SCD Series 19 Discussion Thread

[*Wallace]

Took some time to figure out after-season rankings so I'll post those with comments.

 

 

Overall rankings:
1. AJ & Kai - Aww I really adored AJ & Kai. I had no idea what to expect from AJ. I often times over-expect too much for her celeb type, so I didn't want to do so this time around. Then when that happens, she blew us away with that Week 1 Jive. She had lots of great dances throughout her run as well. I loved so many dances from her but I'll shout out her: American Smooth, Viennese Waltz, Charleston, Waltz, Couple's Choice, Quickstep & Rumba She also had her fair share of weaker dances too. But looking back at that, I really appreciate that about her run because it wasn't a flawless run every week. It gave her quite the Strictly journey, and gave the highs and lows of her run which can make you feel really invested. I just hated the way her Strictly journey ended and how she couldn't participate in the final. Hopefully she's better enough to participate in the tour and then a Christmas special at least. But all of that but also AJ & Kai had wonderful chemistry and really sold the romantic aspect of their chemistry. And I may be kinda hoping we'll hear something of them being more than friends in the future.

2. John & Johannes - I can't decide who exactly is my #2 couple right now, as I love them both about the same for different reasons.  John & Johannes were a really strong couple/partnership throughout the season. John started off as one of the best with that Tango and he pretty much kept that standard throughout. I guess the downside of his run was that he had ~less of a journey compared to the other contenders and had moments of ~coasting by. I feel he never truly shone in ballroom or had that outstanding ballroom dance..... actually his Tango is probably my favorite ballroom dance, and that was from Week 1. However, he was easily the best and most consistent celeb in Latin and that's where most of his standout dances were such as his: Paso Doble, Rumba, Samba and Jive. He also shone really well in the specialty styles with the Charleston, Argentine Tango and Couple's Choice (his Salsa was also very good despite the ending). I also love how much this partnership meant to John & Johannes on a personal level with how they brought up how meaningful and special it was to have two gay men dancing together on such a big show with them not having that growing up. They did have a strong and inspiring partnership.

2. Rose & Giovanni - I loved Rose & Giovanni's partnership for very different reasons from my other #2. Rose was truly an inspiring and impressive contestant and certainly represented the deaf community really well. Not only that, but she was probably the most naturally funny contestant too. She had a lot of quick wit comments/~jokes and was never afraid to tease Gio in a fun playful way. I also felt this partnership meant a lot to Gio. Rose started off alright with two decent but not standout Latin dances. Also kinda like but in the opposite way of John, I feel like Rose never really had that outstanding Latin dance. I'd say her Samba was my favorite of the Latins - but none of those compared to her ballroom. Speaking of her ballroom, she was certainly a ballroom Goddess. She could be up there as one of the best ballroom dancers on Strictly history. She never scored anything below a 9 in ballroom. Her Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz, Tango, Quickstep (especially the reprise), American Smooth and Waltz were all great and fantastic dances. Her Couple's Choice and Argentine Tango were also other outstanding dances . She had a strong showing on the final too. So yheah, Rose was a great journey type contestant. She proved to be a deserving winner for this series and I am glad she helped Giovanni get his long awaitede win. They were just inspiring and fun to watch.

4. Rhys & Nancy - Aww I really enjoyed Rhys & Nancy a lot throughout their run, although they didn't have quite the slayage run I was expecting. Rhys is a great natural dancer but he did struggle with some of the ballroom and Latin technique and calming down his energy with some of his earlier dances. He always had the potential but wasn't really quite there, until around his Halloween Paso. But I do love how he improved on his Latin and ballroom throughout the series. I did enjoy a good majority of those dances such as the Paso, Quickstep, Waltz, Tango and Samba. However, Rhys really shone at the specialty dance styles. His Couple's Choice (Street), Charleston and Argentine Tango were all really outstanding and fantastic dances! I felt so bad for him landing in the Bottom 2 so often throughout his run but I predicted that before the series started. I am glad he made it far to the semi-final as I was fearing he wasn't going to make it there.

5. Tom & Amy - I really liked Tom & Amy. I thought it was cute how Amy was a McFly fangirl and how she got to partner Tom. But they had a really good partnership and gelled well together. It's kinda funny how I feared they would be the couple to break up the beloved Top 3 people wanted but then they ended up being kinda robbed/going out a few weeks earlier than they should. It was tough with him against Rhys as I didn't want either to go that week. He had an okay Cha-Cha and then COVID for that week. But after that, he came back strong and delivered some solid dances in his Jive, Salsa, Paso Doble, Couple's Choice just to name a few. Surprisingly his Latin was better than his ballroom, which I wasn't expecting. His ballroom did leave more to be desired, though I really liked his Foxtrot and found that underrated. Still wish he could have made it two more weeks to finish 5th as I thought he had more to give.

