Strictly 2025 : Week One Post Show Chat

[EineReiseDurchDieZeit]

Starting this early because I have things to do. Please come here when the other thread fills up!

Yes, that crossed my mind; and/or maybe she expressed a wish to do the Charleston?
But I do think it's one of those dances that people think is easy because it's fun, but the judges find plenty to pick holes in anyway!

Sorry I meant I never notice if contestants are being managed out,

Sophie Ellis Bextor did a lovely Charleston with Brendan in week 2. It seems to be one of those hit and miss type dances, but if Balvinder’s is good, she’ll hopefully get a huge boost from it.

It was me that mentioned the dirty dancing scene. I saw the pros comment not as 'yuk get off me' but as 'you need the correct frame rather than clinging on for dear life' and that he has been calling her koala to try to remind her of the right positioning.

I was joking about the "get away from me !" I did find the comment a bit strange but I understand now.

I like a Charleston I just think it's a dance that needs strong core and mastery of steps and I like Balvinder

Why do they even sign up people that they have to "manage out" as you put it?

Well, they need enough people to do the show! And if reports are to be believed, they sometimes have trouble finding people.
I didn't mean for this to become a cause celebre; it's really just an observation that they do seem to load the dice in terms of which dances they give people, and the judges seem to have favourite and people they don't like and criticise more harshly.

I think finding 15 people to be available for 3 months is a challenge anyway! If you have to be live on tv every Saturday night and be available all day Saturday, certain people are not going to be able to do it.
I wonder if in future, they will cut the length of the series to accommodate a smaller number of celebrities. It’s a big commitment.

Ben Elton's book "Chart Throb" is based on the idea that - without lying about votes - people can be managed in or out of a talent show.
Obviously it's fiction but I found it an amusing read and interesting take on the idea.

In any year, they need to have duffers that are out quickly, some with not much experience, who have a ‘journey’ and do well, some who are naturally talented and proficient and some who tick particular boxes.

If you’re really rubbish and you know it, why would you do it, other than for the money?

I certainly didn't see Punam as being someone who was managed out, and thought overall her marks were consistent with her dancing, amd she went at the right time. I loved her Bollywood CC, but others were not so great. I remember that Gorka literally shoved her n position during the jive, as she'd forgotten the moves!

I do however, see judges being biased towards or against certain celebrities and they have their favourites. Their comments can either exaggerate mistakes and then under score the couple, or only mention entertainment value and give the couple high scores for that.

Take Nigel from a couple of years ago. Shirley insisted that the VW to "Until I found you" was littered with too many technical errors - this was at bloody week 2! The previous week, they were top of the leaderboard with a staggering Paso Doble.

'Take Nigel from a couple of years ago. Shirley insisted that the VW to "Until I found you" was littered with too many technical errors - this was at bloody week 2!'

That was such a fab dance. Poor Nigel - he was gorgeous and a lovely dancer and yet Shirley had it in for him from the beginning. Then he cracked a rib and had to appear on live TV fresh from A&E slightly off his face 😁

If Balvinder goes first week, there’ll be the racism claims.

I don't doubt it happens but my question is why? If these producers sign people up they really should not be managing it. It's going to be as authentic as Gogglebox.

Highly unlikely she’ll even be in the Dance Off, too many below her.

I think sometimes it's genuinely the judges who like or don't like people, rather than the production team. I'd like to know if they ever have a word with the judges about their biases, or if they leave it as it makes for discussion in places like here (!) and on social media and the press, and therefore gets the show more exposure.

The show is obviously less authentic now than it used to be, now that they don't all do the same dances.
The production team are able to gerrymander the dances to the stories/outcomes they want: massive slabs of men having to do the samba and salsa so they either get knocked out or get the sympathy vote; couples who they think/hope have a bit of romantic tension doing floaty romantic dances; blatantly keeping in Angela Rippon so she got to Blackpool by giving her slow, stately dances up till then (plus an Argentine tango because they knew her partner would get her doing lovely developpés etc, and if I remember rightly a Charleston with a big chunk of sitting down choreographed in!)

You often see the scenario on Strictly where the judges being brutal with a celeb drives the public into rescuing that person. I get suspicious when a celeb is dancing a straight, unflashy waltz or cha cha early in the running order and then the judges deliver the coup de grâce by being just nice enough to them. Fatal.

@EsmaCannonball Bonus Points if they are in the Death Slot

Yes I think even if Bal does a poor Charleston it will still be better than some of the other offerings so she will be safe and at least she has got it out of the way.

Just read on my Apple News App, sorry I can’t source, that Amy Dowden is unwell and might not appear on Saturday.

I agree. I thought it was a very pretty dance. It was just really strange the way Shirley was with him and they way she kept banging on "Nigel always makes mistakes", even on weeks where he made none, and others made more.

Hope she is OK. Probably glad to get a break from Thomas though...at this moment Michelle and Nancy are drawing the shortest straw...

They were on ITT earlier, i appreciated it is pre recorded Amy looked fine, I hope she is alright,

She did have a sore throat maybe it is that.