I preferred Chris and Ola's dance tonight. I was stunned when the judges started issuing praise to Brian and Ali - which I thought had too much faffing about at the start (Ali is the one who needs to show off her dancing skills, we all know Brian can dance), then when she got into the routine it appeared flat footed, slow, and lacklustre.

Admittedly, Chris and Ola's lacked bounce, but it was entertaining, and it tapped into the spirit of the Charleston - something that, for me, Brian and Ali's didn't do.

I agree with that. Chris and Ola's best dance to date though.

She's too wrapped up in Brian to even care about the audience or the viewing public. I find their romance totally sacharine and sickly, they remind me of those lovey dovey couples you see who are always kissing, and groping and pawing each other and they dont care who see's them.

I dont dislike them but they are getting on my nerves a bit.

Actually you'lll find ALL the judges marked Ali higher then Chris not just Alesha!
It just so happened that Alesha gave Chris a 9 (as opposed to the 8s off len and Craig).
I think Alesha put them in the right order:
1st Ali, 2nd Craig, 3rd Laila/Ricky and 4th Natalie.

The '10' was from Alesha so doesn't really count imo. She'd have still got '36' without that. The dance was worth '9's. It was nice to see Ali in a bright colour for a change and doing a bit of acting. After all she is an actress and the Charlestan is a goofy dance. I liked Laila & Anton's dance too which i would describe as more mainstream and less quirky.

I personally preferred Chris and Ola's routine, purely because it was more entertaining. But I could appreciate that Ali and Brian were probably technically better. So I would have given them the same mark (9).
However I thought Team Cola were very undermarked in the VW and Ali and Brian were overmarked.

I thought she did really well in the 'performance' of the dance. She really sold it.

I preferred Ali & Brian's charleston technically but Ola & Chris' was more entertaining. have to say Ali can really charleston

Craig is still in the competition?

I'm sure he thinks so.

Poor Alesha, having to endure him again tonight.

i liked both chris's was cheekier but both were good

Good evening Sid - have a mwaah. xxxxx

Tonight I finally 'got' the Chris love - the fun and exuberance of that dance was infectious: I actually voted for him!

Was sorry to bid goodbye to Natalie C, but heartened by the standing ovation she and Vincent got from the SCD audience.

That was a genuinely affectionate partnership.

That was the view in my house too!

I'm willing to go to BBC Television Centre, and break in to the studio, go under the judges desk and take it.

Could it have something to do with dancing consistantly well
week after week.
However Chris and Ola's Charleston was fantastic, but I think Ali just had the edge.

Well just my opinion here but Chris's dance was much better than Ali's, even Bruno said it took some doing to get the balance between dance and etertainment and tricks just right...and Chris and Ola did

Ali imo seems to be consistently overmarked

I loved Chris & Ola's Charlston, got the show off to a good start. I also liked Laila & Anton's, thought they were undermarked and Ali and Brian overmarked.

I thought it was a close run thing between Chris and Ola, and Laila and Anton. There was something in what Craig said about Laila but I thought their routine was closest to how I imagined a charleston should be. I think even points or a point between them either way would have been about right.

Ali and Brian's dance I just didn't like. Ali's kicks were good but that is basically all she did. I didn't see much dancing there at all. I thought the judges were far too generous with her.

In the group dance Laila and Anton shone out for me but seemed to be penalised for Anton's mastery of the floor. Ali and Brian made their mark when they blundered straight across the floor away from the judges, were seen and skillfully avoided by Anton, and then bashed straight into Ricky W. If Ali got a ten then Laila should have got about fifteen.

I thought so too - I really liked Ali and Brian's dance, but Chris and Ols's seemed to be much more entertaining and full of fun. I am biased though, as they are my favourites.

I agree with all of that apart from Ali & Brian being overmarked in the VW. They were the stand out couple for me closely followed by Ricky & Natalie and then Laila & Anton. Chris deserved an '8' rather than a '7'.

Chris and Ola might had the most crowd pleasing routine of the night but Ali definitely danced better than both Chris and Laila.

For a start she was doing the foot swivel correctly which Chris was not and you are supposed to do high leg swings which she did. Laila just did a lot of faffing about but looked beautiful doing it.

Some of the comments on here seem to be more about not particularly liking Ali and thinking she is a 'bland' personality rather than an objective view of the dance.

As a dancer, I preferred Chris and Ola's Charleston to Ali and Brian's performance. Cola were very entertaining, nailed the routine, and Chris' posture and timing was brilliant.

Definitely. I thought she did a great job 'personality'-wise tonight but doesn't seem to be getting any credit for it. Ah well. Can't please all of the people all of the time.

Absolutely. Ali seems to be getting a hard time over this week and I'm not sure I understand why. Oh well - I never understand the public at large.