Strictly Come Dancing contestant Cach Mercer has become one of the most divisive figures in the show's recent history, with his unique blend of street dance and ballroom drawing both praise and criticism from judges and viewers alike.
The 25-year-old Love Island winner, who taught himself street dance growing up in east London, has been praised for his natural rhythm and movement, but his technical execution has repeatedly come under fire.
Judges Split Over Cach's Waltz
During the first live show, the judges criticised his quickstep for incorporating freestyle elements. In the latest episode, his waltz to That Ain't You by Mulaa Jones prompted sharply contrasting opinions.
Anton Du Beke was enthusiastic, saying: 'I just keep saying this about you: it's old meets new. I love this new and when you join in the old, it's just gorgeous.'
Craig Revel Horwood disagreed strongly, adding: 'It's not about old meeting new. The posture was poor, the frame wasn't great, you were leaning over Maddie – there wasn't a single heel lead that I saw in that dance at all, darling.'
Despite being one of the best dancers of the night, Cach finished at the bottom of the leaderboard with 26 points for what was described as one of the favourite waltzes of the series.
Backlash Against Professional Partner
Cach's professional partner, Maddie Ingoldsby, has faced the brunt of the backlash. In her first series of Strictly, viewers have accused her of 'letting down' her partner and being 'too inexperienced' to choreograph for him.
However, Maddie is a UK National Ballroom champion and eight-time Amateur 10-Dance World champion. Rather than abandoning technique, she is playing to her partner's strengths and incorporating them into ballroom to create something special.
A New Era for the Show
Some viewers see a couple who have abandoned technique, but others see Cach and Maddie dragging Strictly Come Dancing into a new era. The show has seen hundreds of contestants in its 22 years, and this uniqueness is exciting.
It is refreshing to see a dancer put his own stamp on Strictly. Even having the talent to bring something new to the show should be praised, not penalised.
Moments before Cach's waltz, Tabby Stoecker and her partner Mark Karmalita came back fighting with their full-throttle Paso Doble after sinking to the bottom of the leaderboard in Halloween Week. She told host Johannes Radebe: 'It's about how you make people feel and obviously the technique is important and I want to learn that to the best of my ability and do [Mark] proud, but also when the room is on their feet, that's when you dance well.'
Tabby accidentally summed up what is loved about Cach. The technique might not always be at the same level as his natural skill, but he is categorically a much better dancer than anyone else this series.
Comparing With Dancing With The Stars
Across the pond, Dancing With The Stars is much looser with technique than Strictly. Contestants are regularly judged by the spectacle and wow factor over whether footwork was precisely as it should be for an American smooth or Viennese waltz. Some would love Strictly to follow suit.
Strictly should be remembered as a Saturday night entertainment show made up of fairly amateur dancers doing their best, instead of sapping the fun by focusing so hard on the technical over what can still just be a great dance.
There is a great risk that Cach will leave because of the laser focus on his technique, which is still better than most. Should that happen, the show will lose a dancer who is by far one of the most enjoyable to watch and capable of bringing a magic so few contestants across the entire 24 series of Strictly have.
Yes, there's work to be done on the technical, but the level of criticism he's received from both the judges and viewing public is unreasonably harsh. It should be thrilling to watch a new, dynamic energy being introduced to a show that could do with modernising. Not utilising his background in street dance in a dance competition is absolutely absurd.
It's a close race this year, the leaderboard has never been so unpredictable going into each week. But should Cach go, it would be such a waste of one of the most exciting Strictly Come Dancing contestants the show has seen in years.
