Strictly Come Dancing 2023 #26

[Baby Giraffe]

ETA - I just noticed that they called him a star of sex education. FFS getting your flamboyant black gay men mixed up there OK

I'm assuming they're confusing Sex Education with Bad Education not just he actors but who knows, I have heard other people posting about what Layton will be like when he takes over as Dr Who so maybe not. Personally I think both series were all sorts of rubbish but that was more the scripts / shows rather than the people involved who, unsurprisingly were acting. That said, my only reference to Layton previously was from Bad Education and when he as unveiled as a contestant when Ritchie when to see him on the One Show. Was cringing at his inclusion but already liked him after the first show and continue to be impressed by him.

 

[Boring Monday]

I think that a lot of people find Ritchie incredibly annoying, I reach for the off button whenever he appears on the TV and likewise on the radio. Coupled with not having any real talent despite the likes of Zoe Ball telling him that he was fabulous. That said, he was trying to dance and deserved a partner that tried to teach him. I don't think it was a problem with him being a same sex partner, more that Gio didn't respect him as a dancer and didn't know what to do with him as a person either as they're so different. I would imagine that it wasn't the joyful experience on a favoured show that Ritchie was expecting which must have been hard. He does seem to be doing the celebrity reality route a bit at the moment in a somewhat fame hungry way and it doesn't appear to be going that well as he was knocked out in the first round of MasterChef for serving raw chicken too so who knows.

To be fair, just about anyone on the BBC payroll gets a spin round the Masterchef/Strictly/Pointless/House of Games etc circuit. When it was just Masterchef you could work out at least a couple of the upcoming Strictly celebs. Even the year Craig was on dripping Sweat into his Chantilly cream, there was Sunetra, Gemma, Chris Hollins. Angela Rippon, Darren Bennett, Mark Foster and Phil Tufnell. I think it comes under the ‘and any other duties’ small print. Naga said basically she and Louise Minchin were told one of you is on Masterchef, one on Strictly … sort it out between yourselves.

it doesn’t matter how annoying or exuberant a celeb is … that is what the pro’s are paid to do. It’s their actual job. For the celeb it’s a one off … all the pro has to do is wait for the excitement to die a bit, which it always does, and just give them the best time possible. Unless they are very, very lucky most pros will have at least one celeb who struggles with right and left but making them look passable is the mark of the pro, not the celeb.

 

[Miss Begotten]

I think he saw the attention that John and Johannes got and thought he wanted in on that. I would say the mark of a good strictly professional is how well they work with someone who they know is not going to win. I think Gio has been very lucky with his partners until Richie. He wanted a hot gay guy who would get him column inches.

Yes. I don’t actually think that Giovanni is homophobic, I think he’s just not a very nice person. I do think he expected his male partner to almost be a reflection of himself - for want of a better description, with very masculine energy and didn’t think beyond that. As the person above stated, poor Richie was the “wrong type” of gay.

 

[StephenTJackson]

Baby why you undressing and then going into a room with Layton?

Yeah, you should be stripping and coming into a room to see me.

 

[Baby Giraffe]

To be fair, just about anyone on the BBC payroll gets a spin round the Masterchef/Strictly/Pointless/House of Games etc circuit. When it was just Masterchef you could work out at least a couple of the upcoming Strictly celebs. Even the year Craig was on dripping Sweat into his Chantilly cream, there was Sunetra, Gemma, Chris Hollins. Angela Rippon, Darren Bennett, Mark Foster and Phil Tufnell. I think it comes under the ‘and any other duties’ small print. Naga said basically she and Louise Minchin were told one of you is on Masterchef, one on Strictly … sort it out between yourselves.

it doesn’t matter how annoying or exuberant a celeb is … that is what the pro’s are paid to do. It’s their actual job. For the celeb it’s a one off … all the pro has to do is wait for the excitement to die a bit, which it always does, and just give them the best time possible. Unless they are very, very lucky most pros will have at least one celeb who struggles with right and left but making them look passable is the mark of the pro, not the celeb.

Totally agree that it's the pro's job to make it work and you can see that some of the others are very good at this and, whilst the dancing might not be great, the experience is which is surely what an entertainment show like this is about. Unless the celeb is a total dick and doesn't make any effort (which I'm totally sure wasn't the case here) then the pro needs to buckle down. From the outside, Gio doesn't seem to have realised that it's not about him or hasn't got the skills to know how to play it differently with different skill levels. I have annoying colleagues but have to work with them and some of them probably feel the same about me.

Don't remember Craig being on MasterChef but the image you've just put into my head of him dripping sweat into his cream is one that I'm desperately trying to erase!