6. Tilly & Nikita - They were quite a big surprise for me here. Tilly started off shy & timid, and I was not expecting her to last long. But she surprised me with that Charleston on Week 2. She got into the serious character and fun character dances well, despite having no performance experience. She had a number of great and enjoyable dances such as the Charleston, Paso Doble, Foxtrot, Cha-Cha, Tango, Couple's Choice. Yeah that CC really shouldn't have gotten a 40 but I don't think the rest of her run should be tarnished by that score. Also I did find Tilly & Nikita a lot of fun together, where we saw Tilly's personality shine through. Also Nikita did a great job with her and his first time as a pro, who I hope we get to see more of.

7. Adam & Katya - Aww I found myself really like Adam & Katya and hoping they would do well. Adam started off with a bang with his Cha-Cha, but then he struggled with a string of difficult dances but did eventually have in some good dances in there that I really enjoyed like his Argentine Tango, Viennese Waltz and Jive. I did really enjoy their partnership and the creativity Katya put in her routines for Adam. I wish he could have done better overall. I would have liked for them to last a little longer.

 

8. Sara & Aljaz - Sara was a big surprise of the series for me. I had low expectations for her and didn't think she would last long. Her Cha-Cha was proving that but then she changed my mind with that gorgeous Foxtrot. She did really well in the standard ballrooms, also with her Tango, where she topped the leaderboard twice. But she had those weak/bad dances moments where she was at the bottom of the leaderboard. She had such a rollercoaster journey that was kinda exciting to watch. I was fine with her going out at 8th.

9. Judi & Giovanni - The couples from 9-11 are the couples whose partnerships I really enjoyed a lot despite them not being strong dancers. I found Judi & Graziano a whole lot of fun and so hilarious together. Loved so many of their interviews and VTs. Their Samba was a moment of great fun and I'm really glad they had that moment.

10. Dan & Nadiya - Tricky couple to rank but I think I like this spot. I thought Dan & Nadiya gelled well and were a great oartnership who you could clearly see got along well. Dan did improve during the season but at the same time, he lasted wayy too long (which I feared/was expecting). 8th/7th would have been fine enough but not 5th. But I do like how we got to see more of Nadiya and see her shine here, so thanks Dan for that. Although he did also get a little annoying with his long winded speeches after his dances too, lmao. I did enjoy his later dances like the American Smooth, Charleston and Tango.

11. Ugo & Oti - Ugh I hate ranking Ugo/Oti this low as I really enjoyed their partnership too (and 9-11 are all interchangeable and could be swapped around). A lot of what I said on Judi/Graz applies here. I think they gelled really well, were a lot of fun and hilarious together. I found myself always cracking up at all of their interviews and VTs. Enjoyed their Couple's Choice the most. While Ugo wasn't a super great dancer, he did bring a lot of fun to his dances and partnership with Oti.

12. Nina & Neil - Ugh I'm sad that they were the first couple to go this season, because I felt Nina had some good potential in her, which she showed in her Samba. Her Tango wasn't good but I would have loved seeing her recover from that as I think she was capable of some good dances.

13. Katie & Gorka - I felt bad for Katie as it seemed the public couldn't warm to her. I can kinda get that because I do think Katie & Gorka had the weakest chemistry and didn't really gel well at all. I do think Katie could have/had potential (with her ballroom dances) but her lack of training time and the competitive and strong season worked against her.

14. Greg & Karen - I actually liked Greg more than what I was expecting and found him/his partnership with Karen fun. I was expecting Greg to be the more sopischated, posh, serious, kinda boring celeb but he often showed a fun silly side of him, which made me enjoy him. He had a few alright dances and a few not-so-good dances. He was more ~fun than Katie, but I enjoyed his dancing less.

15. Robert & Dianne - Hmmm this is a tough ranking and one I feel bad about. Robert did start off having a fun partnership with Dianne. His Cha-Cha wasn't good but was hilarious and a lot fun. His Tango was very good and showed that he had good dancing potential and the Quickstep was okay. It was sad how he had to withdraw regarding his health but it was understandable. However after that, it seemed we heard nothing from him regarding the show after that. No ITT exit interivew, didn't participate in the final group dance, pretty much nothing about Strictly. So that kind of sat odd with me. It makes me wonder if he didn't enjoy the experience.
 

[*Diana]

My friend and I were just talking about thinking Aj and Kai might be more than friends

[Hbrue123]

1 hour ago, *Wallace said:

Took some time to figure out after-season rankings so I'll post those with comments.

