Strictly -- Should be fair to all contestants

I think the judge started off pretty level with him actually and Greg had no dance experience either and both have improved immensely. Sadly, some will always vote for the worst dancer just because he is soooo awful he is entertaining to watch  As long as they keep him out of the dance off he will stay, but I wish he wouldn't kid himself that he is still in because the public love him.

Alison

Bang goes my conspiracy theory! When panda-eyes kept mentioning "technical problems" with the phone lines I told Mrs M that was so they could doctor the result so that Ed would be in the dance off!

She told me I was just being stupid - should have listened to the old girl, shouldn't I?!! 

WOW!!! What a shocker

And there will be more like that unless the public vote with their head and not with sympathy

Must say that at one point I thought the TV had  changed channel to X factor......Simple minds??? forget it !!!.....To me they were like scraping your nails on a Blackboard....So terrible they put your teeth on edge.

Surely Mr Balls has to go next?.....

I hope not, but it could well be the year the poorest dancer wins!

peedee

Or the most entertaining wins? I only catch glimpses of the programme and the dances I watch always seem very good and then they are pulled apart by the judges, so what do I know. I don't think Ed makes any pretence that he is even a competent dancer but he does have a high entertainment value. Probably to ball room dancing as Tommy Cooper was to magic!!!

David

What ever any of you think of Ed Balls, one thing for certain..... he's a darn site better than what I would be!!  

David 

WOW!!! What a shocker

And there will be more like that unless the public vote with their head and not with sympathy

Must say that at one point I thought the TV had  changed channel to X factor......Simple minds??? forget it !!!.....To me they were like scraping your nails on a Blackboard....So terrible they put your teeth on edge.

Surely Mr Balls has to go next?.....

well we live in hope...I confess I'd have a lot more time for Ed Balls if I thought for one minute he entered the contest because he had a desire to be a competent dancer rather than to try and convince voters (of all kinds !) that he is a jolly good fellow who deserves to get his seat back at the next election.

Glad I'm not the only one who thought Simple Minds were appalling too, some people really don't know when to stay retired do they 

I had a sneaky feeling that Greg & Claudia would be in this dance off () and I thought Greg danced much better the second time around and did have a lot of complicated footwork in his dance compared to Claudia & AJ who were quick but basically did the same steps over and over again, but yet again I suspect the judges just wanted to keep two girls in and get rid of a bloke this week, didn't really matter which one... !

Alison

Not really shocked the way the voting has been going that ED through,as for  x factor simple minds ...simply rubbish, Rick Ashley done good and looked better,

but Honey G just goes to show public voting has gone haywire and no longer viable 

Think we both sing from the same hymn sheet FD..

Including your summary of the judges decision on the  dance-off .....

I agree about Rick Astley too, he has matured well and does still have a good voice, heard him on the radio a while back and actually considered getting his album, he was promoting some tour or other and sang several new songs that were really rather good IMHO 

I can't comment on x factor though, never watched it but it seems to run along the same lines re: voting by the public ?

Alison

I expect the producers of the programme knew full well that Ed Balls was unlikely to become a good dancer however much training and help he got. With that in mind they have deliberately given him roles that sort of camp things up and that seems to be popular with the voters. How far that goes remains to be seen? I have just started to read his book "Lessons in Life and Politics" so no idea yet whether he still hankers after a political career so whether it is his natural supporters or just amused general members of the public voting for him its hard to tell. From what I have seen there are two or three really good dancers left in the competition and it seems inconceivable that the public would vote one of those couples out in favour of Ed? Mind you I have been wrong about so many things lately!!!

David

What about Simple Minds, oh why not bow out gracefully.