So has he done enough to get off the hook?

I am of course talking about the whole Anton debacle (btw, Bruce, if you are his friend, really shut the f*** up!).

I am glad that Claudia tackled the matter head on - it needed to be done (but then the whole BBC handling this week needed a much defter touch). The interview was probably very highly stage managed (I would doubt it was live), but Anton has at least reclaimed some ground in my estimation. I actually believed him when he said he was mortified, and highly embarrassed for the fall out for Laila and the show. I think it was the most subdued I have ever seen him, and rightly so. At least his contrition seemed genuine.

And it was a smart move for him to leave out the quips (look where that has got him!) and show how knowledgeable, articulate and passionate he can be, when he sticks to what he is good at - ballroom dance.

Time to move on - but I just wish his more rabid supporters can take a leaf out of his book. Forget the pretence that this was just a stupid joke gone wrong, that it is political correctness gone mad, that it is no worse than just abbreviating British to Brit - he was wrong; it was offensive; admit that, and like, Anton, move on.

I liked the Friday panel! Who is Sarah Cawood - she is great! Neil Fox as well had some good insights, and even Craig Darling had some reasonable points to make.

Looking good for the salsa - Natalie and Vincent, and Ali and Brian (looks like it is going to be the best salsa of the might with the most authentic music!). I am a bit concerned about Jade and Ian - something is not working for me, and I think it is her use of the legs. She doesn't seem to be dancing into the floor enough to generate the Cuban motion.

Ricky and Erin - his topline looks to be a little problematic, but seeing the training clips for Craig and Flavia and Jo and Brendan, I feel he is still going to be in the upper echelons of the leaderboard.

Predictions for the weekend - very difficult. Foxtrot has traditionally provided a bit of a breakthrough dance for some of the more dance challenged celebs - so Lynda and Jo could see some improvement ....however, Foxtrot has been a dance to see improved comments and marks and the final bye bye for Fiona Phillips and Georgina Bouzova.

I have not appreciated many of the salchambas served up on SCD, but this series looks as if though they could break new territory. And even bad salchambas (vis Lisa Snowden and Jessie Wallace last year) tend to score better with the public than better executed Foxtrots (Jodie Kidd and Gillian Taylforth), so the results tomorrow are anybody's guess.

Going out on a limb, I would predict the salsas will end up in the following order on the leaderboard - Ali and Brian; Ricky and Natalie; Natalie and Vincent; Jade and Ian; Phil and Katya; Chris and Ola.

Foxtrot-wise - Laila and Anton; Zoe and James; Ricky and Erin; Craig and Flavia; Lynda and Darren; Jo and Brendan; Joe and Kristina.

How they will all slot together - that's harder to predict - but I have a feeling that Laila and Anton could slot in third, Zoe and James fourth, and quite a competition for fifth and sixth place.

Tips for the dance off - I think there could be a shock - and I am thinking Jade and Ian with Craig and Flavia. Watch this space!