Not Your Average Joe
An intriguing Strictly 6th elimination market this week which pre-show looks like it could go many different ways.
In training this week, Joe (Charleston) and Debbie (tango) have looked two of the potential stand-outs with Mollie (foxtrot) also set for a strong week. If these three manage to force their way towards the top of the leaderboard, it could really put a cat among the pigeons.
Salsa for Gemma looks another tough assignment following the jive. In training footage she has looked to have excellent hip action but the concern has to be, she will struggle to be light enough on her feet.
In terms of r.o.s the continued early ones for Gemma and later ones for Alexandra strongly hint that Alex is struggling in the vote while Gemma’s vote is robust.
It is also not good news for Alex backers that the press keep peddling stories surrounding her being something of a diva back stage.
While Alex has a struggle winning over the public, you get a sense Debbie is changing people’s perceptions of her, aided by the great chemistry she has sparked up with her pro partner Giovanni.
Considering she is 59 her Charleston last Saturday was sensational, and presuming an excellent tango by her tomorrow night there is room for Debbie’s Outright price to shorten.
A further issue for Alex is she attacks each dance with such gusto it risks becoming detrimental
Ian was nit-picking both Alex (CCC) and Aston’s (VW) techniques on last night’s ITT, and it could be on the cards for both to somewhat underwhelm. A further issue for Alex is she attacks each dance with such gusto it risks becoming detrimental.
If you compare Joe’s treatment series-long compared to Davood’s you would have to think Joe will be doing the Strictly Tour next year, and Davood possibly won’t. There isn’t much in their respective dance abilities but the show appears far more invested in Joe’s progress.
So Davood may well face criticism once more to do with his AS technique, while Joe looks set for a big week and potentially a first pimp slot of the series for him with his Charleston.
With Mollie poised to bounce back from her bottom two appearance last week with a strong foxtrot, it is Davood who may well find himself in that vulnerable mid-table position.
Ruth, Susan and Jonnie look likely to be propping up the judges’ leaderboard. All three clearly have a following in this series; the hard part is ranking their likely public votes, with Jonnie and Susan both enduring a bit of a softening up last week.
Davood may find himself in that vulnerable mid-table position
Ruth (2) and Jonnie (1) were on early last week and Susan (9) may well find herself on the earliest of the 3 tomorrow. Ruth looks the most likely to avoid the bottom two with a respectable paso in the offing. Jonnie (salsa) and Susan (jive) will be relying on entertainment value and generous judges’ appraisals to help them escape the dance-off.
There is room, of course, for all of Ruth, Susan and Jonnie to escape the dance-off, more so if we have a number of leaderboard ties. It all needs to be monitored closely in-running and is too difficult to call pre-show.
This week’s songs and dances:
Alexandra and Gorka – CCC to I Got The Music In Me by Marcia Hines
Debbie and Giovanni – Tango to I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas
Gemma and Aljaz – Salsa to Sun Comes Up by Rudimental ft. James Arthur
Mollie and AJ – Foxtrot to Call Me Irresponsible by Connie Francis
Ruth and Anton – Paso Doble to The Shady Dame From Seville by Julie Andrews
Susan and Kevin – Jive to This Ole House by Shakin’ Stevens
Aston and Janette – Viennese Waltz to Who’s Loving You by The Jackson 5
Davood and Nadiya – American Smooth to This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole
Joe and Katya – Charleston to Alexander’s Ragtime Band by Ella Fitzgerald
Jonnie and Oti – Salsa to Turn Me On by Kevin Lyttle
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Hi Rob, I hope this means your now backing Joe for the win. Too be honest id be happy if he made the final. He has a lot of things going in his favour if he did make the final.
Hi Stoney. I am looking at Joe more as a potential back-to-lay project. I still struggle to see him winning this series but I sense he is in TPTB’s plans to make the latter stages and he could sneak a final place.
Will be fascinating to see who is/isn’t touring this year and whether this, as expected, impacts the show’s treatment of them.
I have pulled all stakes off Alex, reduced 80% stakes on Gemma and moved it on to debbie. For me the winner comes from Joe and Debbie now. I have got a really good feeling about Joe now. Everything is looking really good for him now. They could easily have slipped him a few 10s yesterday but they are holding them back for a few weeks I think.
Mollie vs Aston
Aston out.
That 16/1 just got a whole lot better.
Joe a shoe in for the final now I would think.
Once again Shirley shows her favouritism in that dance off, saving AJ, her favourite pro of the cast. The producers must be happy losing a strong male dancer, now only Joe stands in their way between them and getting their surely preferred female winner. Will Joe get to the final or will he be Patrick Robinson’d in fear of him getting a large public vote in the finale. Or will the producers finally break the trend of no more than two years in a row having one gender win, and let things play out organically. If they do then you have to feel tha Joe has a chance.
I was intrigued at a few things last night.
Aston leaving increases chances of a female winner.
Gemma might have quite a lot of public support if she could make it through unscathed despite an underwhelming dance, bad r.o., undermarking and quite the deramping. Is she perhaps doing better than expected? In the finale, between a mix of her stirring Paso for her favourite, her evocative Waltz and a Quickstep/Ballroom based Showdance, could she even win?
Jonnie, despite not getting high on the leaderboard was given quite the ramping. Good r.o., reinforcement of him being a hard worker, complimentary praise, high scores for a mediocre dance. Is he in TPTB’s plans for the finale. It would certainly work with the Beeb’s overtly PC stance.
Conversely, the overmarking of Debbie & Alexandra leads me to thinking they’re not doing as well in the votes as TPTB want..
Still feel as Joe is winning it- they could have given him 10s last night but they gave him 9s. Possible growth arc?
Sat night was one of the most blatantly set up shows I think I’ve ever seen and clearly done with the intention of ditching Aston. It’s right up there with the night they put away Gethin in the semi-final.
We could be on for an all-female final, like Abbey’s year. TPTB can get behind or bury any of the 3 remaining male dancers as they see fit.
The worry for Debbie backers is, she might have peaked too early – she ideally wants 40s in the final and Craig bowing at her feet then, not in week 7.
You certainly get the impression Alexandra is struggling on the pv.
Gemma has the Viennese Waltz this week. Aljaz has performed this style of dance three times previously, scoring 37 with Abbey, 39 with Helen and 34 with Daisy.