Somebody used this phrase about a particular celeb and it got me thinking...which celeb from the seven series epitomises everything that SCD should be for you?

Are you a high-achiever type who loves your Aleshas? A journeyman/woman who prefers Gethin-types? Or an entertainment fiend who couldn't get enough of Sergeant, Garraway, Phillips and the rest?

Myself, I'm a journey girl. I like to see celebs come in, pull their socks up, listen to the judges' comments and gradually get comfortable in those sequined, spangly outfits. I want my celebs to have humour without being all about getting laughs, and I want them to come across 100% sincere.

I guess by that definition, Matt Dawson would be my epitome of what SCD should be about - a man who came to understand what dancing should be and did his damnedest to get there, with some fairly good results and some funny moments on the way.

He's not my favourite ever SCD sleb, but that's not the point.

So, answers on a fluffy pink postcard please...

SCD for me is exciting .I look forward to it every year.
Every year I wonder if I can relate to the new lot again ,and by week two or three I have.
I adore the camp glitz , glam and costumes . I love the dances and the entertaining training .
I adore Claudia and ITT and time my dinner around it .


For me , its the highlight of my TV watching , nothing else comes close.

I whinge sometimes , I moan sometimes, I take the pee sometimes, but end of the day I wouldnt miss it for the world .

It's about the prexmas period, mulled wine, the excitement, doing a quickstep with my other half through the corridor. It's also about the "journey". Most above all, I like the fact that it changes my opinion about certain celebs (in a positive way). It's glitter, glamour and so on.

The only moan this year is the fact that there hasn't been a dance that made me sit up and say wow.

Keeeeep Watching ,.!!! It may come yet !!

( Ich lache mit )

I think Ramps for me... He just had a certain magic about him on the dancefloor. He seemed to come alive there.

I watch the show for loads of different reasons, but the most entertaining thing is always watching a celeb with natural talent do a dance that's close to perfect or that sparkles in some way. I was blown away with Ramps's AT and salsa, Austin's jive (and Paso), Tom's showdance, Alesha's Cha Cha Cha and foxtrot, Jill's jive (when I found it on youtube) and a handful of others.

To answer the OP's question, I think for me it would be someone like Zoe Ball. She arrived with a bit of a reputation as a 'lager ladette' and was certainly tomboyish and quite gangly. During her run in the show, she transformed into a truly elegant dancer and developed a great relationship with Ian. She took the show seriously without ever taking herself too seriously. Very like your Matt Dawson example, really.

I really wanted Zoe B to win the series, but it was not to be. Of the winners I have seen (didn't watch series 1 or 2), then probably Ramps best captures it, as he also developed over the series from awkward and embarrassed to elegant and accomplished and he had a great partnership with Karen.

In summary, then, I suppose I like a bit of a transformation and a strong partnership, with the end result being a smooth and accomplished dancer.

At the moment, the ones who're best fulfilling that for me are Jade and Chris.

There are no hard and fast rules for me.

Sometimes it's an outstanding dancer, like Rachel Stevens.

Other times, it's pure entertainment value like John Sergeant provided.

This year I've warmed most to Natalie & Vincent and Chris & Ola. They might not be the best dancers, but their partnerships are such good fun - they always put a smile on my face.

I'm also drawn to Laila. I find her the most intriguing contestant this year.

For me? Its the dancing, the good dancers. Its the Alesha, the Gethin, the Tom, the Rachel, the Ricky W, the Ali's of the competition. The ones that step out onto the floor and you know you are going to get an exciting routine that'll have you applauding or squealing like a banshee with the thrill of it all.

I can understand the 'journey' aspect of it and how people can appreciate that but I find it frustrating to watch these duds who take forever to get out there and start to improve.

Its also the dresses, I lloooooooove the dresses!!!!

Its the CRH comments which I always agree with. Its the dances that provoke a 10 from him too.
And...the main thing. Its the ITT with La Winkleman. She is the best thing about SCD!

Well, drbolognaise, it's all subjective isn't it - for me Gethin was a journey. He'd be one of my 'what SCD is all about' the excitement of the week he really broke through and really had fun with it. I felt I was watching someone do something that two months ago they could not have done and it was really exciting.

I fell in love with the show on the first episode of series 2 with Aled and Lilia, and it's always for me about someone surprising me. Aled, James, Zoe, Lousia, Mark, Gethin, Jodie, Austin, they all had that 'doing something they didn't know they could do' element for me. Jill, Denise, Alesha, Rachel - they won me over by their hard work and talent, and I enjoyed them, but not quite in the same 'heart in mouth' way. Aled is still the most intense memory, but that the law of diminishing returns. That says more about me always liking a programme more the first time than it does about the programme.

What sums up SCD for me - watching my favourite go out in the semi-final. Every blooming year. Other than that, I like the hard work, the lack of 'my career rests on this moment' hysterics, the team-work, the pros.

