SCD 15 Running out of time just like Ashley

[PawneeParksDept]

Apologies if a duplicate

And we're back

I'd actually love it if there was a shock dance off. I'd like to see the judges squirm defending their favourite who arguably performed worse. Faye could be for the chop in that situation though
Is she a judges' fave on the level of Ashley/Joe/Stacey? I haven't been watching the judges critique

A pp said they thought Lauren and AJ's public vote was highest/2nd highest what with the maths. I wonder if that will keep them out of the DO this week?? Could be interesting. The cynical part of me wonders if the beeb manipulate the voting figures/who ends up in the dance off anyway. It's probably Lauren's time to go.

Yay Oti!

"Amazing" is the most used adjective on ITT

Fashley may well end up in the dance off and I'd be sad if Faye went.
I probably won't be able to resist looking up the spoiler tonight!

I want Lauren to win. I think it’s been underestimated just how much adjustment had to be made for her. I don’t even mind Stacey or Joe to win. I’ve no desire to see Fashley in the final.

I actually think Faye is the one person who would be safe against anyone.

Lauren could be in the DO even if she gets the second highest public vote (I think Joe or Stacey is getting the highest), it would all depend on how well the second bottom contestant scores with the public (assuming Lauren is bottom of the leaderboard).

For example (first is judges points, second is public):

Faye - 5 + 2 = 7
Ashley - 4 +1 = 5
Stacey - 3 + 4 = 6
Joe - 2 + 5 = 7
Lauren - 1 + 4 = 5

This would mean Ashley and Lauren in the DO.

Though I like and admire Lauren, I don't think it's fair to keep her in because she is out of her depth now (it's not her arm, though that might influence the fact that she doesn't use her 'core' properly) She's done brilliantly to keep up with pushy AJ but she needs a rest IMO.

I thought that Katya tweeted she was on the tour before kissgate, so I assumed they'd already signed the contracts and it was a done deal. Bit unfair to dump Neil as well though, what did he do?!

If Ashley hasn't got the public vote she could well end up in the dance off again, but she's so good I can't see anyone beating her. As Jeanette said, she'd have to fall over twice!

@SassitudeandSparkle I disagree, I can't see the judges saving her a third time if she's against Faye, Joe or Stacey, seeing as she has no public support whatsoever. At this point it's less about the dance in the DO, I think judges will look at the bigger picture unless her opponent is absolutely atrocious tonight.

The best Ashley can hope for is a DO against Lauren.

If the judges do their usual “so shocked you are in the dance off” I will have to be prevented from throwing something at the tv!

Ooooh what about the promise in your user name IPromise ? I'm inclined to agree with you though!

I can't see the judges saving her a third time if she's against Faye, Joe or Stacey, seeing as she has no public support whatsoever.

How would they justify choosing Joe or Stacey over Ashley in a dance off, then? They'd struggle to pretend they were voting for the better dancer.

@SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst anyone who thinks they would save the better dancer at the expense of a favourite at the semi-final stage is naive.

It's an entertainment show, the Beeb won't want to keep an unpopular contestant at the expense of a viewers' favourite and turn people off. If it were Ashley's first DO that's one thing, but it will be her third against someone who has never been in one before. There have been many times when the judges have saved someone despite the other dancing better in the DO.

For me Lauren's dances the last couple of weeks have had more dance content than Joe's. I like Joe but would not be that upset if he left tonight although I doubt that will happen

Well they could say that Stacey put more emotion into her dance than Ashley. That is a justifiable reason. Though it wouldn't work with Joe or Lauren. Maybe it could work with Faye.

Only just caught up as I was away over last weekend.

Joe was rubbish and appallingly overmarked. 9s and 10s my arse. The salsa was stiff and he was like a sack of potatoes when that poor bloke had to lift him. I'm thoroughly sick of him and hope to God he doesn't get to the final; he'd probably win if so.

Lauren was good but she is not at all good at Latin so I don't think she should still be there.

