SCD '23 #19: In which we're crowning our Strictly champion!

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

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This is sad but unsurprising news

😭 Gio was my favourite.

This looks fab. Unfortunately, already have two other theatre trips around that time and can’t justify a third, literally across a ten day period.

Nadia and Kai are also doing a show in London at SW Peacock Theatre. I am not keen on Nadia though, so unsure if it's worth it. But it would be nice to see Kai dancing to his full potential.

I saw Kai and Nadia at the Peacock last year, it was good but not amazing. She lacks connection with the audience and Kai can't make up for this.

I see Dianne and Vito are touring in 2025 with a show by Jason Gilkison, I guess this means they will get good celeb partners to keep their profile high in the autumn tv show!

Is this official about Gio leaving Strictly?
Dianne and Vito are absolutely fabulous on the pro tour … I’ll definitely go and see their show 💃🏽🕺🏻

I haven’t seen anything confirmed by either BBC or Giovanni yet so appears to still be rumour at this stage but I really wouldn’t be surprised if it is true (very disappointed though!).

I think it’s a shame if he leaves under a cloud. If he feels it’s time to move in and try new things then more power to him. But the show will miss him I definitely will.

Ah thanks, won't bother then. I will save my money for A Chorus Line which is also coming to SW. I don't enjoy Dianne either so won't go for her show with Vito too. Yes, I know I sound very crabby!

I hope Kai gets a young partner this year. Vito is overdue for a 60 year old.

@Lentilweaver , I adore Kai but felt the show lacked something (due to Nadiya). I hope he gets a younger celeb too.

Top of my list to see is Cabaret in London with Layton as the lead, Emcee, from June to Sept. I've seen the show before but would love to see Layton sing/act.

I love Vito and am tempted to go and see him but really can't stand Dianne.

Dianne is very good live on stage - it doesn’t always come across on the TV. She’s the best in and out of lifts.
Vito is just perfection imo. Loads better dancer than Gio ( he’s great too ofc) and even better than Graz - who puts 100% heart into every dance and is a total gentleman.

Cannot bear Graz, sorry! He may be a gentleman but I do not like his choreo.

Oh going to miss Giovanni, his lovely partnership with Rose was amazing! They had a great relationship and he insisted on BSL interpreters at his shows, I’ve met him in real life and he seemed lovely.

I think Amanda had other issues going on in her life , left a marriage, then her new partner who was a stunt man ended up in a wheelchair all this I believe was transferred on to her time at strictly It couldn’t have been easy for her partner watching her waltz about with Gio whilst sitting in a wheelchair. I cannot believe this did not contribute to the state of her mental health.

I have no doubt he wanted to win they all want to win, but her PTSD might have came from that rather than a dance show.

Laura Whitmore never liked him as her best friend was his ex and messy break up, so she had history, shouldn’t have been paired with him but that’s not his fault.

I don’t feel some of the new dancers are as good as the previous professionals somehow they had more personality, who can forget James Jordan ( what a dancer) Brendan for arguing with the judges and the lovely (always looked kind ) Pasha. I just don’t feel it with some of the new ones.
Hope he can continue his partnership with Anton I enjoyed their light hearted travel shows and genuine friendship .

I absolutely despise the overt ableist opinions and conjecture that was and still is pointed at Jonathan Goodwin. It's narrow minded.

It’s not ableist to say someone’s partner might be upset/ traumatised that someone they love was an action stunt man then left paralysed and in a wheelchair?
It must have had some affect on AA surely? I don’t think I’m narrow minded at all in thinking that.

I meant, as I'm sure you realise,the idea that he was jealous and this had an affect on her meaning he was somehow to blame which has been bandied about very liberally and was last year.

Agree with all of this.

Gutted Gio is leaving & seriously pissed off by how this has come about.

Who was Laura Whitmores best friend that went out with Gio?

Think it was Georgia May Foote @Aquarius1234

Do you think Rose has been advised to stay out of the controversy? I don’t think she’s publicly supported Giovanni in the same way as Michelle, Shirley and Debbie have, which surprises me, given that they’re supposed to be good friends.

I wondered that. They had a great partnership, but there was some footage doing the rounds of Gio referring to Rose in a very negative way, so possibly she doesn't feel able to leap to his defence, even though her own experience with him was generally positive. Who knows?
It's a great shame he won't be in the next series though.

I think Rose said that she would literally turn her back on him while he was yelling at her to block him out, and she laughed him off. She seems like a tough cookie, the implication as I read it was that he tried to bully her but she could cope.

Footage of him talking about her negatively? I hadn’t heard that.

I'm sad about Gio leaving too. His partnership with Debbie McGee was brilliant: he really showcased her talents and was a complete gentleman. His choreography is fab too.

Sigh.

I think the Beeb need to get on top of the rumours about Gio bullying people and put them to bed though. Not good for anyone.