 

 

Overall rankings:
1. AJ & Kai - Aww I really adored AJ & Kai. I had no idea what to expect from AJ. I often times over-expect too much for her celeb type, so I didn't want to do so this time around. Then when that happens, she blew us away with that Week 1 Jive. She had lots of great dances throughout her run as well. I loved so many dances from her but I'll shout out her: American Smooth, Viennese Waltz, Charleston, Waltz, Couple's Choice, Quickstep & Rumba She also had her fair share of weaker dances too. But looking back at that, I really appreciate that about her run because it wasn't a flawless run every week. It gave her quite the Strictly journey, and gave the highs and lows of her run which can make you feel really invested. I just hated the way her Strictly journey ended and how she couldn't participate in the final. Hopefully she's better enough to participate in the tour and then a Christmas special at least.

2. John & Johannes - I can't decide who exactly is my #2 couple right now, as I love them both about the same for different reasons.  John & Johannes were a really strong couple/partnership throughout the season. John started off as one of the best with that Tango and he pretty much kept that standard throughout. I guess the downside of his run was that he had ~less of a journey compared to the other contenders and had moments of ~coasting by. I feel he never truly shone in ballroom or had that outstanding ballroom dance..... actually his Tango is probably my favorite ballroom dance, and that was from Week 1. However, he was easily the best and most consistent celeb in Latin and that's where most of his standout dances were such as his: Paso Doble, Rumba, Samba and Jive. He also shone really well in the specialty styles with the Charleston, Argentine Tango and Couple's Choice (his Salsa was also very good despite the ending). I also love how much this partnership meant to John & Johannes on a personal level with how they brought up how meaningful and special it was to have two gay men dancing together on such a big show with them not having that growing up. They did have a strong and inspiring partnership.

2. Rose & Giovanni - I loved Rose & Giovanni's partnership for very different reasons from my other #2. Rose was truly an inspiring and impressive contestant and certainly represented the deaf community really well. Not only that, but she was probably the most naturally funny contestant too. She had a lot of quick wit comments/~jokes and was never afraid to tease Gio in a fun playful way. I also felt this partnership meant a lot to Gio. Rose started off alright with two decent but not standout Latin dances. Also kinda like but in the opposite way of John, I feel like Rose never really had that outstanding Latin dance. I'd say her Samba was my favorite of the Latins - but none of those compared to her ballroom. Speaking of her ballroom, she was certainly a ballroom Goddess. She could be up there as one of the best ballroom dancers on Strictly history. She never scored anything below a 9 in ballroom. Her Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz, Tango, Quickstep (especially the reprise), American Smooth and Waltz were all great and fantastic dances. Her Couple's Choice and Argentine Tango were also other outstanding dances . She had a strong showing on the final too. So yheah, Rose was a great journey type contestant. She proved to be a deserving winner for this series and I am glad she helped Giovanni get his long awaitede win. They were just inspiring and fun to watch.

4. Rhys & Nancy - Aww I really enjoyed Rhys & Nancy a lot throughout their run, although they didn't have quite the slayage run I was expecting. Rhys is a great natural dancer but he did struggle with some of the ballroom and Latin technique and calming down his energy with some of his earlier dances. He always had the potential but wasn't really quite there, until around his Halloween Paso. But I do love how he improved on his Latin and ballroom throughout the series. I did enjoy a good majority of those dances such as the Paso, Quickstep, Waltz, Tango and Samba. However, Rhys really shone at the specialty dance styles. His Couple's Choice (Street), Charleston and Argentine Tango were all really outstanding and fantastic dances! I felt so bad for him landing in the Bottom 2 so often throughout his run but I predicted that before the series started. I am glad he made it far to the semi-final as I was fearing he wasn't going to make it there.

5. Tom & Amy - I really liked Tom & Amy. I thought it was cute how Amy was a McFly fangirl and how she got to partner Tom. But they had a really good partnership and gelled well together. It's kinda funny how I feared they would be the couple to break up the beloved Top 3 people wanted but then they ended up being kinda robbed/going out a few weeks earlier than they should. It was tough with him against Rhys as I didn't want either to go that week. He had an okay Cha-Cha and then COVID for that week. But after that, he came back strong and delivered some solid dances in his Jive, Salsa, Paso Doble, Couple's Choice just to name a few. Surprisingly his Latin was better than his ballroom, which I wasn't expecting. His ballroom did leave more to be desired, though I really liked his Foxtrot and found that underrated. Still wish he could have made it two more weeks to finish 5th as I thought he had more to give.

