Over the years we have had 3 British pro champions (Darren, Karen, Matt Cutler).

This year we'll have a new pro champion from a previously unrepresented country.

Of the remaining pros whom do you favour and why? And which pro has been most unlucky over the years?

ALSO how crucial is the pro? Ola was always (IMO) considered as one of the least popular so what accounts for her spectacular rise in the ratings?

PLUS a question for dance-conoisseurs. Is any one nation a clear world-leader in ballroom or Latin or does it vary a lot?

Thanks.

In my mind Ian is by far the most unlucky.....he has had some great partners who have been very popular and something always seems to stop him getting there .

I've always liked Ola but she can be fairly quiet and reserved. Something has happened with Chris which has brought out the more fun side of her (to some exent that did happen with Kenny).

Brian is ok, but I find the romance with Ali a bit sickly sweet (as an unsentimental lady).

Natalie, I can't take to at all. She seems to have a hard edge to her (but maybe she's like Ola and waiting for the right partner to bring out her personality).

GB is still the lead at hosting dance competitions but is no longer the lead in producing dancers. Hopefully it's just a phase we're going through, given that some of the changes have occurred over the last few years (e.g. recent retirement of top GB ballroom dancers)

Gosh, Ian. Poor Ian. It was looking promising this year. What a shame.

How come the Eastern bloc seems to be producing dancers? Lilia, Ola, Kristina. But where are the European men?

For the pros, I try to focus more on what they bring to the show that's distinctive.

On the male side, Vincent (tongue-in-cheek egomaniac) and Anton (old-fashioned, eccentric, slightly pretentious) are probably the most distinctive characters. Brendan and James occupy similar (reformed) 'bad boy' territory and Ian, Matthew, Darren and Brian are somewhat interchangeable i.e. consistently supportive, positive and dependable types.

For the females: Ola has the sex appeal angle, Natalie is seemingly cast in the 'ice queen' role Erin used to play, Flavia is the shy and polite one and Kristina is all drama. Lilia and Aliona overlap as the cheeky minxes of the cast whilst Erin and Natalia are in a similar mould to the Ian, Matthew, Darren and Brian group.

Darren has faded a bit recently. He had his moment in the sun with Jill and that was that. Brian had early promise, I thought, with Heather but I don't want showmances so I've gone off him. He can go.

Kristina got off to a blistering start with John but her work with Joe was a massive disappointment. The new girls I haven't much enjoyed.

It's a good observation, RR, about their unique selling points. Vincent has to stay - he's a one-off. I used to loathe him but this series has changed my mind. Even if I still disliked him he is one of a kind so worth his place.