SCD '23 #17: Semi finals — double the dances, triple the scores, quadruple the 10 paddles? (NO SPOILERS)

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

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Even Claudia can’t produce a reaction to it that seems genuine anymore.

Even the other dancers in the Clauditorium seem bored of it now. It’s a running joke that’s long pass it’s sell by date and the pretence / scripting off it all is just very awkward now.

Like you though, I think he’s lovely and a great dancer. I just wish they’d let him be himself and stop with this “look how crazy and hyper I am” nonsense because they’re making him look more silly with every week that passes ☹️

Me too. Nothing against the very talented Layton, but such an experienced professional dancer should not be what the final of SCD is about at all.

Agreed!

So many people who have trained at top dance/MT colleges and danced professionally/ appeared in dance- heavy musicals have been finalists and winners: Claire Sweeney/ Denise VO/Jay/ Danny Mac etc etc etc. Even Joe McF who is usually not thought of as a ringer was C Potts in Chitty and appeared in Rent in the WE way before Strictly.

We have had ringers year after year and this argument always comes up.

Where do you draw the line? If you watched the 2018 series, why was Ashley Roberts too much of a ringer but not Faye?

I don't mind ringers, and have voted for them in the past if their dance entertains me.

We're heading for the final now and there's really no point in getting upset about Layton being there or even going on to win.

I think he's earned his place and he's worked just as hard as everybody else, while dealing with all the sm crap that will have taken a toll on his mental health.

Not all of his dances have hit the mark with me, but I think that's Nikita's fault rather than Layton's for making them all very showdancey.

I don't expect he'll win, but he has been thoroughly entertaining amd wouldn't begrudge it.

There was also a considerable amount of support for Stacey's partner, Kevin Clifton, who had got to, I think, 4 previous finals without winning, and I am sure that we were being told that that series would be his final one (although he came back for one more).

And loads of actors have done some sort of dancing at stage/acting schools so no difference really

I have not got a favourite this year. I think the judges keeping Angela R in ruined it a bit. Other celebrities went that might have improved.
I hop the final 3 are Leyton, Annabelle and Elle.

'some sort of dancing' at stage school isn't comparable to being a current, highly trained, performing-since-childhood musical star like Layton. Not to mention he's a dance TEACHER too. Faye Tozer is more a singer. Danny Mac and Joe McF are more actors (as is Nigel from this year).

For me Layton is clearly a bigger ringer than they've had on before, except maybe Ashley R. But the voting public kicked her out and, once he's got to the final down to the judges' efforts, he will lose out (probably to Ellie).

“Way before strictly….”

Exactly.

The same turn of phrase can’t be used to describe Layton’s experience…..

I saw a really funny image on Social Media the other day that was making fun of SCD in that it was portraying a TV show called “Strictly Come Singing” and there was a stage full of contestants who’d never sang before with Freddie Mercury amongst them 😂

What I'm looking for is to be entertained, and for the celebrities to work hard and to improve in Ballroom and Latin. I want them to be Strictlified. This has happened with Annabel, Ellie and Bobby, and had with some already sent home.

With Layton, he is entertaining and he works hard, but it's been too showdancey for me. Laytonified, not Strictlified. He seems to be the favourite of Craig and possibly others, with them tending to go easier on him and overmarking him while undermarking others. One example of this was his Charleston versus Annabel's VW.

I'll be happy when all of this negativity about Layton is done. He was asked by the BBC producers to be on the show - he did not steal someone else's place. As far as I know, he didn't hold anyone at knife point.

So, serious question, what was he meant to do? Dumb down his dancing ability? Should he have said no in the first place? We're at the semi-finals and people are still whinging that he shouldn't be here. Yes, he is over-qualified compared to most contestants. But he and Nikita are an amazing partnership, and they both dance with pure joy. They entertain, which for me is what the show is about. I will enjoy watching them for as long as they're allowed to stay in the competition (which I hope is in the final).

What I would have liked him to do (echoing Devon above) is buckle down to learning the fundamental techniques of Latin and ballroom. Most weeks the judges have commented on his lack of these (until recently, when thy seem to have been told to just stop mentioning trivial things like technique and just go on about wanting certain people in the final), but he and Nikita have continued not to nail them.
They seem to talk mostly about wanting to 'put on a show'. Sure, that's part of Strictly, but he can already do that because that's what he's been doing for a living.

Totally agree, it's so tedious. Layton is simultaneously overqualified, a cheat and too good to be in Strictly- and rubbish, overmarked and not getting the basics right. Too good or no good, which is it?