6. Tilly & Nikita - They were quite a big surprise for me here. Tilly started off shy & timid, and I was not expecting her to last long. But she surprised me with that Charleston on Week 2. She got into the serious character and fun character dances well, despite having no performance experience. She had a number of great and enjoyable dances such as the Charleston, Paso Doble, Foxtrot, Cha-Cha, Tango, Couple's Choice. Yeah that CC really shouldn't have gotten a 40 but I don't think the rest of her run should be tarnished by that score. Also I did find Tilly & Nikita a lot of fun together, where we saw Tilly's personality shine through. Also Nikita did a great job with her and his first time as a pro, who I hope we get to see more of.

7. Adam & Katya - Aww I found myself really like Adam & Katya and hoping they would do well. Adam started off with a bang with his Cha-Cha, but then he struggled with a string of difficult dances but did eventually have in some good dances in there that I really enjoyed like his Argentine Tango, Viennese Waltz and Jive. I did really enjoy their partnership and the creativity Katya put in her routines for Adam. I wish he could have done better overall. I would have liked for them to last a little longer.

 

8. Sara & Aljaz - Sara was a big surprise of the series for me. I had low expectations for her and didn't think she would last long. Her Cha-Cha was proving that but then she changed my mind with that gorgeous Foxtrot. She did really well in the standard ballrooms, also with her Tango, where she topped the leaderboard twice. But she had those weak/bad dances moments where she was at the bottom of the leaderboard. She had such a rollercoaster journey that was kinda exciting to watch. I was fine with her going out at 8th.

9. Judi & Giovanni - The couples from 9-11 are the couples whose partnerships I really enjoyed a lot despite them not being strong dancers. I found Judi & Graziano a whole lot of fun and so hilarious together. Loved so many of their interviews and VTs. Their Samba was a moment of great fun and I'm really glad they had that moment.

10. Dan & Nadiya - Tricky couple to rank but I think I like this spot. I thought Dan & Nadiya gelled well and were a great oartnership who you could clearly see got along well. Dan did improve during the season but at the same time, he lasted wayy too long (which I feared/was expecting). 8th/7th would have been fine enough but not 5th. But I do like how we got to see more of Nadiya and see her shine here, so thanks Dan for that. Although he did also get a little annoying with his long winded speeches after his dances too, lmao. I did enjoy his later dances like the American Smooth, Charleston and Tango.

11. Ugo & Oti - Ugh I hate ranking Ugo/Oti this low as I really enjoyed their partnership too (and 9-11 are all interchangeable and could be swapped around). A lot of what I said on Judi/Graz applies here. I think they gelled really well, were a lot of fun and hilarious together. I found myself always cracking up at all of their interviews and VTs. Enjoyed their Couple's Choice the most. While Ugo wasn't a super great dancer, he did bring a lot of fun to his dances and partnership with Oti.

12. Nina & Neil - Ugh I'm sad that they were the first couple to go this season, because I felt Nina had some good potential in her, which she showed in her Samba. Her Tango wasn't good but I would have loved seeing her recover from that as I think she was capable of some good dances.

13. Katie & Gorka - I felt bad for Katie as it seemed the public couldn't warm to her. I can kinda get that because I do think Katie & Gorka had the weakest chemistry and didn't really gel well at all. I do think Katie could have/had potential (with her ballroom dances) but her lack of training time and the competitive and strong season worked against her.

14. Greg & Karen - I actually liked Greg more than what I was expecting and found him/his partnership with Karen fun. I was expecting Greg to be the more sopischated, posh, serious, kinda boring celeb but he often showed a fun silly side of him, which made me enjoy him. He had a few alright dances and a few not-so-good dances. He was more ~fun than Katie, but I enjoyed his dancing less.

15. Robert & Dianne - Hmmm this is a tough ranking and one I feel bad about. Robert did start off having a fun partnership with Dianne. His Cha-Cha wasn't good but was hilarious and a lot fun. His Tango was very good and showed that he had good dancing potential and the Quickstep was okay. It was sad how he had to withdraw regarding his health but it was understandable. However after that, it seemed we heard nothing from him regarding the show after that. No ITT exit interivew, didn't participate in the final group dance, pretty much nothing about Strictly. So that kind of sat odd with me. It makes me wonder if he didn't enjoy the experience.
 

They were my favourite couple and gutted that they never got to perform in the final but even though they didn't perform I have to say they are my favourite ever Strictly partnership. 

 

I to hope they become a couple because they seem perfect for one another. 

[*Lily]

Oti just got announced as the new judge on Dancing on Ice! A great gig for her (and a greater booking for that show). I do think that makes it all the more likely she probably won’t be back as pro next year though. Was to be expected as she has been branching out with more projects, but hard to even imagine Strictly without her anymore!

