If the voting patterns are to be believed and Chris pulls off the 'unthinkable' and wins - is that the end of SCD as a Dance competition or is it just reflective of the standard of this years personalities.

Chris and Ola are my favourites and have been from early on, but I will happily acknowledge that this is based on sheer entertainment value, their wonderful partnership and the pure joy and exuberance they bring to the floor - NOT his dancing skills.

Whilst Ali, Ricky, Jade and Zoe are (were) all much better technically - none of them do anything for me at all. Donny Osmond just won DWTS whilst being far insuperior to the excellent Mya in terms of ability and natural skill.

If Chris wins, I think it'll be akin to a Darren Gough win (again who I supported) however I do think Darren had improved significantly compared to Chris.

I would love Chris and Ola to hold that trophy aloft at Christmas but would happily admit that they won't have won it on dancing merit - but if they do - does it matter ?

On a last note: James Jordan famously protested last year when Cherie and he were voted out - Please guys vote on the dancing. I notice he is being especialy quiet this year - too busy shifting Chris's boxes about methinks!!!

It comes down to the same old argument, is Strictly a dance competition or a light entertainment show? I remember the same discussion last year with the Rachel and Tom final, that time entertainment won out over technical merit.
It's everyones individual choice.
I know it's irrelevant now but I personally think that Jade had both the technical skills and the personality hey ho!

If Chris wins - Is that the end of SCD as a Dance Competition ?

No

JJ

Why would it be the end of SCD as a dancing comp, I consider Chris a more likely winner than the great big awkward looking Darren Gough of a few years ago. If we are talking journeys then Chris is the winner Ali and Ricky seem to be able to dance from the word go and Laila don't seem to care enough to go the extra mile.

No and i would be very happy if he won but also rooting for Ali too.

Entertainment v technical ability like Tom and Rachel last year as mentioned above.

I'd love him to win, I know he's not the best dancer but what the hey ...

My greatest fear if he won would be the state of this forum in the aftermath ....

x x x x x

No...because obviously it's not purely a dance competition in the first place.

Strictly is a celebreality talent opera...and that means that lame winners like Chris are always a possibility...given that luck plays its part and voters who have no responsibility or set mandate to prioritise talent have a considerable amount of power. The televote is an important element of these shows but a crude form of 'democracy' which is wide open to manipulation and incorporates all sorts of unfairness, prejudice, capriciousness, dodgy decision-making and erratic judgements.

And comparisons with Darren Gough are of questionable validity. Darren wasn't the best dancer in his series...but he was clearly in 3rd place. Chris isn't in the top 5 in his....and whilst I accept that a comparison of averages is only of limited use, atm he's well down on that basis too.

As soon as the great British Public are given a say in the outcome, it ceases to be purely a dance competition. And quite frankly, looking back over most of the previous Strictlys, it's couples with character, entertainment value as well as dance talent that tend to win.


As for Chris, well he has not won yet (despite many people already handing him the Glitterball based upon notions of the public vote).

It's happened before - Darren Gough winning was an absolute TRAVESTY and I am still scratching my head at the GBP over that one. Over Colin Jackson? In a DANCING competition? Seriously?!?!

Er...where was I. Oh yes, well I think it's fair to say that Chris is on course to win this and yes, it will show that it is more of an entertainment contest than a dance contest which for me personally is really depressing, but as others have always argued on here, if it were meant to be purely a dance competition the whole way the programme is structured would be differnt.

I just hope at the last minute the public get behind Ali who is clearly the best dancer, but eh, I'm not holding my breath.

It's never been purely a dance competition. The judges score the dancing and the public vote for their favourites, it's not exactly a secret.

I've got over it now...finally...more or less...OK, I still fume about it.


I share your depression, but am consoling myself that for me, at least, Chris's personality is quite endearing whereas Darren Gough's blokishness made me want to shoot him.

FGS, last year's result wasn't based on quality of dancing so I'm hoping that this year fate decides we're due to see somebody who can actually dance lift the trophy.

Me too. And it was over two brilliant dancers too - Colin and Zoe. Darren wasn't even in the same UNIVERSE but got the personality vote despite, in my opinion, being distinctly unlikeable. Eh...it's a mystery.


I love Chris. I love Ola. I love Chris 'n' Ola and I've loved some of his dances - Foxtrot, Charleston, Rhumba but he is very definitely semi-finalist material bless him, and yet I just know he'll be in the final. If he does win, it won't annoy me as much as the horrible Darren Gough but it will sadden me a bit.

