Strictly '22 Thread 5 — Grab your popcorn and snuggle up with Neil in the back row of the cinema...

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Previous thread here

As always, a reminder that this is a SPOILER-FREE THREAD, so please don't comment on the result before the result show.

Thanks for sharing @SequinsandStilettos - that was a fab series! When did they stop doing the final in Blackpool? It always felt much better and really special when the final was there! Love Blackpool.

Based on music alone, I am putting Helen then Fleur at the top this week. Don't care about any of the others and even Jojo as a farmer does not get me excited...

I do like a farm theme. It took me a while to warm to Baron Bon Biscuits a couple of series ago, but I did, and my favourite dance of his was the country boy QS.

Hadn't seen that quickstep before. Wow it's great. Aliona leaping about like a faun but Harry keeping up too.

I agree Bill was well-known, but in the run-up to the show that year they seemed to be pushing Caroline Quentin as the “biggest” name. I think it helped hugely that he was musical, and he also came across as laid back and likeable. The more prickly characters will probably find it more difficult to pick up votes as they go along.

Caroline Quentin has got to be my biggest Strictly disappointment. She plays such down to Earth and funny characters but she was jarring on the show,

Aye. CQ got a bit uber theayyyytre and quite determinedly Conrad Knight Socks.

I was gutted.

I agree @Rainbowcat99 - I loved Caroline Quentin before Strictly, but she didn't come across well in the show at all!

CQ definitely didn’t do herself any favours on the show. It just goes to show, that degree of exposure can break you or make you. She came across as very brittle and difficult. I think she had high expectations. Johannes didn’t seem comfortable with her either I thought.

Oh yes to CQ being a disappointment. At first I thought she must be putting it on, or nervous, because I couldn't see how someone that seemingly pompous with a stick up her arse could have played the roles she had so convincingly and have been married to Paul Merton for all those years.

So I was waiting for glimpses of 'the real CQ' to shine through, like they do on these shows; but it never happened.

She's not the first celebrity where I've wondered why they bothered going on it. They appear to have disdain - in no particular order - for their partners, the process, the music, the dances and the judges. They seem to forget it's a prime time light entertainmnent show, paid for by us. No-one's asking them to abandon their dignity; but they're supposed to get stuck in to the vibe a bit. Or don't go on it.

All I remember about Caroline Q is her licking Johannes!

Yes I liked CQ before Strictly too.
It just shows what a revealing medium TV
is, even in the form of a dance competition.
You can’t really hide. I think she justifiably thought of herself as a bit of a theatre trooper and that would give her an advantage somehow. But Saturday night light entertainment is a very different kettle of fish.

Same with the actor from Murder in Paradise, Danny John-Jules. He was a really talented dancer, and Strictly could have really boosted his career, but he didn’t come across as having a very pleasant character.

It just shows what a risk going on a programme like Strictly is if you are not terribly self aware. Their agents either should have advised them better, or were ignored!

Be fab to see the actual voting figures

That quickstep was fabulous!

What a joy to see a dance with proper content, no faffin' abaht, and appropriate music!

Sorry! That was in response to Sequins video.

Oh Ker-isttt! Yes!

That was . . . disturbing . . . 😳

I didn't think CQ was pompous, more that she was a completely over the top, lovey type. I had thought she was more down to earth.

I think they don't show the weekly voting figures because they don't want people to be influenced by them.

Has the final ever been in Blackpool? Used to be the just past half way show that was there.

I agree, any celeb who’s not prepared to jump straight into Strictly and give it their all shouldn’t go on. Most of them do, but there have been one or two who seem to think they’re bigger than the show and should be pandered to. Danny John Jules was a classic example. I remember him saying he could only be as good as Amy’s choreography allowed, and he didn’t show up on ITT the Monday after he got the boot. A whole bunch of sour grapes.

Yeah, his reaction to begin by voted off really stood out compared to everyone else!

Ooh ooh there was some tea there though! Danny was much aggrieved because Amy had an injured leg for a fortnight and he had to practise with an assistant for a fortnight. He only actually danced with Amy on the night itself allegedly, including the samba he went out on.
Which is weird, right? Surely, one of the benched pros ought to have taken over?

Benched pro that year was Luba.

Don't they have a spare male and female then, just in case?

The benched pros you would think act as reserves but does not always work out that way. Gorka covered for Brendan with Anastasia the week after Gorks was eliminated even though Neil was designated reserve. Kevin danced with Alex but allegedly because Gorks went out for a starbucks.

I remember there being rumours he was a dick/horrible to Amy

But yeah if she was injured why not just swap, they've done that before haven't they?

At the time, Danny was praised for handling Any gently in their AS, having not rehearsed the day before. He claimed it was longer than that for AS and samba and the judges knew they were dancing for the first time on the night. Amy had hurt her ankle in a group dance colliding with Gorka. DIN said extent of injury covered up.

I know the purpose of the clips is to give the stage crew time to turn the set around but they do get so annoying. Less fluff - some technical information about steps would be better. Well anything would be better really.