Strictly Come Dancing 2023

[soccergirl]

This is now a Tyler stan account. Tyler for PM.

(Helen won again tonight -it's a 2-horse race between her and Mardy)

 

[Woolmercardington]

No no no!!

As I predicated, everyone really loves Neil

Aw, someone on DS has reported that Hamza had a nasty fall onstage tonight!

 

[DoseofReality]

Oh no poor Hamza. I hope Vito ran on half undressed to carry him off.

 

[LowCalCalzoneZone]

I was reading Gorka and Karen's interview in Hello (only they could make me go out and buy a copy), and short of Karen saying 'i'm not leaving Strictly', it certainly sounds like she's not leaving Strictly - it says how her and Gorka are looking forward returning and battling out for the glitterball etc etc, and that she enjoys being the longest serving pro

I'll be very happy if she is staying on! And I'm wondering if anyone will actually be leaving this year. Giovanni is still a possibility I guess (because he seems to think it's all a bit beneath him now).

To me it still seems a bit mad they're paying for 2-3 pros they don't really need, but the optics of letting anyone go right now might look a bit callous

 

[soccergirl]

Gio is apparently telling fans at his show that he is definitely coming back, which makes sense - he needs to keep his audience for his tours. I am sure he will demand a good contestant

His BBC show with Anton starts on 14th Feb so that's everyone's Valentine's night's plans sorted. I will probably check it out at some point as I love Sicily, but I can't imagine it going beyond cliche. The fans are excited to see if Rose appears - she appeared in someone's photo on instagram at the time with him in Sicily, so they are convinced if she is not in the show it's because they were a couple and she flew out to surprise him.. This saga will never end!

Glad Hamza is ok and well enough to potentially get his toe licked by Tyler

 

[glasgow27]

Sorry but I don't want Karen back. I don't think any pro should get above 10 series unless they are Oti/Katya levels of good and it is high time to change up the female lineup. If not Karen, then Amy or Dianne. For a pro who has never really brought top choreo and never came close to winning, she's been really lucky to stay this long.

And certainly not Gio because it will be a repeat of Brendan Cole, a pro past his prime who shows no interest in it and only does it to sell tickets for tours.

 

[Woolmercardington]

I also think it's time for Karen to bow out. I like her but what more can we really see from her? Maybe she'll get a massive ringer and get to the final, bit like Jeanette in her last year. But if I had to pick for one male and female to leave, it would be Karen and Gio.

 

[StephenTJackson]

Given how much turnover there has been the last few years of the male pros, it really does make the female lineup look a bit stale, tired, there hasn't been any fresh blood apart from Nancy and Jowita, who have been amazing.abd actually show the tiredness of the female lineup. The lineup does need to naturally stay fresh.

 

[posy]

I think it would be good to have a little shakeup - Gio, Karen and then either Dianne or Amy to be replaced. They have done a really good job with recent new pro - Nikita, Nancy, Jowita, Vito, Carlos and Kai all good and add a different dynamic. Give Luba another chance with a partner.
I hope Rose doesn’t appear in the travel blog thing - although isn’t there a Saint Rosalia (watched a really interesting programme about Sicily last Sat, think the tourist board must be sponsoring the bbc at the moment so many programmes in Sicily!) - she probably joins them for the pilgrimage you can do.

 

[LowCalCalzoneZone]

The reason I like Karen so much is that she just seems so kind and patient and forges great partnerships with her celeb (Jayde is the exception, but they did have a nice chemistry to start with). This just makes it just a nicer watch for me - contrast with Gio last series who just didn't seem interested in partnering a duffer at all and it made for uncomfortable, awkward viewing

Also, she is a stand out in the pro dances imo

 

[Boring Monday]

I do think it’s nice to have pro’s who are really just there to give the less able to middling celebs a nice time, with no real expectation of making the final stages … when it can all get a bit intense and wibbly or who dissolve into a snotty mess <side eye to Diane> if they go out a week or so earlier than predicted. I think that’s were Karen falls now, and she seems happy with it. I think the male side missed Aljaz for that last series … Kai was happy enough to step up for a year but Gio patently wasn’t.

I do sometimes wonder … especially if after a long, heavy series the previous year … if pro’s can request something a bit lighter and shorter the next year. I know Kai got blasted in certain quarters for lifting the lid on how mentally exhausting it can be for a pro but they could be forgiven for not wanting that level of intense commitment year after year.

 

[soccergirl]

I can't really see them dumping any of the women - Amy for me could go, but it's unlikely as she's doing those BBC programmes and it would look bad for them to dump her. Ditto Dianne - she's nice but I don't rate her partnerships.


BTW, did anyone catch Kai's Dianne impression when he said 'My name's Dianne and I'm totally not bitter about getting eliminated at Blackpool!'

 

[glasgow27]

I don't get why it would look bad to ditch anyone. They've done it almost every series since the start.

 

[soccergirl]

I don't get why it would look bad to ditch anyone. They've done it almost every series since the start.

But who have they ditched since Brendan? AJ left of his own accord? (sorry perhaps crossed wires - I was talking about letting people go totally. But the argument stands I think that Amy and Dianne are popular and won't be benched...). and which male pro would they ditch to give Neil a shot?

