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Strictly Come Dancing: week seven

Strictly Come Dancing judges Craig Revel Horwood and Len Goodman
  • Posted at 3:30pm
  • 02 November 2009
  • by WilliamGallagher-RT
  • 18 comments

Appropriately for Halloween, it turned out to be costume night on Strictly. Jade squealed in fright when her heel got caught in her dress, Tess wore a parrot on her shoulder and then even the voting surely came down to the frocks. Did you vote for Flavia's classy diaphanous leopard-print wrap, or for Ola's body?

And while every kid in the land plumped for a treat, we got the trick. Zoe Lucker is a fine dancer and an immensely likeable woman: to lose a dancing contest through lack of public support must feel like a slap in the face.

I'd been thinking that the show needed a shock about now to give it some spark - and we're all definitely talking about it today - but the cost was high when there were other people who should have gone.

Such as Phil Tufnell.

I've never seen this before in Strictly and I hope that I'm wrong, but it looks like he's stopped. I think he's lost interest. He says all the right things to camera about seeing Blackpool as the ballroom world's equivalent of Lord's cricket ground, but I don't believe him and his training hours are down.

Actually, everyone's hours seem down this year. You never know what other work commitments the contestants have, so perhaps 12 hours really was the most he could possibly do, but you can see the result in his dancing.

Was that harsh? Would Len be telling me off? Pointing at me - "I'll do more than point at you in a minute," he told Craig Revel Horwood - and saying I'm destructive? Craig's comment that Erin and Ricky's routine was conceited sparked Len off into a general tirade.

Craig said this morning on BBC Breakfast that Len gets too attached to the celebrity dancers and their professional partners. That fits: I do entirely believe that both men are genuine, that Len does mean very well indeed, that disagreements like this are not just conjured up for the show.

Yet as biting as Craig often is, the comment I would dread most as a celebrity dancer is always Len's kindly "You came out here and did the routine". If you get that, you're Bruce's favourite. Go home.

Speaking of which, Craig Kelly gets his wish to go to his home town of Blackpool next week. If you weren't on board with the campaign to get him there, it must seem a mystery to you - but I was and, while I'd have swapped him for Zoe, I'm delighted. I won't try to convince you he's a great dancer, but he seems a great guy and you can see he's trying hard.

That's not enough. But it's better than Phil.

Do you agree? Has the surprise exit of Zoe brought some tension back into the show? Have your say right here.

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Comments

  • Posted on 08 November 2009
  • at 3:45pm
  • by Sylvie

I often wonder how much say the pros have over the choice of music. We see such a different change of pace for the same dance, sometimes its a very fast tango nother time it is extremely slow it does not seem fair somehow.

  • Posted on 05 November 2009
  • at 6:45pm
  • by Lin

Don't you think that maybe people vote (or don't vote!) for the professional member of the couple as well as the 'celebrity'? I don't know anything about Zoe but I find James very arrogant, so wouldn't vote for him. Same goes for Brendan - bad-tempered and petulant. Or Vincent - thinks he's God's gift. And it's no good saying it's just about the dancing - it isn't! It's an entertainment programme, not a serious dance competition, and so of course people vote according to their personal likes and dislikes, not just according to the excellence (or otherwise!) of a routine.

  • Posted on 04 November 2009
  • at 7:34pm
  • by Rob

Zoe being voted off was a disgrace and the voting public should hang their heads in shame. I don't know why I was surprised. Whatever credibility this show had disolved last year when people voted for their favourites rather than the best dance or dancers. For Tom to win ahead of Rachel or Austin was a travesty and it appears as that the same woolly thinking is going on this year. Watch out - if all the Corrie viewers keep voting for Craig and Eastenders voters for Ricky Groves then we'll have a Corrie vs Eastender final. All the lame-brains would be happy then.

Watch out Ricky Whittle - you're next...

Bring back It's a Knockout - at least the voting was slightly less arbritary.

  • Posted on 04 November 2009
  • at 11:56am
  • by William Gallagher-RT

I had to watch it back again to see that: you're absolutely right, scottish viewer. Did you also notice oddities in the "cheeky cha cha cha" pro dance? The symmetry wasn't always spot on. Mind you, all I thought on the night was that it would've worked better, actually have been more symmetrical, if the men had ended up in those stripclub-like doorways that the women began in.

  • Posted on 04 November 2009
  • at 8:26am
  • by William Gallagher-RT

Chris Parker! That's all, just wanted to say that. Thanks ml: that brought back some memories. Actually mostly of seeing him on the live tour, gamely playing his role of the worst dancer ever.

  • Posted on 04 November 2009
  • at 4:31am
  • by scottish viewer

The pro samba to the Bee Gees wasn't co=ordinated - James & Ola did the end lift before Brian and Kristina, and it looked very strange.

