I think if Ben hadn't visibly messed up last week he would've stayed for sure.
Tonight i think Mark will go, while i enjoyed his dance, the standards are rising with the other dancers and unless he gets an avalanche of voters voting to save the 'underdog' then i think he'll go tonight for sure. But as i said, i enjoyed the dance and i loved their costumes.
I really enjoyed Patrick and Anja's Charleston, it was just really entertaining to watch and same with Abbey and Aljaz's Salsa (loved her hair!) I was really disappointed with Kevin and Susannah's Quickstep, i think she just couldn't quite keep up with Kevin's choreography. Natalie and Artem are always very good and Brendan and Sophie's Viennese Waltz was very spinny. Don't like the rumba as a dance but Ashley and Ola's interpretation was very good.
So to those of us who are watching it.....who are we all rooting for to be in the strictly semi-finals?
As hard as I try, I cannot warm to Natalie! but I think she will be along with Abby.... but I like Sophie and susanna best for the female contestants. Like both Ashley and Patrick equally but thought Patrick was over marked last night, a 10 from Darcy yet she gave Sophie an 8 i think? huh? technique and content incomparable!
I liked Natalie's paso although Artem does bend the rules somewhat. Abbey and Aljaz's VW was very good. I fear for Ashley and Susanna. Len was an idiot!
I watch the It Takes Two programme on BBC2 through the week and on a Friday they have a Strictly panel and Heidi Range said something interesting about Natalie and i think she may have a very good point. She said that she thought Natalie was too good and that she didn't endear herself to the public and that has stuck with me and you know, i agree with her. Natalie is very good BUT she's consistently very good, she hasn't had a week where she has struggled in the performance. I did enjoy their paso and i thought Len was a bit out of order, he didn't have to speak to Natalie the way that he did, saying she could be in jeopardy. Artem choreographs and she dances to his choreography. I think he should listen a bit more to the judges in that respect, but he pushes the envelope in Natalie's case because she is that good and he believes she can achieve more and rules are bent a bit more to accomodate that. I think a problem with Natalie is that because she's so good and has always been that good, we haven't seen her progress through the competition to be THAT good IYSWIM. Other contestants, Ben, Mark, Ashley etc, you've seen them progress and that's why you vote for them, because they have. Natalie doesn't really because she's already there.
Now Abbey...my God that girl is hyper!!! lots of 'woops' and 'whee's' from her last night. She needs to keep off the caffeine, blimey! but good dance.
Now i did like Ashley and Ola's salsa, was he supposed to almost land on Ola's head or was that an error?
Hate the rumba, it's my least favourite dance and so far i do not think a male celebrity has managed it well at all this series, they just look awkward and uncomfortable. The only one i've marginally liked was Natalie and Artem's. Patrick and Anya's was just okay.
Now i know there was not a lot of love for Susanna and Kevin's Argentine Tango. They took a gamble, it was a weird choice of music but i could see why they chose it. For the most part i liked it.
And going on weird music choices...Sophie and Brendan's tango music choice was strange too but the routine was very good, the choreography was excellent and innovative. She still looked a bit too languid in parts though. I don't think i'll ever get to grips with that part of her personality.
-- Edited by rubyrosettared on Sunday 8th of December 2013 01:30:54 PM
I was pleased that Kevin and Susanna made it into the final three and I didn't mind who won but she really annoys me, she's soooo hyper but saying that, her reaction was absolutely genuine.
She was, i will agree on that. I didn't warm to her at all, she was like a kid hyped on sugar 99% of the time, all that 'wooing' and 'whooping' and 'wheee-ing' got on my wick.
What an amazing final! I just love this show! so all positive and uplifting and sparkly and FAB - U - LOUS!
I was sad Sophie didnt get into the top 3, but on the night her dances were not as good as Susannas I felt. It was always going to be between Abbey and Natalie, and I had begun to warm to Abbey but somehow on the actual night it felt right that Natalie should win, irrespective of previous experience, based on performances and consistency she was the best, but only just, Abbey was A-MA-ZING in the final, and I loved that showdance!
OK BBC, I will concede I also pay my license fee for this show... but now bring back Being Human and Ripper Street!
But, I cannot do so without mentioning our lovely friend and moderator Pradakat, who lost her battle with cancer last month. She worked with the BBC and on this show, and as I watch it and talk about it here, every word is filled with a combination of sadness and joy, the pain of loss... and that unfillable aching gap she leaves behind.. and the joy of remembering the brilliant woman she was.. and how this show seems to encapsulate that energy, that sparkle and verve.
I know Kat would want us to carry on enjoying this magical show. I can almost hear her telling me off now for making such a fuss.
So... as Strictly returns to UK TV screens, with the launch show last week, and the first live shows coming 26th and 27th September, I put on my glittery shoes, smile through those tears and raise my glass to Kat and say
I too can only think of Strictly and Kat too. I did watch the launch show last weekend. Some interesting dance couples. I'm thinking Frankie and Kevin will be a good combination and Thom and Iveta too.
