Strictly '21 #11: Craig's found his 10 paddle early this year! Will we get another glimpse soon?

[GraveyardPlotsAndDoomedScreams]

Spoiler-free thread

Previous thread here.

Next week will be interesting. Sara's q/s might be nice, but 9–5 theming is probably going to be annoying. AJ might be great at the Charleston, or her Bambi legs might re-appear. I hope Jojo gets his choreographical mojo back, I haven't really got properly into their last few dances and rumba is a tricky one!

Yes it does make sense thanks!

Gorka pulling Kai into that hell dimension, or whatever it was, at the end of the pro dance put me more in mind of Liz Fraser pulling the milkman into her kitchenette in one of those Confessions films.

Rose is lovely, so I wouldn't wish Giovanni on her as a boyfriend. As a pro he's one of my all-time favourites.

I don't know if AJ and Kai are at it (I will arm-wrestle her! Gerroff my Kai!) but the producers haven't pushed a showmance this hard since the days of James and Camilla.

9 to 5 never quite works for a Strictly quickstep. Too ploddy.

One of my problems with John's dancing is he's too balletic and neat (at the risk of sounding like Len, I'd like him to come out and do something with a bit of 'Gertcha!') but I have a feeling that could make for a good rumba. I hope they go full on filth. I'm thinking Sade.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit

I can't decide whether J&J have gone "off the boil" or if they just came in high and haven't changed

It's haven't changed, but not in terms of standard, it's their routines, they feel nearly identical each week, samey and boring.

The electricity that existed Week 1, the Wow Factor, its gone.

I agree - spark seems to be completely gone and now they're just boring to watch.

I don't know if AJ and Kai are at it (I will arm-wrestle her! Gerroff my Kai!) but the producers haven't pushed a showmance this hard since the days of James and Camilla.

They pushed Brian Fortuna and Ali Bastian quite hard in 2009. And Artem and Kara Tointon the following year. Tess kept referring to their growing off-screen relationships. Has there been anything since?

Well Stacey Dooley got together with Kevin Clifton, and Dianne Buswell with Joe Sugg. Gorka got together with Gemma Atkinson, although they weren't partnered, they met at Strictly.
Giovanni had a relationship with Georgia May Foote.

Tess was grimly over-involved in the Flavia/Matt di Angelo romance while Vincent was standing right there but that was earlier.

IIRC Georgia and Gio weren't up front about their relationship onscreen, Stacey/Kevin certainly weren't and Joe and Dianne again didn't go public until the end of the series.

I agree that they pushed Ali and Brian and Kara and Artem very hard. The concept of workplace relationships being problematic is yet to arrive in Elstree.

My favourite Alesha moment is when she looked at Joe Calzhage standing behind Kristyna waiting for the judges' comments and said in shock "was you smelling her hair?!?!"
He totally was smelling her hair.

It's getting to the point we'll start losing good dancers soon if not this weekend.

There was Rachel Riley and Pasha. I didn't watch the whole of that series though (it was my first - I came in near the end) so I don't know how that was covered on the show.

On ITT Kai was asked about saying, 'I love you so much,' to AJ after a dance, they were asked directly if they were in a relationship, then they showed the child telling them to kiss, and then Claudia told them to kiss. I think they are desperate for storylines this series, other than people being ill and dropping out.

Rachel Riley didn't announce her separation from her husband until she'd left the show, so it would have been a bit iffy to publicise a relationship with Pasha while they were still competing.

I thought it was very crass of Claudia, asking them if they were going to kiss. They rose above it.

@Flyinggeese1234

Does anyone else get irritated by the judges’ failure to answer the ‘why’ part of ‘who do you want to save and why?’ after the DO?

If I remember correctly it was brought in a few years ago for greater transparency on rational for saving (or not) and every week they largely ignore it!

Isn't that covered by both couples made mistakes but couple 1 made less?

I know one dress was cut short for someone else to wear a few years ago @Frezia.

Tess was grimly over-involved in the Flavia/Matt di Angelo romance while Vincent was standing right there but that was earlie

It was so grim, watching Flavia and Vincent dance, the pain was visible, and yet Bruce and Tess constantly made jokes and the relationship was also very Little Boy Fancies Teacher. Puke.

A lot of the actual resulting recent-ish relationships went under the radar - e.g. Pasha / Rachel , Kevin / Stacey , Gemma / Gorka, Joe / Dianne. I think for the first 2 if those, genuinely nothing happened until after Strictly and after the celeb involved had concluded their previous relationship. And the second 2 involved single people.

Molly and AJ were strongly shipped by the likes of Claudia one year but I don't think there was ever anything going on.

I think people were trying to ship Giovanni and Ranvir last year.

I don't remember how strongly they shipped Joe and Dianne

Did Kai and AJ confirm they are an item? Last year I think Ranvir was very keen on a bit of romance with Gio ...but who can blame her !! He is very appealing

No, AJ and Kai have side stepped all the questions!

Kai just looks so... capable doesn't he? Like you could go out and have a lovely time dancing, and when you got home to find there'd been a power cut he'd reset the fuse box and then put the bins out without any fuss.

Watching ITT I have just realised who Graziano reminds me of (it's the hair)...
Lord Farquard from Shrek.

Kai does have that sort of air that he would take you dancing, come home do a bit of DIY and then finish the night off by shagging you senseless.

It was strongly suspected with stacey/Kev and Joe/Diane but due to their relationships it wasn't acknowledged by the main show.

Gemma and Gorka were being talked about in the press by Blackpool.

I suspect the producers are loving a romance (IF there is one!) between two singles.

"Kai does have that sort of air that he would take you dancing, come home do a bit of DIY and then finish the night off by shagging you senseless."

@Seedandyarn yes! In my dreams.

@FuzzyPuffling

Watching ITT I have just realised who Graziano reminds me of (it's the hair)... Lord Farquard from Shrek.

Ha ha yes!

Or...

While I'm here, perching on the arm of the gimmers' sofa, what exactly does "shipping" mean in this context?

@StCharlotte

A verb used to describe the action of wishing for two people to enter a relationship (whether romantic or occasionally platonic) in books, movies, tv shows or real life. Shipping can often happen involuntarily, and it is the majority of what happens on the website, Tumblr. There are some very popular ships, some unpopular, as well as often lots of controversy between ships from the same fandom

@WhereAreWeNow

"Kai does have that sort of air that he would take you dancing, come home do a bit of DIY and then finish the night off by shagging you senseless."

@Seedandyarn yes! In my dreams.

It's an attractive combination isn't it?!

StCharlotte it's when you want two people to be together. I presume it comes from relationSHIP. I think people started using it on internet chat rooms and things where they discussed books/films/TV shows.