It is just a feeling I am getting. Now that the dance off has been scraped has this had the opposite effect on his supporters now that he is no longer the underdog and has to scrap his way through. Are his supporters now sympathising with Ricky after the stick he has had?

I really do think this is still anyones..

..do you agree?

I doubt it. The bookies are shortening his odds constantly, so it's still going strong.

There's maybe a minority - who - once it gets to the final - decide to vote more based on the dancing rather than personality, but probably only a relative handful.

When was he ever the underdog? he has never been in the dance off and has been the most popular from the begining whatever he has danced like and has a whole morning show rooting for him. He is the only dancer with an appreciation thread on the front page.

I don't think this is likely to change anytime soon. He is a shoe in.

In a word...


No.

Or in three words...


Not at all

I do agree that the votes to 'shock the judges' won't have any reason to be cast. I still think he'll get through this week though.

Not sure if he will then win though. Ali will add some 'dance' support from Ricky when he leaves and she will add support from those than vote in finals for the best dancer (unless Chris pulls out a brilliant performance). I see many reasons for Alis support to rise and little reason for Chris' too.

I know there is a big difference to close but I think Ali could do it. Neither can sit on their laurals - Ali needs to step up the performance and Chris needs to stop gurning and hope Ali doesn't step up her performance!

It depends..we don't really know how much support Chris has had throughout. My guess (and that's all it is) would be that Chris has the majority of public support..but not quite as much as some people appear to think.
I think this forum gives a false impression of the the public vote. Chris must be top, we have evidence of that from the fact that he has never faced a dance-off..but it may be closer than you think.

Team COLA are not taking anything for granted.

just like the Ali and Ricky supporters we want our celeb through

I think he'll get through to the final, but I don't think Chris will win. I think Ali will.

I think this too.

I'd rather a Chris V Ricky final.

That way, at least if my favourite doesn't win, the best dancer will!

Ali is neither the best dancer, most likeable personality or entertaining.

I dont think anyone should take anything for granted.......I have never thought it was an absolute certainty that Chris would win because nothing can ever be that certain.....I do however think he is very very popular, I have never heard the judges booed by quite so many people in the audience and for so long as Bruno was when he gave a 7 when the others gave an 8. I think the others have a huge amount to make up in terms of voting and dont forget the people voting for Chris have been seeing him out performed week after week (except possibly Charleston week) by Ali and Ricky and have still been voting for him. So I cant see that there will be much change. People dont set any store by what was reported in the Daily Star but they got it right last year with Tom and people didnt want to believe that either.

I'm not taking anything for granted ... ever.

Will be voting like a maniac on Saturday as always.

Why would Cola fans stop supporting Chris now?

I just think, if you don't have a favourite by now, you're not likely to vote a lot over the next few weeks. My feeling is that the result doesn't really depend on floating voters at this stage, it depends on how many supporters you have that will vote multiple times. The outcome might be different if they only counted unique votes.

Why?

What evidence have you that suggests that? Perhaps you can qualify it for us.

I think you are very wrong. In the past, votes for the final and semi have eclipsed the earlier weeks. A lot of people vote in the end and not before.

Agreed. And I still think there might be a case for counting unique votes only.

A lot of people don't vote to the semis or final I don't normally this year has been an exception

The BBC has never provided figures for unique voters, so you can't tell that 'a lot of people vote in the end and not before'. I think a more likely scenario is that people restrict themselves to only a few votes in the earlier weeks (spread over more celebs) then ramp up the number of votes in the semi-final and the final. That doesn't mean that most of the votes come from people who only vote in the latter stages.

From a personal point of view, I never understood people who say they'll wait and see the dancing first and then decide (maybe only in the case where you have more than one favourite and they both reach the final). If you're judging it on the dance on the night, to me that suggests you haven't really connected with any of the couples - in which case why would you care who wins?

I doubt very much if he's losing support but, I'd be very surprised if he was gaining new fans. He has a solid fanbase which is probably enough for him to take the glitterball. However, the unknown variable is the amount of people who cast their first vote on Saturday and in the final.

I do know of a couple of people who voted for him to get to the semis (a bit like Craig and Blackpool) and are now switching over to Ali (they like the "showmance" storyline and think they look good together). Again, whether this will be the trend of a few or many remains to be seen.

Unfair! Alesha vs Matt was the final where I didn't have a favourite and only voted when I had seen the dances. I didn't like or dislike either of them. It might come as a big surprise to you but, there are people out there who do actually vote for who they think is the best dancer when their particular favourite has left the competition.

Ali vs Chris will be like Rachel vs Tom last year.

Like Tom, Chris will almost certainly win very easily. Another Charleston like show dance (as per Tom's last year) should cement his win - entertainment and joy always win out over technical ability in the end!

I didn't say I didn't think there were people like that out there, just that I don't think there are very many of them, I don't think they cast as many votes on average as people who know going in who their favourite is, and I don't understand their motivation for voting. I'm sorry if you think that's an unfair assessment but to me it's logical. If your favourite goes out, I'd venture you care less who wins, so you vote less.

Possibly. I only ever vote in the final (unless really impressed - Mark and Karens AT and Louisa and Vincents Jive). Others I know only vote in the final too. So, thats where I get my impression from, probably.

I only vote in the final too, although I might make an exception this week, since without the DO, this week is in effect part 1 of the final.

Maybe I'm an oddity then. I just feel that picking up the phone to vote is all part of RTV, and I do enjoy thinking I've played my part in determining the outcome of the final.