[*Amanda]

AJ & Kai will be performing their Showdance on tour.  Hopefully we get videos of it.

Couples are performing:

• Rose & Giovanni: Couples Choice; Argentine Tango

• Sara & Aljaž: Quickstep; Foxtrot

• Max & Katya: Jive; American Smooth

• AJ & Kai: American Smooth; Show Dance

• Tilly & Nikita: Couples Choice; Waltz

•’Rhys & Nancy: Charleston; Argentine Tango
• John & Johannes: Paso; Show Dance

 

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/aj-odudu-showdance-kai-widdrington-strictly-come-dancing-final-live-tour_uk_61c33269e4b0d637ae892661/

Edited December 24, 2021 by *Amanda

[Hbrue123]

On 12/22/2021 at 3:16 PM, *Amanda said:

AJ & Kai will be performing their Showdance on tour.  Hopefully we get videos of it.

Couples are performing:

• Rose & Giovanni: Couples Choice; Argentine Tango

• Sara & Aljaž: Quickstep; Foxtrot

• Max & Katya: Jive; American Smooth

• AJ & Kai: American Smooth; Show Dance

• Tilly & Nikita: Couples Choice; Waltz

•’Rhys & Nancy: Charleston; Argentine Tango
• John & Johannes: Paso; Show Dance

 

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/aj-odudu-showdance-kai-widdrington-strictly-come-dancing-final-live-tour_uk_61c33269e4b0d637ae892661/

 

Im so glad AJ and Kai are doing those two dances I will be going to see it in Birmingham so looking forward to it. I'm really hope Omicron doesn't cancel the tour. 

Edited December 25, 2021 by Hbrue123

[*Amanda]

I love that Tom & Amy are continuing to dance together.  

[*Wallace]

Time for my final weekly YouTube views post! I'll do both a post for views of this week's dances as well as the Top 20 most viewed dances of the series!

 

YouTube views of the Week 13 dances:

1. Rose & Giovanni - Showdance: 383,184 views / 3.5k likes
2. Rose & Giovanni - Couple's Choice: 201,291 views / 1.9k likes
3. John & Johannes - Showdance: 124,382 views / 1.8k likes 
2. Rose & Giovanni - Quickstep: 88,103 views / 962 likes
3. John & Johannes - Paso Doble: 60,043 views / 976 likes 
6. John & Johannes - Rumba: 50,423 views / 866 likes 

 

Top 3 Likes:
1. Rose & Giovanni - Showdance
2. Rose & Giovanni - Couple's Choice
3. John & Johannes - Showdance
 
Bottom 3 Likes:
1. Rhys & Nancy Tango
2. Rhys & Nancy Samba
3. AJ & Kai Rumba

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Top 20 Most Viewed Dances of the Series!

1. Rose & Giovanni - Couple's Choice [Week 8]: 1,838,225 views / 19k likes (=)
2. Rose & Giovanni - Tango [Week 6]: 1,250,022 views / 9.9k likes (=)
3. AJ & Kai - Jive [Week 1]: 708,910 views / 5.5k likes (=)
4. Rose & Giovanni - Argentine Tango [Week 5]: 703,271 views / 7.5k likes (new)
5. Tilly & Nikita - Charleston [Week 2]: 672,417 views / 6.4k likes (-1)
6. Rose & Giovanni - Viennese Waltz [Week 5]: 645,449 views / 5.4k likes (=)
7. John & Johannes - Paso Doble [Week 3]: 601,383 views / 9k likes (-2)
8. Rose & Giovanni - Samba [Week 7]: 550,133 views / 3.4k likes  (-1)
9. Rose & Giovanni - American Smooth [Week 11]: 520,197 views / 4.6k likes (new)
10. Rose & Giovanni - Foxtrot [Week 3]: 488,796 views / 4.6k likes (=)
11. AJ & Kai- Argentine Tango [Week 5]: 471,645 views / 4.2k likes (-3)
12. John & Johannes - Tango [Week 1]: 434,944 views / 6.5k likes (-3)
13. Judi & Graziano - Samba [Week 2]: 420,676 views / 4k likes
14. Rose & Giovanni - Jive [Week 1]: 419,885 views / 3.3k likes 
15. Adam & Katya - Argentine Tango [Week 4]: 418,397 views / 2.2k likes
16. Rose & Giovanni - Quickstep [Week 9]: 417,603 views / 3.4k likes 
17. Rose & Giovanni - Showdance [Week 13]: 383,184 views / 3.5k likes
18. Rose & Giovanni - Salsa [Week 2]: 336,526 views / 2.4k likes 
19. Rose & Giovanni - Paso Doble [Week 10]: 334,790 views / 2.3k likes (=)
20. Adam & Katya - Cha-Cha [Week 1]: 326,437 views / 2.3k likes

