What's at all bizarre about it? If arrogance is objectionable, then it's objectionable in performers as well as in anyone else. Why the heck should they be exempt?


Who has said there's anything wrong with setting yourself a target, or trying to improve, or with self-confidence?

Instead, people have said things such as, for example in the post your were answering, "she thinks she's better than she actually is?"

Celebs don't go in for this competition for the "experience" - they are there to raise their profile with the public and possible future employers. They ALL are in it to win it, just like Natalie!

Why can't they do SCD for the experience and to raise their profile, rather than to win it?

I don't think it's true that they're all in it to win it. Many of them, imo, know they're unlikely to win and don't mind; they want to do it anyway.

The ones who think they can win are either pretty good dancers (who therefore think that have a realistic chance) or incredibly egotistical.

As I said, let's see what she says and does if she loses weight through her dance training.

I have a feeling it's not going to be (as in that intervew about the DVD) that it brought her nothing but misery, or “if I could turn back time then 100 per cent I wouldn’t have done SCD", or "I ... lost all of my wonderful personality."

Then, if she puts the weight back on, she can do another interview in which she says she's happier that way.

For that is how the media game is played: every change, another opportunity to cash in.

I don't doubt she will lose weight through her dance training as she is really going for it! But I do think you are being too cynical and I don't think Natalie is like that. We shall see.

Yes I have noticed her repeatedly winking at the cameras as she struts her stuff give it a rest Natalie and concentrate on your dancing .

She is merely a cheeky cockney type.
They all fancy themselves.

But it's her "personality", "performance" and seeming attitude that's getting the heaps of praise, she that's probably how she'll continue playing it.

What was she doing with her mouth during her latin dance, btw? I'm surprised none of the judges commented on how ridiculous it looked, but perhaps they're so used to absurd "dance faces" by now that they expect them and complain instead about those who behave more naturally.

I agree OP....she definitely thinks she's better than she is

Not wanting to sound nasty, but seeing the skin tight trousers she was wearing on ITT tonight, I think she thinks she's a lot slimmer than she is too

She doesn't seem to me to be "playing it" any way at all


On ITT today she came across as very pleasant, natural, and having lots of fun.

That was off-putting and I do think Natalie over-performed the Cha Cha but I think she was compensating for her nerves which is understandable as it was her first outing in Latin.

It's far easier to tone down a performance than to try and instill it in a celebrity that brings nothing to the dancefloor, like Joe. So I'm sure Natalie will settle down in time.

Dunno but she is living proof that some people are just meant to be fat no matter how much exercise and dieting they do

Do you think that, for example, the big "O" she had her mouth in for the cha cha cha was involuntary, rather than an attempt to "perform".

She also already has a touch of the Coleen Nolans about her, for instance when she refers to herself as a "real woman" (in the interview about regretting doing her exercise DVD, linked above).


She was better on ITT, but I wouldn't go as far as "very" or "lots".

What she actually said was "I'm really hard on myself so I would've liked to have seen a 7 or maybe an 8."

It seemed to me like she just meant she was disappointed with herself for not managing to do better + get higher marks - NOT trying to say the judges had undermarked her cos she thought she was great or anything.

The 1's that always annoy me are those who pretend 2B astonished that they did well when they really look like they've danced before. (Mentioning no Zoe Luckers)

Veri - when you talked about "playing it" you appeared to be referring to Natalie's personality and "seeming" attitude as much as her performance, indeed you said as much.

I was merely giving an opinion that in this respect she was being herself rather than deliberately creating a particular impression.

That's certainly what I saw too on ITT

She looked fine.

Yes, she certainly seemed to be blaming herself.

I cannot believe some of the comments here, some people really need to grow up. I would like to see you all do better than Natalie has.

Reguarding the comment on "faux humility" I don't think I read anything more true. It irritates me so much when I hear the celebrities go on about how shocked they are that they get saved, or how shocked they are they do well because as much as they would like to pretend, they know perfectly well how good they are.

I agree and comes over to me as one of least artificial celebs on the show


Well said and "faux humility" is usually one of the main reasons I take a dislike to a celeb.

Totally agree with this.

I actually think that Natalie was overmarked and her 'performances' were more about acting and less about dancing!

She needs to concentrate more on her steps and study the professional girls demonstrations (she claims to be a great fan?), instead of pulling silly faces.

Why on earth would she stop pulling 'silly faces' while the spirit of Saint Karen Hardy, possibly the worst gurner ever, lives on in the person of the new professional dancer, also named 'Natalie'?

Nice girl, average actress, perhaps believes far too much of the "we all love Sonia Jackson" when I don't know anyone who does, couldn't dress herself well to save her life.

Perhaps she comes over as cocky because she isn't......I don't know how to put this well but basically ugly girl with unattractive figure who doesn't let it bother her? Perhaps we expect her to be insecure and quiet/shy and she isn't and perhaps that makes her look cocky.

What silly faces? It's just her natural 'Sonia' look.

And you said She doesn't seem to me to be "playing it" any way at all. So I gave an example.

If the word "playing" is a problem, what would you think if I'd instead said 'But it's her "personality", "performance" and seeming attitude that's getting the heaps of praise, so that's probably what we'll keep seeing from her (rather than an increased concentration on her dancing)'?

I think it's difficult to tell how much someone we see on tv is being themself. Perhaps when we know them in their private life, but even then it can be hard to say, if they're different in some other context, that it's artificial.

In the end, I'm not sure it matters from a viewer's POV whether behaviour that looks like over-acting is put on or is what the person's naturally like.