Strictly 2022 Thread 2 - Who's your favourite...

[xsquared]

Hello folks,
Last one filled up and I was surprised another hadn't been started for a while.

First thoughts:
I like this year's cohort and I recognise a few faces.

• Jayde reminds me of Dawn French. Wasn't expecting her to be paired with Karen.

• Carlos and Vito will be interesting to watch in their debut. Molly went to Sylvia Young Theatre, so she could be a ringer.

• I've seen Jowita in The Greatest Dancer and she was phenomenal. Hamza looks like he'll be good fun.

• Luba looked amazing during John Legend's performance and it's a shame that neither her celebs went very far. Maybe she's better suited to dancing in the background.

• When Helen Skelton mentioned needing someone who could understand a northern accent, I immediately guessed it was Gorka.

• Ellie and Johannes look good together. She's absolutely delighted with him, and I hope we get to watch them for a good while.

• Matt Goss seems rather subdued, but I think he'll have a good work ethic and deliver a good performance.

Oh thank god! I was just catching up with the last one as strictly is my obsession. Thank you! I'm going to recap in a bit....

I think that all the 2022 celebs are really likeable. I don’t want anyone to leave first! There a quite a few I’d never heard of, such as Fleur, Jayde, the EastEnders chap, the Kiss DJ, the polar bear guy and Ritchie …but by the time they leave I’ll be a fan. It happens every year.

I am into sport so I knew Tony and Ellie S quite well. I also watched Corrie when Kym was in it, so it was good to see her again. Will Mellor is a very good actor, will be interesting to see whether he can dance.

I didn’t understand some of the concern for Helen on the other thread. Has she been ill? I’m not familiar with her and I can’t recall her surname to Google. Gorgeous black Labrador.

I was really excited about tonight but felt distinctly underwhelmed, maybe that will all change tomorrow night.

Helen Skelton is off of Blue Peter and Countryfile. She's been tagged as a Strictly possible forever.

The general sympathy was because she's been on the receiving end of a messy marriage breakup: there were some terrible tabloid "Is dumped Blue Peter leggy lovely looking to find romance with rumba-ing Romeo?" stories, which have been neatly swerved by putting her with Gorka (Helen may be plucky but you'd need to be actually insane to mess with Gemma Atkinson's bloke).

I was pleasantly surprised by Hamza in the group dance, I'd like to see him do well, and it would be nice for Jowita.

Ah thanks Evilringah. I don’t watch Coumtryfile and I last watched Blue Peter when Janet Ellis was on it I think 😆

I'm actually excited for this year too.

Fluer annoys me and always has
Will Mellor - can't wait as he was a crush
Nikki & Ellie - he is so adorable and seems so supportive
Kiss DJ- Tyler, never heard of him but I like him, he seems fun. The shit with Shirley was just for her votes.
Kim Marsh - not a fan
Helen blue Peter - boring
Giovavi & Rose - just beautiful
Matt Goss - excited to see (why mention his dad is an ex policeman) weird
Ellie Taylor- love her already, Johannes is amazing!
Molly - kidding on she knows who he is
Jayden & Karen - Karen is a legend end of
Dunno who the old footballer is sorry but he's going to be the shite one. Loving Katya got him as she canny snog him
Kay Adams - boring

Finding Molly very irritating. Helen rather artificial. Liking Kym and Fleur and Ellie.

I think we need to just sit back and let it happen, I can’t tell if I like ANY of them at the moment. It only happens when you see what they can do.

I’m a Radio 2 listener and they have been DESPERATE to make Richie a “thing” for some years now with his wacky “I love cheesy pop” act - and I’m sorry I just can’t take to him. But I will be interested to see if he changes my mind on this.

Place marking.

Agree with @PuppyMonkey about Ritchie - BBC have been ramming him down our throats over the past few years trying to “make” him. He drives me mad with his “I’m so kitsch” routine 🙄

Of all of them, Ritchie is the only one at the moment who actively irritates me. A bit sad that he’s paired with Giovanni (my favourite pro) but I think Gio was looking forward to this sort of challenge, and anyway his partnership with Rose can never be equalled for me so he may as well have a grinning dud 🤷🏼‍♀️

Something about Carlos Gu, the new pro, gives me the creeps but I can’t put my finger on what it is. Excited for the Vito/Fleur pairing on the other hand.