 

 

Top 3 Likes:
1. Rose & Giovanni - Couple's Choice
2. Rose & Giovanni - Tango
3. John & Johannes - Paso Doble 

Bottom 3 Likes:
1. Adam & Katya - Argentine Tango 
2. Adam & Katya - Argentine Tango / Rose & Giovanni - Paso Doble

To no surprise, Rose & Giovanni really dominated in Youtube views this series. They have 7 spots in the Top 10 and 12 spots in the Top 20! Very impressive. The only 4 Rose & Gio dances not in this Top 20 are their Cha-Cha (Wk. 4), Waltz (Wk. 12), Quickstep reprise (Wk. 13) and Couple's Choice reprise (Wk. 13).
 

[*Wallace]

On 12/21/2021 at 12:35 PM, *Diana said:

My friend and I were just talking about thinking Aj and Kai might be more than friends

Lmaoo yess, so many people have been thinking this.

 

On 12/22/2021 at 7:16 AM, *Amanda said:

AJ & Kai will be performing their Showdance on tour.  Hopefully we get videos of it.

Couples are performing:

• Rose & Giovanni: Couples Choice; Argentine Tango

• Sara & Aljaž: Quickstep; Foxtrot

• Max & Katya: Jive; American Smooth

• AJ & Kai: American Smooth; Show Dance

• Tilly & Nikita: Couples Choice; Waltz

•’Rhys & Nancy: Charleston; Argentine Tango
• John & Johannes: Paso; Show Dance

 

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/aj-odudu-showdance-kai-widdrington-strictly-come-dancing-final-live-tour_uk_61c33269e4b0d637ae892661/

Oooh I was wondering of the tour dances so thanks for posting these.  

 

Some interesting choices. Rose got great dance choices for sure there. Kinda surprised she isn't doing one of her standard ballrooms but of course the AT is amazing there. Sara doing two ballroom makes sense, though surprised her Tango isn't there as that was her best dance. Also surprised Max isn't doing his The Simpsons Couple's Choice as that was his most memorable dance. 

 

Happy to see AJ doing her Showdance. Hoping that she's able to participate in the tour and we get lots of videos of it.  The AS was a great early dance from her. It's also understandable she wouldn't do her Jive or Charleston as those are difficult fast dances that could impact her leg/foot some more. Interesting choices for Tilly. The CC makes sense as that was their perfect scoring dance. But the Waltz is really odd as that was her Week 1/weakest and lowest scoring dance.  

 

Rhys got the perfect choices as those were his best dances. John's Paso makes sense too. A bit surprised with his Showdance being selected although that's a great one too.

45 minutes ago, *Amanda said:

I love that Tom & Amy are continuing to dance together.  

Aww thanks for posting this! This was a really nice and beautiful dance from them.  Tom's ballroom really improved here too.  

[*Wallace]

On 12/22/2021 at 1:41 AM, *Lily said:

Oti just got announced as the new judge on Dancing on Ice! A great gig for her (and a greater booking for that show). I do think that makes it all the more likely she probably won’t be back as pro next year though. Was to be expected as she has been branching out with more projects, but hard to even imagine Strictly without her anymore!

Awww I heard about this. Happy for her getting another big gig for another big show, of course. But yeah this does make it seem like she could be done with Strictly, which would be so sad and such a shame.  But it's something I can see. I think I read something of her ~unofficially this last series would be her last series.

 

Although it would be kinda hilarious of Oti judging Brendan Cole now.   I wonder how he's going to take to that.  

[*Diana]

Nooo. The show isn't the same without Pasha and now I am losing Oti?

[*Wallace]

On 12/23/2021 at 9:31 PM, *Diana said:

Nooo. The show isn't the same without Pasha and now I am losing Oti?

Well nothing is quite official there yet so we can still hold onto hope?  

[*Wallace]

The Christmas special on today!

 

 

A reminder of the couples:

Jay Blades (Upholsterer/TV presenter) & Luba
Fred Sirieix (maître d'hôtel/TV personality) & Dianne
Mel Giedroyc (actress/comedian/TV presenter) & Neil
Moira Stuart (presenter/broadcaster/radio host) & Aljaz
Anne-Marie (singer/songwriter) & Graziano
Adrian Chiles (broadcaster/presenter/writer) & Jowita

 

Looking forward to see how everyone does, but still most excited for Anne-Marie.  Not sure when I'll be able to watch but hopefully can do so tomorrow or sometime soon!

