I like her but have never thought she could dance. Her enthusiasm has kept her in while better dancers have gone. I'm glad she went tonight, it was overdue.

As much as that dance was terrible...

What dance? I thought Ricky Whittle's dance was terrible - or at any rate, his dancing of it - considering it was supposed to be rock and roll. Natalie and Vincent's had a bit more life and bounce to it, at least. Ricky's dancing was flat and dull, at times static...

Have to say she grew on me throughout the series. They seemed to have soooo much fun. Natalie will be missed I think and at long last Bruce's hand will not be too wet from the 'slobbery' kisses.

I do think that the Natalie of the "after" slimming DVD would have been a different and much better dancer and an easier partner for Vincent - he wouldn't have had to make so many allowances, he wouldn't have had to restrict their routines so severely. I've already said that Natalie grew on me, personality wise, usually her "type" grates on me but she broke down my resistance.

I reckon we are the losers because we never saw the best of "Natalie the Dancer".

parthena

I agree with this. I do think her size affected her performance as well as the choreography that they could get away with.

To my eyes, her natural ability always seemed better than many of the other celebs. I reckon she could throw some pretty good shapes on a dancefloor. But she just looked so ungainly in Strictly. All that over-enthusiastic stomping would probably have been dazzling had she been slighter in body and flightier of foot.

In all my years of watching dance, I only ever saw one 'big' dancer who made it look effortless. That dancer had a 'muscularity' and power that compensated for the fact that she didn't look as graceful and light-footed. Natalie didn't have that power. She looked knackered.

The gaping mouth didn't help convey grace either.