I'm very surprised at how Craig is being saved by the public vote.

He isn't a good dancer, so he presumably isn't attracting the dance purists.

Although he is a bad dancer, he doesn't seem to be "so bad it is funny", so I'd be surprised if that was drawing votes.

He hasn't really improved so it can't be said he is having that infamous reality tv word, the "journey".

He seems very miserable (which I think is nerves) but he doesn't seem to be dazzling with his personality.

His relationship with Flavia seems rather business-like.

So, as far as I can see, he isn't displaying the things that usually draw votes. Who is voting for him and why?!

This isn't a wind up thread, I'd genuinely like to know!

He's quite fit?

I have a feeling that it is Flavia the public are voting for. She has a big fan based after dancing with Matt DiA in 2007 which hasn't diminished at all!

Wasn't she out first last year?

I don't buy that people are voting for Flavia. Whilst she is certainly extremely popular, there are too many examples to show that the pro vote doesn't have much of an effect- certainly not enough to launch Craig so near the top of the public vote that he knocked Jade into the bottom two. After all Flavia was knocked out in week one last year, and even this year they have been in the bottom two a couple of times already.

I think it is the Blackpool thing combined with sympathy voting and the general perversity of the GBP vote.

Either that Matt di Angelo has taken a second mortgage to cover the cost of his phone bill...

Craig is a nice chap and trying hard, but in order for HIM to get to Blackpool, a more deserving couple will have to get the heave.

This is not fair, IMO, no matter how likeable Craig and Flavia are and how hard they are trying.

A campaign to 'Get Craig to Blackpool' works against the other competitors, even if it is only meant in fun.

I actually thought Craig's brother, dancing beside him at training whilst holding his toddler son, moved much better!

Whose vote is Craig attracting? My Mum's. She doesn't vote regularly and voted for him last night because she felt sorry for him - she rang just to tell me this!

i dunno how but i actually quite like the pair now....i hated their guts 2/3 weeks ago

I second that!

Me too, I have to say! I hate the judges' attitude towards Craig (Alesha has been particularly patronising); they seem to have completely turned against him, and may well have been "leaned upon" to do so by the producers simply because he doesn't fit the profile of "BBC face"/"national hero sportsperson"/"sexy pop star" that they like to see winning the competition.

I genuinely think the guy's making an effort and working hard, and I think his reactions to the judges' comments, which some people on this forum interpret as "surprise, because he thinks he's such a brilliant dancer" are in fact sheer frustration after what he's put into it all week.

There's something about him that I find quite endearing. However, and don't get me wrong, I am a Flavia fan but the relationship between the two of them lacks any chemistry.

he gets my vote. I didnt like the harsh comments about him - he lives in blackpool (near me) and I want to get him there...............also (a comment that the serious dance people will hate) I like someone being in who the judges dont want to be in...... makes me smile ohhhh and I like Flavia........

I don't think the judges are being particularly harsh on Craig tbh.

Craig has a basic problem and it is probably the worst problem to have - he can't dance to the beat.

No matter how well he performs the routine, it sticks out like a sore thumb that he and Flavia are not hitting the beat at the same time - he's not even close. I think Craig and Flavia are a great couple and on ITT they come across brilliantly well. But I suspect Flavia knows Craig is getting as close to being on the beat as he can, so she now focuses on improving the rest of the routine. I do feel for him as he clearly can't 'feel' what he is doing wrong and he gives his all every time.

But I can't blame the judges for their comments or scores.

I don't know why he keeps getting voted through. Might be because he's with Flavia.

Loads of people vote when they perceive that the judges are being gratuitously rude or undermining the celebs. Particularly when it becomes humiliating. It's a very British thing. Have to say I voted for Kate Garroway in her year (and I very rarely vote) because I thought the comments were so insulting and personal notwithstanding how useless she was. Craig is a dreadful dancer but he did look genuinely upset at Bruno's tirade in particular and I could well see a lot of people voting in protest. It's not just for the underdog but because the underdog is being humiliated.
Plus Alesha's patronising 'darlin' nearly had me reaching for the phone!

I have no idea who is voting for Craig or why

Now that most of the people of his standard have been voted out there is a real possibility that he could become this year's JS.

If we must have one rubbish dancer surviving longer than they should I would rather it be Tuffers, at least he can dance a little bit and has a bit more personality to him!

Bless him, but its a real puzzle to me too!

No? So in what way is telling him he's "like someone's dad dancing at a wedding" either constructive or encouraging?

Yes she was but she had the most awful partner so even the Mavia fans couldn't save them.

I think this is at the heart of the success of Strictly.

The viewers vote for different reasons - and that applies to me and my Mum! I vote for my favourite who can dance and once have I given a sympathy vote (to Kenny). But now under the new scoring system I would only vote for my favourite, because a vote for any other couple means there is more chance of my favourite being in the dance off against another celeb who can dance.

I don't think the judges are any harsher this year tbh and their comments are also at the heart of Strictly.

Bruno was quite awful to him last night I thought. He basically had a tantrum at the guy.

There is no encouragment from them (bar Len slightly), I wouldn't argue with the score he got but I thought his posture had improved, it wouldn't have hurt them to mention it. Actually, I would argue with the score he got, it didn't look 7 points worse than Tuffers' to me. I wouldn't argue with his placing I mean. I think that is part of the votes, plus he seems a nice bloke trying his hardest, and being hurt and frustrated with himself and the judges comments.

EDIT: Buddy's previous post has it right, people vote for different reasons.

I'm not sure how long you have been watching Strictly, but that comment has been used many times in the past and much worse has been said by all the judges over the years. Whether or not the judges given constructive or encouraging comments is also raised every single week on here.

I also wonder if him ripping off Rawsie Webster in Corro last week has something to do with his vote? I sure enjoyed it

I'm not voting for Craig, but I do have a soft spot for him. This comes from the fact that I loved Queer as Folk and I loved his character in it. It was one of my most favourite TV shows ever.

If I were to vote, I would vote for my favourite, then add an extra one for Craig, just for nostalgia for QAF.

However he is now the worst dancer by a long way, which I think will probably give him at least one more week of sympathy votes.

Just like his stint in corrie, wooden and no charisma on or off the floor. Even ripping off trout pout webster doesnt endear him which is a shame.

Poor Flavia