Darren Gough is 'what it's all about' for me - he came in ready to take the p*ss and went out taking it utterly seriously, whilst still having a good time. Nowhere near the best dancer, or even my personal favourite, but he seemed to epitomise the spirit of the show.

Gethin would be my favourite contestant of all time though.

I very much respect those contestants who start poorly and by sheer determination achieve a very respectable level of competence but I won't be voting for them at the end.

For me it is finding someone who has never before had dance training but comes onto the dancefloor and just takes your breath away.

For me, it's all about the partnerships, right from Series 1.

The ones who make me smile, laugh and move me in some way, without that connection it's just a dance show.

I totally agree with your reasoning ....even although I wanted Colin to win

It must be a cricket thing though, because Tuffers is the only one I get the same vibe from this year

I agree with this - alesha and matthew are my favourite couple ever and it was their partnership that really got me

I've been the same with Jill and Darren, Colin and Erin, Louisa and Vincent, and no-one really grabbed me last year

this year it's jade and ian and chris and ola, although the latter are becoming a teeny bit annoying

I'm trying to think of an answer but I've settled for saying it's something undefinable!

In this series, my allegiance is been pretty much focused on Ali/Brian, Ricky/Natalie, Chris/Ola and Phil/Katya - but then I've loved Natalie/Vincent and Ian/Jade the last two weeks, and Ricky/Erin's Paso and AS worked for me too! I've never known a series before where I've had so many I've wanted to do well - I was only rooting for Tom last year, and Alesha and Gethin the year before!

The partnerhips make up a big part of it and their exuberance on the dance floor; a certain flair and natural talent I always prefer over technical ability. Do I smile/sway/go to mush when they're dancing? That's the one that usually gets my vote!

Clear as mud, yes! The good thing is, I'm going to enjoy the run in, whatever happens!

Hm, no hard-and-fast rules for me.

I liked Goughie and Ramps because they overcame their initial reservations/timidity/reluctance and gave it some welly (journey).

I loved Jill because she was whole-hearted and naturally good at it but not too solemn or (dare I say it) cocky.

I liked Kaplinsky because she learned to enjoy it (journey).

For me it's usually about improvement and enjoyment. So I'd go with Chris and Ola this time. He's OK and he has potential. He's not brilliant but he works hard and enjoys it. Pretty much the qualities you'd want in a colleague. Good to see.

Alesha I didn't care for. Not much of a journey. Not an underdog.
Tom was OK but I liked Austin better. Didn't like Lisa or Rachel.

The J-word.

By the OP's definition I'm a high-achiever type.

I like good dancing. Rubbish dancing bores me. Don't mind journeys if they end up good.

I agree a lot rests on the partnership chemistry.

This series I look forward to Ricky & Natalie, Jade & Ian, Ali & Brian.

I always thought of Gethin as one of the good uns as I knew he had it in him and I always enjoyed his dances and thought they were undermarked from early on. He should have been in the final and come second to Alesha.

I'm drawn most to those who dance well but remember that it's an entertainment show. Kelly Brook was the ultimate entertainer.

She had all the skills and talent and aesthetic appeal of the elite celebs...but also knew every dance could be her last...and danced with the freedom of someone who wasn't afraid to make mistakes in striving for a better show.

The fact that she gave FMs as much to write about as any celeb before or since...albeit much of it laughably hysterical disparagement...was the icing on the cake.

Gethin for me too. He started off wooden-hipped and self-conscious and finished as a glorious ballroom dancer and a far better latin dancer than the early rounds suggested he could be. I loved his attitude and how he conducted himself through the whole series...

In short, the complete package

'Tis Mr Ramps that epitomises Strictly for me. He began as a shy, timid individual who could hardly sumon the courage to squeak a reply, to someone who came out of their shell and produced some of the most memorable performances in the show's history. He was always good but continued to improve, and whenever he had a blip he just came back stronger. It took him a while to sort that topline out in the ballroom but he just about got there, and the salsa and the argentine tango in the last two weeks were absolutely sublime. Brilliant partnership with Karen Hardy!

Even Craig Revel-Horwood said he was the best 'performer' in the show's run, and it takes a lot to impress him!

I'd agree with every word of that.

In general for me, Strictly tends to be about that couple who can combine technical ability with performance skills and make their dances watchable. There's usually at least one couple every year that I look forward to watching every week.

An added bonus is when a celeb transforms from (in dance terms) an ugly duckling into a swan. Although Darren Gough tends to be seen as the prime example of this, I'd say Gethin epitomises it better. Almost all his lower scoring dances were the earliest ones and vice versa. His Latin improvement was astounding. If you represented his scores in a line graph, you'd see the closest thing to an upward straight line there's ever been on the show. Darren had a bigger overall score improvement from beginning to end but I think Gethin went on a more impressive journey (sorry for using that word.)