I thought Tom's showdance was the best showdance ever in Strictly and was very deserving of winning them the competition but yeah, in terms of the series as a whole it was Lisa or Rachel who *deserved* to win.

Which is always the SCD conundrum - those who want to see the best dancer win even if they don't much like them personally, and those who just vote for whoever they like best even if they dance terribly. Never the twain shall meet really.

A dance competition?

Hm, a light-entertainment programme with some dancing. That's what I thought it was.....

Are you saying that Tom couldn't dance Muggsy? If that's the case, who was that bloke last year who only ever finished lower than 3rd once during the series? and i have to say I thought his showdance left the others trailing some distance behind in both dance and entertainment value.

Me too.

I wouldn't see it as some sort of death knell for the show, if he's who the public want then so be it. He doesn't seem to get any flack whatsoever on here compared to the other 3 left either so it must be some sort of sign.

I dont think it would be the end as a dance competition at all. Chris and Ola being so popular is a reflection on the group of celebrities that we have this year in that (unfortunately) the best dancers just dont have the personality to match. Tom won last year, he wasnt the best dancer technically, but people prefered his mixture of dancing and personality over Lisa and Rachel, its been the same every year. Apart from series 1 when it was all very new and an unknown quantity, every winner has been a mixture of dance and personality. The only one who I think doesnt fall into this (for me) was Mark who wasnt very sparkly off the dance floor but it didnt seem to matter.

If Chris and Ola win it will be a vote for personality over dancing but I still think they deserve it, and for me it is a vote for Chris AND Ola its the team not just an individual that I love.

I see it as a dance programme that is within the 'light entertainment' style.

If it weren't a competition of dance, why bother doing any training? Tell them it's a Charleston on the night and tell them to go out there and perform and 'entertain' people. We'd all be laughing at them falling over and getting it wrong!

Hours of trainnig go into the show, technique is discussed and improved upon, both professional and celebrity take it very seriously (one of the core reasons for it's success).

To call it anything other than a dance competition trivializes all the hard work and passion that goes into it.

Of course it's meant to entertain us, and there is no career altering element to it, no money changes hands, it's not life or death but it is still about the dancing, it is a competition and the entertainment comes from that. Or should.

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It will just be a Series 3 rerun - blond woman and ethnic man who can both dance really well get beaten by a bloke with a gimmick (i.e. a better media-friendly scenario than the others - 'journey', 'personality', 'partnership').

It is, as it's ever been, BOTH a dancing and an entertainment competition. Mainly because there's no great big dancing related contract/prize at the end - if we were voting to win someone a dancing contract then (much like the other dance competitions that used to be on), then it does come down to the technicalities. But this is part dance, part showmanship, part personality. Always has been always will be. And Chris may not be as technically skilled as some of the other contestants - but he can actually dance. He's improved massively over the course of the show and, as far as I know anyway, has no former training or experience compared to the others. I personally would be more than happy to see him win - as long as he maintains his performances to the level they're currently at.

I'm happy with it as it is.
It produced Cola's Charleston - one of my fave dances of the series so far. Maybe my outright favourite.

Sorry if I'm bursting any bubbles - and I can't believe I haven't seen anyone else point this out - but Chris won't make the final.

Much as I'd love him to - I want a 'Yeah, Baby!'/'Team Cola' T-shirt! - the judges will control who gets to the final and they will ensure that it's their favourites, Ali and Ricky.

Unfortunately, those two are strong on technique and light on personality. Ali finally brought her acting skills to the fore last night so maybe she's turned a corner, but Ricky is a charmless version of Rach-bot. The public's opinion of him became clear last night when he didn't get as much support from the judges as usual, so expect the judges to do a 'Lisa Snowdon' and overscore him the next two weeks to counteract the public vote.

I love Team Cola to pieces but I think it's a case of enjoy them while they are still there - because the judges will ensure they're out before the final week.

It's never been a DANCE content. Nor is it a PERSONALITY contest.

It's an entertainment show, with the focus being on personality expressed via the medium of dance.

Whoever you think does that best, vote for them.

Impossible. It will be Series 5 re-run where the judges ensure THEIR favourites make the final.

There should by rights be an extra couple in the competition but, just like Series 5 where Kelly Brook dropped out, Jade's premateure exit means that we are looking at a two-couple final.

Darren Gough was not the best dancer when he won nor was Tom Chambers. So to answer your question: No. Chris winning would be a brilliant outcome for me, as he and Ola bring entertainment to the show and I always vote for the couple that entertain me the most.