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

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Previous thread here.

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I'm wondering if his insistence on always having that salsa lift with his female partners lady bits in his face had something to do with this. He was always keen on that lift wasn't he? 😂

I can see him being hard to work with. It is a bit frustrating that some things get massively blown out of proportionon strictly, whilst other misdemeanors get ignored. It must be hard being a contestant on the wrong side of favour in this show. I do think it'd a bit of a 'club' and you either fit in or don't, and it's shit if you don't.

I remember Gio helped Georgia May Foote escape from an abusive relationship.

I think it must be harder for the pros now they don't come in as couples/dance partnerships.

Before you always had somebody you knew well, and could either work together a bit (I remember Erin and Anton in each other's training sessions to help with hold etc), or just let off steam about your partners together.

Now they don't have that, plus they have to make random combinations work in the pro dances, and do dances that are all different styles and harder to learn than than "section of jive all together, sixteen bars of your own jive, watch the other couples do bits of their jives, final section all together".

It's easier to cut somebody out as well.

A lot of stuff is coming out of the woodwork now, so I won't defend Gio, until it's all explained. I am just sad we won't see him again.

I wonder if Neil will get a shot with a sleb? I am not opposed to him returning; he could take the older ladies.

All this stuff about Gio is so confusing. Lots of people have complained about him publicly but no one has actually made a complaint to the BBC or specified anything that he's supposed to be done? Just made vague statements? Is that right?

Yes @Damnyourheadshoulderskneesandtoes & I feel confused too as can't workout what he's done rather than be a hard taskmaster!

It seems unfair to drag his name through the mud without specifying what he's actually supposed to have done because then he can't even defend himself. Either make your accusation or don't!

I think a legal firm has been retained by one or more of the women now, so whatever is going to happen seems to be moving on to a more concrete footing.

To be honest it’s on us if we jump either way when there is inadequate information.

We All know you shouldn’t believe everything you read and see in media.

None of us should be jumping to condemn the women or Gio.

It will all come out in the wash and until then it’s just as it appears. Some women have been upset or have concerns about their time working with Gio.

That’s how I’m interpreting it as well.

I think the whole thing is weird because if the producers knew he was a hard taskmaster why didn’t they step in years ago?

im also confused. Laura W’s biggest prob was always the fact that they matched her with her mates ex and she found it uncomfortable. But that’s a producers problem surely?

and Ranvir had always been gushing about him so I don’t get where this came from either.

admittedly Gio and Richie didn’t gel - but when I saw him on tour last year, gio made a comment of being forced to dress up as Timon and Pumbaa so I always assumed that the reason gio was so checked out was because of a post-rose high plus shit production choices. Add in a combo of not really liking the partner, but that doesn’t mean he should face legal proceedings.

If they are saying he shouldn’t shout at contestants then I agree. But equally, Katya has been very vocal over how she shouts at hers. Tony Adam’s said it was like being back with George Graham (was that his name? The arsenal manager)

I really don't know what to make of it all. If Laura was crying every single day why did she not just pull out of the show? Was she so desperate for money? I know she was not happy because Gio and her best friend had recently split up but that is not Gio's fault is it?

I am also surprised that Ranvir supposedly had a problem with him. Every time they were together whether on Strictly, It Takes Two or any other programme she was all over him. I remember that at the time newspapers were saying they were an item. If she was upset or angry or whatever with him would she really be all over him like a love sick teenager?

There were stories before Strictly actually started about Amanda and Gio not getting on and I, like probably so many other viewers, watched closely to see how they seemed together. Again they were all over each other. He was hugging her while they were up with Claudia and other couples were dancing. He tickled her a couple of times and they were all smiles and laughing. On It Takes Two they were always touching each other and one time, at least, he had his hand very high up on her thigh. I thought that was a bit off but she seemed fine with it. Again, if you didn't like someone I really don't think you would just accept them touching you so much especially someone as outspoken as Amanda

There were rumours at the time that Laura wasn't originally planned to be with Gio. Then they switched it because of the connection/drama, which if true was very unfair of the producers.

Women who feel threatened and intimidated can do a good public face of all being rosy in the garden.

Obviously their behaviour in public isn’t particularly informative about what’s going on.

It doesn’t indicate either way. Obviously.

And Karen shouting- maybe she reins it in when she has a delicate flower partner (and is able to recognise that someone isn’t resilient).
Maybe a woman being shouty at a man is less threatening than the other way around.

We don’t know either way, but it’s probably going to need addressing officially now in some way as so much mud has been flung at all parties.

Though I think it’s been mainly a narrative of ‘that awful Amanda’ and ‘poor Gio’.

I honestly don’t know what to make of it all. I agree about Ranvir she looked like she was having the time of her life to me.
Maybe there are some celebs he shouts at and some he doesn’t ? It’ll all come out in the wash I expect.
Really hope it doesn’t threaten the future of strictly it’s one of my favourite shows.

And Karen shouting- maybe she reins it in when she has a delicate flower partner (and is able to recognise that someone isn’t resilient).
Maybe a woman being shouty at a man is less threatening than the other way around.

