SCD week two and on!

[ThursdayLastWeek]

As you were ladies...

Rev was told to keep his fingers together in final dance and I think he did really try to do that

So ok he knew he wasn't the best dancer there but he did try to follow the judgements/instructions given by the judges for his last dance

I really liked watching his enthusiasm but I am biased cos I was a fan back in 80s

Is there a theme for week 4?
I completely missed it if they said there was.

Rev Richard's outfit was contrived to make him look as daft as possible. Once the show tries to make people look daft it, and they lose their charm

Yes, I agree.

It was the same approach they had with Chizzy. Not that she wasn't happy to play up to being the the Pantomime Dame.

Im actually quite angry about how she was portrayed. There was one still of her on the TV last week and she looked like Miss Piggy. Even the eyeshadow was applied to make her look dreadful. And that wig. Just awful.

*So - two weeks in, two minorities down. Disappointed, Britain, disappointed.

I think you're overtaking it all.

overthinking - not overtaking.

I'd like to see Susan in something floaty and sequinned as well, lesbian doesn't mean nothing floaty and feminine. I do think they put contestants in boxes.

I think susans costumes suit her and she is under 5ft and a bit dumpy i think she would drown in something floaty

Poor Rev Richard.

Even Aljaz wouldn't have looked good in that monstrous red suit and terrible Trump-esque wig. No idea why Rev Richard thanked Wardrobe, as they did him no favours at all! Poor bloke.

I thought he was better in the DO - better hands, better jump. Ah well.

Alijaz had his big fat mouse thing going on when he was meant to be Baloo the bear

There are so many songs from the movies they could have chosen - i think that sometimes its just an exercise in who can create the best costumes - which are always fabulous, but in Simon and Richard;'s case just looked to over the top. I also thought that Alexandra was Mary Poppins at first, same sort of hat.

Things I Hate About Strictly

The fact Talentless Tess has the biggest presenting gig on Saturday TV

Tess grabbing the contestants hands despite obvious 'piss off' body language from many of them

The little girl posturing from both TT and Claudia

The awful audience clapping all the way through the dances, even when it is completely not a clapping along piece of music

The music choices not suiting the nature of the dance

This season's terrible singing

The pantomime booing over Craig's comments, which are invariably right on the money

Shirley's inconsistency, particularly around Richard. A shame, as she started well and her technical insight is so good.

The ridiculous sing song way the phone voting number info is delivered, why did this become a 'thing'?

The fakery around the Sunday results show. Why do they persist with this? Everyone knows it is filmed on the Saturday night and no one cares!

The mythology around 'ringers' and 'journey'. Who would willingly watch 14 weeks of crap dancers?

Brendan's Big Mouth masquerading as 'protecting' his partner.

The training videos, which really are not. Instead some vacuous footage with a tenuous link to the 'theme'

'Theme' weeks. I reserve particular scorn for the hell that is Halloween.

I could go on....😀 However, I now record and fast forward as best I can, just to watch those moments of great dancing. Thank you Janette and Aston for this week.

Plus, Aljaz, who is truly a gorgeous man!

Susan wore a floaty dress the first week. It made her look very rotund

I think people's unconscious biases will play a part on who gets voted off, particularly in the early stages before we know contestants. The strictly voting data must be fascinating for sociologists. A black guy winning it last year doesn't mean there isn't a white bias just like having a female prime minister doesn't solve the gender pay gap.

I record too (mainly cos I'm putting kids to bed) and OMG the sheer bliss of being able to FF through the cringey VTs!

I do admire the way Susan is throwing herself into it, but the way she was stomping about like she was straddling an invisible horse........!

I know she was trying to be a superhero but she acted more like she was a WWF wrestler. There has to be some elegance and poise!

*Tess grabbing the contestants hands despite obvious 'piss off' body language from many of them

The little girl posturing from both TT and Claudia

This season's terrible singing

The pantomime booing over Craig's comments, which are invariably right on the money

The ridiculous sing song way the phone voting number info is delivered, why did this become a 'thing'?

The training videos, which really are not. Instead some vacuous footage with a tenuous link to the 'theme'*

Agree with all these, especially the last one. The VTs are just cringey and obviously scripted.

We record it too mainly to avoid Bruno and his overacting you can watch it +results in about 40 minutes i watch more of it when there is less contestants.

The little girl posturing from both TT and Claudia Yes, and Claudia's 'comedy' skits. She's naturally funny and charming; they don't need to make her do those.

The training videos, which really are not. Instead some vacuous footage with a tenuous link to the 'theme' this pisses me off too. What a waste of time! I want to see them actually training, arguing, bonding etc.

I think the Rev went not because he is gay, rubbish or had a dreadful costume and a hard dance, but because he simply isn't that well known. I'll miss him; he was charming, gracious and very funny, and clearly loved the whole thing.

'This season's terrible singing'

Shouldn't that be every season's terrible singing?! The Strictly singers are so crap , they should be on X Factor instead. Truly awful

I don't mind Tess. She's decent enough at the straight stuff, and looks utterly amazing, no matter what sort of horrors wardrobe put her in. She even looked stunning in that rancid Elastoplast-coloured jumpsuit last week.

Love Claudia. A lot. She's one of those people who just has funny bones. I wish they wouldn't make her do the stupid scripted unfunny bits with Tess, although she even manages to make them work. Sort of.

Agree the VTs are pure cringe

No idea what Ruth sees in Eamonn. She's a lovely looking woman, and looked really amazing in that dress on Saturday night. Very tedious the way he pops up in her VT every flaming week.

Would love to hear other poster's pet hates.....

I love Katiya she is lovely and her and Joe were amazing but she is so bloody perky even joe was looking at her with a calm down face on him, ditto Janette just sshhh

I thought Joe was really overrated and overmarked. He was leaning forward a lot and 'stooping' over her, and I didn't think he had much sway or musicality.

Could've done without the underwhelming short sledge ride at the end too.

The marking was generally this week IMO.

I loved it sled snow twirling it was all magical

The mythology around 'ringers' and 'journey'. Who would willingly watch 14 weeks of crap dancers?

Totally agree, imagine this year without Aston, Debbie and Alexandra...

Omg Oneinamillion I am so with you. Apart from the terrible singing. Now I know Lance has a fabulous voice, I've seen him sing live. So why do some songs sound so bad? I think its just they don't convert very well to the more classical format - the mix just isn't right on some of the songs.

So sad the Rev has gone

Shirley has just posted this Tweet with a short video of, I presume, two of her students dancing a Rumba: twitter.com/shirleyballas/status/917383457168330752