Strictlywatch 2008: Week 9 and Week 9 Results

Nine weeks into Strictly and I have realised my problem with this series: I basically don't like any of the dancers much aside from Ian and Jodie, and I don't want them to win because they are a bit rubbish. I'm not sure that anybody else is mad keen on anyone either, so in the absence of an obvious standout like Alesha or Mark Ramprakash, why not vote for John, seeing as he's at least someone you can look forward to watching dance? Yes, it's not a popularity contest, but who wants to watch someone that they don't like dancing? I'm already looking forward to 2009.

But anyway, to the dances. Ian and Jodie did a servicable quickstep, which got overmarked, possibly in an attempt to ward off sympathy votes and drive them into the bottom two; Lisa and Brendan did a samba that was lousy in the contest and significantly better in the dance off, but she still makes me think of those bitchy popular girls at school; Christine and Matthew did another boring dance, waltz this time; Cherie and James did a Cha Cha Cha that was decent on the night and worse in the dance off, so they were rightly sent home, and anyway I've gone right off her since I read someone describe her as "haughty" and now it's all I can think every time I see her do anything; Austin and Erin did a good tango, and I do like a tango, but he reminds me of a best man who can't stop smirking to himself because he thinks he's written the funniest speech EVER; Rachel and Vincent's rumba was excellent and - well, actually I am warming to Rachel now but I still think she's a tad bland, plus I can't help but be suspicious of anyone who can dance a good rumba - suggests fatal lack of sense of humour; John and Kristina were relatively highly marked for a passable American Smooth, which I thought was the nuclear option from the judges - "Look, we aren't bullying him, we like him too, you don't have to teach us a lesson, everything's OK, now just VOTE HIM OFF"; and Tom and Camilla did a lithe salsa which just reinforced all my worst fears about Tom being a bit of a sleaze.

I don't know, they are probably all lovely people if I met them - I mean, it's highly unlikely that they are all ghastly, as random selections of human beings are usually skewed towards niceness, and I'm sure it can't be that different for celebrities. But for some reason this is how they are coming across to me. So I don't have a favourite really and I'm not voting for anybody. But I am starting to wonder if John could actually win this thing...

Dances here.

UPDATE: I posted all of that without even mentioning the worst thing of all: Brucie in the results show. That painfully unfunny dance with Anton! That freakish interview with Tom Jones ("Do you still like braised tarts?" - er what? Not a double entendre apparently, not even a single entendre.) I'd say it was time for him to retire but as they're clearly lining up Anton as a successor I'm not sure there's going to be much improvement. Oh no - is my love affair with Strictly coming to an end? Or am I just in a particularly grumpy mood?