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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Katie Fitzpatrick

Former BBC Strictly dancer mocks performance after sparking debate by saying show 'has changed'

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan sparked a debate after he exclaimed: "Oh my how Strictly has changed." James, who regularly gives his verdicts on the performances, spoke out minutes into the start of last night's results show.

James, who missed Saturday night's live show because it was his fellow ex Strictly dancer wife Orla's 40th birthday, didn't elaborate on what he had meant by his comment. But his tweet prompted fans to come forward with what they thought of the long-running BBC dance contest which launched in 2004.

@ajw77 replied: "Really not enjoying it so far, very disappointed and we have watched it from day 1 and always loved it."And @PeterJASnell thought: "The production values have changed and the set is just too busy. Too many changes." And @Juliedewdrops said: "I’m missing @AljazSkorjanec and Oti this year, it’s not the show it was. Not enough ballroom content either it’s mostly all Latin these days."

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@Chrissey23 messaged: "It’s the whole show! The scores you never saw an eight or a nine till later in the show." And @janC1955 said: "Definitely feel there should be a change of judges after this series, some of the comments and marking so far have been OTT."

@FionaHa32940389 wrote: "I love it. It has moved into complete freedom of a persons sex, difference, is all of us just dancing together as human beings in love." And @lexiibless said: "I genuinely don't get why people who used to like it do not now like it. Fair enough if they've just got bored. I've loved it from day 1 and it's just got better."

@Alison_Gerrard messaged: "Strictly gets better and better. Continuously upping it’s game." But .@Little__louise wrote: "I’ve always loved strictly but really not feeling it this year. Maybe it needs a bit of a break?"

James, who was a Strictly pro from 2006 to 2013, then went on to poke fun at a performance by the show's current professional line-up during the first results show of the hit BBC One dance show. There was an epic monochrome and red routine to a medley of Need You Tonight by INXS and About Damn Time by Lizzo and Johannes Radebe stole the show as he strutted along in a pair of towering red heels.

But there was one particular detail that caught viewers' eyes - and that was that the dancers appeared to be wearing pairs of elbow-length red gloves. It left many Strictly fans joking about them "washing up" before taking to dancefloor.

Fans were in hysterics at wardrobe choice in pro dance (BBC)

When @lauren_ella17 replied to his earlier comment "I was thinking that... no more ballroom or Latin pro numbers" James replied: "I’m more interested in where they got all the washing up gloves from and are they made from recyclable plastic?"

Last week James was corrected after he took to Twitter to give his verdict on Ellie Simmonds' debut routine on the 2022 series. He heaped praise after former British Paralympian swimmer Ellie and her pro partner, Nikita Kuzmin, performed their first routine together.

James, advised that the gold medal-winning hero, who was born with achondroplasia which is a form of dwarfism, should "straighten her legs as much as possible". But fans pointed out that bowed legs is a characteristic of dwarfism.

He applauded: "Ellie! I bloody loved it! Well done Nikita - a full on routine - great timing and fun. She needs to try and consciously straighten her legs as much as possible. Loved the tricks. BUT she needs to believe in herself now."

And James added: "Apart from that it was great and she’s an inspiration." And @jenros2 pointed out: "People with dwarfism generally have bow legs."

@FlopsyPickle told him: "She won’t be able to straighten them any more than she is, due to her dwarfism, as it tends to cause bowing of the legs." They added: "There are a couple of hundred conditions that fall under the dwarfism umbrella. The majority cause bowing of the legs." And @dawnie2305 messaged: "Unfortunately she won't be able to straighten her legs anymore than she already has, it is part of dwarfism."

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