SCD 24 #10 Icons Week Decidedly Not Iconic - NO SPOILERS

[EineReiseDurchDieZeit]

KEEP DANCING!

Totally agree @TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross - Aliajz seems so unfit and really quite big with the costumes not flattering him at all!

For the first time I liked watching Tasha - thought her dance was beautiful.

JB was good but he was bound to be; he's clearly done lots of that style of dancing before. Nice to see Lauren though. Is Amy coming back? She looked brave but sad, like she isn't.

As soon as the 10s came in Amy got really emotional. The pros either side of her were comforting her. I think either she already knows she cannot complete the series or it's uncertain. It's very sad for her.

JB was looking solid as a dancer last night. Perhaps it would have been easier for Amy's health and stamina if she had got someone less competent so she was out after 4-5 weeks.

Pete went too wrong too much. Good lifts and good characterisation though. I still like him.

If he's in the dance off though, he just has to get it right the second time and he should be safe.

Yes!

Oh dear.

It was so not iconic, as to be ironic.

Should have done that for the title !

I noticed how heavily he was breathing standing next to Tess after the dance and then up in the Clauditrium (though I guess that could have been a mic issue).

It would probably be better for all concerned if Amy stepped back from JB and Saturday night, and perhaps did ITT and radio interviews etc as a pundit. But obv that’s up to them/the producer/the doctor.

I was glad to see that she wasn’t hospitalised for too long. I thought she looked lovely last night, if a bit tired.

I love Claudia’s natural warmth and her ability to react to absolutely anything, whether it’s something funny or something poignant.

One of my good friends is a doctor and she is very concerned about Aljaz being so breathless.

@TennisWithDeborah

I have a lot of time for Claudia as well

I wondered if tashas mic is picking up more of alijaz breathing? Maybe it's up higher than normal?

Haha! I love your titles 😂

It really really was a nondescript week.
Just wish they'd do away with all the themed stuff and get back to some proper Len-approved dancing!

Alijaz was a last minute sub, perhaps he has succumbed to the SAHD life and doesn’t keep strictly fit anymore.

JB and Shayne stood out from the crowd last night.

Wynne, Sam and Jamie were very poor- and dare I say, and also boring.

Amy's comment about running up to Lauren in Blackpool, when she was eight years old, did sound a bit odd. It suggested Lauren was yonks older.

However, I don't think it was said in malice, more that, an obviously very upset Amy was trying to be find something nice to say while struggling to not cry. God love her, the disappointment at not being able to dance and having to watch on from the side lines must be crushing.

Will we ever see a proper set of top and tails again or traditional music.

All the musical skull-faffing-about-tary and eye-blinding men-thongs, would make you hanker for the joyous days of Brucie and Len.

Wynne wore proper tails for his waltz a few weeks ago. Doesn’t happen often enough though!

God love her, the disappointment at not being able to dance and having to watch on from the side lines must be crushing.

I think it's always going to be awkward if/when the sleb does better, and it's happened before on Strictly, but it's easier for a thrupple when the injured pro at least did the choreo (e.g. DWTS Shana Burgess/James Hinchcliffe/Jenna Johnson). Last night's was Couples' Choice so outside choreographers (was it Tommy and Lizzy? Looked like one of theirs).
Add to that Amy's anxiety over losing her place permanently when she was so ill and it's bound to be a body blow. I hope she'll rest rather than force herself back too quickly just because they did well and she fears being benched in the future. I liked the routine but it wasn't 10s for me.
All couples choices should be done in the same week imo.
As others have said, they are usually overmarked and the narratives behind the contempowafts often make it very hard to judge objectively.

As for the benching itself of uninjured pros, I hate it. I'd rather they had a set troupe and you were taken on as a troupe member/a permanent pro for all Xmas/charity specials and got "promoted" to the main cast when there was a natural gap/a pro moved on by choice. Not being announced as a new Strictly pro but then seeing new signings or being picked up/dropped/benched randomly. #justiceforChloe/Cameron

Or if you have surplus pros every time then they ought to draw lots on the benching. I'm really not sure I believe pairing is down to the chemistry tests/heights and they can't share out the sitting out. Or you win the and leave! Joanne, Aliona, Camilla you were pioneers!!

As others have said, Amy should have been given a duffer this year.

Boo, forgot Aliona won twice. Who else won the glitterball then just went? Just Camilla and Joanne or was there another?

edit: Flavia!

I didn't find Jamie boring and Wynne was less boring than Pete and Chris

I see Johannes is taking the lead for tonight’s pro dance in a Beyoncé tribute. I’ve seen some of the rehearsal footage and he’s in heels, so wonder how he’ll compare with Yanis Marshall (I’ll pop a video of his and his Beyoncé routine on the video thread).

As an aside, we know the group dances are filmed in advance so do we think they’re frantically re-editing all the footage to cut any close ups of Amy out?

I quite like Carlos as a benched pro. He isn't let anyone forget he exists and his fun, rather quirky side is coming out. I think I prefer him now than when he had a partner!

I have just watched on Catch Up so couldn't vote. Bless Jamie, he's no George , is he? Sadly, he was channelling a bit more Craig MacLachlan. I guess Henry form Neighbours could be an icon of sorts??

We caught up today. Loved JB and Lauren (but then I love Bruno Mars). Thought that really played to his strengths and Lauren was great with him. It really wouldn't have suited Amy's choreography.

I thought Sarah was good, but those trousers! Also liked, but didn't love, Tasha. She's technically amazing, but something always leaves me feeling a bit cold.

Chris continues to amaze me, even though that wasn't his best dance. His musicality is amazing and Dianne has done wonders with him. I think he may be in the dance off this week though, along with Pete who didn't have his best week.

I'm hoping that this is the last 'dress up' week of the series though, especially with the judges. What I'd really love to see is each dance done in traditional outfits (although maybe not the puffy dresses and arm hankies that they used to have on Come Dancing!).

I'm appreciating Dianne a lot more than usual this year. I can't get my head around how you teach someone who can't see what you want them to replicate- like having no idea what a tango looks like. The choreography hasn't been dumbed down Merson style either, they are going for it. I'm guessing that Chris generally moves through spaces by measuring with counting anyway which will help to some extent. But it's very difficult to convey the subtlty of styling each dance with minimal visual input.

It's like the additional layer of challenge is really chanelling and focusing Dianne's strengths so there's less of the OTT zany layer. They're doing a great job as a couple.

I've just noticed that I didn't put Spoiler Free in the title. I was in quite a rush. I'll ask MNHQ to fix