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

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

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New thread to link to for videos, to try to keep this one running faster.

SPOILER-FREE THREAD

someone already said their kids have been saving up their 2ps for the slot machines!

Here's this week's blog. Sorry it's a bit late, DH was in a rush to watch Andor 😏.

THE ONE WHERE THE DEAD RELLIES REIGNED SUPREME

Love the blog thank you.
It was time for Tony to go. He put in a great effort but the competition was tough.
I think Kim will be next. I just can't warm to her.

It's a tough call for next week.

Tyler will pull all the stops out and he is more than capable of doing so. So will Will.

Hamza is home safe
So, I think, is Helen.

Molly and Fleur may again be in trouble despite being magnificent on Saturday. Molly still isn't (according to a poll I saw) getting the likes. I think that could also be down to having a new pro that people have perhaps not warmed to yet.

Kym and Ellie may also be down there. I think Johannes pulls in more votes than Graziano and is undoubtedly a bigger personality in his own right. Kym is a better dancer than Ellie but still doesn't always seem engaged.

I'd go for a bottom two from Ellie, Kym, Molly, Fleur. If either Molly or Ellie end up in DO with one of the other two, I don't think they'd be saved. If it's Molly and Fleur, Fleur I think will be saved. So, on my non technical analysis, I'd say Molly is the one most at risk.

i can't warm to helen or molly. Graziano I like. I would prefer Ellie to get to the final over molly (ringer``0

Um, there’s a difference between wanting to “whip up an issue” and simply making an observation. I hope they did get on well together but I definitely saw them having words the other week which is quite unusual to see on camera.

The only one who I can be certain of being safe next week is Hamza.

Is Will really popular then, because I forget that he's there and he really hasn't wowed me with any of his dances since week 1.

Tony and Katya were definitely having words just before "Keep dancing". That's making an observation, but DM will always exaggerate and create a narrative that's not there.

It made me laugh because she said something about him always interrupting her and then he continued interjecting while she was talking 😁the right person went, Tyler really needs to up his game though - I’d picked him for final 3 after week 1 but he has gone totally off the boil, like he’s lost interest in it altogether.

They're all a bit inconsistent this year, I think it just depends on the week and the dance how they do. I wouldn't say anybody is great at ballroom, or great at Latin (although you get such big gaps between ballroom dances now it can be a bit hard to tell!).

I also keep forgetting people are there until they come to dance. I'm enjoying each week in general, but I don't think I'm very invested in any couple.

It all feels a bit too... slick in a way now. I don't feel like you get to know the celebs as well as you used to.

I agree. They've introduced the awful Couple's Choice and all the mawkish personal stuff in interviews and VTs, as well as all the social media skits, but it's all so calculated and over-produced that it feels like we actually get to know people less. It reminds me of modern chat shows, like Graham Norton, where the celebrity is just there to plug something and their publicist has clearly primed the interviewer with topics to avoid, questions to ask, and pre-rehearsed anecdotes to prompt.

This is Tony's tribute to Katya, and the show in general, on Instagram.

'They've introduced the awful Couple's Choice'

I agree it's a mess now, but remember when Couples Choice made a bit of sense? They had to choose to perform either Street, Contemporary or Musical Theatre. So you had some clue what you were meant to be watching, and they couldn't just come out and jump about and flail around any old how

Totally agree that the mawkish sentimental 'tributes' need to end. Its so self indulgent and cringe. I don't mind people getting emotional about the show, you can see how hard they work and what it means to them, but stop dragging dads, mums, nans and kids into it. I don't care.

Leaf blowing with sequins! 🤣 It was Tony's time to go unfortunately and Strictly will be a little bit darker without him. Such a shame to lose Ellie S and Tony one week after the next as they both exuded so much joy.

... but DM will always exaggerate and create a narrative that's not there.

Don't get how people still read this rag or any of them - not much 'news' in any of them they're all about whipping up hatred and setting people against each other. No need for them at all.

I think Molly has to go. I find everything about her bland, including the dancing - maybe because I can't warm to her. I'd like to see Karen and Neil do a Sunday dance one week.

Kim is way more bland than Molly. So are Will and (last night at least) Helen.

I know what you mean about Kym.
She is an older woman, looks fantastic.
However, seems a bit closed off. It could be nerves , but it just means that I am not as invested in her as much as the others.

I have been watching Strictly since the beginning. For some reason I haven’t been as invested over the past few years.
Needs a bit of a revamp. Would like to see some proper ballroom
I think CC should remain but if they do something interesting. I liked the CC dances by Gio: Faye, Charles/Karen, Gio/Rose and Bill/Oti. Loved Hamza’s and Jovita’s African inspired dance.

Apart from Hamza on Saturday and the Pro dance on Sunday, I'm not sure that I want to tune in. It seems to lack the joy that Ellie S and Tony brought (even though Tony wasn't brilliant)

That was my impression too. He took a breath and seemed to be thinking about what he was going to say and Tess cut across him.

I thought I might get to like Will, but I can't stand him. He even did that silly "look up to heaven" thing when he heard he was through to next week.

That's a heartfelt tribute from Tony.

Same. He's so insincere it's embarrassing.

FartOutLoudDay · Today 09:59
... Tyler really needs to up his game though - I’d picked him for final 3 after week 1 but he has gone totally off the boil...

It’s funny isn’t it, I was expecting him to get stronger every week, whereas he’s still good, but not much better than he was at the start. I’m hoping he comes up with something dazzling before it’s too late.

Yes, for an actor he's really bad at seeming genuine.

I'm usually a lurker as I never seem to catch he programme live, but always enjoy catching up with the reaction here.

Fleur was dance of the night for me on Saturday. Closely followed by Hamza.

However both dances somehow made me miss Oti. I think because her and Danny's samba has long been my favourite and Fleur's is the first to come anywhere near it, while Hamza's dance gave me similar vibes.

I keep think how fortunate Hamza was to have Jowita as his partner as she was incredible through that routine. I just can't imagine a pro like Amy pulling that dance off. Do you think the couples choice style plays a part in the celeb-pro pairing? I.e. street commercial = Dianne... contempowaft = Amy...

Jowita has really made her mark this season. I also wonder whether she continues to be mentored by Oti.

Katya wrote a very lengthy and lovely tribute to Tony on her Instagram.

I am guessing she was tough with him re training, but it looks like they did have a lot of respect for each other.

Another one who doesn't really get the Will love. He must have a large fan base though because he's not been in the DO yet, even though I personally find his routines utterly forgettable.

I don't mind Molly even if she is stage school trained. She's a young woman at the start of her career so I suppose Strictly will give her the publicity and probably contracts for work later on. Her QS was very good and I though she she danced through the rumba beautifully.