Strictly 2025 : Week 9, Blackpool Post Show Chat

[EineReiseDurchDieZeit]

KEEP DANCING 😍

Layton is a good dancer but he always gave me the impression of being his own biggest fan. Maybe I'm being unfair.

Oh absolutely loves himself, I think you either like Laytons confidence or he gets on your nerves.

I said my piece about Layton on another thread but yes I found him cocky

It was Layton's cockiness that didn't endear him to me despite his spectactular ability. He did calm it down later in the series though.

I'm enjoying Lewis as he's in the middle ground between the extremes of Layton's cockiness and Amber's anxious perfectionism.

Is it six contestants for the Christmas special? Because alleluia they have found three actual women and announced them all first. (Is it too much to hope we get an all female Christmas special 🤞).

In spite of being anti-ringer, I have enjoyed Lewis, I won’t vote for him but I do think his CC is the dance of the series (as yet)

Who is the third?

A female gladiator - sorry I don't know her gladiator name and didn't catch her name as I have noisy DC squabbling in the room at the moment.

I thought Layton looked bigger especially his face, but he could still back flip.

Fury, the young blonde lady who's also Deaf.

I hadn’t realised Jay was seen as a ringer during his series, didn’t know he had much experience. I saw him in And Juliet this year and he did a lot of ambling around doing important things in the background of all the dancing numbers. He sang a pop song towards the end (I think a Justin Timberlake one).

Thanks @WarrenTofficier@Kreepture

Paso style would come easily to her

I’m looking forward to this new thing on Saturday. The lindyhop chaos was so funny (in a good way) with Bruno of all people taking control and sorting it out.

Danny Mac was so hot
what a great show loved it

What a pity for LaVoix, and I'll miss Aljaz. LV was one of the weaker remaining dancers though.

I thought Lewis and Katya were a bit too slick if that makes sense. I agree with someone on the last thread who said a Charleston should feel like a flapper doing it spontaneously; this was a massive Broadway-style number and a bit 'staged' for my liking.
Poor Bal in the death slot after that... A bit wobbly in the core, but I liked her character and the section with her dancing with two other women. I like Julian and think they really get on and support each other.
Karen and Carlos were EPIC. Tour de force is right. Not one of the judges mentioned that amazing floor spin at the start where she just stopped herself on a dime. I do agree with Craig though, I missed a bit of Paso shaping.
I don't care if she danced competitively; it was only for a few years, she gave it up at 15, and street/hip-hop/disco/rock'n'roll etc are not Latin and ballroom.
I'm loving Carlos this year; something about dancing with Karen has made him let himself off the lead big time.
Amber was boring, and I say that as someone who loves a quickstep. Also why was it under the sea when it was a song about reaching for the stars? Shit song as well; too childish.
Alex was a bit slow and did a bit too much standing about, much as I like her and Johannes. They should have either sharpened it up or gone really really slow and languid.
Didn't like George as much as most people did and agreed with Craig the base was too wide throughout. I hate a disco salsa anyway and wish they'd given him some less babyish music, ideally a proper Latin track. I liked his 'I'll be Frank' crack though and I do think he's a sweet guy. I also liked his candid assessment of 'instant dance'; he's right, it will be a car crash

The Strictly 'legends' were deeply underwhelming. Ashley was good but it brought back memories of how much her ringer-ness annoyed me at the time. Jay did about 5 seconds of dancing and Jowita, much as I love her, wasn't right for him or the dance. Layton just showed off. Danny Mac I thought got lost among the pro dancers, and was almost unrecognisable. Made me miss Oti too.

I've been watching but not posting..there is something about this series that isnt grabbing me.
I have no favourites(I usually do)
I suppose I like george the most because he's a non dancer,is good, but could be better...is this his fault? Or the pros?
I think there can be something quite attractive about him when he dances 🫣
I like Karen but think she looks awkward when she dances-sorry.
Lewis is great but was always going to be,but thank god for him and katya because otherwise it would be such a boring show.
Won't mention the others because I do think it will be Lewis,George and Karen in the final.
Lewis or Karen to win(would prefer George or lewis)
Aljaz was much better this series,he worked well with LV and didnt do so much gurning and yelling 😀
I liked vicky (had her in the final) but started to agree with the majority on here,her noise was getting annoying and a bit fake looking?
Kai is bland as anything-dont get the love, fair enough vicky did enough talking for them both,but all he really does is stand there and smile.

I think George's pro is possibly not pushing him enough. He's also hampered IMO by the producers giving him shite songs – K pop and generally rubbish, childish 'youth' music. He'd be much more enjoyable if he had some proper grown-up music. I'm looking forward to next week when he's getting Frank Sinatra.
I also find Kai bland. Can't believe he's as young as he is, either; I'd swear he was already well into his thirties when he first joined. I actually liked Vicky, although I can see how she'd be a bit wearing. I recently watched a season of Pilgrimage from 2023 and she was pretty likeable; funny, but thoughtful and not overly loud or a motormouth.

Oh I love Pilgrimage @LittleBitOfBread It is a really interesting programme, yes Vicky was fine on it and no Screeching. Tbf to George he is young so the songs are what he knows, and the kpop etc is to appeal to his audience.

I've only just discovered it and am loving working my way through it
I don't know if I agree about George. I think those reasons are quite simplistic (as the Strictly producers often are: see also Stefan and the Neighbours music/pairing him with another Aussie).
George clearly knows Sinatra; and I think, with music of all kinds/eras being so much more easily accessible now, younger people actually often have broader knowledge and tastes in terms of when a song or artist is from than was possible when I was younger.
Also, his audience might not be just other people around his age; I'd think in fact that a lot of the people who like him are people who see their own sons in him, or even grandsons.

Yeah you are probably right about George I mean how would we know Stefan and Di were Australian if the production wasn't telling us at every opportunity 😀 Enjoy working your way through Pilgrimage it really is a thought provoking interesting programme

Thank you! Unfortunately I'm nearly done
I'm a bit gutted that the one that ends in Istanbul at the Hagia Sophia isn't available on iPlayer.

Didn't he make it really obvious that he'd never heard the kpop nonsense before being forced to dance it. It wasn't exactly his fav eva choon.

Yeah he was obviously unimpressed at having to dance to “Soda Pop”. Ellie danced to “Golden” from the same film

Songs and dances for this week...

Alex & Johannes - Cha Cha : Ring My Bell (Anita Ward)
Amber & Nikita - Jive : Proud Mary (Tina Turner)
Balvinder & Julian - Jive : RIght Back Where We Started From (Maxine Nightingale)
George & Alexis - Quickstep : I Get A Kick Out Of You (Frank Sinatra)
Karen & Carlos - Couples Choice : Born This Way (Lady Gaga)
Lewis & Katya - Rumba : Falling (Harry Styles)