Strictly Come Dancing 2023 #28

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If Layton isn't in the final, I'd reconsider watching it. As much as I like Ellie and I'll be happy for her & Vito to win, this series has tested my patience a lot with the constant storyboarding. As a Katya fan, it's borderline torturous watching her & Nigel be slaughtered by the judges every week, they're intent on pushing Croft & Brazier (producers probably shat themselves when he was in the DO last week), they bussed Angela S this week to protect them, they bussed Krishnan to get Angela R to Blackpool. And there was all of the early series dramas with the likes of Amanda & Eddie. If Layton was eliminated, then that would be the final nail in the coffin for this year.
 
glasgow27 said:
If Layton isn't in the final, I'd reconsider watching it. As much as I like Ellie and I'll be happy for her & Vito to win, this series has tested my patience a lot with the constant storyboarding. As a Katya fan, it's borderline torturous watching her & Nigel be slaughtered by the judges every week, they're intent on pushing Croft & Brazier (producers probably shat themselves when he was in the DO last week), they bussed Angela S this week to protect them, they bussed Krishnan to get Angela R to Blackpool. And there was all of the early series dramas with the likes of Amanda & Eddie. If Layton was eliminated, then that would be the final nail in the coffin for this year.
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Me too. I'll only be watching live if Nikitas in it. There is so much other stuff going on that time of year!
 
Boogs said:
I’ve seen it suggested on Digital Spy that Layton and Nikita were stitched up with song choice and styling as penance for their risqué dance last week. Shirley has raved about them the last couple of weeks, maybe she had to be seen taking a stand against the risky rebels…
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I'm not sure I buy into that conspiracy theory, seeing as the producers had to sign off on the CC in the first place. I don't think they smuggled the pole in in a Mary Poppins bag and the producers were none the wiser until they started grinding on it in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom (though that would be very funny) 😂

However, I do think they may have stitched them up a bit this week for more drama. There hasn't really been a shock boot, or massively upended leaderboard etc yet this year, until now. I could believe the producers orchestrated that because drama/controversy = publicity. I still have to believe they know the final would be a much poorer show with Annabel instead of Layton, and won't try to hamper them any further. They said they got the song they wanted for Musicals Week, so hopefully that's a good sign. I just hope they've made a wise choice and will be safe next week, whether they're in the dance-off or not.

I also cynically suspect TPTB knew perfectly well that doing the pole dancing CC at Blackpool specifically would generate more outrage than doing it any other week, and picked that week for more engagement - of course not giving a duck that said engagement is mostly hatred and bigotry directed at Layton. ☹

I think the CC probably lost them some support. A great dance next week could get a little back, maybe? I've seen a few Angela voters say they'll be voting for Layton now, so that's encouraging. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed for a Bobby vs Annabel dance-off next week.
 
CarmenGhia said:
Layton's dances tend to have a saminess to them. He needs to do a proper ballroom or latin number if he wants to stay in. Lay off the jazz hands, the back bends and the chaine turns. He also had a hideous flexed foot at the end of his routine this week, which I'm surprised Craig didn't have him about.
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This! I don’t feel we’ve seen a huge difference in his dances. I really hope he doesn’t get a Charleston as I feel it wouldn’t show us anything new and could put him in danger. I think he’d do well with a classic waltz with no tricks.

Part of me hopes Nigel will win so he and Katya can stick 2 fingers up at the judges, who are so condescending even when giving praise.

My heart thinks Ellie will win and fair play, she’s been terrific throughout.

I’m in the minority here, so don’t shoot me, who thinks Annabelle deserves place in the final. She’s the most improved from the start and is getting better every week. I thought she’d be out latest wk3, so you have to hand it to Johannes who has built her confidence and helped her get where she is.
 
It wasn’t Layton and Nikita’s best dance by a long way but I think they’ll bounce back next week. I also think they’ll follow the same path as Mollie and Carlos last year (although I’m sure Mollie’s first DO was a while before week 10) but won’t win.

If the Judges have to ‘lock in’ their votes like they do their scores then I believe Shirley when she goes against the grain 😂.

