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.

In fact there doesn't seem much chance of romance with any of them this year which has always been part of Strictly's allure and helped bring in massive viewing figures.

Yes I agree! I suspect it is a deliberate policy to avoid unwanted allegations about “the Strictly curse” but I like there to be an allure of romance between one or two of the couples! It’s all pretty unromantic this year!

And simply because it’s traditional that I say this every year now …

I MISS PASHA!

And I disagree about Motsi and Shirley. Dancing is about the body, it’s all about physicality, some of the dances should have a bit of a sexual charge to them.

Obviously Strictly is a family show and there’s a balance to be struck but I think Shirley in particular did offer some good technical advice too.

Yes we want professionalism from the judges but Strictly is the essence of showbizz! I love Motzi for her flamboyance! And surely there’s a long way to go before double standards are reached, given that women have had to endure comments about their physiques for centuries!

So you think if Anton acted the way Shirley does and Motsi to a lesser degree it would be fine?

Fanning themselves, Shirley pretending she is so flustered she can't speak. Look at her when Will finished his dance, standing waving her arms in the air like she is a teenager at a concert. I find it pathetic.

Of course a lot of dancing is sexy. I think a man dancing well is very sexy and last night did think Will was sexy which I something I have never thought about him before. I still think the reaction from the female judges was out of order

I get that standing gives a better view of their footwork but then sit down when they have finished. She is giving a standing ovation - I think she gave at least 8 last night and that is just ridiculous.

Motsi for me is just a waste of space although I do like to see what awful outfit she has on each week

And so let’s not go downwards to meet the male sleaze then. No judge should be making stupid comments and gestures about how ‘sexy’ the celebrities are - they are there to judge their dancing skills.

Yes Motsi's dress sense is eclectic putting it mildly

I think they were referring to the sexual charge in the dance and the way Will portrayed it. It’s very different to commenting on him when he’s just standing there eating a sandwich or whatever. There’s a huge difference between the two because a dance is not reality; it portrays a certain mood or re-enacts a certain scenario, it’s not reality!

Loved Will, Fleur, Ellie T and Helen
Annoyed by Hamza's hair and didn't get the love for him. Half expected Shirley to tell him to tie it up. Jovita is gorgeous.
The rest were meh. Jayde and Richie very irritating. Poor Gio.
Felt sorry for Tony. I think he would have done better with Nadiya.
Again, very sorry for Luba benched year after year but not Neil.

My bet is that Will will win and Fleur, Helen and Ellie T will be in the finals. First out definitely Tony and then maybe Ritchie.

Miss Oti and Aljaz so much.

The Daily Fail this morning suggesting that Richie and Gio aren't getting on...

As soon as Tony was flown in you knew he'd be struggling. I got the distinct impression Joe Varney wasn't too impressed with having a same sex partner. Mind you I find Richie very irritating on the radio so maybe that was just my own view clouding things.

Well they could have just made a comment along the lines of "that was sexy" or something not leer and fan themselves etc.

At least Will is in his 40's. Shirley has often chosen much much younger than her celebs to perve over.

From a showmance POV I guess Molly and Carlos are the only real possibilities, although Nadiya ditching Kai for Matt Goss would be tabloid dynamite and Ritchie wouldn't be human if he hadn't daydreamed about a cross-couple romance with Johannes.

The difference between John last year and Richie this was that John could project a really powerful sense of masculinity which made his partnership with Johannes very nuanced. Richie…can’t. He seems like a one-trick pony - if there’s another Richie beyond the one we saw last night, I’ll be amazed.

We love Ritchie in our house and he has so much joy and enthusiasm.
So jayde isn't gay? I'd presumed she was?

Sorry Richie

I think Gio isn't keen , Ritchie is annoying

I'm pretty sure Jayde is straight, she's said as much in recent interviews. I can find that she was with a comedian called Rich Wilson a couple of years ago but nothing more recent that that. Apart from her 'husband' Clayton 😉

Well. My whelm has not been overed. Usual rubbish over scoring/under scoring/confusing scoring.

I like a lot of folk on the show and dislike a few too. Ask me to choose now? Will. All day long. I also like Hamza.

I cannot for the life of me understand why same sex dance partners are almost like a comedy turn. It just isn’t necessary. It is almost as though same sex dancing is a thing and I don’t see why it has to be. My heart was aching for Karen and Gio. Especially Gio.

I would also like some to to think about how they are selling the dance. Absolutely - sell it. But adding tits, teeth and tushes into it is unnecessary. (Two in particular have been judged big style for it by me and I judge elephant style - I don’t forget)

Shake what yer ma gave ye sure. But don’t use that to sell it. It honks of desperation and makes it feel all grubby.

Maybe it is me. I’m from a corner of the world that scythes tall poppies/big heids and blaws. Show offs are shot down.

To me there isn’t much between enjoying glorious talent and despairing at those showing off. It doesn’t have to be hugely camp either. Dancing is a skill and is beautiful all on its own. It doesn’t need extraneous mince.

I still look at Karen and think she is a goddess. I would love to look like that. And she is captivating. I loveNancy but wish Karen had got Will.

I wonder If Karen does too.

My Inane Ramblings - blog scribblings. More Ronseal than Monkseal.

Jayde is straight. She asked for a woman pro because she didn't think a male pro could lift her and she wants to lift Karen.

I wish Karen had been with Will and won at last.

That's an interesting spin on the "same sex partner" thing.

Are there any dances in which lifts are mandatory though?

You don’t have to be hoisted in the air to do a beautiful dance. It adds to the drama but it isn’t necessary surely?

The male pros always lift the larger female celebrities at some point so it is definitely expected.

I wonder if Gio will walk after this year.

Are there any dances in which lifts are mandatory though?

Not mandatory, no, but they're sort of expected in an American Smooth, I think.