Personally i can't stand her. Its been mentioned before in lots of threads that she is hard nosed ungracious over competitive etc. Ive never taken against a pro dancer before and if she is back next year tge celeb males will fear getting her as a partner.

I can't say I've particularly enjoyed her contribution to this year's Strictly - but then this entire series has been a very low point in the history of the show. I'd say she should come back - I might like her next year. I never used to like Flavia, but she really grew on me this year so anything is possible.

What has she done that's so wrong? I do hope she returns next year! She makes good choreography and music choices. And any other pro would love to have Ricky. A lot of the FMs haven't warmed to her bur public's relationship with the pros can flip 180 from year to year.

I'll C&P some relevant comments I made about why the Ricky/Natalie hasn't stood out, one moment...

Agreed.

I think the problem with Natalie is Ricky's work schedule. They've not been able to use the media as well as other couples who have more time on their hands. Any time they have had spare has gone on teaching Ricky how to dance. Added to this Ricky is based in Liverpool, so any ad-hoc appearances on ITT showing the softer side of her personality have been out of the question. Therefore, all we have are the brief clips of training sessions and VTs of her promoting her celeb to the hilt. Thus, giving the impression that she's probably a lot more competitive and driven than she is.

Some comments I made on another thread relevant to why some people haven't warmed to Nat -

I like her! Every pro wants to win, I don't see her competing any harder than any other pro. I'm guessing she seems a threat to other people's favorites? I just don't get the hating on her.

If I was a celebrity, I'd be happy to have her as a partner. She's gotten Ricky to third place, at least. That's a good thing.

She is good looking and competitive both bad traits in this forum.

She's a typical Aussie - direct and competitive, nothing wrong with that, although I appreciate that some on this forum might find it frightfully unBritish.

She was fortunate that for her first foray into SCD she was paired with a natural dancer, which gave her the freedom to choreograph some very ambitious routines. I'm not sure how she would cope with a Jimmy Tarbuck or Quentin Wilson - unlike Lilia and Erin, who manage to tailor their routines and training to their celeb.

I haven't warmed to her but she has got Ricky to the semi-final. I certainly don't think she should be dropped.

i dont like her and hope she doesnt come back

i think personality means alot and people like ola and christina are humble and gracious she jsut seems full of it

I'm reluctant to make judgements about pros' characters on the basis of a single series. These people are experts in their field but not necessarily well versed in how best to deal with the media and how to market themselves, or to know how to predict how they will be portrayed. There is also the risk that they fall foul of editing. A prime example is James Jordan - in his first series he was branded a bad boy and made to look as though he was impossible to work with (when he in fact had been lumbered with a lazy negative celeb and he himself seemed passionate about doing things well) and despite working well with Gabby, being an absolute gent with Cherie (their comfortable partnership was clear on the tour) it's taken until now (another good partnership, some interesting ITT slots) for him to be acceptable to some people.

So what I think is more reasonable to judge Natalie on is dancing, choreography and partnership. I've enjoyed her dancing, liked a lot of her choreography (I'm with Len on the AS lift though) and feel like she's got the best out of Ricky, so I'd have no problem with her staying.

Hmmmmm, Ola had to "learn" how to show her gracious side, try these forums a few series ago and she wasn't no where near as popular as she is now. As for Kristina, I've actually gone off her this year. Last year she was very gracious but, when Joe went she was quite bitter and let us all know it.

As I said in my previous post because of time constraints and selective editing we've not really been allowed to see if she has a softer side (which I suspect she has)

Excellent post.
I like Natalie very much and as you say all the Pros are competitive. Yes I think your guessing is correct she is a threat to other people's favourite Pros.

Natalie has done a great job with Ricky and I have enjoyed all their amazing dances. As you say she has got him to the simi final not bad for your first year!!

In an early ITT show, Claudia showed footage of Natalie's parents and family back in Australia. They seemed lovely down to earth folks and Natalie, to me, came across as a grounded 'girl next door'. This image of her has stuck with me. I am also impressed with her taking quite a bit of harsh criticism from the judges, with good grace. Blackpool sticks out in my mind.

I hope she comes back next year. She deserves the chance having reached this stage of the competition.

I'm not going to give Natalie kudos for getting one of the very best natural dancers the show has ever had, to the semi final.

So she damned should have. I'd like to have seen him get a bit better too.

I'd like her to stay next year though, and she what she's like with a no hoper. Mwah ha ha ha.

That'll either be fun, or she'll redeem herself in my eyes a bit.

That's entertainment folks.

Also when Len gave her an earful and really laid into her about the American Smooth lift.

I certainly hope so. She is a beautiful, quite, lovely mannered girl and a fabulous dancer, as well as a great teacher.

Ola is still a right little madam, but like Brendan this year decided to show us a softer side.

I hope so. As I wrote in another thread, it's very noticeable how the popularity of some pros can seemingly fluctuate wildly from one year to the next. Ola and Kristina are obvious contrasting examples this series compared to last. In my recollection, there was a time when Erin was somewhat cast in the role that Natalie seems to have now.

I don't think Natalie has even been anywhere near as objectionable as the OTT criticism in these forums might suggest. She's had plenty to work with but still, in terms of purely what happens on the dance floor, she's helped to produce far, far more than her fair share of the entertainment this year.

As a side note, I don't like how some people are so quick to call for pros or judges or presenters or producers to lose their jobs...unless there's clear and unequivocal evidence of incompetence etc.. This principle applies beyond Strictly too, of course.

Very true Robert Romain.
Erin is a good example to use as well!

I have not been her no 1 fan this year but I hope she does come back and gets a celeb that she needs to really work with to shine and then perhaps we will warm to her.

I have never disliked Ola but she has jumped right up to favourite this year because of her relationship with Chris.

do people base their opinions on what they see on the show or on ITT?

I only watch the show, so find it hard to gauge the personalities of the professionals, who don't really get chance to say much.

Unless they're actually kitten-eaters, I'm not terribly interested in Personality but in choreography and dance ability.

Every pro when they get a celeb with the ability to win gets more competitive and therefore apparantly less attractive to the British public (I like Darren a lot but I think we saw that in his partnership with Emma Bunton) Personally I like to see this (it is after all their job) as it means they care about the programme. I'd like to see Natalie back I don't think an accurate impression can be made of her based on one series (with hardly any ITT's) see how Ola has turned it around over the series.

I don't get the persona that she will somehow be feared by those she dances with. And as an Aussie born FM - it's very annoying that people want to wheel out the stereotypes. If she's competitive, it's because she's a dancer, not because she's Australian!

She's had a semi-good celeb in her first series of dwts that she got to the semis and then a duffer the next year that she got to the finals. Even the guy she won with wasn't a good dancer (the other finalist was miles better).

I've never understood the dislike for her or seen so much bitchiness...and I post on a vogue fashion forum so that's saying something!

I actually LIKE Natalie and DON'T particularly like Ricky - he seems a bit "too cool for school" for me. I think her ballroom is outstanding and when paired with Ian her pro dances have been amazing.

She has made much more of an impact than Hayley did last year (who I also liked but had the misfortune of being a quiet person paired with a quiet person) and, like other posters have said, has only displayed traits shown by the likes of Erin in the past.

Kristina and Ola have managed to change public perceptions of them - for worse and for better respectively - and how many people hated James in Series 4? Give the girl another chance!