[Zoey]

One of my main issues in life is how Anne isn’t US famous yet.

[*Diana]

We need a full season of Anne Marie or riot! 

[taylorkat]

Oti can't leave.

[*Wallace]

Yayy just watched the Christmas special, so I'll post my thoughts.

 

The opening Christmas group dance was really cute and a lot of fun! The pros were fantastic and it was great seeing the new celebs having lots of fun. Nice performance from Jamie Callum there too.

Fred & Dianne - Quickstep: Lol that's funny how Fred dyed his hair red to match Dianne. Lol that part of Dianne telling Fred he would be dressed up as a turkey but I love how game Fred was for it. I was expecting him to be more in a turkey type outfit but that's good that wasn't the case. This was a cute and fun show opening Quickstep. He had a lot of great energy and performed this well throughout. Wow he went by reallly fast with his Quickstepping. The technical aspects of the Quickstep with the footwork wasn't all the way there but that doesn't really matter for this special (especially with so little rehearsal time). But he did well and had a good frame there. I did enjoy the fun, energy and performance he put into this. Oooh I wasn't quite expecting 10s for the first dance (can't recall this happening on the Christmas special?) But well done. His score: 8/10/10/10 = 38. 

Moira & Aljaz - Salsa: OMGG her "that man's a hunk" at Aljaz... I was not expecting that from her. Hmm interesting that they gave her the Salsa, but she is cute and funny in her intro VT and I liked her excitement about the style. This was a cute and fun dance but lol I was thinking "this is taking forever to get to the Salsa." Sadly, the Salsa dancing wasn't too great from Moira, but I like the fun she had. She was having good fun, in her groove and doing her thing here. OMG I did crack up at the part where Santa stole her and she started Salsaing with Santa Claus after dancing with Aljaz.   Ooh and Santa was Cameron, which I would have never guessed. Also loved Aljaz dress as an elf. Cute dance. Her score: 8/8/8/9 = 33 

Anne-Marie & Graziano - Cha-Cha: Aww Anne-Marie was cute and fun in her VT. Lol her mentioning being a karate champion. Aww at how awkward she was feeling being feminie and sexy. And oooh they allow lifts in the Cha-Cha? I guess because of the special. Oooh love the song choice of the dance, "Feliz Navidad," as I kinda always wanted to see a routine to that song. I thought Anne-Marie did a great job here. She had great rhythm & musicialty but she also had very good technique, footwork & hip action. The tricks they did were seamless and a lot of fun. She did make it look fun and effortless. This looks like a dance you would see on the main show. This makes me want to see her in a regular series because imagine how great she could be with proper weeks/months of training. Graziano did great work in teachning and choreography for her too. Her score: 10/10/10/10 = 40. With Fred getting 10s, the judges had no choice but to give Anne-Marie 10s too. Aww I loved their excitement for their scores.

 

Jay & Luba - Jive: Ooof the Jive is a challenging style to get for a special like this. Lol I felt so lost with this intro video of the Dell Boy and Rodney storyline.  So I was just as confused as Luba here. It does look like they paid proper homage to the movie though. I thought Jay tried his best with a challenging style like the Jive. He had fun, performed well and was really into the character. His Jive dancing and technique was okay. He did seem a little soft in the kicks and flicks. But it was nice how Luba gave him his own moment to shine with his kicks & flicks towards the end. He did have a cool smooth style with it. He did partner Luba well here too. Oooh nice how Jay got a message from the guy who played Dell Boy, and aww at how touched Jay was by it. His score: 8/8/9/9 = 34

 

Adrian & Jowita - American Smooth: Oooh they are doing the Viennese Waltz based AS. Lol Adrian's family & friends asking if he was mad by doing this special and him thinking they were right. Aww also nice to see Jowita getting a partner on this special. omg awww Adrian in this VT. He was really tough on himself with all of the technical aspects of things. This was a nice and sweet dance. Hmm Adrian tried but I felt this wasn't a dance that really suited him. He did try, and he partnered Jowita well. I did feel like the emotional connection was missing, as he was looking so serious and focusing on the steps. The footwork and frame wasn't too good/kinda rough and yeah nerves did show here and get to him. The lifts they did towards the end was really good though. Omgg Jowita is sooo tiny though. She was so beautiful and stunning in this dance though. I'm def curious to see her with a celeb in the future seasons. OMG Craig's comment on the snowman having more personality than him in that dance... yikes. His score: 7/8/9/9 = 33

 

