Strictly '22 Thread 6 — With NTA-Winning Judge Anton du Beke...

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

...Shirley's bun, Motsi's many little buns, and Craig.

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.

Totally agree

Tony is wonderful and improving a lot. Last week's dance was my fave of the season so far.

Tony is great and what a fantastic charity.
Ellie Simmonds is slightly under the radar but it must be a real challenge for her. She's a little beacon of light, no complaining and no self pity. She's a joy.

Hmm Shirley being nice. Will her niceness last.
Fleur came back strong - gutsy girl.
Loved Hamza's Samba - was my favourite.
James and Helen did good - still rooting for them.

I voted Tony, Will and Ellie S. Loved Hamza but think others needed my votes more.

I thought it was a great show last night; just catching up with all your comments...

@Clawdy I agree, Will doesn’t take criticism well, ditto Kym Marsh. It’s in the eyes, no hiding it. As for the terrible cold, it’s rough, but we all get them, dose up and push on every autumn/winter. It’s not that big a deal. I honestly can’t see much difference in standard between Will and James. Will’s more of a natural and less self-conscious full of himself but James is a hard worker and very good natured - and unlikely to stay in long, anyway tbh.

Re Jayde and her sister - and all other tearjerkers on the show - it’s okay to reference the loss once, in training for instance, but to keep banging on about it on Saturday night seems completely inappropriate to me. I’m not a fan of Jayde, but I wonder if the sob back stories are down to the presenters’ determination to wheel them out, rather than the contestants milking it?

Bloody hell, Gorka. I know he meant well, but that was so 😳 Poor Helen.

Anyway, James, Helen and Tony for me. Fleure, Hamza and Molly were so, so good and high up the leaderboard, there’s no chance of them not being safe.

Agree - but it's a close run race to the bottom with these two genres.

CC is always naff as a rule - and how on earth can the judges mark someone's "journey"? Absolute dross!

I thought Shirley saying to Jayde "you've danced for all those who've lost a loved one" was not appropriate.
It should really just be judged on the dance alone.

You cradle snatcher!

You should be ashamed!

😅😅😅

I just re-watched “Gorka’s speech” and OMG Helen looked furious!!

To announce that Helen “probably doesn’t feel beautiful or good enough” in front of everyone was just mortifying for her.

She looked like she seriously wanted to hurt him.

Im sure it was well intentioned but oh dear Gorka…..bad move!

Someone upthread said something about Louisa Lytton being robbed all those years ago. Completely agree, although I couldn’t remember why. She was robbed a second time when they chose Maisie over her in one of the TV charity events a couple of years ago.

I’d put LL in the gallery of best dancers who never won Strictly with Danny Mack, Aston Merrweather, Alexandra Burke and Ricky something, the guy who danced with Natalie the year Chris BBC presenter won it.

Maireas · Today 08:03
I thought Shirley saying to Jayde "you've danced for all those who've lost a loved one" was not appropriate.

It should really just be judged on the dance alone.
⬆️⬆️⬆️

... can’t believe I forgot Ellie S and Nikita. Hopefully they’ll have got plenty of votes.

First time this year I've managed to watch in real time, so joining you at last rather than just lurking and desperately playing catch up.
Fleur and Hamza were magnificent. Until yesterday Fleur had been under my radar but that was amazing. Good choice of music and no silly faffery. Hamza just made me happy.
I don't find Jayde remotely sincere, and she's the dancer who has probably improved the least. (Matt is the worst actual dancer, but he is improving and looking more comfortable. He made me bizarrely uncomfortable watching him to start with)
In fairness to Gorka, Helen herself thanked her parents first (and I guess everyone knew why- the media and bonkers MN threads about her this week have been proper insane on both "sides" )
Can't really take to James (he looked like he was going to argue the toss with the judges the very first week, but has since turned into Mr Nice Guy but meh really)
Ditto Kym. (who works hard on Waterloo Rd as if the others lie on a chaise longue by the pool all week)
Neil terrifies me. The way his facial reactions are a split second behind whatever Claude has said and he pretends not to know something. Can't remember what, but last week he pretended not to know about (iirc) Tyler and the marathon and did an am-dram "what, no way!!" gurny scary face.

Hope Jayde goes. Don't think she will. Think it will be Matt possibly sacrificed on Johannes' pitchfork.

Just found this thread. I watched last night but we watched it later and fast forward the training etc so I didn't even hear the original story for Jaydes dance, or that Will was not well.

I found couples choice annoying because I feel like the judges didn't seem to critique it from a technical pov (maybe because they are not experienced in that genre) and I did think it was a bit overmarked. I also dislike the barefoot wafty ones - I remember Mark Wright doing a particularly wafty one

I've really enjoyed seeing the improvements in Matt, Tony and James and there doesn't seem a stand out winner yet. Matt seemed to take himself less seriously this week and Tony comes across really well too. I cringed for Helen when Gorka made his little speech/sob story about her and she looked so awkward. And then he came back and said more!! Ellies Little bo beep outfit was awful and inexplicable when it wasn't a character or theme week! Hamza and Fleur were amazing. (I'm pretty sure Hamzas partner said he had also been unwell, but presumably they hadn't mentioned it in the training segment)

On a completely separate note
The world does not need more Joe Swash.
I've always found him fairly inoffensive if a bit too loud but he was recently on The Hit List and was quite unsporting imo and gloating over the team he and his partner (Rita Simons) beat, even though it was her that was doing all the heavy lifting for their team.

I wonder what would happen if a partner relationship completely broke down. Not saying Helen's will but I could see a case for her saying she won't work with him again and the trust has gone.

The world does not need more Joe Swash.
I've always found him fairly inoffensive if a bit too loud but he was recently on The Hit List and was quite unsporting imo and gloating over the team he and his partner (Rita Simons) beat, even though it was her that was doing all the heavy lifting for their team.
yes to this , he was so bloody smug on that.

Just rewatched Gorka's clanger about Helen , her smile disappears very quickly and then , when she realises she's still on camera, plasters it back on but it doesn't reach her eyes and isn't a true duchene smile.

I've just caught up on the couples I missed last night when the washing machine was playing up.Turns out it's an uneconomic repair.🙄

Anyway - Will was good, but Jayde just walked through that American Smooth (think that's what it was) and wafted her arms a bit whilst looking angsty.

Do not even glance at the Daily Fail today if you don't want to see any spoilers before tonight's results programme. They really are bastards in so many ways. For the record, I read bits and pieces for balance and the showbiz side bar of shame obviously.

Helen's probably been advised not to say anything publicly about the marriage split so Gorka's put his foot in it, however well-intentioned.

It's the Daily Mail comments on strictly that usually contain the spoilers not the actual articles.

Yes, don't click on the Mail website today.

Fuckers 🤬

Daily Mail contains no spoilers.
They have an article about someone leaking spoilers.

the80sweregreat · Yesterday 20:12

Farms and dancing .. it's a no

It’s a yes from me! Think of Oklahoma and the raising the barn scene in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Love a bit of country style.

If it contains no spoilers¡ how have a couple of posters seen spoilers on it?

I need to remember not to look at Apple News today as that often has a spoiler pop up on it.