@pickledandpuzzled in which case, the producers need to mandate no shouting whatsoever at contestants and enforce it strictly (pardon the pun). Because you can't crucify one pro for it while saying its ok for others.

I honestly don't know what to believe. Without any actual accusations no one knows what did or didn't happen. But what seems to be clear is that there's been a mismatch of duty of care from the production side of things (e.g. laura being set up to be with a friends ex, forcing gio and Richie to dress as friggin timon and pumbaa when that was clearly a bad idea)

I do think that the perfectionist in him is strong, and that's the case with any top athlete. That obsession with attention to detail is 100% what separates the world champions from the great dancers. Again, the pressure to be perfect and to go bigger and bigger each year is clearly coming from the producers. There's no reason why some couples are dancing 14+ hours a day. It should be limited - everyone should have the same timeframe, not just to protect from injuries but also as a work-life balance/duty of care.

Absolutely.
I think the celebs who still work elsewhere have a better balance, for all they are insanely busy. They remember who they are and what matters.

I do agree that the women could have been putting on a public face of everything being rosy and fine but Amanda does not seem to be the sort of person who would do that.

I thought all the hugging, tickling and touching was out of order really and wondered what her partner thought of it.

I thought exactly the same.

I went to see his "Let Me Entertain You" show a few months ago. My niece and I both love him, his choreography etc, etc. The show was very good, fantastic dancing and I think he does engage very well with audiences (99% female, the queue for the ladies was outrageous).
However some of the banter with the audience was a bit off in my opinion. In particular, he was talking with the lead female professional dancer who was part of the show and said they were like a married couple but without the sex. He then suggested maybe they should include the sex and she says no, he then says he could write it into the contract. It's obviously a rehearsed part of the show but it left a bad taste for me. We were surprised no-one had advised him how "off" that part sounded. Although plenty of laughs from the audience so maybe I'm a bit prudish.

If that's his normal style of "banter" I can see how plenty of women would find that off-putting although it sounds like the complaints are about more than that and we'll have to wait and see what the outcome of the investigation is

It always struck me that Gio likes to generate romance rumours with costars by flirting furiously with them. Rose was a super dancer and very likeable, but I think that the “ahhh they’re falling in love” vibe helped her too. Maybe he crosses the line with some partners sometimes, with the teasing, stroking and eyelash batting. I’m quite a tactile and flirtatious person but not everyone is. I got the impression that Amanda is quite serious and reserved, and was there to learn how to dance/improve her career, not to drum up tabloid headlines.

Just my thoughts. Obviously I’ve no inside info.

Please correct, and forgive me if I'm remembering this completely wrong, but late last year or early this year, didn't someone post on one of these threads, a short clip of Gio referring to Rose as a stupid c-word - as in, "where is the stupid c?" - and her laughing because she was aware of what he said? And didn't a pp respond to the clip along the lines of, so what if it, doesn't prove a thing, after which, nobody else commented?

As I said, if I dreamt it, my sincere apologies. I don't want to add more fuel to the fire. But if I didn't, and Gio did/does speak to and about some women like that, I'm not surprised he's had problems with some of his partners.

I think the appalling abuse Amanda Abbington has suffered on Facebook and online newspapers is disgraceful. Much of this is from women who have the hots for Giovanni.

Don't remember this at all! But I have no trouble believing Gio crosses the line.
As for flirting with partners, they all do.

Remember how everyone was convinced AJ and Kai were dating? Or Vito and Ellie?

I have loved watching Gio, however he is very focused on his work and winning is what he wants. He has practiced and danced and won awards for years. He was ruthless when he suddenly ended his relationship with Maura to focus on Strictly, he is clearly single minded and I can imagine him demanding a lot from the dancers.

Call me a cynic but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he rekindled his romance with Molly when the latest strictly news broke and is now posting all over instagram upping his popularity.

Ranvir was in a vulnerable place when she danced with him, and Laura was Georgias best friend so it would have been hard for her to dance with him knowing how upset her friend had been. Perhaps they did complain but weren’t taken seriously and it has taken someone with Amanda’s tenacity to force their hand.

Though she has supported him Michelle had feisty clashes with him at the time and Rose has said that although she does not know what happened, she believes the women.

Amanda danced beautifully with him but we don’t know what went on behind the scenes. All we know is that he can be the most charming man in public.

On a completely different note, I've just realised that the early election will release a whole bunch of senior MPs in time for Strictly.

I'm assuming that Theresa May won't do it though it's quite a tempting prospect for the casting director. I suspect that she'd find the wardrobe on offer beneath her

The most interesting contenders would be Michael Gove, and, if he loses his seat, unlikely ringer Jeremy Hunt. The word is that Gove would say yes, and I think it would work.

Kwasi Kwarteng will also be available and would have a certain car crash appeal but I assume he's looking for City jobs not media work like Gove so wouldn't say yes.

The non-Tory options would be Harriet Harman/Margaret Beckett (probably too old) and Caroline Lucas (interesting but implausible).