If anyone needs a bit of a giggle this morning. Just go onto the DWTS subreddit. Many are NOT happy with how harsh shirley was being. If they cant deal with shirley imagine they send craig over next year 🤣

Having just caught up on the results show, I was utterly shocked by Shirley’s decision to save Shaun over Jaime.

I still don’t think I quite get it when you take the difficulty of the routines into account, but having thought about it a bit longer, I think Shirley is very clear in her mind that what she looks for above anything else is clear transfer of weight (supported by timing and footwork).

What is transfer of weight?

Shirley talks about this all the time, and what I think she asks herself: is the dancer clearly placing their weight where it is supposed to be, during a step?

Usually the body weight is largely placed on one foot or another, but sometimes it’s split-weight - 50/50 between both feet.

Shaun's jive

Shaun’s jive technique was mostly terrible – clearly.

What Alexis did superbly was for the actual basic step patterns, she used the easiest combinations there were (similar to Dianne with Will). Essentially you’re therefore then transferring the weight backwards on one foot, forwards on another foot, and then side-close-side for the entire routine if you’re Shaun.

In the dance off, without as many egregious mistakes, Shaun did transfer weight cleanly. He lacked technique, but his weight transfer was clear as to where it was placed over the foot.

Jaime’s foxtrot

Now where I don’t understand Shirley's rationale completely is: if you’re prioritising weight transfer above all else, you’re pretty much never going to vote through a beginner follower doing foxtrot over a leader doing jive. The level of difficulty is incomparable.

However, Shirley is consistent on her priorities: for her marks, your weight transfer needs to be crystal clear – so rather than raging about the injustice – how can followers doing foxtrot actually ensure they’re better placed to get high marks?

The weight transfer in foxtrot is incredibly difficult for a beginner follower, because the leader is rising on their feet during the feather step, but the follower is not - you're following the body lead but not the rise and fall.

The follower has to drag the heels backwards (release the toes), and end up in CBMP, meaning that the legs are essentially crossing behind each other while the body stays to partner.

The most difficult aspect with this is maintaining balance while dragging the heels backwards and taking long stride - and also the correct coordination that the heel of one foot can only lower to the ground once the other foot has passed.

-There are only a few that have managed it: very well, Rachel Stevens and Molly Rainford; quite well, AJ Odudu and Michelle Visage. Annabel Croft on certain figures but not others; Lisa Snowdon on one foot but not the other.

-Now the interesting thing, is that Shirley has occasionally marked high where the footwork was wrong but the weight transfer was clear. Ringers know that they’re going off balance so they put the toes down to help their own balance (Ashley Roberts, Tasha Ghouri).

-Beginners though, aren’t necessarily going to be able to cover their mistakes as well as the two above. So they tend to stumble and cling to the leader.

Genuinely I think the best way to achieve this as a beginner is to train 50% of your time in learning foxtrot doing the following: working on the coordination of walking backwards and releasing the toes when and where they are supposed to be released. It seems like a lot, but this action will help you so much in waltz and viennese as well, and also in certain steps in quickstep.

(He wasn’t a follower, but I noticed this is what Aliona did with Harry when he did his week 2 foxtrot – the frame was absolutely dreadful but the foot coordination was good. For a follower, you have the frame provided to you to some extent so you’re in a better position.)

Lacey and Graeme’s tangos

You can copy and paste the principle for the tango, although the technique is different: Shirley wants you to always be clear as to where your weight is placed. This is why so many of us were frustrated at Lacey’s critique – she had some fantastic moments of genuinely following Vito in the upper body but if she’s not got the weight placement locked down, she’s not going to impress Shirley.

Now I rewatched Debbie McGee’s tango, which I have to say, is really not my favourite, due to a number of technical errors in positioning and the top half. But is she clear on where she’s placing the weight? Yes actually, and it scored a 10 from Shirley.