 

[diamondthunder]

It's hard to say what Graz's choreography would be like with a ringer, when the best partner he's ever had was Kym. Nikita's choreography does seem more creative, but tbf, Graz hasn't had much of a chance to stretch his. But, given how Katya's series is going right now, and Daniella on DWTS as well, perhaps suggests that pros who make great routines for duffers don't necessarily make great routines for ringers/contenders. Still, I hope Graz gets a chance with a ringer eventually. I think he probably could have done a good job with Layton, but I am glad the pairings worked out the way they did.

I remember a lot of people throwing Kai around as a suggestion, which I really couldn't imagine at all, and last week definitely proved me right. Can't quite see Kai pulling off the perched on a pole in a sparkly corset look.

 

[Woolmercardington]

I remember a lot of people throwing Kai around as a suggestion, which I really couldn't imagine at all, and last week definitely proved me right. Can't quite see Kai pulling off the perched on a pole in a sparkly corset look.

Oh god, no. He'd have looked like Layton's grandad. And Layton is older than him!

 

[Boogs]

I'm assuming they're confusing Sex Education with Bad Education not just he actors but who knows, I have heard other people posting about what Layton will be like when he takes over as Dr Who so maybe not. Personally I think both series were all sorts of rubbish but that was more the scripts / shows rather than the people involved who, unsurprisingly were acting. That said, my only reference to Layton previously was from Bad Education and when he as unveiled as a contestant when Ritchie when to see him on the One Show. Was cringing at his inclusion but already liked him after the first show and continue to be impressed by him.

Hmm I guess the author could have the words bad and sex interlinked in their head
I too have seen comments on social media getting him and Ncuti Gatwa mixed up and just made the assumption that the reporter was doing the same when maybe they just need a good shag.

 

[Tanley]

The celebs are going to be at different ages, abilities, musicality, and also at different stages in their lives. It is the job of their pro to fit around them, tailor routines that suit their talents, teach them patiently and give them a good Strictly experience. I’m sure it can be hard work but it is literally what they are paid to do.
The same year as Gio was freezing out Richie, we had Kai giving Kay a wonderful time, even though she was a duffer. We also had Nikita with Ellie S, who talked non stop and was obviously challenging to choreograph for. But Nikita did a great job, and him and Ellie are still friends.
All Richie was ‘guilty’ of was being very enthusiastic and chatty. His pro partner should have embraced that, surely it’s better to be eager to learn, rather than disinterested. Richie would have had a better time with almost any other pro and that’s a real shame.
And the fact that Gio couldn’t even be bothered to do a quick SM thank you post says volumes about the sort of person he is.

 

[diamondthunder]

This is why I don't understand all the people on social media that keep saying that Layton is the one pulling all the strings and just dancing as he wants and poor Nikita doesn't have a say in it. It makes no sense at all. They also keep saying that all his dances are the same when they're really not.

I feel like I'm losing my mind every time I read DS and find all these people saying 'he hasn't done any of the dances properly, he just dances the style he's already a professional in and does acrobatics.' He really, really doesn't. Most of his dances have just as much content as anyone else's, more than some. And every routine has something other than strict traditional content/time out of hold etc, but Layton's the only one who gets extensive criticism for it.

Even when other routines are acknowledged to have strayed pretty far away from the style, like Adam's Rumba, Nigel's Tango and Bobby's American Smooth all having a lot of Contemporary elements, there's nothing even close to the same criticism. Layton's the only one who gets the 'way overscored, he didn't do the dance he was supposed to do' complaints. With everyone else it's just *shrug* well they can only dance the routine their pro choreographed for them, they shouldn't be marked down for lack of content.' Gee, I wonder what could possibly be the reason for the double standard?

 

[Boring Monday]

The celebs are going to be at different ages, abilities, musicality, and also at different stages in their lives. It is the job of their pro to fit around them, tailor routines that suit their talents, teach them patiently and give them a good Strictly experience. I’m sure it can be hard work but it is literally what they are paid to do.
The same year as Gio was freezing out Richie, we had Kai giving Kay a wonderful time, even though she was a duffer. We also had Nikita with Ellie S, who talked non stop and was obviously challenging to choreograph for. But Nikita did a great job, and him and Ellie are still friends.
All Richie was ‘guilty’ of was being very enthusiastic and chatty. His pro partner should have embraced that, surely it’s better to be eager to learn, rather than disinterested. Richie would have had a better time with almost any other pro and that’s a real shame.
And the fact that Gio couldn’t even be bothered to do a quick SM thank you post says volumes about the sort of person he is.