Was there this much animosity about Debbie McGee? I just remember "Brave after her sad story" and "Gosh, she's amazing for someone so old!". But she was a trained ballet dancer.

The general feeling about Debbie was that her age offset her experience.

I also think that a lot of casual viewers didn't realise
a) that she'd actually been a professional touring ballerina
b) that she'd kept her dance practice up at a pretty high level until the present day
c) that as well as being a ballet dancer she'd also been an end-of-the-pier hoofer, ready to turn her hand to any commercial style
d) that she was "only" 59, pretty much Shirley's age. Being so slim meant that some people thought she was older.

This exactly!!

Very well explained 👍

He’s made no real attempt to learn and display ballroom dancing skills and instead it’s just him showing off by doing what he already knows how to do.

To give a bit of historical background to the Ongoing Ringer Debate here's Monkseal's take on the casting announcement of Ashley (I've been rereading through series 16 for a bit of light entertainment)

"Ashley Roberts : I feel a bit like Blanche Dubois running around the apartment putting paper lanterns on all the exposed lights saying this, but remember when there was a bit of MYSTERY about Strictly? A bit of MAGIC?! Some FANTASY! An age when, if they got trained dancers on as contestants to bulk up the quality of the dancing in the early weeks a bit, they at least allowed us to pretend, and believe in the supposed basic premise of the show of celebrities being out of their comfort zone. The ringers, they’d line up saying “oh I may have been fully trained, but I got hideous back injuries and it ruined my ability to perform” or “I just sat on a chair in Chicago!” or “I may have been a ballerina in the Iranian National Ballet, but that was 70 years ago”, or “I’m so nervous quiver quake and ever so unprepared woobie lip wobble” or “I’m Danny Mac, you’ve never heard of me, who knows what I did, ooh look my shirt’s fallen off!” and it gave us a little plausible deniability as we watched them smash Deborah Meaden or Daniel O’Donnell into a fine powder. With Ashley Roberts we have our very first contestant ever where my first thought was that…well, she’s just a dancer. She was a dancer, in a dance troupe, that danced, and I know her entirely for dancing (and being a really terrible judge of THE DANCING ELEMENTS of skating on DANCING On Ice). She’s a celebrity dancer, especially as Nicole never let anybody else in The Pussycat Dolls Erotic Revue & Korean Barbecue Buffet Show sing ever. And we already had a prime time Saturday night reality show where the point was that trained dancers were learning other styles and competing for votes, you didn’t watch it guys, I may have been on the other side of that debate, but we had that referendum already, let’s not disrespect the WILL OF THE PEOPLE by ignoring the result with this sort of nonsense. (Please note : all objections will be withdrawn if she either becomes a hilarious cackling take-no-shits villain, OR a delusional pretentious trainwreck like Nicole “ORDINARY PEOPLE JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ARTISTIC!” Scherzinger was on Dancing With The Stars. But her brand is basically “aww gee shucks lil ol me from downhome bumbleton Arizonee” so I doubt it.)"

Totally agree, it's so tedious. Layton is simultaneously overqualified, a cheat and too good to be in Strictly- and rubbish, overmarked and not getting the basics right. Too good or no good, which is it?

I think parts of both can be true at the same time? He's an excellent dancer, but not very good at ballroom and Latin technique.

Like if you put Annabel into Strictly Doubles Badminton — she'd probably be excellent at getting the shuttlecock over the net from week 1, but wouldn't use the same strokes/wrist action as her pro partner unless she actually worked on it.

Personally, I would rather have one or two ringers than 15 non-dancers. I really don't want to see 15 salsas like Annabelle's, sorry.

I am glad Layton is in this year and hope he makes it to the final, because otherwise the quality would just be too, too terrible in the final, with Nigel and Amanda dropping out. He won't win anyway.

I totally agree!

Personally, I would rather have one or two ringers than 15 non-dancers. I really don't want to see 15 salsas like Annabelle's, sorry

Same. I want to be entertained.

We all know Layton will make it into the final (I don’t even think he’ll be in the DO to be honest) but as long as he doesn’t win it then I guess there’s no point getting irritated about it all.

I think Ellie will win the Glitter Ball as she’s the best dancer but I would love it if Bobby did!! He’s so adorable ❤️

Bit silly for someone to call Leyton a cheat.
im really starting to want him to win.
yes he is a ringer. There have been countless ringers on strictly. Never seen any of them having to put up with what Leyton has. I have never been a fan of ringers. But have found myself voting for him as he doesn’t deserve all this. The production people asked him, blame them if you need someone to blame.

edited as auto correct did wagtail instead of what lol