Strictly 2025 : Post Series Debrief And Christmas Special

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In case anyone wants to keep chatting

I don't think anyone who does an Argentine tango and a jive in the final could be described as a one trick pony. Last week's waltz also showed the progression.

I think the final dances should be one ballroom, one Latin and the showdance and the judge's pick should be an earlier, lower marked dance that could be massively improved on, to show the progression. For those reasons, I wanted George to win because he was the only finalist meeting that criteria. But happy for Karen aswell.

But those with pro dance experience very rarely win, especially when the public are aware of the level of training experience they have so it's sort of the opposite of personal.

I don't vote for ringers because I don't think they are what Strictly is about - it doesn't mean I don't like them as individuals, I just want to see people learn to dance not learn to adjust their extensive dance skills to a slightly different style (in the way the Pro are expected to do week in week in the opening numbers, CC's etc).

Given that you could, in theory, not dance a step of Latin or Ballroom in the final (i.e a Charleston, a Couple Choice and a Showdance) the ahh but they've never done Ballroom just doesn't cut it for me.

No hate, just not what I want from Strictly. Others love a ringer and will chuck them all their votes, but the past results show that there fewer ringer lovers than ringer not likers.

@kazzaD66 I agree. They should dance their lowest marked dance again and yes to variety. A lot of dance choice is angled towards the contestants strengths, but not all get so lucky!

It always was in the past, something that wasn't great but had the potential to be much better and show how they could now master a style they had struggled with. This year the judges picks felt more like another couples pick, i.e. something that had been really well marked at the time.

Agree with all of this! George was my winner but gutted Lewis & Katya weren’t there!

Fair enough; and thinking about it now, she also did a great paso.

They used to dance their highest scoring latin and ballroom in the final but they tended to be dances they had done in the previous couple of episodes so that was dropped. Then there was a couple of years when the Judges' Pick was a dance the celeb hadn't done very well in early in the series. They dropped that as well because it didn't feel very celebratory having to watch the finalists repeat forgettable, weaker dances the audience hadn't particularly enjoyed the first time around.

I'm pretty sure there were one or two finals where the celeb had to do best ballroom, best latin, showdance and the once dance style they had yet to do. Now that was good.

i wonder if Amber’s show dance was a bit “meh” due to injury: the training videos showed extensive shoulder strapping and signs of cupping therapy on her shoulder blades. Probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference anyway!

I think all of them are carrying some sort of injury by this stage. Its a pretty intense few months with no chance to rest any niggles picked up along the way.

The whole format is ready for a shakeup and the next presenters will be interesting and pivotal in its direction, I hope they don’t play it safe with Zoe Ball and Bradley Walsh

Has Bradley walsh been mentioned? I think he would be terrible and I like him, no let him continue with gladiators and blankety blank that is enough for Brad 😀

He'd probably try to shoehorn his dreadful son in, they seem to come as a package deal these days. So despite the fact he's very good at what he does, it's a hard no from me.

I hope it’s Alan Carr and Alison Hammond

I hope it isn’t!

They're never going to please everyone because this would be my least preferred option and I wouldn't watch.

Alan Carr seems to have ruled himself out because he’s just this week announced a tour that would directly clash.

also it’s extremely hard work for four months of the year. I don’t know if he’s even particularly experienced with Live tv?

I think this series I saw how much the winners are engineered & I’m going to say it - do think show/votes are manipulated to fit the winner they decide. (I think there is some accusation of this by a prior contestant as well, which is not what I’m basing my opinion on). I think I can see why Tess & Claudia are bailing out & I think the lid’s going to be blown off more about the show than the accusations of inappropriate behaviour. I think ringers are treated appallingly on both social media, (especially if they’re female - not the show’s fault) & by certain judges, without whom, the show would completely collapse. That poor Amber had to declare her wish for one of the “bona fide contestants” (one of whom has lower level ringer credentials herself) & bow out officially at the end, just demonstrates how unfair the format is (to both ringers & contestants). Yes ofc ultimately it’s a popularity contest, which is an argument against vote rigging, but popularity is clearly engineered by the choice of dances allocated to highlight lesser ringers’ ability & progress. I’m kind of pleased Lewis refused to pander to the narrative that he was supposed to grovelingly eschew & that he did not hide that he was asked to step in, with not much more notice than Amber. I think they’re probably told from the start they’re just fillers which is why I think he refused to play the game of feigning deference to the judges when he saw the way they were treating him. Unlike poor Amber who did her best to court their approval. Who then were scripted to then acknowledge & validate her once she’d been this season’s sacrificial lamb & copped all the hate online. I think the judges are fed how to vote too. So it’s a mess really as this series has shown. I too have difficulty with a west end ringer necessarily winning if the playing field isn’t level, but equally find the engineering of a winner, who clearly lacks the all round ability required for true winner status, equally unsatisfactory. And oh how wonderful it would have been to see what Lewis & Katya & Amber & Nikita could have delivered in the final! Which is why an all stars version would be so good to watch! Maybe a little harsh of a critique I acknowledge when I do or used to love the show. That’s show-business!

I wouldn't mind Alan Carr but no way do I want loud mouth fake laugh Alison Hammond. She would make it all about her and I don't think I could watch it any more

If the prior contestant you’re referring to is Tom Skinner, that’s even more reason not to be what you’re basing your opinion on.

How wonderful it would have been to see what Amber and Nikita could’ve delivered in the final? We did see, they were in it.

It’s possible to completely overthink Strictly, which is just a lovely light entertainment show that’s loved by many, warts an’ all.

I don’t think that Tess and Claudia left for any particular reason. They always said they’d leave at the same time, I recall reading an interview with Claudia a couple of years ago where she explained this. I assume one of them decided that she wanted to do something different in 2026 and discussed it with the other one over the summer. Nothing more sinister than that.

No thanks

As I said on the thread at the time it was announced the family dynamic of young children is totally different to the dynamic of young adult, away a university children. When they started being home in the week and out on Saturday may have suited them but now the school days are over it might be preferable to them to have weekend free and take on other projects that shift their work hours to week days.

For the first few rounds I feel they should only be a couple of dances so the slebs are all dancing a waltz or cha cha so that we can compare apples with apples
rather than throwing someone a samba on week one

Brad's son Barney would be a good shout as a contestant, but he's probably had stage school training.