Strictly 2023 All Purpose Spoiler Thread

[EineReiseDurchDieZeit]

Here we are

I still chuckle when I think of Joe Varney spinning away from her during their Samba.

Watching Celebrity Masterchef and Max George was saying how much he’d learned on there, more than any other show he’d done - he said he went into Strictly a terrible dancer and came out a worse one, which I thought said everything I’d thought about Dianne as a teacher. I’m not a fan.

Hoping that Katya doesn’t screw it up as I’m a fan of Nigel and want him to do well.

he said he went into Strictly a terrible dancer and came out a worse one
Ouch!

Laura is one of the contestants I always feel for.
I saw her dance on Mo Gilligan's show when Ugo was being announced and she was funny, relaxed and could dance.
She hated being on Strictly and it showed. She wanted no part of the red carpet and social media theatrics and was angry at being paired with a friend's ex for tabloid headlines.

I didn’t think the media storm could get any worse than that incident – and then I signed up for a show that I had loved so much and grew up with, Strictly Come Dancing. I’m still not ready to talk in depth about my experience on the show. I love dancing - I topped the leader board twice – but before it even began, I was thrown into the lion’s den and into the middle of someone’s break-up that had nothing to do with me. Once again, I was a ‘rumoured love interest’.
I was placed with a dance partner I was extremely uncomfortable with – and in the end I felt broken. I cried every day. And I really was broken, both mentally and physically, by the end. To the outside world I tried to suck it up and smile, and I did that to the best of my ability, but it affected me deeply. My friends and family knew that I was struggling. And they were there for me. The media, however, saw me as blonde bait in a sequinned dress.

#MeToo, #TimesUp, #IBelieveHer - The Movements That Taught Me To Speak Up For Myself | HuffPost UK Entertainment (huffingtonpost.co.uk)

“What I didn’t like was being removed from everybody and having to spend 12 hours a day with this one person.
“It did not become about the dancing. I just wanted to dance.”
Laura continued: “I did not want to play the game of doing red carpets with your dance partner and stuff like that, which a lot of people thought you should be doing. I did not want to do that.”
( interview with Jamie Lang/Francis Boulle)

SOME of the pros are more about self promotion and I would place Dianne in that category

While I agree that pairing her with her friend's ex was done on purpose, I have zero sympathy for her. If she wanted no part on the red carpet and social media she shouldn't have gone on strictly which wasn't a new show by then, she knew what she was getting herself into. In 8 years on the show she was Giovanni's only partner not to click with him (let's not mention Ritchie pls) and IIRC she had some sly digs at the show over the years.

I watch Love Island too (don't judge 😅) and its fanbase couldn't say goodbye to her quick enough either, she was an absolute crap presenter there. Also read a few things here and there about her being a bit of a diva on the backstage.

Nah, the scrutiny is insane - I listened to Laing's podcast - she signed up to Strictly but didn't realise she'd be tripping up over paps outside her and her elderly neighbour's house at all hours of the day. The police couldn't do anything because she'd signed up to "that show." I love, love, love Strictly and sleb twaddle but that doesn't mean that the slebs on it are public property.
She loved the dancing and the group routine. She made friends for life like Ore.
Ian (Stirling) years later got dance lessons for them to do the jive as she missed that one, pushing through the pain, when she actually had tendonitis (ouch, it's agony). But she hated the paps, lies being printed, words being twisted.
I think it's underestimated how huge it is.

I'm not saying the celebs are public property, but by 2016 Strictly was already the juggernaut that it is today, she didn't sign up in 2004 completely unaware of what was going on. If she just wanted to dance she should have joined some dance lessons as the dance itself is only a part of Strictly. She's playing the victim card way too much in that interview/podcast. That plus the other stuff I posted about her (being a diva, a crap presenter AND laughing off bullying of a deaf contestant on LI when presenting Aftersun) makes me very much not a fan, sorry if you are.

I'm not a fan - I don't watch Love Island and she's always come across as aloof to me - but I can sympathise with something not being what you thought it would be. I think she'd have been better with Pash that year and Naga with Gio.

Back to this year, apparently Amanda, Adam and Zara's feet are already fucked.
not envy. I'd be having to withdraw week one.

I follow Amanda on Insta and she showed an enormous blood bruise on one of her feet and it looked effing SORE!!!

No as it wasn’t in a public place but as I said I’ll be interested to see how she comes across. And I say from observations that Martin Freeman wasn’t particularly grumpy. Buts it’s a long time ago now.

I totally agree with this!

The Nadiya story has made it to the press, I wonder who leaked she is "fuming".

Do you think there is a leak? I imagine that any if them left out would be fuming so assumed they made the story up!

Do you think they get paid less if they don't have a celeb? They must do.

I think so. They get paid depending on how long they stay in the competition so they must get paid less if they don’t train and compete with a celeb.

People are speculating that it’s because her and Kai did their own tour at the same time as the pro tour. He’s obviously still in though so who knows?

Brendan once said that if you break the sum down to hourly rate it's less than NMW

I don't think that's the case. There are several press articles saying that the pros get paid the same whether they go out in week 1, or make the finals.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/22034424/strictly-come-dancing-salaries-professionals/

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/strictly-professionals-dancers-salary-b2198848.html

So for Kai last year who went out in week 1, his hourly rate would be far higher than Gorka who made the final. Even though he needs to be there every Saturday for the filming.

I'd hope the benched ones also got a flat fee regardless otherwise what's the point for Michelle, Neil and Nadiya, just to be part of the troupe? That said, I don't blame Cameron (or Chloe a few years back) for deciding to go.
It did feel that Chloe was taken on because they wanted AJ and that Neil was taken on because they wanted Katya.
In those cases, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that AJ and Katya insisted on it as part of their negotiations?
Whereas presumably Karen and Jowita were encouraged by Kevin and Michael to go for it without them (they both failed their own auditions).
I don't understand why they had Cameron at all, if they weren't going to use him. Having Vito and Carlos partnered straight away must have felt like a snub.
Did Trent not re-sign up (after filling in for Robin) because of Gordana?
I liked his choreo a lot.
Neil is a World Champion and has only been given two cracks at it? It feels wrong to me. If Lauren does well this year, who returns to the bench when Amy gets back? It's all odd. I think they like some pros to look "available" (Gio, Vito, Carlos) and Gorks gets DILF status but others are left out in the cold (do you think they look at Twitter followers etc?).
It could be that Neil is perfectly fine with it whereas Pissy Gorka wasn't.
Not particularly equitable though - especially the Nadiya benching, given Bobby's height. It can't be punishment for shtupping another pro as Jowita and Gio aren't on the naughty bench (and wasn't he also linked with Luba a few years ago?)

@Stroopwaffels I’ve just read they get paid £25k then £40k if they get past week 4.
Why don’t people like Gorka? He seems lovely

I think Gorka has a reputation for being difficult, bit of a drama queen. I like him - he is from the city in Spain where I had my year out during uni.

All I’ve ever seen is a bit of disappointment when he lost last year. He was probably disappointed for Helen more than for himself because she did incredibly well.

IIRC, the pros are paid a flat fee. It used to be £30 OOO back in the day, then went up to £50 000 a few years ago. The celebs' money goes up if they reach Hallowe'en, then Blackpool, then the final and then if they win. Arguably, it's not bad money for five months' work, but I think what jars for the pros is that they get a fraction of what the presenters and judges are paid. The ones who do all the work are getting the least money.