Does anyone find that the Judges don’t even attempt to give cogent reasons for why they’re saving someone now? It was a bit better last night but every week Tess asks them to say and they give sometimes just say which couple they’re saving. I remember when I first started watching and Bruce had to beg them to say who they were saving because they were taking so long to spit it out. None of that nonsense these days!
 
LennyBriscoe said:
It wasn’t Layton and Nikita’s best dance by a long way but I think they’ll bounce back next week. I also think they’ll follow the same path as Mollie and Carlos last year (although I’m sure Mollie’s first DO was a while before week 10) but won’t win.

If the Judges have to ‘lock in’ their votes like they do their scores then I believe Shirley when she goes against the grain 😂.

Does anyone find that the Judges don’t even attempt to give cogent reasons for why they’re saving someone now? It was a bit better last night but every week Tess asks them to say and they give sometimes just say which couple they’re saving. I remember when I first started watching and Bruce had to beg them to say who they were saving because they were taking so long to spit it out. None of that nonsense these days!
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That always strikes me too, and I saw it mentioned somewhere else recently. They often ignore the 'why' bit.
 
Boogs said:
I joined Juliet’s Strictly spoiler group and somebody put up a post criticising Layton and made reference to his sexuality. Juliet shut it right down and told the poster she had to edit and apologise and when she wouldn’t she banned her from the group. I wish there was more of this on social media.

I know that not everyone is going to like everyone but do people have to be so nasty and personal about it? I know there was a post the other day talking about how amazing Nikita is for inclusivity and what a great role model he was for young men. I think we could all do with being a bit more Nikita (although I would never get anything done if I was surrounded by Nikita’s 🥵).

Nasty fuckers before you post think WWND and then go and be kind, affectionate and have fun with someone instead of throwing out your miserable bile at people who are different to you.
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His mums in that group too.
 
ChastityDingle said:
That always strikes me too, and I saw it mentioned somewhere else recently. They often ignore the 'why' bit.
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Craig couldn’t have said any more times it was ‘his opinion … for me’ last/Saturday night, Anton and his ‘teeny, tiny little mistake’ and then there was Shirley and her snarky ’I’m right and everyone else is wrong’ sulk … it seemed more like they were trying to justify their decision to Shirley rather than the couples.
 
diamondthunder said:
I'm not sure I buy into that conspiracy theory, seeing as the producers had to sign off on the CC in the first place. I don't think they smuggled the pole in in a Mary Poppins bag and the producers were none the wiser until they started grinding on it in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom (though that would be very funny) 😂

However, I do think they may have stitched them up a bit this week for more drama. There hasn't really been a shock boot, or massively upended leaderboard etc yet this year, until now. I could believe the producers orchestrated that because drama/controversy = publicity. I still have to believe they know the final would be a much poorer show with Annabel instead of Layton, and won't try to hamper them any further. They said they got the song they wanted for Musicals Week, so hopefully that's a good sign. I just hope they've made a wise choice and will be safe next week, whether they're in the dance-off or not.

I also cynically suspect TPTB knew perfectly well that doing the pole dancing CC at Blackpool specifically would generate more outrage than doing it any other week, and picked that week for more engagement - of course not giving a duck that said engagement is mostly hatred and bigotry directed at Layton. ☹

I think the CC probably lost them some support. A great dance next week could get a little back, maybe? I've seen a few Angela voters say they'll be voting for Layton now, so that's encouraging. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed for a Bobby vs Annabel dance-off next week.
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I agree, TPTB would have agreed that CC knowing that it would be controversial and I think the stitch up with the song and costumes this week was designed to knock them down the leader board and create drama which unfortunately empowers the bigots and more abuse gets thrown Laytons way.

Whilst I think that they have shown range in their dances I do think Nikita needs to do a dance where he isn’t trying to throw everything and the kitchen sink into a routine. Layton is very talented and what makes them work is their partnership so I think that is what he should focus on. One of my favourite performances was their Quickstep which was a bit more traditional.


