Strictly '22 #12 — Dig out your relatives from the north west, Blackpool begging has commenced!

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

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SPOILER-FREE THREAD

I'm a heartless mare but all the sobbing tonight made me feel quite queasy. Helen's had her pig of a husband cheat. Tony's been a recovering alcoholic for years. Ellie S never mentioned anything. Of course I feel for Kym. What happened to her happened to my mum. This show however is not the time or place, she should have used This Morning (is that what the show is called?) as a platform. I'm sad for Will but same thing applies. We're going from being too afraid to talk about issues to being incontinent about them. It's real, but it's not entertainment.

I voted for Tyler's bottom. And his dancing, of course!

I'm fed up of the crying and emotional stories too. It's Saturday night, I want glitz and glamour and laughs and fabulous dancing. Just get on with it everyone. I don't mind them getting emotional about how much Strictly means to them, because they all work their butts off and must be out of their minds on adrenaline by the time the live show comes around. But I honestly couldn't give a stuff about families, parents, kiddies, nans etc, living or dead. Yes I am a heartless cow (probably)

I absolutely cannot stand Will. I find him very insincere. Of course its sad about his dad, but that's bog all to do with his dancing. Fleur was amazing tonight.

Have just woken up so caught up with you lot and will get my tissues ready for watching the tears tomorrow.

It's the timing of the #sadstories that's so very very manipulative. They are wheeled out when the slebs (or whoever makes them do it) feel they might be at risk. I'm not sure that all of the slebs decide to do it themselves, but I'm willing to bet they are not-so-gently encouraged to do it. And kudos if any of them refuse- though tbf, I can't think of anyone recently who hasn't. There's time yet for those still in.

They probably would have "encouraged" Ellie S to give us hers had they thought she might have been at risk last week. She's the first shock exit this series...

@ArcaneWireless @SoupDragon and everyone else.

Off to bed. Night all. (PS it was Tom Cruise Reacher but I slept through most of it )

Further kudos to Alexandra Burke and Ugo Monye.

I still like the pp who said that it would be refreshing to hear ‘I’m only here for the money’ or similar. It would be great to hear them say “I’d sell my nan to get to the tower.” The honesty would be a treat.

I know Blackpool is the goal for those who won’t make the final but the stories (devastating though they are for those involved) just make it feel like a verbal version of Murder on the Dance Floor.

Its murder on the dance floor
but you’d better not kill the mood
hey hey hey hey
its murder on the dance floor
but to smile would not be good
DJ gonna sob this goddamn house right down

👠 👠

<whispers> The really big competitions aren't even held in the Tower anyway.

Also, I'm out tomorrow night, so please could somebody else be on thread starting duty?

Where are they held?

Late to the party having drunk quite a lot of gin (opinions may be revised tomorrow when I watch it again with DD, sober) but thought Tony (bless him) aside the standard was very high. Shame Jowita outdanced Hamza as I agree with someone else that he was left looking a bit lumbering in places. Not sure I could pick a favourite tonight - did enjoy Will and Molly actually. Didn’t watch any of the VTs or Claudia bits so missed the sob stories but still found myself crying with Hamza (that’ll be the ).

The Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens.

The Tower Ballroom is absolutely lovely, and really nice to dance in, and in some ways I'd rather dance there than the Empress. It's just when they say "Blackpool is the Wembley of ballroom dancing and all the pros competed here" it's a bit misleading!

Do they get more money if they make it to Blackpool?

Speaking of, I always thought it so unfair that the pros get so little money and the judges get so much. Poor Katya practically breaking her neck in daring lifts to get Tony though, while Motsi just squeezes herself into a dress and cries or babbles utter nonsense.

seems to be a standard question for anyone on TV or sports interviewer now

" what would it mean " if they knew about their subject better then they would surely realise the importance of what a win / getting to Blackpool would mean

as I said previously I would love one of them to answer " just here for the money / promote my flagging career "

Probably written into the contract somewhere about we will drag up a lot of emotions about your "3rd cousins budgie dying when you were 6 as a way of manipulating votes "so if you can sob your heart out at that point that will be great !

Matt Hancock in the Jungle is a fab example of this , just ask him " would you be here if we just bought you an economy plane ticket ?

I am another one who does not want the sob stories on Strictly. It used to be a fun programme to watch but now it's so full of sad stories and tears.

I don't like being sad or crying. I choose not to watch sad films or read sad books. I never watch wildlife programmes because I know they will usually be sad. I certainly do not want to watch a show with dancing which should be light and enjoyable and end up crying with my mood as low as low.

The Saturday Jayde talked about her sister was my mum's first birthday since she died. I had been down and crying most of the day and was really looking forward to Strictly to cheer me up. Ended up sobbing and had to turn the tv over.

I enjoyed most of the dances last night, surely Tony needs to go now. The song for his jive was used in The Full Monty when Horse does his audition.
I voted for Hamza, Fleur and Molly, hope Helen is safe.
Thought Ellie T's Charleston could have been sharper as Craig said.
Thoughts to everyone who has suffered loss.

According to the Sun (but probably reasonably reliable even so), it goes from £25,000 for those eliminated in week 1/2/3 up to £100,000 for the glitter ball. So decent money, but not enormous depending on celebrity status. You do it because you want to or to raise your profile.

If you stay in long enough to go on the tour that's another nice little earner but the figures have never been released. There's big money in the tour but it needs to be split between seven celebs, seven pros, several other pros for the group numbers, a presenter, two judges and Craig who choreographs it. Plus a live band. That's a lot of mouths to feed.

Pro dancers are on a flat £30,000 - £50,000 however long they stay in because they're still needed for group dances etc.

There is one of those beady eyed ambitious contestants on Bake Off this year. He gets masses of criticism too!

Wow the tears last night were just too much! What the hell was going on?! Feel bad for saying this but I find Will really insincere, I liked him previously but seeing the real him has put me off.

I really like Molly and thought she was amazing last night. I’ve never really got the Hamza love but watching him beam last night whilst dancing made my heart feel full, he really is sunshine, Jowita seems so lovely too. Fleur and Vito were outstanding too, it’s nice to see the new pros doing so well.

I feel like Tyler might struggle, he seemed to soar in the early weeks but seems to have stagnated slightly while everyone else is taking off, maybe Ellie might be at risk too. I hope Kim’s safe she seems so fragile, and with the song and the meaning I hope she goes through. Hopefully the right thing will happen and Tony will go.

Maybe that was the tactic - no one mentioned his bum during judging this week 😂

More and more people will like us record it and start watching 15 min late to fast forward the sob stories. I used to watch it all when you saw them actually practicing the dance in the preamble as it was interesting. Now it's just " tell us something sad to emotionally manipulate the audience". It ruins the tone of the show. It's not meant to be a competitive miseryfest

I have only seen hamza was out last night and the kids demanded to watch him this morning I cried for 10 minutes straight
No sob stories just love from a genuine humbling man
Is he doing the tour? Might have to actually go this year

Is that a spoiler @Figgygal ??

That really would be a shock boot!

I think Figgy has only just seen Hamza because Figgy was out last night.