Graeme’s tango had issues with the weight placement - not all the time – but on certain advanced steps – despite the drive impressing Anton. His choreo was difficult and when he moved forwards he left his weight behind too much. This was even true of the difficult reverse section he did which Oti and Marius praised (and I liked it too for the drive), and particularly evident in the chasses, where he looked like he was skipping.

That said, his weight placement overall, particularly in the basic steps right at the start was clearer than Lacey – hence the higher score from Shirley.

In tango, for the follower and the leader, in order to achieve clear weight transfer, I would think the best way is to devote a fair amount of time learning a couple of basic combinations where you’re walking both forwards and backwards.

Delta vs Alex Kingston

I hadn’t remembered Alex’s rumba but I saw someone commenting that it had great feet so I rewatched it.

It’s very comparable to Delta’s because both had extremely basic choreography. Both had great feet and both had flaws which were fairly similar: both lacked rotation and some upper body action.

So why does one score an 8 from Shirley and the other a 10?

I've now rewatched Delta in comparison to Alex, Kara, Rachel, Ellie and Natalie. She does the following better than any of the others:

-fan entry using the moving foot to delay the walk

-fan closure, using both feet correctly and rotating the hips – although Natalie is also superb

-Aida, uses the full stretch of the spine and precision with feet on exit

-Opening outs – legs and feet are superb and attempts rotation – actually Rachel doesn’t quite have this now that I’ve rewatched her (she’s the other one to dance this figure).

-Use of the foot in front during back-basic.

This detailing all warrants high marks – and I said on the live comments I’d be itching it to give it a 10 just like Anton for the legs and feet. But the weight placement in the rumba walks and on certain steps such as Alemana turn, is not as clear as Alex Kingston.

Meanwhile Ellie Leach – whose rumba is one of my favourites and the only one from the list above who was judged by Shirley – is not quite as clear as Alex Kingston either. Personally I still would have given Ellie a 10 because the power in the legs and feet is better than Alex – and this similarly is my rationale for Delta.

Is Shirley more lenient on the men?

This is the question - is Shirley herself more lenient or is the criteria with which she's judging more lenient? The issue is that clear transfer of weight is much harder for a follower in latin because of the heel height, and certain dances in ballroom, similarly due to the heels.

In latin where it's a male duffer or untrained contestant, it's especially unequal because this type of contestant tends to dance extremely basic routines. And the basic steps for the leader tend to repeat themselves over and over, whereas the follower has more complexity - more room for error.

The other judges seem to account for difficulty- plus they prioritise other things that favour a woman dancer, so Shirley's scores can stick out in comparison. Whether she should also account for these, is her call!

Honestly, whoever in the Strictly wardrobe department decided to put Vito Coppola in a crop top and gym shorts deserves a raise immediately. The way he’s casually doing full ballroom choreo on a gym ball while looking like an 80s fitness icon is hypnotic, I’ve definitely rewatched this clip way too many times today. 🏋️‍♂️✨

I was really excited about this duo. They seem to have initial great chemistry. So I was expecting great things. But I have been underwhelmed. I thought their AT could have been amazing. It's one of my favourite dances. I remember watching DWTS two male pros dance it. Omg 🔥🥵.

I was hoping for chemistry like JoJo and John. So I'm a bit disappointed. I think Bethany has real potential. But it's not worked out for them. I think she will be gone soon. Sadly, no same sex win this year.

A teaser for Halloween week group dance! Nikita always slays on Halloween ❤️‍🔥

I need to vent somewhere and I’m hoping the wonderful people on this sub will understand my despair.

I applied for tickets in the lottery as I’m sure most of us did and got the classic ‘so sorry you’ve not been successful email’. However I did the same last year and then somehow managed to get tickets for one of the later shows! It was an amazing evening and as a fan since I was a little girl it was the most incredible experience.

Unbelievably I’ve just had the same email for the Halloween show! However, one of my closest friends has her baby shower this weekend which has been planned for months so I just cannot go. I’m so upset as I bet it would have been amazing but I appreciate how lucky I am that I’ve already been once and I do obviously want to be there for my friend. I just wish I could transfer the tickets to my mum so she could go (last time I took my sister) but sadly it’s not allowed.