Bagpuss20 said:
His mums in that group too.
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Yes I was impressed by her response in Juliet’s main group. If I was her I’d be cracking skulls if people were so gleeful about my son not having the public vote.
 
There was mention one week when Nikita tried to get Layton to understand the need to do "basics."
The hint there was Layton was resistant to that, and the suggestion was that he wanted to always show his flair/flamboyant style and not strip back to basics.
Shirley said after the dance off that she would have voted for the couple who did true ballroom - ie, not Layton.

So the undercurrent that he isn't doing the required basic steps has been running through all the time.
Some say Layton has done a showdance every week and they want a classic ballroom dance from him
He's such a beautiful dancer but maybe he is now losing votes because of this.


If he has been insisting on showdances every week and resisting the basics then being in the dance off this week might make him think again.

Personally, I didn't like this week's dance much but I am really enjoying watching him and Nikita together.
Yeh he's been a west end star, yeh he teaches dance but who wants to watch duffers ALL the time. Its always lovely to watch a good dancer and he is better than good. He's amazing.

When we've had excellent dancers before - Ashley PussycatDoll and FayeSteps for example, they are great to watch but don't usually win.


I don't mind who wins this year.
Annabel is improving so maybe she should win?
Ellie has been consistently good so maybe she should win?

Nige - he's taken some tough comments on the chin and come back smiling each time. Maybe he should win? I've enjoyed his dancing.
Bobby - I'm not that into - find him a tiny bit creepy but I wouldn't be upset if he won.

Oh I don't know.

I like them all.
 
I think there has been quite a lot of inconsistency this year with performances week to week and thats even before we start on the judging. I feel there is far more focus on trying to capture the look of a dance than the technique of the dance nowadays. Maybe it was ever thus but I preferred it when there at least seemed to be more focus on technique and you saw contestants build week on week, so by the time you got to this stage of the competition you could see obvious improvement even with dufferesque contestants. (Season 1 aside) Loathe to say it, but the only contestant that fits that bill this year for me, is Annabel.



I think Angela S potentially could have done much better if there had been more focus on technique, but it's hard to be sure and I do think, particularly in that cha cha she was let down by the choreo.



I think part of the issue is the introduction of the speciality dances and the loathsome CC, plus some contestants having a particular story board (Angela R), as a result of which they perhaps either have too many of the non ten dances or the ballroom and Latin aren't mixed up enough.



I absolutely adore Layton and I would love him to be in the final, but I do think he's perhaps not really mastered technique beyond what he was already able to do, particularly with ballroom. Ellie has been brilliant from the start (although the Vito little skit they do every week is starting to grate) Bobby is one note for me. Nigel has been all over the place but I think that picture is confused by the very inconsistent (and at times harsh) judging. Nigel/Ellie/Layton would probably be my preferred final because I think it might really deliver with the dances, but there has to be chance of Annabel slipping through purely because of that most obvious improvement trajectory.
 
I adore Layton but his stage dance/acting advantage is turning to be his biggest disadvantage. There are too many west end musical dance mannerisms that seep into his routines. Last week’s dance was so far removed from the essence of the dance I thought he’d be in trouble straight away. At the end of the day it’s a ballroom and Latin dance competition.
 
Ablemabel said:
I absolutely adore Layton and I would love him to be in the final, but I do think he's perhaps not really mastered technique beyond what he was already able to do, particularly with ballroom. Ellie has been brilliant from the start (although the Vito little skit they do every week is starting to grate) Bobby is one note for me. Nigel has been all over the place but I think that picture is confused by the very inconsistent (and at times harsh) judging. Nigel/Ellie/Layton would probably be my preferred final because I think it might really deliver with the dances, but there has to be chance of Annabel slipping through purely because of that most obvious improvement trajectory.
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They would be my preferred finalists too. And three lovely pros.

I would have preferred Bobby to leave, ahead of Angela. Although he is now coming across as the mature one in the partnership with Dianne.

I'm a big fan of Johannes, I can take or leave Annabel, personality wise, but I get what you're saying about her improvement.

Interesting few weeks ahead now.
 
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