My early favourites from the first show are Jake and Janette and Caroline and Pasha. Judy was very stiff and stumbled quite a bit. I thought the Scottishness was overdone to the point of being extremely naff!
The stand outs for me over this first weekend were:
Frankie and Kevin. I had a feeling they'd be good and they didn't disappoint.
Jake and Janette: Wow, he took me by surprise as i expected him to be more wooden but he wasn't. The Tango suited him!
Steve and Ola. We're Deadly 60 fans in this house and i was rooting for Steve to do well tonight and he did. And wow, those pecs and biceps!!!
Alison and Alijaz!!...the girl has rhythmn and she was so confident and relaxed on the dance floor, she had a ball and the audience really responded to that and to her.
Simon and Kristina were a lot of fun.
Really enjoyed Pasha and Caroline and Pixie and Trent could be a lot of fun too...what skinny legs he has!!
Thom and Iveta were a tad disappointing, he was a bit stiff but i put that down to first performance nerves. They're doing a salsa next week so hopefully he'll loosen up a bit (and he's gorgeous)
The three worst performances for me were:
Gregg and Aliona...he's just hopeless, no rhythm and i thought Aliona was almost embarrassed to be on that dancefloor with him, she just doesn't look like she wants to be paired with him.
Scott and Joanne: I want to like him but i'm thinking he's going to be like Julian last year, just less camp, less screechy and with less sparkles.
Jennifer Gibney and Tristan: She was perhaps the better of the three worst (if that makes sense), she did okay but her jive looked laboured to me.
I know they all have another week before eliminations but i'm foreseeing Gregg being the first one eliminated.
whoop! get the glitter out! Strictly is back and it is better than ever!
Agree with both your assessments on the whole Pearl and Lisa!
Loved last night's show, there was no pro dance on show 1 and I wondered of they were going to do away with it this series (quite a traumatic thought - I LOVE that part of the show!) but wow, what a stunning opening!
I so wanted Gregg Wallace to do well, I am a Masterchef fan, and it felt like the expectation was low around him - I wanted him to surprise and be a real whizz on the dancefloor. Really felt for him though because it sounds like he could not have practiced harder. Did you not all feel he had a bit more about him than Tim did on the first night though?
As always in this comp I find myself becoming annoyed at once seems like an unfair discrepancy between the contestants who come from the entertainment industry, who have dancing experience and for whom musicality is their profession. I know latin and ballroom are technical and need to be learned from scratch by all but it does seem as if their should be two categories because comparing Frankie, Simon and Pixie to the others seems a bit bonkers! Enjoyed watching all their dances though, but the person who put the biggest smile on my face was Allison!
Jennifer Gibney and Tristan had a fantastic routine, but it was a bit colour by numbers, not surprising with such complicated steps and so many of them. I hope they find a way to make it gel better for her, because he is my new favourite male pro - not that I am biased towards young hot Irishmen at al. Not at all....
So... who saw last night's Strictly? Who should go tonight in the first results show?
I think it may be between Gregg, Scott and Judy! It's amazing how far all of them have come though and hats off to them for all the training! For me Jake and Jeanette were the big surprise last night, I thought their first dance may have been a one off but didn't they take it to another level? Even Craig was impressed!
My faves are still Caroline and Pasha and Jennifer and Tristan, for the obvious reasons!
I think the right pair left. Second year running Aliona is the first one out...
Again Jake and Janette were phenomenal and getting nines the second week!.
Loved Pasha and Caroline's tango and Trent and Pixie's waltz. I thought Natalie and Tim's waltz had a lot of olde worlde charm. He may not be as rhythmic as some of the other participants but he has such courtesy and charm and that really comes across.
I do like Tristan i have to admit, he's certainly got a twinkle in his eyes and a ton of charm and charisma to go with it!
Yeah...it was a shame that he and Jenny were (wrongly in my opinion) eliminated this week.
The bottom two should've been Judy and Scott, Judy dances like she's got a broom handle shoved up her bum and Anton spends most of the routine hauling her around. Scott, at least tries but he's just not very good. I thought Jenny and Tristan had improved this week, i really enjoyed their routine, such chemistry.
The stand out for me was Frankie and Kevin's paso, he is the prince of paso i think, he did phenomenally well last year performing the paso with Susannah. Loved it this year too.
And Donny Osmond??? I think he overdosed on caffeine or something, way, way over the top marking, a seven for Scott???
haha! Donny did add a very random element to last week's show!
Wasn't last night brilliant? I just love this programme!
Craig was on form last night... I actually winced at the comments he made about Judy, so insensitive in the way he put things, I know that is his thing, but I did feel for her.
Scott and Judy should def be in the dance off tonight.. But, as always with Strictly there is the public vote, which is often not a reflection of dance ability but popularity / social media influence / fanbases.. Scott is a Radio 1 DJ, Judy has a very famous son.
Scott is absolutely dreadful but has a huge fanbase from his Radio 1 programme so they are probably voting for him. Yesterday my favourites were Caroline and Pasha and Pixie and Trent. Judy managed to produce a passable tango but I fear for her latin dances.
