I'm not watching Strictly this year, anyone else?

[Lucelady]

That's it really. I've watched every year since 2004 but all the controversy last year has put me off.

Watched it for ever but last two years not so great.
Watching a documentary about a prehistoric fish just now . So I think the glitter ball shine has faded for me . 🙁

I'm watching Luther on Sky Arts.

I'm not long for this world so I'm not wasting my days listening to misogynistic shit. Dear MN I got ticked off for not supporting a 'great british programme'. I'm a trained dancer and singer and I use to love the marking bit but it's now fake in my opinion.

Can I recommend just watching the clips is you like the dancing. It's very time efficient.

I stopped watching it years ago, it wasn’t the same after Bruce left, then the judges changed, the original dancers left and Len left, people stopped voting on the dancing and voted for their favourite celebrity instead, it got ruined and I moved on.

Freak show, embarassing.

Tedious as fuck. If they just kept it to the dancing it would be better but it's dragged out with boring back stories and the even more boring presenters schtick. I watched about half the program this evening but switched off after the judges praised Stefan Dennis. I mean WTAF !

I wish it would finish. We still watch it but won’t go to the live shows anymore.

For the last couple of years I've not watched it all through. This year I started and just thought I can't stand it even before the group dance had finished. I hardly know any of the celebrities, can't stand the wokism of it, Tess irritates me, can't stand Shirley Ballas, nor can DH so he moans about her! I just feel it's run it's course now. There's always some scandal about somebody and I feel I'm done with it.
I also wish the best dancer would actually win instead of the most popular contestant. I think this is the main issue for me and has been over recent years.

Used to
love it . Haven’t watch it since around 2021 . Just lost it for me .

I’ve watched most years but have absolutely no interest this year. I think it’s just run its course for me.

It’s lost any appeal it ever had. Tired, hackneyed format. Irritating presenters. Even more irritating judges. The dancing seems to be all about the costumes and the music now, not the technique. It bores me to tears and I haven’t watched it for some time now.

I watched it last night, and really felt for Ellie Goldstein, I think she was totally overwhelmed by the whole thing, she did not appear backstage not long after her dance, I think it was too much for her to cope with. Vicky Patterson WHY is she really famous - but Karen Carney our ex-lioness - was the standout dancer and really what strictly is all about !

I put it on last night but think I’ll skip it until they all calm down a bit. It’s too much like a kids show now, - all high fives, screeching, bloody Neil dressed up as a stork because Diane is recently pregnant. I think they’ll alienate a lot of their older viewers (my mother included who I’m seeing later and bracing myself for the complaints 😄)

100 percent (wokery). That's the BBC for you. I didn't bother with a licence for a few years but then relented to watch Wimbledon and David Attenborough, but those are some of the only decent broadcasts left. All seems to be about drag queens now.

Not especially bothered about it, not really because of all the controversy, more that, like many of these very long running shows, it’s just become tedious

No. I do like it but it just goes on for far too long now. I agree a Xmas special would be brilliant though it’s a shame they don’t just do that.

Tried about 3 seconds of it. God, it's intensely embarassing. I used to rush home to watch it. It is an absolute freak show.
Ballas' voice like a cheese grater.

im out!

bloody repetitive, samey, boring old crap

can we have something new please BBC?

does Tess ever work in TV aside from this pish?

I've watched for many years but I wasn't interested in any of the contestants. I like Claudia's spontaneity and dislike Tess's hammy interactions. I'm a bit bored of the judges - Anton is great, Shirley is ok but I've had enough of the others. Get some interesting people on and I'll watch it but I'm giving it a miss for the first time since I started watching. Too many people self-identifying as celebrities - it really has dumbed down to the lowest common denominator. Karen Carney is the only one I'd be interested in.

I used to love Strictly but I stopped watching a few years ago.
Not because of any controversy but there started to be too many gimmicks and props.

It's like Bake Off started to be. They ruin shows with all the themes and gimmicks. At least GBBO has realised their mistake and toned all that down.

Also why does there have to be a token drag queen on every show now? Urgh! 🙄

She is earning millions , so no.

Also why does there have to be a token drag queen on every show now? Urgh!

Like the token one legged green I identify as a cat type of thing. It's BS

I stopped watching years ago, after about two series. Mostly because I don’t give a shit about celebrities. And I definitely don’t give a shit about celebrities learning to dance. How about some non celebrities? I could get on board with that. Mind you, when you read through the list of competitors and don’t know who any of them are, I suppose it could be said it’s already for non celebrities! I do love watching people dance though.

I run a sweepstake but like many others, I only watch the dance and the scores so get through it nice and quickly.

It felt like it lost some magic when Monkseal stopped doing his blog and I agree that a lot of the Celebs are anything but.. that said, it's still daft and shiny and always good to see confident, accomplished people a little outside of their comfort zone.

Totally understand a lot of the criticisms and I am sure if I stopped my sweepstake, I really wouldn't bother - especially the marathon first few shows! But it's part of my weekend in the darkest part of the year so who knows!

I still watch it and enjoy it, would be sad if it ended. I don't mind if I don't know the people, you get to know them. It's happy, shiny, cosy TV for autumn and the run up to Christmas.

The drag queen isn't trans - he's training as a man and performing as a drag queen. Which makes sense.

ETA - I don't watch most TV. Can't understand why people watch the majority of the dross that's on. But I like Strictly.