Strictly '22 #18 — Who's going to lift the glitterball? We don't know, but it will happen in this thread!

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

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We're moving so fast I'm setting this one up to be ready!

Yup, show dance has given down the pan since couples choice. If Hamza had done his couples choice for show dance there would have been far less debate on his worthiness as a winner

I'm so happy for him tho. He learnt to dance on the show. He's not a dancer, he's not an actor. He tramps around the countryside with small kids and does wildlife filming. He's does phenomenally on here

So do I. The couple’s choice IS basically a show dance, what is the point of having both of them? And I seem to remember that previously a couple was voted off during the show and only the remaining couples got to do a show dance?

Kevin won with Stacy Dooley

I thought Fleur was the best dancer tonight, but I think Jowita and Hamza have the best chemistry and that goes a loooooong way.

Aleisha replaced Arlene Phillips the year after she won Strictly. Think she only did one season and then Darcy Bussell replaced he

Thank you! The question was like what was the show Alesha Dixon was a judge on in 2016?

Exactly CC is an opportunity for a show dance for those who don't make it to the final

Fleur was the best on the night. I wanted Helen and Gorka to win.

I’m very pleased Hamza won from his first dance he was enchanting to watch

and to enter the competition with no dance training makes a huge difference

i think Helen was good and Fluer but she isn’t graceful at all Hamza was so light on his feet and there was real emotion in his dancing

i no longer take as much notice of the judges after giving 40 to the most average of dances this never used to be the case seems to be driven by producers now

I always think that CC is a chance for those who cannot dance properly to cobble together something which the judges cannot criticise because there are no rules and guidelines for them to criticise.

IYSWIM

*I always think that CC is a chance for those who cannot dance properly to cobble together something which the judges cannot criticise because there are no rules and guidelines for them to criticise.

IYSWIM*

Absolutely! If you play it right it's a way to stay in for another week

I agree @HRTQueen - loved Hamza from the start and totally agreed with Anton's comments that he was a joy & ray of sunshine.

I'd love them to scrap the couples choice altogether however then we wouldn't have had Hamza's or Rose's from last year. They should limit it in the final though - if they do CC, then their 'show dance' needs to be a traditional ballroom or Latin.

Fleur had a good night. I dropped her and Helen a vote each.

To be fair to Molly, if she'd upped her game like that a couple of months ago, she'd have had far fewer dance-offs.

Hamza didn't have the best night, but he's given the most enjoyable and consistent performances since the begining and is a worthy winner

You know there's a cost of living crisis when even Shirley Ballas is having to Scarlett O'Hara her dining room curtains. Just hide the smart meter monitor, Shirley.

Vito is just adorable. I noticed all the visitors to the training room came up with an excuse to get their mitts on him. I half expected Anton to turn up and use him to show Fleur how to Heimlich.

So the side of Molly we hadn't seen until her showdance was Patty Simcox attempts to do a Bad Girl Sandy. Right.

I loved the cheesy Returning Celebs routine. I've always wanted someone to do a dance to a bit of Mel & Kim .....

...... but not Jayde. God, she just gives off a vibe of antagonism.

I actually quite enjoyed the judges: positive, celebratory, articulate, funny and not afraid to be a teensy bit critical when it was necessary. Why can't they be like that every week?

The Judges' Pick round was really enjoyable; four strong routines, all performed well .....

..... then it all went a bit downhill. The showdances were as ropey as usual, and the Couple's Choice II round made me do a Les Dawson bosom hoick when they said each couple only ever gets one chance to do a showdance.

I wish they'd just let the pros choreograph their own showdances. I'm pretty certain Gorka and Jowita would have done a better job, and Carlos and Vito probably would, too.

Vito swirling maniacally round Fleur like she's a lamppost that's just electrocuted him bodes well for when he's same-sex partnered with an arthritic darts player and his only option is to go the full Ola Jordan.

I was expecting the big band Nat King Cole version of Let's Face the Music and Dance and a more showbizzy, quickstep/American Smooth style routine. That rather nothingy instrumental version didn't get going enough to merit a showdance. Big mistake. Still, if it had gone perfectly, it would have been my favourite of the showdances.

Nice of Florence to pay tribute to Bacofoil. Must be a superfan.

How does that make it more boring? It doesn’t change the rest of the show or the other dances. And, if the least experienced dancer (who scored the lowest) won, then surely that means the one thing he has got over the others is that he is less boring to watch and has made a connection with the audience in a way that the others (all brilliant tonight!) haven’t…?

To be fair to Molly, if she'd upped her game like that a couple of months ago, she'd have had far fewer dance-offs

I think she was disliked for spurious reasons - such as her annoying voice and the fact that she's been to stage school.
Contestants who have been to stage school are never regarded as well as others, in my experience.

They're almost as bad as people with dance experience like Helen who only admitted it a day or two ago

Yes

I wish Fleur had done her AT and Helen her quickstep for fave dances.

I enjoyed more of Hamza's dances through the series, so he got all my votes. He didn't have a great night tonight. Was it me, or did the music for his CC sound different to the first time?

Vito swirling maniacally round Fleur like she's a lamppost that's just electrocuted him bodes well for when he's same-sex partnered with an arthritic darts player and his only option is to go the full Ola Jordan.

I am absolutely waiting with bated breath for this partnering.

I also remember this in the past. I wonder if four went to the final this year because of AJ having to withdraw from the final last year leaving only two? There was a hell of a lot more filler last year because of that. But I do seem to recall one getting dropped half way through the final them the votes re-opening again 🤷🏻‍♀️

As in the New York New Year's Eve glitter ball?!

Yes, Shake CC needs to go, it's always either bad street dance mess about throwing your arms around or barefoot farting about. Which is what made Fleur's and Helen's this year a refreshing change

Kevin won with Stacy Dooley
Aye, in his 5th final, after Susanna, Frankie, Kellie, Louise
He was a bridesmaid in 4 finals, each straight after each other, is what I meant (and never reacted like Gorka)
Gio won with Rose after Georgia, Debbie, Faye
Gorka wasn't owed a win, just because he has been a finalist twice

I remember this, too.

I think the year Sophie Ellis-Bextor was on it she went out in fourth place then there was the 3 couple final, as you describe.

I remember it used to annoy me, that format as you would find out who came 1st and who came 4th but not which way round 2nd and 3rd were.

I think the Denise Van Outen and Caroline Flack series were the same. I had quite along break from watching strictly since around 2017 and only started again last year so it's hard to be specific about changes but I think you are right.

@SequinsandStilettos I take your point re Kevin. He was always a real trouper, and was utterly delighted for his sister when she beat him to the Glitterball with Ore (think that was his year with Louise). Gorka being moody tonight was unedifying.