No worries -Sid-. I respect your opinion as a long time fan of the show. As I said in my previous post it's the people who quite clearly haven't watched the show and slating him I have a problem with.

Mind you as much as I love Ricky I would laugh my socks off if Joe C and/or Jo made the final over him. This forum would go into melt down.

Natalie is too good as a partner for him, on the couple of series of Aussie Dancing with the Stars I've seen she was with good dancers and ended up being constantly criticised for not taking risks or pushing them. When she was paired with Dan from Home and Away they were possibly the best dancers and got consistantly very good scores, but didn't make the final as the viewers voted for people who developed over the series instead

Natalie with a worse dancer would be interesting to see and a different partner for Ricky might make force him to do things he's not comfortable with, improve as a dancer and impress the viewers, instead of just going for good scores with technically sound routines. He's too cocky at the moment, by the time he ends up in a dance-off it'll probably be too late for him to get better

I agree Laura! And unlike Sid I really like Ricky - I just don't see the negative aspects that others talk about! And I'm the first one to grumble if I think someone's arrogant. Ricky seems really nice.

It's great that everyone has different perspectives though - makes it interesting.

Last year I couldn't be doing with Austin or Tom or Lisa - but I loved Rachel (who lots of people couldn't stand.)

(I loved Ramps too!)

Ricky and Natalie cant win,if they try and push themselves and be determend to win they will be seen as cocky and too ambitious......if they go for the more subtle approach they will be seen as trying to fool the audience.....i really don't think he can please everyone, so he is right to just be himself....and Natalie is right to push him to win as she knows he can.

Nobody can please everyone! Actually I don't mind him being competitive or Natalie pushing him as hard as she can so they can win - so she should. But I'd prefer Ricky to be up front about it because it is the subtle approach that he sucks at!

Well according to the poll above-Who is your favourite couple-they are more popular then Natalie and Vincent or Phil and Katya. I am surprised at Phil&Katya as I though they would be one of the most popular.

I don't dislike him but I don't really like him either, I don't look forward to his performances. Mostly it's Natalie who irritates me. I don't see a personality in her. I just see a competitive spirit in human form with no other trait at all.

There are other interesting dancers in the competition.

This is exactly how I see Natalie as well. I've seen nothing to suggest she's enjoying being on the show whatsoever, just a steely determination and a nigh on obsession with winning.

I really don't understand all this negativity towards Natalie. She is a great dancer and a very good teacher, and she is getting the best from Ricky . She has a pleasent personality with a lovely smile and she has not bad mouthed anyone.

I think this means very little, as they are also second in the "least favourite couple" poll!

I feel the same I just don't get the negativity as for all the reasons you say.Maybe she needs to be like some of the others, and play on the showmance angle,or get a bit of scandal in the papers....seems the ones that go this route are better received.

Much as I find the 'interviews' he did with the multitude of sex-oriented magazines/printed media we see popping out every other day very repulsive, I am still somehow ambivalent towards him (and his pro partner Natalie L).

I can admire his talent. Still like the waltz he did with her. Didn't like the salsa one bit, though.

Though I won't go to the poll and vote him and Natalie as the least popular couple, I wouldn't vote them as my favourite either.

Last Saturday, he seemed to show less of that 'humility' puppy-dog eye expressions in front of the judges after his salsa routine. And I really think he enjoyed the dance, while acknowledging that he didn't put in as much time in training as he should (because of work commitments). I won't fault him on his enjoying his dance and looking relax and happy (and dare I say 'confident'). Would rather prefer this that that 'it's sooooo hard, sooooo fast and I still have a loooooong way to go, I made soooooo many mistakes' platitudes he gave Tess a few weeks before. Now THAT would be nauseating.

Well, first of all, we all know that the polls on this board don't necessarily reflect how the majority of viewers feel. I might be wrong, but in my memory Tom was not way ahead all last year, I think Rachel and Austin were more popular pretty consistently, but apparently that wasn't true of the real vote. Plus a 'least favourite' poll is a negative vote and you can't vote negatively on SCD. We'd get a completely different result every year if the public could vote people off. Negative votes don't mean much, in this context. I'd guess that Ricky is doing very well with the real voters - or will be once he actually needs votes.