I liked Charles' acting in the rumba but thought the dance was blocky and stilted. 'Best male rumba ever' – please! I think Craig has forgotten Colin J's.

Ashley was a bit frantic and rushed.

I didn't like Faye's dance that much. Don't see what all the fuss was about. Giovanni looked terrifying.

Enjoyed Stacey's for the choreography and the emoting, although I don't disagree with pps that it was a bit runny-abouty and contempowafty. And technically somewhat slapdash. I didn't watch the training footage; did she have an acting coach? If so they did a good job.

Interesting that Craig, doing his advice to Ashley for the DO, said pointedly that ballroom wasn't her dance genre at all –clearly trying to acknowledge that yes, they know she's a pro, but also making a point that she was nonetheless having to learn a new palette of skills.

There was obviously no competition for Ashley against Graeme and Charles, but the judges could (and probably would), argue Stacey and Joe are the most improved and I can see Stacey getting a 40 for her Charleston tonight.

I think it's unlikely to happen anyway - it will be Ashley vs Lauren in the DO.

There have also been many series when the best dancer lost out in the final, with the winner inferior in terms of ability. Ore and Danny comes to mind. The judges know this, they know the winner will not be the best dancer. The winner will never be Ashley.

anyone who thinks they would save the better dancer at the expense of a favourite at the semi-final stage is naive.

Firstly, you've misread my comment. I didn't debate whether it would happen, I asked how they would justify the decision, as 'I'm going to save Joe & Diane because people like them better' wouldn't really cut it.

Secondly, I've watched the show from the start and, off the top of my head, can't recall a highly accomplished dancer being ousted from the semis by the judges in preference to a noticeably poorer but more popular dancer. A case in point being series 10, where DVO was unanimously voted through to the final over highly popular but less capable Lisa Riley, even though DVO was clearly pulling a much lower public vote.

Which cases were you thinking of?

Red Right Hand is my fantasy Strictly tango song, but BALLROOM not Argentine Tango; I don't know how well suited it is to the latter.

Neil & Katya are opening their new show Somnium at Sadlers Wells in June; they probably don’t need the strictly tour...

HumbleCrumble I use a virtual private network to pretend that I'm in the UK so that I can watch iPlayer. The one that I use is PureVPN which has an option to pick a channel to watch (eg BBC) rather than just a country.

I think there is a small, but perfectly possible, chance that Faye and Ashley will both be in the dance-off tonight tomorrow. Especially if there are joint places for the judges scores (eg two couples coming second).

I agree, Americano. With two dances, there's more room for one of them not to suit them and for them both to score lower overall than usual. If people then vote for Joe, Lauren and Stacey in droves, which they must be doing for all of those people to have avoided the DO so far, a ringers' DO is quite imaginable. It would be interesting, wouldn't it?

I suddenly remembered one of the larger female celebrities lifting the pro (Allison Hammond and Robin maybe?) So Jo being lifted wasn't even original!

I see Seann Walsh has been making tabloid headlines again with his dig at a comedy gig about kissing a gay man's wife...

Yes I heard that with an 'only joking don't report on that' caveat added to it. Curious thing to say though and all the tabloids have run with it obviously saying 'branded' as opposed to 'outed'. If there is any truth to it at all then (n) probably does feel he has done nothing wrong.

As to using it in stand-up, Katya said herself that at least he's got some new material from doing the show.

Alison enabled Aljaz to use her hands to do a leap off from in breeches in his AS
Robin and Lisa also ring a bell
It was unique as it was same-sex but also two proper full-on lifts, the first of which he totally screwed up in the rehearsal (it's on their review vlog - if you think the lift was bad on the night, stick around). The balance needed on the second lift was decent enough.
He did everything the choreographer - Trent (Pixie's Pro) asked of him. As an absolute beginner he has done really well and I won't begrudge him winning.

Seann Walsh is an absolute cad for making a comment like that. He is just vile. I wonder what Katja thinks of him these days?