  • Posted on 03 November 2009
  • at 8:55pm
  • by Poppy

I loved the pro cha cha and samba this week - who choreographed them? Matthew Cutler and Aliona dance very well together - and Matthew looked great! (is it my imagination or did he apply some gel in between cha cha and samba?)

  • Posted on 03 November 2009
  • at 8:54pm
  • by Mary McP

I think you are spot on about Tuffers being bored of training and giving up. His concession to the mood and passion was to try not to laugh. A shame, there was some tidy footwork. Len was right - 12 hours is NOT ENOUGH. Perhaps he's lost a little interest because he isn't top of the pile. Wish they'd saved Back to Black for Ricky Whittle and Natalie to tango to - he's so much more macho, it would have been great.

  • Posted on 03 November 2009
  • at 8:51pm
  • by kirstie

I think Zoe was let down by music, routine and costume: I think she should have done something more carnival-style, with loads of feathers and bounce to look like she had the right action - like the pro samba outfits for the BeeGees. Her outfit was lovely, but looked a little formal.

  • Posted on 03 November 2009
  • at 8:42pm
  • by Bridget

I thought it disgusting that such a good dancer as Zoe got voted out. The BBC should invite her and James to Blackpool to do a short "exhibition dance" (of their choice) as part of the warm-up before the actual Show. Then I, and countless others who appreciate good dancing, would feel that a little bit of justice had prevailed.

  • Posted on 03 November 2009
  • at 5:57pm
  • by Lizzie

The show has no real celebrities. (They are all b and even C listers - Tuffers - trying to make a come back) so I think it's fair that it's a public vote. It makes it far more exciting and sets the cat amongst the pigeons. The good dancers get complacent and big headed so seeing some talent get voted off brings them back to earth with a huge crash making them work harder - we in return benefit with a tougher and more entertaining night's viewing!!

  • Posted on 03 November 2009
  • at 5:09pm
  • by andyouthink

Len is really getting on my nerves...SEVENNNN for the weakest dancers to the good. Too big for his boots now like Arlene Phillips was, I have enjoyed the prog even more since the male body gloating lady left. Judge Craig has no favourites he comments to both prof and celeb on their dancing. which it should be. May a season in the BIG CHAIR and leave Len in USA ,might do the show the UP it really needs.

  • Posted on 03 November 2009
  • at 4:41pm
  • by ml

I love the show and was gutted to see such a talented dance as Zoe go. But if you all remember the first series with Chris Parker in the final....! Things are a lot better these days. The audience must be a lot more knowledgable about the technique and requirements of the regular dances. As for the judges, I think they've all got a bit too big for their boots and should all be replaced next season, especially Bruno who seems to think it's the Bruno show. Always getting out of his seat and shouting.... bored with that now....

  • Posted on 03 November 2009
  • at 11:52am
  • by Shelley

I agree. The scoring system is kind of flawed. Can we not have what Helen suggests.

  • Posted on 02 November 2009
  • at 10:02pm
  • by Martin

This year's show lacks pace. They may be "event TV" but they just go on too long; the celebrities aren't that great and like you mentioned with Phil , they don't seem to put the practice in that previous contestants have. THe shine of this series has been tarnished too by the Alesha debacle, (though it is four judges they need - not three) and then Anton outburst, counteracted by Bruce, and then the "spoilsport" scheduling by the BBC - it feels as if the show now needs a major makeover. Which is surprising as I am told the US version is gettign better and bigger each series.

  • Posted on 02 November 2009
  • at 7:24pm
  • by Helen

With my husband, I think only those couples in the bottom half of the scores list should voted on by the public. That way the better dancers go forward, weaker ones dance off.

  • Posted on 02 November 2009
  • at 5:34pm
  • by WilliamGallagher-RT

Sarah, that's an interesting point: I'm often watching a few minutes behind live on Sky+ when I've mistimed the tea and it's then a race to get my votes in before the lines closed.

Longer would be better, even if it returned to straddling Casualty and the Lottery results. But I'm also with you about last year's results show on a Sunday. Never felt right, somehow.

  • Posted on 02 November 2009
  • at 4:06pm
  • by Sarah

I still feel something's missing from the show - I can't put the finger on it I am still not happy with Alesha, although she's not the only thing that's wrong with it.

Really disappointed Zoe is out - I don't understand why people would prefer to see the likes of Phil Tufnell or Chris Hollins in. I'm wondering if Strictly did a proper results show (so not like last year's pre-record job) and we had 24 hours to vote then things would change. I am a massive SCD fan but never watch it live (and therefore never get to vote).

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