They have all been marked bizarrely. Not just Ali. That doesn't change the fact that Ricky and her are by far better dancers than Chris and Laila therefore the judges score them higher.

Hm, I'm trying to think of a reply to this that won't get me banned.
Let's just agree to disagree, you can keep on believing it's a dance competition if you like, just don't start whinging if Chris wins, which with any luck he will.
And try to remember for next year it's not a dance competition

The judges clearly have their favourites (Ali & Ricky), and we, the public have ours (Laila and Chris).

I am a COLA fan, but I'm pretty sure Chris will be out next week.

By and large I would agree with you, but you will find an awful lot of Austin & Gethin fans ( and others, no doubt) who believe that the judges do not adhere to that very simple rule when it suits them.

In other words, there are those that believe that, at times, the judges - or their paymasters - follow an agenda OTHER than awarding the best marks to the best dancers.

Therein lies the dichotomy. And, I suspect, ne'er the twain shall meet.

I won't whinge at all if Chris wins. That is the difference I think. Nor did I winge when, for example, Chris got 9 for his paso. I tend not to whinge at all.

Unlike others who go on and on about how unfair it all is that little Chrissy wissy is picked on so badly by those nasty nasty judges.

And I've never heard him complain about anything while he's been on SCD.
He has had no injuries, no man flu, no dramas, doesn't bite back at the judges, he just takes it all on board, always cheerful. He and Ola have just got on with it.

To me, Chris & Ola are what Strictly is all about.

I might have the teensiest weensiest whinge if he wins

Wonder if all the rumour spreading by certain posters will come to pass tonight? Will the bottom couple automatically go in the dance off? That would ignite Cowell-sized explosions of whinging. Don't think the Beeb are that brave/stupid (delete as appropriate) - but we'll see

I don't find that hard to understand at all.

The judges score the dance and decide an order of merit according to their criteria. The public then vote on whether they agree or disagree, according to (for some viewers) a different set of criteria.

Sometimes the combined scores mean that umexpected people are in the dance off, but at this stage the balance of power is 50/50. This is fair in my opinion.

I think giving the judges a chance to vote again gives them an unfair amount of power at this late stage of the show.

to some not to all - he doesn't entertain me

I meant that he is the most entertaining to me- I should have said.

I have never heard Chris complain either. I have nothing against him as a person. I wasn't talking about Chris whinging

I know you weren't.

My not understanding comment wasn't directed at you!

And I agree about the dance off. The judges should vote on the dancing, the public on who they like best and the couple with the lowest score should go.

OK Starpuss, no problem

Let's hope for a good show tonight.

Though I am out so will have to iPlayer it

I like Craig and Bruno but Alesha and Len both annoy me sometimes.

I supported Alesha before she got too big for her boots and was quite frankly nasty to Craig Kelly. And I hate the way Len dismisses Craig's negative comments - he's entitled to his opinion and that is why he is a judge !! Grr.

I think you're spot on actually (again just my personal opinion). I think women are much more critical of women who aren't a little fiesty (for want of a better word). I suppose her persona might be a little more alluring to men than women (it's certainly working on Brian and she seems a nice girl). There again Laila appears a bit more assertive and single minded but appears to tip over into whinging in many minds on here.

Maybe women just can't win, possibly more so with other women. I think I might have just depressed myself slightly with that thought

For what it's worth I like a woman to be a little more fiery than Ali but maybe not as high maintenance as Laila.

It's a complicated businesss, isn't it??

Suffice to say that if Ali could just get herself out onto that dance floor and say - metaphorically speaking - "Woo hoo!! Just look at me!!", she'd be getting my vote.

That's the quality that Alesha had. She was (is) gorgeous, talented, sexy - and she wasn't shy about about getting out there and strutting her stuff.

That's the sort of woman that gets the female vote - at least a vote sufficient to get her to the top of the SCD pile.

All in my 'umble opinion, of course.

PS Laila has an aloofness about her - at times, she's almost cold. I would absolutely LOVE it if she could get past that - because she is truly beautiful. But just too chilly, I fear.

I'm here for tonight's show

.......but will be missing next week's

That is true, although I get accused of being aloof a lot, when in fact I'm just quite shy and don't always have the confidence to say much so I come across to some as disinterested...there again she's an actress so I doubt that's her problem.

She is beautiful and that's probably why me and my shallow gene vote for her but I always have this niggly doubt that there isn't much beyond that beauty that I'd actually like!

Hard to say with Laila. Maybe her reticence is connected to her cultural heritage. She seems to be quite 'buttoned up', but I have no idea whether that might be connected to whatever did - or didn't - go on between her & Anton. That incident has muddied the waters in trying to suss her out.

She'd certainly be one hell of a package if she could go out there and throw off the shackles of whatever it is that's kept her boxed up throughout SCD.

All that energy invested because of that plastic glitter ball? I could believe in conspiracy theories on XF, because a wrong winner could turn Cowbell in a homeless man (or so I am told), but what a difference does it make if any of the remaining couples on SCD wins?

Because we're all OBSESSED.

Gorra problem with that??!!

It's 1 judge, 1 vote from tonight with the addition of Darcy

I wish they'd get rid of the dance off at the quarter finals. To be honest I'd get rid of it completely