Thought i'd make this now,so I didn't forget

I'll open it next week

Back at hotel after the show. Ray skated to "Got a Feeling" which is the track he skated to with Maria on the opening Friday show of the last series, and also to "She's the One" as his slower routine. He skated them both really well, but I felt that Chris had a better routine with more difficulty in it which is why he was marked higher. So I think Chris Dean didn't do him any favours with the choreography really, but I think Ray and Alex will keep adding to the routine which is what Nicky said. Karen said that give the routine a few shows and it will be great and Nicky agreed that it would be "a real stonker"!!! just that Ray looks a little bit rusty at the moment, but that wouldn't last! (I'm assuming stonking is good, not a word I use!)

Ray had a prominent role in the opening routine and at the end was on the ice on his own with Jayne and Chris. As I say, both his routines went really well, but the marking was all over the place, with some judges voting very predictably!!! The running order is:

Gary

Emily

Mikey

Clare

Chris

Gaynor

Ray

Hayley

Hayley was out of time with Dan a couple of times but still got some 6s. I am a bit worried about two judges bias in particular given the comments they made but hope to be proved wrong! Rays first outfit was mauve and the second one a really pale pink and he did a beautiful one handed lift in the second one! Clare wasn't as good as I expected either, and she fell in her second routine.

It did seem that Ray and Alex had formed a really good partnership - she said it was wonderful to skate with him and she was really proud of him, he works really hard and is a perfectionist!and as I said I think the routine lacked a bit of wow factor in the choreography which is not their fault. He was third on the leader board and nobody scored 30 and I do believe they will add to the precision and difficulty of the routine now the tour is underway. Ray did say that he wasn't allowed to skate while in Grease and the panto because of the danger of injury, so when you consider that all the others except Gaynor had, his performance was terrifc. He was in the last three before the bolero but lost out to Chris and Hayley, who were above him on the leaderboard so I think he expected that!

I was a bit disappointed with a couple of pro routines, (not Fred and Mel or Lucasz and Alex) and also some of the music. But it was the first show after all, and will probably get slicker as they carry on. We all enjoyed it and of course seeing Ray, but were naturally disappointed not to see his Bolero. We are booked to go again Saturday, but there are still good seats available for tomorrow so we may weaken and go again to keep the family happy.

Sorry this is a bit rushed but thought you would all like to know some details. Will do a better review next time.

Have posted the review here too, as the thread wasn't unlocked earlier!

Should also add that Danny and Frankie skated one routine in the second half as a bonus. The pro routines were Lucasz and Alex (brillinant) Fred and Mel (really good too) and then a couple of others with more pros in, one of which had Matthew G and Frankie too. Jayne and
Chris did Bolero of course, and one other routine.  Gaynor skated with stiches in her chin as she had had a bad fall in rehearsal.

Poor Gaynor & poor Clare for her fall too.

Were the scores pretty close after Clare?

Who gave Ray his 5.5 ? Did you prefer Rays 1st or 2nd routine? just a few questions lol

Thanks for your review & updates

Liked both routines and both have lots of potential I think. The bolero vote was split, as expected Kyran voted for Chris and Biggins for Hayley (both gave respective ones high score too) Think the lowest score was 19. Gary Mikey Gaynor and Emily will not be providing any competition I think. Think Karen gave Ray 5.5 and also I think Kyran, Nicky gave him 5 as did Biggins and the guest judge (some intstantly forgettable journalist I think from the Daily Mirror ) gave him 4.5!!!! Mind you, the highest she gave for the whole night was a 5 to Hayley and Chris!! - she went down as far as 2!!! I think Chris had 28.5, Hayley 27, and Ray 25.5 so there wasn't that much in it really, particularly as Ray hasn't skated since last year! Kyran did say to Hayley that she might possibly be the best performer (don't agree myself) but her technical skating wasn't as good as Ray, Chris and Clare, so Ray may well overtake her when he and Alex get into their stride.  His second slow routine to "She's the One" was quite beautiful and they had a lovely connection and one particularly clever lift I remember!

Thanks, Alfie, for your review and comments. I am off in the morning to France for a week so, before I go, I was keen to get a flavour of the tour which you have certainly given me. Enjoy the other shows you go to. I bet you will weaken and go again tomorrow. Lovely that your French relatives have been able to come over to see the tour.

thanks Alfie - that guest judge sounds rubbish. I'm looking forward to seeing Ray improve as I'm sure he will.