Can't recall all of the contestants, so won't comment on them all.

Things that stood out:

Matt Goss - sort of has Martin Kemp air about him. Think he will take it seriously and a good pairing for me. He sticks out as someone who has been in LA a bit too long (if hes ever lived there)

Ellie T - Quite hyper, but she's funny and could do well as long as JoJo doesn't out dance her.

Fleur- looks very good already.

Will M - will probably get the middle aged fanny flutter vote.

Kim - Looks like she will be good.

James - very dad dancing, but could do well as Amy is well liked and he seems quite good humoured.

Ellie S - Really like the pairing and think they will do well.

Hyper Radio Guy - I'm not sure they will get on tbh

Tyler - he is the same as Fleur. Good early potential

Hamza - seems like a lovely bloke, can't recall who he is paired with.

Kids show girl - This new pro is brilliant on his own, just hope he doesn't out dance her and takes to teaching well

The Adams Family: I like Jayde and she has rhythm. She looks very strong and tall, so it would be good to see some lifts. Faye, not sure she will be in long, but she looked great. Tony, I am a bit worried it will be a repeat of Robert Webb due to health issues and Katya working him too hard.

Should be good I think. All really likeable. I dont think we are going to get a 'wow they all aren't that bad' first show though.

So chuffed about Jayde and Karen. I really want Karen to win - she's such a fabulous dancer and partner and really deserves it. Jayde is a very funny woman, and definitely had rhythm and loads of confidence in the group dance

Good god, that launch show was an endurance test though. I got sick to death of hearing about people's bloody mums! 🙄 Tonight will be so much better with some actual dancing

I find Carlos much more attractive than Vito, he's a mesmerising dancer, but I think someone should have a word with him about lunging at Claudia, which made me a bit twitchy. She was funny about it, but clearly not keen.

Can't look past Kaye first boot, think Tony Adams' phenomenal fame might save him for a week longer, but I think Ellie T won't be with us long either.

Great to see Ellie S really going for it, she'll be in it for a while. Love Nikita.

Kim, Fleur, Will, Matt are the obvious faves to make it to the end. Can Tyler's brilliant strategic use of his nerdy side defeat the Curse of the DJ and attract some votes to stay with them?

Looking forward to seeing what Jayde and Karen can do, this could be a star-making run for her.

Jayde and Karen are an interesting pairing, could be great. Little Ellie was so gorgeous, I hope the choreography lets her shine. Hamza is great and I'm sure Jowita will rise to the challenge!
Matt Goss looked a bit strange, sort of subdued. Katya is going to have to work hard....

I’m just catching up too, as always feel a bit deflated by some of the pairings and celebs but I’m sure I will grow to love them!

really disappointed for Kai, after last year I thought they’d give him someone good as he seems lovely and makes good tv.

thought they’d also give Karen someone amazing, she seems to get mid range / duffers a lot

Looks like they’ve given some of the really good ones to the newbies which is unusual

I think Kai had a good run with AJ, didn't he? She was a finalist but unfortunately had an injury.

Am I the only person who thought Amy is pregnant ? I'm sure I read it somewhere . Beginning to think it must have been a dream .

Nope. I've just gone hunting and can't find any reference to her being pregnant , so probably a dream. As you were.

I’m not a fan of Richie he’s really irritating, I think it will wear thin with Gio v quickly! Kaye Adams looks fab for 60 but reckon she will go early doors. Love Helen thinks she’s a contender.

Morning, I'm looking forward to this year ,it looks like it's going to be fun , and there is people I actually know 😀

Just you 😀

I think Karen's had her eyes on the same sex partnership for a while. I think it's an eye-catching pairing that could go a fair way so she's probably quite pleased with it. Two straight women dancing together is common in dance competitions, but will be intriguing for the casual viewers.

I haven't warmed to Fleur at all. She didn't mention in her bio that she started on one of the reality talent shows ( X factor? The voice? ) and I didn't like her then - she was full of herself. Now she seems to have resurrected herself as a happy, laughing, full on, let me be your best friend persona.

😁

(tbf, Gemma and Gorka weren't dance partners on the show and they found love, so real couples don't necesarily have to come from the actual pairing, although obvs that's more likely bec of the time spent together)