Complaints about the Strictly line up

[ImJustMadAboutSaffron]

I've read a lot of complaints (none on here, but that doesn't mean there aren't any) about the line up of Strictly contestants being terrible. Grumbling about them all being Z listers, not knowing any of them, same sex couples, dancing is not about sexuality (as in pairing up gay people with someone of the same sex) and making a laughing stock of Ellie Simmonds.

Personally I would like to see two same sex couples, both of the dancers and celebs being straight. Nobody would then complain about it being "woke" and about sexual preferences (which I don't think it should be. It wasn't for Susan Calman, Will Young, Julien Macdonald, Julian Clary)

What do Mumsnetters think about who should be in the line up? If people moan about Z listers (I do think there's a point about this on Dancing on Ice and Love Islanders) who should be on instead? At what level do 'celebs' become acceptable as celebrities ?

I know all of the line up apart from Ritchie and Tyler 🤷🏻‍♀️

I know more this year than usual.

Isn't the same sex female couple made up of two straight women? So you got your wish there.

Aren't they always Z listers? I know about half of them which is probably better than normal for these sorts of shoes.

People just need to get a grip about the same sex pairings. All those trying to claim it's not homophobia, it's just that "it's supposed to be a man and a woman dancing together" should go watch an actual ballroom dancing competition, where half the bloody couples are same sex.

Obviously people taking the piss out of Ellie for her disability is nothing other than disputable.

I really like dance but i don't watch strictly. Over the years there have been amazing performances by people of the same sex or groups of three even. I'm thinking if old black and white Broadway films, and many of those that i can think of also didn't have anything to do with sexuality.

Personally I would like to see two same sex couples, both of the dancers and celebs being straight.

Karen and Jayde are both straight. Why do you need 2 same sex straight choices?

This is a non event in the dancing world. There are loads of 'all girl' couples dancing ballroom and Latin. Maybe Strictly should make more of a thing about that? Show some real life all girl couples?

I was surprised at how many of the celebs I knew this year compared to normal. So not sure I agree with that point either.

Whenever I see anyone fuss about same sex couples on Strictly, I always think about my lovely grandmother, who spent many happy years trotting round the floor at weekly tea dances with almost exclusively women. Not enough men around who could dance. Never stopped anyone having a great time as far as I could see. She’d have loved these latest series of Strictly, I’m sad she’s no longer here to enjoy it.

dancing is not about sexuality (as in pairing up gay people with someone of the same sex) and making a laughing stock of Ellie Simmonds

I disagree; dancing is totally about sex and/or relationships or partnerships. What else is a first dance at a straight wedding, if not a simulated and metaphorical first coupling for the bride and groom? And some dance styles, such as salsa and tango, are absolutely loaded with sex.

Anyone who laughs at or about Ellie Simmonds is simply showing themselves to be an awful, bigoted, small-minded arsehole. They need to get in the fucking sea.

Personally I would like to see two same sex couples, both of the dancers and celebs being straight. Nobody would then complain about it being "woke" and about sexual preferences

This doesn’t make sense. You’d have to ask the dancers’ sexuality in order to establish whether they were straight or not. Which then makes it all about sexuality again.

And isn’t it an emptier — and arguably wokier — gesture to pair up two straight men or women in that way? That’s not who they are, it would literally be an empty and pointless gesture and nothing else. Whereas with gay men and lesbians, by dancing with a partner of the same sex, they’re being who they are.

If you are going to have same sex couples then yes they should be gay OR straight as plenty of professional men have been gay ( no women I think?) and dancing with straight celebs and the alternative is only gay celebs with gay professionals and that limits the gay celebs and there probably aren’t enough gay female professionals for it to work plus I also agree dancing pairs aren’t solely about sex!

But Jayde and Karen are straight 🙄 Agree it's all about the relationship regardless and that's about the connection with your partner, not whether you're sexually attracted to them...

I also haven't seen any complaints and even if I had, they're there every year and yet every year those same people will eneld up supporting someone they would've passed in the street, three months earlier... that's the joy of Strictly, surely??!

