Strictly Come Dancing

Speki I am another one who has had a look at your paintings. They are stunning even tho, I am sure, the small pictures do not do them full justice.

they said he was ill. perhaps C & T are spiking his cocoa

I didn't know that the studio audience couldn't vote. Seems rather unfair! I agree, specki, Tess and Claudia should get the job of presenting Strictly. By the way, did anyone say why Bruce wasn't there on Saturday? Did I miss something?

thanks Gally. At this precise moment I'm painting portraits of my grandchildren for my sons' birthdays - trees are easier!

Has anyone said this but aren't Tess and Claudia a great team? Claudia is such a comedienne..

Blackpool sounds so exciting, but I'll be sending my positive vibes through the airwaves as usual! Whenever I went to support my younger son (who will be there on Saturday) in a rugby match--they lost. Not that I'm superstitious or anything but I can't risk being in the SCD studio!
And they take your phones away, so I couldn't vote--can't risk that in week 8 either

Specki I have just had another look at the photos of your pics; they are indeed, amazing. Respect from me too

All together 'Ahhhhhhhhhhhh'.
I too hope Susannah wins - not that I watch the programme, but I do like her on the telly with the lovely Billy. I will be far away on the other side of the world, so will have to log onto GN to discover who has won

GrandmaMiney - your big generous heart has brought a tear to these rheumy old eyes to you too and good luck in Blackpool.

ps specki4eyes --I've just seen your paintings on your profile page--just beautiful

Respect to you too specki4eyes and thank you
As I'm sure you know (from presenting the Adam/ Eve/ serpent breaking news story!!!), there is a lot more to presenting a 3+hour programme than reading an autocue.
I love that old proverb: It is only when you've walked a mile in a man's shoes, that you know what it's like to be him. (Sorry, I know I should have made that 'gender neutral' but it didn't have the same ring!)

I catch Strictly occasionally and saw it this week..it was a relief that Bruce F was not there. He has always made me cringe! They have to have the duff dancers for the comedy value but it would be wrong for a poor dancer to win on the sympathy vote!

Well said Specki

hands up - I feel very bad. On other threads I have criticised Susanna and her delivery on Breakfast whilst accepting that it is not easy when autocues are slow (in a minor way I have done some bbc tv presenting back when god was a lad).

I now find that a) Susanna has displayed her very sweet personality and an awesome level of tenacity and skill on SCD and b) that, better still, her Mum is a Gransnetter. I therefore unreservedly rescind my earlier carping and sniping and ask humbly for forgiveness from Mum and daughter.

I truly believe that she is on the way to winning this year and I genuinely hope she does. And she is a daughter to be proud of - getting up in the middle of the night to do Breakfast and also following that gruelling dance schedule and raising a family. Phew - respect!

Barring disasters it's going to be really hard judging now. There are so many really good dancers this year. Hopefully Susannah will continue to do well. It must be terribly hard work though and she always looks so calm and collected when she's on Breakfast!

I think the judges (apart from Len) were relieved to have the chance to lose poor Dave. Interesting that, though the results are always announced 'in no particular order', the first four to be announced were the top four on the leader board. Susanna fully deserves to be still there. Are you going to Blackpool, GrandmaMiney?

I agree, Merlot - Dave's routine contained far more than Mark's this week, but it seems as though the judges wanted Dave off as much as everyone else!

Phew indeed. She's through!!

I'm not surprised Susanna got through, GrandmaMiney. Her waltz was superb.

Dave has gone (although I thought he was better than Mark in the Dance Off)

Fiona and Mark will surely be next as it's now a serious dance competition and the standard is very high.

Phew!

Thank you for all supportive comments, I was in tears all through the waltz and had to watch it on iPlayer today, to really see it!
In view of some strange public voting last week (being in the dance off was an insult to Abbey's dancing) nothing can be taken for granted, so stress levels ridiculously high here at the moment.
An emotional weekend of joy--and sorrow. When watching Remembrance service and hearing the Woodbine Willie poem, DD posted another of his poems on her Twitter page. Very moving and as many of us were born in or around WWII it made me so grateful my dad came back.
But we will all have memories today...

GrandmaMiney your daughter's dance last night was absolutely beautiful, quite stunning. You must be incredibly proud of her (I'm sure you were anyway before she started dancing). There are a few really good dancers on the show, but Susanna was just wonderful, along with Abbey, and I thought Patrick did really well too.

Let's hope common sense prevails and Dave and Mark are in the dance-off, Dave was, as usual, awful, and Mark just didn't move!

Dave and Mark, as nice as they undoubtedly are, really ought to be in the dance off tonight. The last two weeks have been an absolute travesty with both Abby and Patrick having to undergo this challenge, they are both two of this year's best dancers. I do think it will be a choice between Dave and Mark later, and may the best man win, but it won't be much of a choice!

I stand corrected!

I beg to differ annodominibut if you check the Strictly Website you will find that according to the BBC Code of Conduct "NO money made from calls made to Strictly Come Dancing will go to charity" Their main fund raising events are their big appeal shows such as Children in Need.

I understood that John Sergeant hadn't expected to get so far in the competition and was actually booked to be a speaker on a cruise ship! Let's not smell conspiracy in Natalie's collapse, caz. Tess did say she was in hospital. Children in Need does benefit from the proceeds of the phone-in vote, though I wonder how many people, like me, have used the internet vote facility and how that can make money for the charity. I hope Abbey, Patrick and, most of all, Susanna, have all got through to Blackpool.