Strictly Come Dancing Legend Ian Waite blasts show producers and wants to see voting changes after Lewis Cope’s ‘criminal’ elimination
Strictly Come Dancing icon Ian Waite has slammed BBC show chiefs after Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope was eliminated from the competition last week.
Speaking exclusively to Zingo Bingo, Waite urged the BBC to change the voting format and warned producers that the show is turning into a popularity contest rather than a dance contest.
Waite also cryptically hinted at foul play from the judges as Cope was eliminated. In explosive comments he suggested that the judges scoring Cope, George Clarke and Balvinder Sopal 35 points each, creating a three-way tie, could have been premeditated.
Waite also described Cope as “(one of) the best male dancers that has ever appeared on the show”.
During this exclusive chat, Waite:
Described Cope’s elimination as a ‘travesty’ and ‘criminal’
Hints that something more sinister is at play after Cope’s elimination, saying: “I just think that it’s interesting that these things happen when the judges draw three people on the leaderboard. If the judges hadn’t done that, then you wouldn't have had those two good dancers (Amber Davies and Lewis Cope) in the bottom. You might have had one of them in the bottom, but you wouldn't have had both of them in the bottom. It makes you think if there is something else going on – it’s just very cloak and dagger.”
Urged producers to address the voting mechanic, saying: “There’s been a lot of cases where the best dancers are voted off because of the public vote, and that happened again at the weekend with Lewis. It doesn’t seem fair to me and perhaps the producers need to address the balance, because it becomes more of a popularity contest than a contest based on skill.”
Claims that the new generation of pros have an easier job these days
READ MORE: AI in the world of music
There was a shock result at the weekend as Lewis Cope was eliminated. What are your thoughts on that?
“Seeing Lewis Cope get eliminated, that felt goes like a travesty, really.
“I think he was up there with the best male dancers that have ever appeared on the show. He could even be the best, and he gets knocked out in the quarterfinals. It's criminal.”
It certainly created shockwaves.
“I just think that it’s interesting that these things happen when the judges draw three people on the leaderboard. If the judges hadn’t done that, then you wouldn't have had those two good dancers (Amber Davies and Lewis Cope) in the bottom.
“You might have had one of them in the bottom, but you wouldn't have had both of them in the bottom. It makes you think if there is something else going on – it’s just very cloak and dagger.
“It’s an unfortunate situation that that is what happened. I’ve seen it before where couples draw, and that when the debate about the public vote comes in. There’s been a lot of cases where the best dancers are voted off because of the public vote, and that happened again at the weekend with Lewis. It doesn’t seem fair to me and perhaps the producers need to address the balance, because it becomes more of a popularity contest than a contest based on skill, and the couples that are popular will always have an advantage.
“It doesn't balance it out because you're never going to have three couples getting the same public vote, are you?”
ALSO ON MNB: Music news: The rise of offline listening
No.
“So, some of the performers who may not have the same level of skill are pushed up in the rankings. The public vote holds more influence over who remains and leaves the competition than the judges vote, and sometimes, like at the weekend with Lewis, the wrong person gets voted off the show.
“That's, that's the issue (with the public vote) really, which is a shame. It is a great shame. But then, you know, Lewis would have made the final or the semi-final if he'd have had a better dance and his dance wasn't his best dance.
“Unfortunately, that's what happens. Sometimes you can just have a bad dance and everybody else got a good one and then that's it. You're in the bottom two.”
With the selection of the dance, where does that come from? Is that led more by the professional or is it a production decision?
“It’s production. They decide exactly what dances you're doing all the way through. And now it's very different than how it was when I was on Strictly, because when I was on Strictly, it was just the dance. You were given a dance and the professional had to do all the choreography. And if you had a theme, you would be making the intro and exit. Now they give you the theme, they give you the song, they say, ‘This is your intro, this is your exit. This is what we're going to have on stage. Props wise.’
“There’s so much creative around each dance now. The professional’s involvement is just that little bit of choreography in the middle. Everything else is sorted for you already, which actually makes it a lot easier because when you’ve got all the bells and whistles going on around you. You're going to look much better, aren't you? But it's great. What they do now with all themes and everything is pretty incredible. And the makeup and the costuming is amazing! That's why it's such a great Saturday night entertainment show, because you do get the glitz and glamour of Strictly. It’s a feast for the eyes!”
