Yahoo News 'Shayne Ward's plea to Strictly viewers fell flat but give him a chance'
Opinion: It was no shocker that Dr Punam Krishan was hanging up her dancing shoes
Strictly's Shayne Ward made a plea to those watching the BBC show on Saturday: "I hope the public like me." And it's safe to say it didn't go down well. In Sunday's Strictly results show, he was fighting for his spot on Strictly in the dance off against Dr Punam Krishan.
It's been nearly 20 years since Ward had the public backing him all the way to win The X Factor on the second series of the reality show in 2005. Things couldn't be more different on Strictly Come Dancing though.
The No U Hang Up singer didn't shy away from the fact that he was in the dance off because he failed to get the support from people at home. He told Tess Daly: "It's really OK. I feel OK. It is down to the public vote. I've got to do the best I can with Nancy [Xu]. I've got to come out and smash it. That's all I can do."
Previously, Ward has hit back at the trolling he's received on the show for apparently being "cocky" and "overconfident". The singer said behind the smile on TV he was just "as nervous as the next person" — and I believe him.
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People shouldn't be so hard on him. Ward isn't the only one starring on the show who is "in it to win it". Wouldn't you want to win the Glitterball trophy?
Watch Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu's Paso Doble in Halloween week
Yes, Strictly has been under fire for getting too competitive after the Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice scandal. Strictly should be good fun (if I was on the show, I would want to be laughing and smiling as much as Paul Merson, but hopefully with more dancing skills).
For a lot of celebrities taking part, Strictly can be a chance to give their careers a boost back into the spotlight. And none of us want to look like a fool dancing on national television. So I think Strictly should be a healthy mix of fun and competition.
The problem for me with Ward's Paso Doble this week was through no fault of his own — the choreography beautifully showed off the professional dancer twirling and twirling at the start of the dance while Ward spent much of that opening sequence rotating his wrist.
Ward had mastered the character of the possessed composer perfectly though as he danced to In The Hall of Mountain King by Grieg.
As much as he's failed to get the public vote, it was no shocker that Dr Krishan was hanging up her dancing shoes. After losing, the doctor said it herself: "I've taken on something that's very much out of my comfort zone."
And she really was at sea performing as an undead pirate to Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics. Her drama and intensity hit the mark though.
Dr Krishan peaked too early when she made Strictly history with her amazing Bollywood dance in movies week. The couple's choice routine to Bole Chudiyan from the hit film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham was a triumph and she's never quite been able to improve upon it since.
So Ward may have been in the dance off twice but he hasn't really ever been close to going home. Remember, the first time round he was up against injured Nick Knowles and it was a miracle the DIY SOS star had returned to the Strictly ballroom to perform his Charleston routine (albeit with a few changes) with the injury to his knee.
This weekend, Strictly's head judge Shirley Ballas gave Ward some words of advice before the dance off — and they ring true. She told him: "Convince everyone of the dance and your passion that you deserve to stay in next week."
Ward needs to convince the voting public to give him a chance that he does deserve.
My only worry is by the time the singer has managed to do this, it may well be his time to leave the BBC show. Because while he is a good dancer, the talent and competition for the Glitterball is fiercer than ever this year.
