Strictly 2025 : It’s Saturday Night! It’s Not Live! It’s Launch Night 18.40 PM

[EineReiseDurchDieZeit]

I am sadly out tonight so I’m setting this up early. Please move across from The Rehearsal Rooms

If we need to change threads midstream Sequins has said she will cover it.

Enjoy Launch Night

Thanks

Eine

I see where you are coming from with Ramps. Though I have to say that his AT is still one of my all time favourites (I’ll stick it on the video thread again for old times sake in a minute), and their Salsa is pretty iconic so whilst he may not have been an amazing dancer, he had several stand out routines.

I can still watch Ramps and Karen's AT and Salsa.
Karen Hardy did an incredible job turning him into a ballroom dancer. He had natural ability but was so shy that you couldn't believe that he could turn out routines like that.
The chemistry between the two of them certainly helped. I remember the camera panning onto his then-wife's face like thunder and her slow clapping after their AT.

I have never, and will never, recover from the total injustice of the HOLLINS win

With Dan and Nadiya, do you think it's also a bit of a way to keep her profile up outside of Strictly season. All very necessary for the pros.

I still smile at some of the photos and comments from Monkseal of Nadiya's mother looking horrified at her beautiful, multi-championship winning daughter being lumbered with absolute horrors of dancers!

I love the AT, don't get me wrong, and the salsa. (and their samba is a bit underrated IMO).
But although I love them I don't think they're necessarily Strictly's best dances. Compared to later ATs theirs/his is quite simple. It was, though, all about their chemistry. And the salsa was of course wrested back from potential disaster, and was all about their sheer joy and relief at being able to dance it after Mic-gate. Which brings me back to why they won!

@LittleBitofBread I think it was just that it was a very early (or even first) AT, so it seemed so different and sexy. That's what's made it memorable over the years.

Yes, I agree. I really wish they'd keep it til later in the show like they used to. Some people are just not good enough for it when they do it early – Sarah H last year just looked like a bundle of laundry being flung about (sorry Sarah, I liked you, it was just too much too soon).

I've just watched the clip
His wife looked fine
Very happy for them both 🤷‍♀️

Who's Ramps?

@YumYa The cricketer Mark Ramprakash

@LittleBitofBread we can agree to disagree on how good their AT was 😜

For me, the simplicity is what makes it so good. In the last 5-10 years, the routines for all dances have moved away from the essence of the individual styles and become more like cabaret routines (Salsa is my real bug bear here). I would far rather see a simple/basic routine danced well and with intent than a flashy routine danced with poor technique and no connection.

See the Shirley rumba demo video over on the SCD Video thread as a perfect example.

I totally agree on salsa, with all the silly lifts and throws and tricks.

I did say I loved Karen and Mark's AT. My point was just that it's not always necessarily the 'best' dancers or those who do the most complicated routines who win.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit cheers

OK - it might not have been after the Argentine Tango. But there was definitely one dance where the camera panned to her face and she wasn't happy. I watched at a friend's house and we both said - 'oh dear!'

Anyway, Mark and Karen's partnership was fabulous, and they deserved to win that year,

Danny Dyer is out. Fractured ankle in training.

I just read that! She must be gutted. I wonder if they’ve got a stand in at this short notice?

Get Danny Dyer in! 😉

Poor Dani though, what a shame.
I was gutted when AJ had to bow out of the final due to injury.
She and Kai have been one of my favourite couples ever (plus it was the first time we were treated to Kai on SCD!)

Oh!!! That’s awful poor girl

It is very last minute. Super-sub Kelvin replaced Baron Von Biscuits between the launch show and the first show proper but there was more time to find a stand-in then. That said, a ringer would have no problems learning a routine by Saturday and the producers won't want to leave a pro as popular as Nikita out. (I know people who've done West End shows and they get about four hours to learn a routine.)

They could give a replacement a week’s grace I think.

Just what I was thinking. Is there enough time? Poor Danni I had high hopes for her. Poor Nikita too.

Just seen the news about Dani. How gutting for her, wishing her a speedy recovery. I was looking forward to seeing her dance

They can't deprive us of Nikita 😭
Surely they can chuck someone in, I don't even care if it's a ringer.

If they don't replace her - and with another female - it's going to be even more of a blokey banter series. What joy.

Poor Dani and poor Nikita.

Is it too late for a stand in? That's two injured already before the show has even begun.

I do feel that they need to have a stand in, if only to make it more balanced between the sexes. Its nearly a 2:1 male to female ratio at the moment.