I do sometimes wonder … especially if after a long, heavy series the previous year … if pro’s can request something a bit lighter and shorter the next year. I know Kai got blasted in certain quarters for lifting the lid on how mentally exhausting it can be for a pro but they could be forgiven for not wanting that level of intense commitment year after year.

I am sure Kai was a bit ambivalent this year - nice to have a rest after all the mental and physical exhaustion of last year, and time to plan the great love tour, but also his profile is helped a lot by doing well.. At least he handled it graciously. I am sure on one level Gio was pleased to go out early and have time off - all he had to do was smile and look happy till he exited but failed in that.

 

[LaBlonde]

The reason I like Karen so much is that she just seems so kind and patient and forges great partnerships with her celeb (Jayde is the exception, but they did have a nice chemistry to start with). This just makes it just a nicer watch for me - contrast with Gio last series who just didn't seem interested in partnering a duffer at all and it made for uncomfortable, awkward viewing

Also, she is a stand out in the pro dances imo

i honestly feel that she (or katya) would be the biggest loss to the female lineup tbh. she’s such a dynamic dancer and seems a very warm and kind person. her whole vibe isn’t easily replaced!

i’m convinced lauren will step up, probably at dianne or amy’s expense. as said above, the female pro line up is falling behind the men’s and needs a bit of a shake.

 

[Boring Monday]

I don't get why it would look bad to ditch anyone. They've done it almost every series since the start.

To be fair, Strictly as a whole does seem to be very loyal to those who work on it. The celebs who haven’t come back in the last few years have said ‘no’ to the contract because it was their decision not because one wasn’t offered in the first place. I think the last one you could say didn‘t get the option to refuse was Brendan who was probably towards the later stages anyway and in a straight fight between him and Shirley, Shirley would win every time.

Pro’s who keep their noses clean and leave can find themselves still part of the Strictly team … guest choreographing/routines/working on/judging other shows in the franchise … and Anton and Janette must be the poster people for turn up, do the job without complaint whatever we throw at you, and we’ll see you right. James Jordan on the other hand …

(as far as Karen is concerned, you also have to factor in the optics for Strictly of getting rid of the oldest female pro. Anton could steer the 2 left footed around without a peep about his age, even when he dialled back on the Grecian 2000 and all he did in group dances was stand at the back wearing a nice pullover and point a bit. At least Karen still looks phenomenal and can more than hold her own in the group dances. If the only thing against her is that she has been there a bit and she still wants to be on the show, I don’t think they wouldn’t offer her a contract).

 

[Elleyunsun]

I like Karen so not really wanting her to leave, but agree there maybe isn’t too much more for her to do on the show. She’s also moved up north recently and seems to be (understandably) feeling the effects in her body of years of dancing. Equally it’s a good earner and may fund nicely her quiet life with her husband and dogs.

Amy I sort of feel would want kids (not wanting to go down that ‘all female married pros must be desperate for babies trope) and if pregnant with her crohns she might need to have a quieter time at home. Outwith that, Gio should probably go for reasons stated above but probably won’t for the reasons stated above

His BBC show with Anton starts on 14th Feb so that's everyone's Valentine's night's plans sorted. I will probably check it out at some point as I love Sicily, but I can't imagine it going beyond cliche. The fans are excited to see if Rose appears - she appeared in someone's photo on instagram at the time with him in Sicily, so they are convinced if she is not in the show it's because they were a couple and she flew out to surprise him.. This saga will never end!

I’ve never thought her featuring in it made much sense, just in the way it’s about them travelling around and there doesn’t seem to be ‘guest starts’ from the blurb, nor would they really be needed. If she doesn’t feature in it I don’t think for one minute they were together, so I guess they would just be close enough friends for her to have visited to see Sicily . If so, it makes a lot of sense why her breakup was confirmed to the press just before she went, as that way if they were spotted it wouldn’t look like she was sneaking off to have a dirty weekend with Gio (and Anton) behind her bfs back.

 

[Boring Monday]

I got the impression that the Anton and Gio Go To Scilly programme was due to be aired either just before or roundabout Strictly time last year … in which case it would make more sense to have Rose pop up as a cameo. The fact it’s been bumped back 4 or 5 months from the autumn to spring schedule makes it a bit more meh

 

[Elleyunsun]

I got the impression that the Anton and Gio Go To Scilly programme was due to be aired either just before or roundabout Strictly time last year … in which case it would make more sense to have Rose pop up as a cameo. The fact it’s been bumped back 4 or 5 months from the autumn to spring schedule makes it a bit more meh

It absolutely would, but they were only shooting in August (pretty much up to the launch show filming) so they were never really going to manage to do all the editing and narration etc before Strictly time even without old Liz departing.

 

[Fillyjonk]

I can't really see them dumping any of the women - Amy for me could go, but it's unlikely as she's doing those BBC programmes and it would look bad for them to dump her. Ditto Dianne - she's nice but I don't rate her partnerships.


BTW, did anyone catch Kai's Dianne impression when he said 'My name's Dianne and I'm totally not bitter about getting eliminated at Blackpool!'

Savage. I don't doubt for a second she's a bit of a nightmare behind the scenes.