We have cancelled the expensive family meal we were going out for tomorrow and are now going to DOI again - it will keep the kids in the family happy!! Can't say I mind either really! We did get some strange looks with the kids calling out "Allez Ray et Alex" and "Qu'est-ce qu'il est mignon!" amongst other things in French whenever Ray appeared! (Roughly translated as "Go Ray and Alex" and "He's so cute!"

:DHave a great time tomorrow - great choice I think

Glad you're able to go again tommorow Alfie :D.Have fun

Glad you had a fab time Alfie,sorry for forgetting to unlock the thread(feel free to slap me!!haha)

I love She's The One fab song

the song choices sound great & the costumes, can't wait to see she's the one performed. hope he gets to do that routine that will get scored when i go.

have a great time again alfie.

Oh thanks Alfie for the lovely review. I'm sure Ray will improve and add more as he goes on. Enjoy yourself today and look forward to more reviews. Thanks for you tweets i was glued to it.

Just booked for tonight, we have to sit in two groups but that's OK. Good tickets still available and it wasn't a sell out last night by a long way either, so maybe the last series didn't inspire people like last year! Will be interested to see all the routines again now that the first show is out of the way! Will tweet when possible with scores and post on here later on.

Thank you for the review Alfie and I am sure Ray will work and work until he gets the results he wants.  I'm sure they will add to the I've got a feeling routine and he may score better tonight with his slower routine if there is more difficulty in that.  At the end of the day it is almost a year since Ray has skated prior to when he commenced training and we can't really count the launch show as he hardly had time to practice for that.  Look forward to hearing your next reviews.

Great review Alfie, thanks!  I think Rays score is an exellent basis to start from after a year away from skating!  I am sure his scores will go up and up!  Looking forward to going to the tour at the O2 and Birmingham!

I was at the first show too last night:)

Final leaderboard was

Chris and Brianne 28.5

Haley and Daniel 27.0

Ray and Alexandra 25.5

Claire and Lucasz 22.5

Mikey and Mel 20.0

Gaynor and Matt 20.0

Gary and Maria 19.5

Emily and Fred 15.0

Nicky's comment to Ray was 'We can see you are a bit rusty. It was hesitant in parts. But I guarantee in ten shows time it will be a stonking routine'

Kyran said to Haley 'You are definatley the best performer, but I do think Ray, Chris and Claire are better at the skating'

Biggins said to Gary 'I wanted a bit more oomph'

I was surprised Gary didn't score higher with being this years runner up.

I was glad they didn't automatically give Haley all 6.0's!

The guest judge Charlotte wasn't very popular, when Andi reintroduced them a few people booed when he said her name!

Mel and Fred, and Torvill and Dean (after the Bolero silks routine) both got standing ovations.

One:( moment. Ray, Chris and Haley were stood waiting to see who would 'not' be skating Bolero. Someone a few rows behind me said 'Go on. Say Ray'. Then Andi said 'Ray':unsure:

The opening routine is as good as last year - I won't say any more so as to not spoil it for anyone else:)

I look forward to seeing Ray's progress. He's such a perfectionist, he'll already be thinking of ways to tweak his routine, maybe add things, or skate faster. He'll soon get into his stride.

Thanks for the reviews

I'm looking forward to seeing it all in person on the 16th!

Forgot to add!

The judges were seated Karen, Kyran, Biggins, Nicky, Charlotte

Gary and Maria 4.5 4.5 3.5 4.0 3.0 total 19.5

Emily and Fred 3.0 3.5 4.0 2.5 2.0 total 15.0

Mikey and Mel 4.5 5.0 3.5 4.0 3.0 total 20.0

Claire and Lucasz 5.0 5.0 4.0 4.5 4.0 total 22.5

Chris and Brianne 6.0 6.0 5.5 6.0 5.0 total 28.5

Gaynor and Matt 4.0 4.0 4.5 3.0 4.5 total 20.0

Ray and Alexandra 5.5 5.5 5.0 5.0 4.5 total 25.5

Haley and Daniel 5.5 5.5 6.0 5.0 5.0 total 27.0