And poor Karen with Jayde … which really was a ‘she earned her money that year’ job

 

[soccergirl]

Yes. I don’t actually think that Giovanni is homophobic, I think he’s just not a very nice person. I do think he expected his male partner to almost be a reflection of himself - for want of a better description, with very masculine energy and didn’t think beyond that. As the person above stated, poor Richie was the “wrong type” of gay.

'He's not homophobic, he's just not a very nice person' is quite funny. It's very telling that Zoe Ball apparently unfollowed Gio after that.

The thing that stands out about Gio is the amount he posts about his other stuff v Strictly - his dance classes, his tour, his show with Anton, his pesticide... Even the fact that he willingly gave up being in the pro dances to go and film with Anton ... and then his Beryls complain he's not in the group dances!

 

[ChastityDingle]

And poor Karen with Jayde … which really was a ‘she earned her money that year’ job

For sure.

And this year, Gorka worked well with Nikita Kanda who was lovely but really couldn't dance.
She was sad to leave and I think that was very much down to Gorka making it an enjoyable experience. I actually enjoyed their performances, they were upbeat and they looked like they were having fun.
And that is what the experience should be, imo.

- Graz likewise with Zara.
- Nancy with Les Dennis.
- Jowita with Jody.

Those pros knew they weren't going far with their partners this year, but they obviously did their job and did it very well.

 

[Boogs]

'He's not homophobic, he's just not a very nice person' is quite funny. It's very telling that Zoe Ball apparently unfollowed Gio after that.

The thing that stands out about Gio is the amount he posts about his other stuff v Strictly - his dance classes, his tour, his show with Anton, his pesticide... Even the fact that he willingly gave up being in the pro dances to go and film with Anton ... and then his Beryls complain he's not in the group dances!

His pesticide

---
I think it’s quite clear that Gio is the current Brendan/James. Arrogant and thinks that the show is about him and not the celebrity. The most popular professionals on here manage to showcase their own personalities at the same time as ensuring their celebrity remains the main focus in the performances and they feel supported and have a good time.

I took a disliking to Gio from his first series. Someone pointed out to me how much he was like an ex of mine which I thought explained it but I think it was because I could see that a lot of his positive interactions didn’t feel authentic.

 

[glasgow27]

Almost every pro in this lineup has given a good experience to a celeb who couldn’t dance or was some sort of challenge, Gio being the only real exception (not yet counting Carlos or Vito who have only had contenders). Again, speaks volumes.

 

[Professor Yaffle]

'He's not homophobic, he's just not a very nice person' is quite funny. It's very telling that Zoe Ball apparently unfollowed Gio after that.

The thing that stands out about Gio is the amount he posts about his other stuff v Strictly - his dance classes, his tour, his show with Anton, his pesticide... Even the fact that he willingly gave up being in the pro dances to go and film with Anton ... and then his Beryls complain he's not in the group dances!

Was it a strategic injury last summer that meant he couldn't do the pro dances, but somehow managed to go filming?

Cannot remember but did he have to miss parts of his own tour performance out becuase of the injury or had his tour finished by then?

Don't follow him enough to remember.

 

[Woolmercardington]

Nikita's laughing in this is everything

 

[ChastityDingle]

Almost every pro in this lineup has given a good experience to a celeb who couldn’t dance or was some sort of challenge, Gio being the only real exception (not yet counting Carlos or Vito who have only had contenders). Again, speaks volumes.

And I believe that both Vito and Carlos would be good with someone who wasn't a contender.

On a separate note, I have enjoyed ITT all this week. I think Fleur has been a great choice as a presenter. I love when she does her impressions of Shirley too .

Janette was somewhat out of her depth I think last Friday with the panel. They got a bit giggly.
I think it was on Digital Spy I read the comment that she is a bit like Monica in Friends - rules help control the fun

 

[soccergirl]

Was it a strategic injury last summer that meant he couldn't do the pro dances, but somehow managed to go filming?

Cannot remember but did he have to miss parts of his own tour performance out becuase of the injury or had his tour finished by then?

Don't follow him enough to remember.

I think he got injured at the end of his tour with Anton, so missed some rehearsals, but then flew out to Benidorm anyway, which clearly had been booked in advance (I remember LadyL commenting on whether his ankle looked swollen in his flipflops!). I think he came back for some of the final rehearsals/recordings. I guess the show values him enough to let him pick and choose what he wants to do...

 

[Boogs]

The Layton and Nikita appreciation thread on digital spy is nice. I’ve found a few links on there that make me love Layton even more ❤

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