Strictly

Off you swim then, SwimHome

I love Strictly and all who sail in her but if someone wants to make a catty remark on a discussion forum that's fine by me.

As we said on another recent thread. We DON'T need thread prefects telling us what we can and can't write.

I honestly envy LJ's waist, bum and legs as well as her flexibility and stamina.
Over the last few years my boobs have held up quite well and I've always had reasonable legs BUT my waist has gone - my bum is absolutely flat and I've lost the curve in the small of my back.
LJ still has all of that!
Enjoying the show with GD (6).

For goodness sake, you can hear cattier remarks than these any day at the hairdressers!

I enjoy seeing the complete non-dancers such as Ed Balls much more than these stage school educated types who already have the basics of dance. Watching them improve over the weeks (assuming they don't get knocked out) is amazing. Strictly should adopt a handicap system so that complete beginners have a head start over others who already have some dance training.

SwimHome I think that's a bit over the top. There have been many supportive comments on here as well. As in real life, there are always people who have a sharp tongue but why focus on them, rather than the vast majority who are much less critical?

Wow! Horrified at all the cattiness (or bitchiness depending on whether you're a cat lover or a dog lover). What is it they say? "If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all". Don't think I want to be around here, shall take Gransnet off my desktop.

Spot on Ana. I appreciate the show much more since I started dancing myself, I now know what Len means by "basic". I think, we can do that bit, shame about the rest.

I am really pleased that the show is back on, very entertaining and at last something to watch. I thought Lesley Joseph was very good, I couldn't have done what she did 20 years ago let alone now.

I don't recall anyone suggesting that any of the 'larger' former Strictly contestants should have lost some weight before the show.

And there have been plenty a lot bigger than Ed!

I enjoy Strictly up to a point. I get nervous for the contestants and feel for them as if they're a family member. Ridiculous I know but though I want to watch it as I love dance [though am not a dancer] I sweat buckets just seeing them take to the floor [not a ladylike expression but a true one!!!]

Everyone on the show is trying their best, which is probably better than many of us could manage. If you find the show so awful, why do you waste your time watching it?.

How does anyone know if Ed did lose weight before the show, I'm sure he will lose some soon.

I shall continue to enjoy the show and applaud everyone's efforts. Having been learning to dance, I know how hard it is and exhausting. I would be happy to be able to waltz like Ed did last week.

Craig was so vile with his comments when Ed Balls and Naga Munchetty danced that I have a feeling that they may be the bottom two after the votes have been counted. The standard of dancing this year, to me is high, I suspect that some could dance before they came on the show.

Can you believe I have just read every post on this thread and I never watch Strictly? Is there something (else) wrong with me?

What's wrong with a few catty critical comments?

They're putting themselves in the public eye and being paid shedloads of dosh for it. They all seem to be enjoying themselves and probably don't give a damn what the viewers think of their less than perfect hair/bodies/figures/grinning faces so long as they get enough votes to stay in.

We should be able to say what we like so long as it doesn't break any of GNHQ's guidelines.

What a ?alogue of mean comments from some today. It's safe to be ?? when we're hiding behind our pseudonyms. Go for it Lesley and, surprisingly since politically I was not a fan, Ed. The quote about him needing to have lost weight once he knew he would be on Strictly made me laugh. I tell myself the same every time I book a holiday but fortunately my family and friends are not so critical when I don't succeed. As for Craig, he has never made a secret of the fact that he is there to judge the technicalities so when he says there were no swivel steps in a Charleston, it means exactly that.

Love her or hate her Lesser Joseph get more attention than the pretty pretty ones. Wish I could move like her. She's marvellous.

Not much sympathy for Lesley Joseph. She knew what she was getting into. All the contestants put themselves in the public eye and are well paid for it. The comments above are all entirely to be expected and I bet there are far worse circulating in other social media arenas.

I think she is to be admired for throwing herself into this at her age - and looking great. Her hair is probably the thing that distinguishes her the most - you know who she is immediately. I'd love to have a go at this personally but I wouldn't have Lesley Joseph's stamina and I'm a mere 63 !
Judge Rinder is very good, and Danny Mac has winner written all over him ....I see he has been in stage musicals in the past.
Anastasia has far too much to say for herself and she's not 'all that'.

Gosh so many of you are catty.. I think it's a form of envy. I wonder how many of you have had the successful career she has and have her stamina? As for "mutton as lamb" ......so what !!!! Wonder what you all look like....,,,I can just see you all stirring
your cauldrons.......

I have to agree, yes she has a great figure, but they do make her mutton dressed as lamb at times. Think what they are trying to do is carry over her character from Birds of a Feather and recreate it...it is not working BBC, it is actually cringeworthy and they should not do that to her.

Good to see the sisterhood is as supportive as ever :sarcasm:

I am 70 next month, I do Line dancing and I'm nackered after an hour, but our teacher who is the same age had a 2 hour class prior to ours and never gets tired. If you are active all your life you don't just lose it at 70 unless you get arthritis and your hips or knees go. Lesley is fit but very slim people tend to look older in the face ( as these skinny celebs, royalty and models will discover!).
It was a pity Ed Balls was dressed like that for his dance, it accentuated his beer belly - he would have got away with it in a DJ. As for Craig - I think he went too far, his mark was cruel and unwarranted even for him, Darcy seemed genuinely shocked. The only good thing is it might have triggered a lot of sympathy votes from mature women. However, Ed is bound to be in the bottom two and with Craig on the bench is almost certain to be voted out.

I agree DaphneB, I thought he was brilliant & came across really well. I hope he gets voted in for many more weeks.

Gosh poor Lesley Joseph all those catty comments. I'm the same age and could not keep up with the gruelling work on Strictly. She is thin and does dye her hair, maybe a less black to be would suit. However, these ladies can't get it right can they ? Have a go at an old lady who looks one way, then at someone like Ann Widdicome who is her polar opposite. Plump and poorly dressed. So what, good for them.

I am full of admiration for Lesley Joseph, too. If I could do half of her routine without running out of breath and not having a heart attack, I'd be happy!

Perhaps after Strictly is over she could think about a different hair colour for I think that the black is very aging but presumably it was her decision (to carry on her TV persona, perhaps?) so should be respected.

I'm afraid I am in the dislike of Ed Balls camp but grudgingly admire his appearance on the show.

My favourites thus far are Daisy, whom I think is so beautiful (sigh and wishful thinking back fifty something years!) .... and a good dancer and Will Young, whose personality shines through and I expect his dancing to improve as the weeks go by.

Would anyone know how the 'personalities' and the 'professionals' are paid? I have always been curious - do they receive a flat fee no matter how many weeks they are actually on the show, or are they paid for each show?

Strictly is a huge commitment in time and obviously, one could not accept other work during the programme's run, so I just guess that there is a flat fee for the duration of the show and if someone is knocked out early, they have a holiday on the proceeds of the weeks they are not rehearsing/dancing/performing!

Don't watch it now, 'cos O think that some of the 'antics' are just soft porn. Mutton dressed up as lamb also comes to mind.