Strictly 2020

Obelixx

Time for a new thread now that they've started announcing the competitors for this year tho it seems a long wait ahead to when it starts in October.

I use the word "competitor" deliberately as there will be many views on what counts as a "celebrity" and I also have an open mind on same sex couples.   I just want to see some good dancing and dancers and don't care who they are.

star gaze lily

I like the word Competitor Obelixx.
 Nothing wrong with same sex couples......but I do enjoy seeing male/female couples dance together. Especially with the Rumba and Tango.

purplerallim

I must admit one of the best Argentinean tangos I have seen were two men.
I do wonder how two females will manage with lifts. Its just not "complete" if a dance has elements missing.

nick615

Whether or not an individual LIKES the notion of same sex dancing, its introduction will surely scupper a programme that has topped the rankings for years.  If the activists want such a competition, by all means stage a 'SSS', Same Sex Strictly, so that viewing popularity can determine its future, but merging it into the current format will reduce the existing audience by losing those who find the concept distasteful, and the voting will almost certainly become farcical as the LGBT world floods the voting system with partisan support, whether justified or not.  Simon Cowell will be rubbing his hands?

Valley Gardener

You just got in before me @Obelixx. well done!

Loxley

purplerallim said:

I must admit one of the best Argentinean tangos I have seen were two men.
I do wonder how two females will manage with lifts. Its just not "complete" if a dance has elements missing.

I think Nicola Adams (olympic boxer) will manage the lifts a heck of a lot better than, say, Russell Grant did!

Loxley

nick615 said:

its introduction will surely scupper a programme that has topped the rankings for years

Homophobia is still real, sadly, but I'm guessing for every person who decides to tune out of the show, there'll be several more who tune in to see what all the fuss is about. People making a controversy out of it will give the show plenty of free advertising.

purplerallim

Ah, but won't she be the one lifted? or will they take it in turns? Are the rules set for who will take which role? It kind of opens up a can of worms style wise.🤔

Obelixx

Judging from her interview this morning, Nicola will be taking the male lead and says, as she is herself short, she'd like one of the shorter professional dancers.

It will be a shame if having same sex partners puts off some viewers but I'm all for tolerance - we can't help our genetic make-up which determines height, colour and sexuality etc - and hope not to see bigotry rearing its ugly head here or on SCD.

Dovefromabove

@nick615 ‘the LGBT world’ is made up of people too ... just like the rest of the world ... they are not a separate community whose lives should be conducted separately thank goodness ... and goodness me the world of Strictly has long been the campest gayest thing to be broadcast since Julian & Sandy. 

Anyone thinking that the voting will be skewed has obviously been living in cloud cuckoo land if they think the voting has ever been unaffected by the popularity of a soapstar or whatever or even by the sheer bloody mindedness of the UK audience (eg John Sergeant being kept in way past his sell-by date). 

As I mentioned earlier, I was dancing with members of my own gender since I was 11 ... don’t think anyone saw that as ‘distasteful’ then and I doubt if anyone but the most prurient will do so now. 

steveTu

@Obelixx

Odd thought - doesn't the same genetic make up then also make anyone's 'tastes' - so makes the bigot a bigot or is that nurture? If that follows, isn't it being intolerant to not also tolerate bigotry?