The fact that she is constantly overmarked may have something to do with it. That and the constant banging on about having an injury.

That is not true at all. She hardly ever mentions it and has consistently danced well despite being in pain. I can understand some people thinking she is bland but saying she goes on about injury is just not true.

I can't remember how Ali did. She's sort of just there for me every week and i just zone out when she's on so i can't comment on her dance tonight. Chris & Ola were brilliant, though!

I'd rank Chris first, Laila second, and Ali third for their Charlestons

Chris is SCD's equivalent of Jedward on X factor - entertainment but not much content (although admittedly more then Jedward) Ola's doing well but she did as well in previous years and people didn't take to her as they should.

Ultimately it depends whether you want panto or something more difficult that looks more professional. More people go to panto than watch Chicago. It then may not matter anyway as the votes often have nothing to do with the dancing but tell you more about who is voting.

You didn't hear her talking about it tonight then? Or see her on ITT talking about the stubbed toe?

She talks about it when she is asked. What else is she supposed to do? She just answers and plays it down, saying things like 'injuries happen' and 'everyone gets them'

And they included it on ITT as it's the news of what has happened that week. She doesn't decide, the producers do.S

I am not sure how this translates to her 'banging on about it'.

So should she have not mentioned it at all? It's not like she's banged on about it.

The fact that she is consistently and obviously better and the judges all agree so explains her marks. The fact that more people have never been top at anything than have, may give her a problem with the vote. Tess pointing out she is the judges favourite (= best performer) and Alesha saying she is the one to beat doesn't help - it just adds another reason to the Chris vote by making it look like he is the under-dog as well as the likeable naughty boy who needs mothering.

I think it's unfair to say that she's 'banging on' about it. If anything she has played down both of her injuries.

Ali & Brian have consistently been my favourite couple in this series, but I preferred Chris & Ola's charleston tonight.

But she isn't consistently and obviously better. Her footwork was very flat tonight, she struggles out of hold and she gives no impression of feeling the music. This evening she was involved in the only clash in the VW and still got a 10.

Ali has danced on twice despite injury and when questioned about it she plays it down saying that everyone has injuries. I don't suppose you saw her on crutches this week?

You seem to be just seeing what you want to see.

WHAT????!!!! are you drunk??!!

Nope I am perfectly sober?

That may be true, I'm no expert. But I really can't see how that relates to the three Charlestons we saw tonight.
Are you saying Chris and Ola's routine was panto, but Ali and Brian were more professional ?
I thought the idea behind bringing back the Charleston was to invoke the spirit of the Roaring Twenties, to transport us back to a smokey speakeasy in Chicago. In that respect, I thought Chris/Ola and Laila/Anton were far more successful than Ali/Brian.

Er, did Ali give Brian a gymnastic lift????

I thought Chris and Ola were thrilling I had to watch them again immediately (thank you Sky+). I'm not a dancer, but I thought Ali and Brian would be marked down, they just seemed a bit rigid, I thought due to Ali's injury. I'm pleased Leila and Anton did so well, they were my second favourite tonight.

Every couple has been overmarked this series. That is definatly not something exclusive to Ali!¬

Chris got a 9 for that dreadful paso he did and some of Ricky's scores have been

You don't get automatically marked down for a clash, it happens and it depends on whose fault it is and how they come out of it. As for being flat footed tonight she defintiely was not, she did the swivel perfectly and the charleston bounce is not the same as a more obvious samba bounce. Chris by comparison did not turn his feet properly and although very entertaining his arms and legs in general were not as good as Ali's.

No I didn't - when was that?

Well, it's all subjective to some degree. I agree, she did swivel perfectly..but she still appeared flat-footed to me, and any bounce was non-existent..in my opinion.
I can't understand how all our views can be so different, there just did not seem to be much content in Ali's routine..what she did was quite good, but there wasn't much of it.

That works both ways.

People have different interpretations of each dance. I thought the Charleston had to revive the spirit of the 1920s - for me Chris' did that and Ali's didn't. I thought Chris' dance had more bounce and was livlier.

It's all personal opinion, and there's no point being too cutting towards someone who's opinion doesn't match yours.

For me it's the same as with Tom and Camilla and the other foxtrots in the final last year. Technically they may be weaker (although I can't say I know why) but as a viewer I find them far more entertaining. There is no way Chris and Ola will have been anything other than top of the vote this week and it's one of very few dances this series that will be memorable in a few series' time.

It is not totally subjective though, to do the foot swivel you have to be on ball of your foot, which means you have to have an element of bounce but it is not such an obvious up and down bounce as in the samba. Chris definitely was flat footed which is why he was not swivelling his foot, that much was obvious and is not subjective and will have contributed to the difference is scores along with her better arm and leg work. Saying that I preferred Chris and Ola's routine but that is subjective and not what the judges are purely marking on.