnered with Julian.