Strictly '22 #10 — Can we have ballroom dancing theme week please?

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Previous thread

A nice shiny new thread for a non-theme week week! Let's hope there are no invasions of haunted bees onto this one...

SPOILER-FREE THREAD

I can’t help but think it was a deliberate move to get Gio & Kai out early to showcase the newbies and it’s all a bit flat for me.

Given that Gio won last year and Kai also got an outstanding dancer for a partner, they were not going to get given another this year. I don't see any conspiracy theory to get them out to let others shine.

Love Ally McCoist. I know he's a scoundrel but he's our scoundrel. I can't believe he was at the bottom of the celebrity table for right answers. He spent years on Question of Sport churning out sporting facts. Fuck off Michael McIntyre with your shite Scottish accent.

Probably more that I think she's quite egotistical as young people who have achieved a lot sometimes are.

also know as being a confident young woman.

In this particular case I think it's because Molly is very young and confident. The same sort of stuff has always been spouted about contestants like HRVY, Maisie, Tilly, Saffron...

I must admit I went off Molly the week her VT was all about going to Sylvia Young stageschool. Nothing to do with her being confident and a woman. Purely the fact that she's been performing from a young age - what an advantage that gives her. I didn't know anything about her until that point and I'm afraid it put me off.

Tony’s time is up he should go the rest are better he’s not doing much dancing. Ellie T grossly under marked so I think she will be safe. Mollie am not a fan at all she could be in danger not sure who else. Will I like but was underwhelmed last night the song his bad trousers not his fault that’s wardrobe! Loved Helen and Kim what was the staring at the end about? Hamza I like too...

Oti won twice in a row and Gio has had good partners in a row Faye & Debbie. Grazia, Carlos and Vito needed their profile raised.

I don't get all the love for Katya - she's been really sarcastic and dismissive towards Tony on ITT each week, and last nights reaction was totally inappropriate imo. She's there to support and encourage her celeb, not be openly angry with them. He's a dance novice, of course he's not going to be perfect. I really felt sorry for him last night.

I love Katya because I don't care about either the pros or the celebs' pissy personalities. Only about the routines. Katya is an amazing choreographer. The way she made Sean Walsh look competent in her Matrix routine..

Gio has had his fair share of strong partners and no one expected Bill to do as well ad he did here.

Vito and Catlos do need profiles raised but I'm still not skeptical enough to think G and K were given the early boot.

Oh no I don't think Gio and Kai were deliberately given the boot. I just think it's dull with all new pros. I guess they will learn. I didn't like Nikita last year but I like his inspired choreo for Ellie this year.

Agree, 100%

Yes, I agree. I don’t follow these threads live but like to read them back after the show to see what others thought of the dances.

The constant Neil commentary is really childish and annoying. I generally like reading the comments about the rest of the show but I’ve never really understood why he gets so much hate here. It just seems so unnecessarily mean.

Fair enough @Lentilweaver .

Really love Tony and everything he brings to the show but sadly he was the worst dancer last night so, as much as it pains me to say, he should go.

Kevin and Kai were both very popular in their first years. Kevin became more annoying later on...

Strictly is a very British show I think, so the pros who are either British or have lived and worked here for years probably have a bit of an advantage. It's probably also harder if there's a bit of a language barrier, which also tends to improve over series.

I didn't warm to Nikita last year but that was probably Gordon Ramsay's doing in fairness.
Vito and Carlos need to find their feet- I'm old enough to remember when both Nathalie and Aliona started, IMO they both completely outdanced their slebs in their first season. And then look how great they both got. It must be hard coming into something where you have to make someone else look good, when your whole career has been about looking good yourself.

Vito does need to dial down the hilarious Italian thing though. It's not new.

I'm not a huge fan off the dancefloor (so in the VTs basically) of Molly or Fleur. Not because they aren't white, or because of their partners. I don't care for Kym off the dancefloor either. And I do agree that Graziano somehow isn't up there with the others. He's Amy. Lovely, competent. But rarely does anything with his partner that makes your heart sing. (though the clips of last night I've seen so far may well change my mind!)

Anyone who thinks Neil isn't an attention seeker should watch him doing pretend surprise at Tyler's marathon the other week. He's funny. I also agree that in the way for both Brendan and James back in the day, any publicity is better than none. I very much doubt us playing "here's Neil" would upset him at all. I do think though in fairness he should be given a partner likely to get through again. I wonder how their contracts are worked out regarding being benched and not. I suppose a lot of them do have other commitments.

I far prefer watching someone who has thrown themselves into it wholeheartedly and improved no end from a truly dire start. Some of the so called better dancers leave me cold and that's not what I want from an entertainment programme. If they've done loads of tap dancing/stage school/musical theatre/pop star performing then it's no surprise that 're good. Some of them are just learning steps rather than learning how to dance and move from scratch,

Molly seems nice, but I think some of the younger celebs (compared to earlier series) are so used to curating their lives all the time for Instagram etc that how they are on strictly just feels like an extension of their 'brand'.

I feel like years ago you got to know the real person behind the celeb much better. Now it can feel like it's still "Molly the actress, singer and tv presenter" rather than "Molly Rainford" we see dancing. It's why I liked Sara last year — I felt we got to know her over the series.

I only enjoy watching celebrities I've heard of, the early days of strictly had some real well known names, lately it's been lots of you tube influencers and cbeebies presenters who I'm not a bit interested in.

I'm having a rewatch of series one episode one. Such a different show!! And of course Brendan 🤣

I think it's all about perception. I've just looked through the Wiki entry for contestants and there are just as many names I don't recognise in the early series as there are now. Influencers/You Tube stars wouldn't have been a thing in the earlier years.

i don't think "fading pop star trying to reboot their career" is any better or worse than a You Tuber recognised by the younger viewers. A variety is good I feel.

I'd never heard of Tyler or Hamza before this, but they've both become my favourites. Similarly for Rose last year, and HRvY the year before. I really like being converted to people I didn't previously know.

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams

i am lighthearted in my where’s Neil, I’m sure everyone is really. I am childish sometimes, granted. I’ll own it. He reminds me very much of when Janette always popped up when Claudia was in shot. Are they aiming him for ITT? Would he come across well on that? Would his personality and knowledge suit?

I think he puts himself out there with his provocative photos. I think he seems to have a sense of humour which pokes fun at himself. I might ask him if it’s offensive to him.

Spotted his back tattoos on something the other day. Not run of the mill tattoos, the style of them was like nothing I’ve ever seen. Loved his back tatts, his arm ones are also very different.

Sorry for waffling. Here is my question. If Neil has outstripped most of the other dancers with wins, (I didn’t know this before you said) why didn’t he get someone like Moll this year, Tyler or Fleur? Genuinely puzzled why he has been sat on the bench if this is the case and new people have come in. Why not sit Gorka, Gio or Kai on the bench in the spirit of fair?

Yes, I'm the same as Romeiswheretheheartis - often it's the celebs I've never heard of that end up being my favourites. I had people I was looking forward to seeing this year that I knew of e.g. Fleur East, Will Mellor, but I'd never heard of Tyler or Hamza for example. They are two of my favourites now.

With the YouTubers/influencers, you have to remember that they often have millions of followers. So even if they are not on your radar, they ARE well known to some audiences. I like the variety and being introduced to people I might otherwise have never have known.

Alesha Dixon for example, was in a garage group. Many would not have known who she was when she was on Strictly, but she was a great dancer and a lovely person and she found whole new audiences. I don't watch Eastenders so I didn't know who Rose was last year. We've had other soap stars from things like Corrie or Hollyoaks too that you would only know if you watch those shows. Danny Mac for example, who was fantastic.