I never get the argument about the “quality” of the celebs either. It’s not like they are choosing from an Oscar after party, the celebs have to agree. I never know who the sports people are, dh is always telling me they played for England (not even specifying sport) or the have 75 medals like that magically clears it up. They come from a broad range of fame so who follows it all?! I often know the radio people, once they say cause I don’t know what they look like! And how many politicians have had a social media bump after barely getting a mention deep into the newspaper. Aaaaand finally, the professionals are celebrities in their own right now so do they need to balance an A list professional with a Z list celeb. No of course not.

people don’t half get their knickers in a twist for what is basically a light entertainment show.

I think this is the best line up for years.

TBH the only complaint I have heard about so far this year is in the OP!

I don’t care who the celebs are. It’s like making new friends. I love strictly and won’t have a word said against its joyousness. Purely good vibes on cold dark evenings 💃

I am not totally comfortable about the same sex couples, because it feels like having mixed doubles tennis with a same sex pair. It doesn't feel like a fair comparison, for judging. I'm sure after a while I'll 'get' it, I just haven't yet.
I'm also not keen on any declaration of people's sexuality, in order to facilitate it.

As for Ellie, she was great dancing side by side or solo, the partner dancing looked uncomfortable and we'll have to see how they develop. Her body works quite differently from a typical body, so again I'm not at all sure how judging will work.

I never know who anyone is anyway. I only recognised Will, this year. It doesn't stop me enjoying it.

I didn't know many of this year's contestants. I often don't at the start but that doesn't matter really.

I didn't know the same sex pair were straight. It might help to get some greater diversity amongst the celebs as well. There are some great YouTubers etc that I'd love to see do it but for religious reasons they couldn't dance with a man.

I haven’t actually watched any yet - we’re fans we’ve just had a busy few weeks and away this weekend, planning to catch up at some point this week when home.

Just googled the line up and I know/ recognise all except Molly, Richie, Jayde and Tyler. That’s better than some years. It looks like a fairly standard line up to me - newsreader, ex footballer, Paralympian, someone from Eastenders, someone from Corrie, former pop star/ x-factor contestant, radio djs, few other BBC shows represented, comedians. Will Mellor is a reasonably ‘big’ name in terms of how much he’s been in, and actually Kim Marsh is probably one of the better known ones from Corrie, as is Martin from Eastenders - I haven’t watched either in over ten years but know both of those, albeit didn’t immediately recognise ‘Martin’s’ name. Never watched BGT but it’s a big show so presumably Molly is well known to many.

Cant comment on this years’ same sex partnerships as not seen them dance yet. I really enjoyed John and Johannes last year. Nicola and Katya too although I didn’t think Nicola was that great. It’s just two people dancing together - the first few maybe felt like a big deal in terms of representation, hopefully it just becomes a normal thing that contestants can request regardless of sexuality - so a gay contestant doesn’t necessarily have to choose a same sex partnership, but can do so, just as a straight contestant can. I just read a quote from Jayde who said that it felt natural to her to have a same sex partner as she used to compete in disco competitions with her sister, and to her the partnership was more about sisterhood. It’s two people dancing together at the end of the day - interesting to see how they interpret the dances depending on sex, build, each person’s abilities and limitations etc. The show is about so much more than ballroom now anyway.

@NoSquirrels i love that! Heard the same from my grandma.

Personally I would like to see two same sex couples, both of the dancers and celebs being straight.

Only one of the 4 people involved in the same sex couples this year is gay.

making a laughing stock of Ellie Simmonds.

she has gone into this knowing that it is going to be difficult. Anyone laughing is a twat.

Grumbling about them all being Z listers

I think there's exactly the same sort of celebrities there always is. They always follow the same pattern really.

You beat me to it!

My mum adored this - she performed it as her ‘turn’ at parties. Thank you for the memories.

I'd rather they did a same-sex week where they all swapped partners.

I've danced all girl sometimes, and for me the fun of it was exactly matching dresses and make up (I even know girls who've dyed their hair to match better!) and in Latin trying a lot of exactly mirrored/side-by-side work. That's always going to be harder on Strictly when they're very different levels though.

My complaint this year is that there's a lot of them! The early shows are very long (and I'm still not convinced about them doing any dance any week).

The problem with having same sex, straight couples on the show is it reduces the potential number of celebs who will leave their wives/husbands etc. for their professional dance partners. And under the BBC charter, there has to be at least one per series.

I’ve read lots of comments on MN saying, ‘I thought Jayde was gay.’

Why?? Because she’s tall? Wears dungarees? Doesn’t wear heels?

I swear we’re going backwards.

They are, yes.