Mel & Neil - Street/Commercial: Mel has been the celeb I have seen so much these last few weeks/months on various Strictly things, namely ITT. She has a great personality and seems like a lot of fun. omgg her calling out people on low expectations of her for this dance and how she is fine with that. Lol she had me cracking up throughout her whole VT with getting into that Street character. omgg the montage of her "ice skating." Oooh lol this was really such a fun and entertaining dance here. I love how Mel was having such a blast and time of her life here. She had a lot of fun quirky characterization here. Her dancing was pretty decent and she had good rhythm. She did lack some of the style and swag needed for the style. I did like a lot of her side by side dancing with Neil, although she was a little behind and off from him. I did like the tutting section they did on the chairs. This was cute and a lot of fun. I can so see this being a crowd favorite in the studio. Her score: 10/10/10/10 = 40. Ooh with her score & audience reaction, I'm predicting she'll win (though I'm still pulling for Anne-Marie).

Rankings:
1. Anne-Marie & Graziano - Cha-Cha
2. Mel & Neil - Street/Commercial
3. Fred & Dianne - Quickstep
4. Jay & Luba - Jive
5. Moira & Aljaz - Salsa
6. Adrian & Jowita - American Smooth

Really nice performance from Gary Barlow with beautiful dancing from Oti, Nikita, Amy & Cameron.

Oooooh whoaa, Anne-Marie & Graziano actually won it..... which kinda shocked me. Even Anne-Marie was shocked. But yeah I think I am just so used to the best dancer not winning, that I was just so set on her not winning. But yayy glad she won as I thought she delivered the best dance and was the winner of the special, in my eyes. Aww at her reaction, and omg her mentioning how badly Graziano wanted this win too.

The closing group routine was cute and a lot of fun here too!
 

[*Wallace]

20 hours ago, Zoey said:

One of my main issues in life is how Anne isn’t US famous yet.

Aww, she did have some moderate success here with some songs like "Rockabye," "Friends" and "2002" but I thought and hoped she would have had more success, aside from those songs.  

20 hours ago, *Diana said:

We need a full season of Anne Marie or riot! 

Ahh yess, I really hope she can do a full season. Her dance was so good and is (unsurprisingly) killing it in views compared to everyone else.  

 

 

[*Lily]

AJ had to withdraw from the live tour also. Maisie is taking her place.

[*Amanda]

Ugh no.  Was hoping AJ would have recovered from her injury in time to do the tour.  Hoping she’s fully healed soon though and that she pops up on a Christmas special or something during the future.

 

Very excited they’re bringing in Maisie though.  IDK why they didn’t choose her in the first place. She makes more sense than Max George.  She will be dancing her Quickstep & Samba, fantastic choices.  

[*Wallace]

Awww noo I had a terrible feeling AJ didn't recover enough to participate in the tour.   Hopefully she can still have the chance for the 2023 tour.

 

Happy for Maisie getting to be the replacement, but sad for the circumstances. I was thinking she wasn't apart of the line-up due to her hectic soaps work schedule but now she's on the tour, so that can't be the reason now? Great dance choices for her. Although it'll be interesting seeing her dancing with Kai rather than Gorka (with Kai being WAYYY taller than Gorka, so they will have to adjust to the height difference fast).  

 

Also random note I am surprised that Jamie didn't do the tour (while Max got the spot). Jamie was a guest on Strictly and ITT this year that I thought he would for sure be on the tour.  Although I think Max may have gotten the tour spot due to The Wanted reuniting recently - and this will keep up buzz for the group?

[*Amanda]

43 minutes ago, *Wallace said:

Happy for Maisie getting to be the replacement, but sad for the circumstances. I was thinking she wasn't apart of the line-up due to her hectic soaps work schedule but now she's on the tour, so that can't be the reason now?

Yeah, that's not the reason. She left Eastenders recently, so she has the free time to do the tour now.

[Ariel1989]

Oti is leaving Strictly  Not a surprise since she said that series 19 would be her last.  

[*Diana]

No Oti, No Pasha. The show has lost its best pros by far. What a shame.

[*Wallace]

On 1/6/2022 at 8:43 PM, *Amanda said:

Yeah, that's not the reason. She left Eastenders recently, so she has the free time to do the tour now.

Ahh I didn't know she left the show.  But yay glad that she had some time freed up to do the tour!  

 

4 minutes ago, Ariel1989 said:

Oti is leaving Strictly  Not a surprise since she said that series 19 would be her last.  

Awww nooo.  But I think we all suspected this for months when she alluded (don't think she ever confirmed it?) that the 19th series would be her last one + the Dancing on Ice judging gig was further confirmation.

 

 

She's had 7 incredible series on the show and brought some really innovative, creative and exciting routines. Plus, she achieved 2 back-to-back wins, which no other pro has done! She definitely made her mark on the show and will always be remembered fondly for her work and personality here!