Personally I haven't seen anything at all about Ricky or Natalie in interviews to dislike. I haven't really engaged with them either, like some of the others. They are 'fine'. They both seem perfectly nice people. I've said on other threads that he dances like he's dancing well within his abilities, so I can see that he's good but he doesn't have that extra something that I found 'wow' about Mark or Austin - there's no risk in his performance to give it drama. I will also admit that I find people who arrive being able to dance just a bit boring, unless I really take to them. I know that's not fair, but it is a fact - when Ricky and Natalie (or Ali and Brian) go over to the judges I think 'yada yada yada, yes they were brilliant...' and go and make the tea. If they've got so little to learn, I can't quite see the point of it, and I do find the thought of a Hollyoaks final, everyone else can give up now, really boring. But I know I'd feel completely differently - and find that view really annoying - if I really loved their dancing, rather than just being able to see the skill in it.

You have hit the nail on the head there how dare Natalie come over here and bag the best dancer he should have been for one of our Pros - think it would have been a different story then!!

Could not believe yet another thread about Ricky its getting boring now. :yawn:

I really like to see a couple enjoy the dance experience on a Sat, and I was delighted to see in the interview with Tess how Ricky and Natalie enjoyed their salsa, and you could see as they were laughing together what great chemistry they have as a dancing couple.

Ohhh someone who feels the same as me about Goughie and Tom !

Loved Ramps and really liked Austin.

I don`t understand this intense dislike for Ricky

Makes one wonder how some would react if he were partnered with Lilia or Erin.

Neither do I and I agree with your comments regarding her talent etc.

I just hope she does not come on DS and read the horrible comments that mean minded people have made about someone who has come half way accross the world leaving family and friends. I hope she has made some friends with the Pros.

Think her and Ricky are an amazing paring and do not find them arrogent or boastfull at all. I wish them every success on SCD.

Though I haven't warmed to Natalie L (as yet), I can't see why I some people just keep commenting about her being competitive? All pros are competitive and want to win the competition, oftimes more so than their celeb partners.

Also, I don't understand why people are criticising Natalie L for her amazing pro QS number, which I thought was cheekily and splendidly done. She choreographed the individual segment for Vincent and Flavia brilliantly and never once thought she was doing a 'me me me' routine to highlight ONLY herself.

Yes I saw that they could not stop giggling - they really enjoyed themselves and yes they have great chemistry.
Still as someone said it was poor Lisa Snowden last year despite her being a lovely ballroom dancer. However it was not as bad as Ricky is getting. However these boards do not reflect the general public so we shall see!!

I'm sorry, but that's absolutely nothing to do with it at all - certainly not for me. I'm no fan of Natalie but it's nothing to do with her being new or who her partner is - I'm just not a big fan of the way she comes across in interviews. She could be dancing with any of them and I'd feel the same about her. She's a great dancer, but I find it very difficult to like her, and the same goes for Ricky.

Personally I dont have a massive problem with Natalie. She has got a partner who is a very good dancer, anyone can see this, and is clearly being ambitious and driven (like ALL the pros on SCD) she is driven to win...

we havent seen her with a no hoper yet, so we dont know how she would be with them. Another side to her might come out... we have very limited knowledge of her, and I for one dont have issues with her.

Strictly is more about the celebs with me... I think Im developing a fav and that is Tuffers but we will have to see if injury results in him retiring early...

BTW- do we think Ricky could EVER lose a dance off???
(Im not sure- I think only ali could see him off, and thats a bit iffy...)

I've been pondering that myself: As you say, it would be close in a vote against Ali. Can only see Zoe and Laila being the others to possibly win a vote against him (and that's a big 'if').

I liked Lisa's ballroom, but her quickstep didn't look like a perfect 10 to me across (when I distinctly remembered seeing her slipped a little in the routine). Also, though her latin dances were generally lacklustre, I actually enjoyed watching her do the cha-cha, but I also didn't think she deserve the perfect 40 in the final. That plus the absolutely ridiculous showdance. Well, it's not entirely her fault (for it was the judges who bigged her up so much you find there's no point/need to support her, and Brendan's temporary short-circuit logic of creating that absolute monstrosity of a showdance and it really turned me right off her in the end).

This will depend - mainly on what criteria the judges are working from at the time. He could have a dreadful week one week and find himself there against, say hypothetically Ali who'd had a very good week - would they save Ali on the basis of a better dance, or Ricky on past experience?