The one bright side is knowing that if I can’t go then hopefully someone else who’s just as big a fan will get the tickets instead!

Anyway, thank you for reading the ramblings of someone who has gone through every possible emotion in the last half an hour 😂

She's already standing out in the group dances, and honestly, I think she's going to be a force once she gets her own celebrity. Some pros just have that presence where you immediately want to see more of them. I'm really hoping she gets a partner next series.

Interested to know your answers! Mine is lauren and katya!

She’s really one of us in the fandom 💀…. Strictly having her guest judge for movie week next year would be iconic 😭.

Im really curious as to what both Cách and Maddie would be like with a different professional/celebrity. Cach could be quite a slow learner, frustrated that his skills aren't transferring, or tired of his previous dance experience seemingly hindering him.

Similarly, Maddie could be trying too hard to keep Cach happy, as in including stuff he already knows from his own face experience. I feel as though she would have done better weigh a "clean slate" so to speak. Someone with no experience at all. We would have at least got a better idea as to whether it's her choreography generally or just trying to help Cach.

Interested to know what people think as I know some people have an alternative perspective.

Fortunately enough, my mother and a friend have managed to get tickets for Strictly in Blackpool. Made an account here to ask on her behalf how it works, really, as I haven't seen any posts about it that weren't from cast or celeb invites. Is there anything she needs to know before she goes that wasn't on the ticket email?

Many thanks.

I saw the posts that the press picked up about Graeme's dance past. They found his score cards from amateur competitions.

Well I then found that in 2015, my wife and I competed in the same competition as him.

Out of 10 entries he finished 6th.. (we were 10th). It was the over 35s beginners waltz and Tango.

I noticed in one competition he finished second, out of 2.

What was interesting though was the list of competitors that were also at the event. AJ Pritchard and Chloe Hewitt, both had a stint on strictly. Mia Linnik Holden and Andrei Toader, currently champions and were on strictly baby ballroom... and in the juvenile section under 12s. Maddie Ingoldsby. She was at most competitions back then and was always the one to beat. Our dance teachers at the time were also there competing, Joanne Clifton was their maid of honour and introduced them to each other.

The reality is he would have been a reasonable dancer but by no means a pro. He will have know ln the basics, the steps, the timing and hold position but not to the level of the pro dancers. Beginners are exactly that we had been dancing for about 3-4 months, and in future competitions that year we were taking home 2nd place trophies.

Only the BBC can start promoting their CBBC spin-off show when it’s already been going on for 5 weeks…

My goodness. Just reading this paper I’m exhausted. I feel like there has to be a better way to schedule things so people aren’t there till almost 23:00Pm.

What we thinking Shirley full on witch? Can't think, she's normally quite scary. Motsi, I'm thinking maybe a cat? Craig & Anton some type of ghouls or Frankinstein.

Be fun if the presenters dress up. Tess & Claudia never did. I could imagine Joshy being on board for some dress up.

Which 6 pros do we think will be getting a Christmas Special partner?

I forgot how being on the bench doesn’t automatically give you a Christmas partner until someone mentioned on this sub that Michelle didn’t get one whilst being on the bench for her first two years.

Amy and Aljaž will 100% get a partner. Neil will definitely have one too and I definitely see Lethabo having one. The final two spots will go to two of Alexis, Julian, Aleksandra and Cristian.

Ellie Taylor has another week of behind-the-scenes exclusives and backstage Strictly gossip. She’s joined by the latest couple to be eliminated, and the panel of all-stars returns to break down all the weekend’s action.

I enjoyed Graemes routine last week. But I loved the music. It fitted the dance really well. Does anyone know the name? Was it from a movie or something?

When the judges lay into a routine and the celeb just stands there thinking "I just danced it, I didn't choreograph it".