I'm doomed regardless. I'm australian born so that automatically makes me bitterly competitive, cold and charmless. Sounds about right

Fixed winky smiley with fake tan plastic smiley.

I'll never understand why they think it looks good. It reminds me of pedigree dogs when they go to such extremes to get a look that to the uninitiated (ie sane) it looks horrifying. The world of dance needs a wake up call on this one. The smile is scarey to kids.

I saw a bit of her VT footage from the Australian DWTS when I was looking for her AT footage. I actually got the impression that she's quite shy.

Oh well then go for it. If you're going to pay the penalty might as well do the crime.

You get the impression after 3 months of her not talking much, looking startled, keeping her head down, working hard and not playing up to the cameras or making comments about her private life that she is shy. Ridiculous! She is obviously a harpy who is just reigning herself in. I’m not that easily fooled. Next year she will join the rest of the pros in partner swapping, dating their celeb, nipple pulling, mugging for the camera, and quipping jolly japes. She’ll get the hang of zelebrity culture in the UK eventually and find her niche here – poor child.

sarcasm

In a word....no.

However I am surprised given her participation in DWTS which is even more all about personality that she doesn't seem to see that how you come across on VTs and Tess's godawful interviews is as important as how you dance. That's how public participation TV works! Give people something to latch on to so they feel impelled to pad over to the phone and spend their money. Austin and Erin had me howling with laughter many times with Claudia and in the VTs....you HAVE to be able to relate to the couples on many levels, not just dancing.

I'm always half tongue in cheek. Which makes for a very odd expression - so I might go under the knife soon.

Agreed

the public like to feel they are part of the couples relationship and for example laugh when they laugh, cry when they cry. It's hard to do this with Ricky and Natalie, whether it be their own fault or not.

Every kupple I've supported in the past, from the brilliant to the average has made me care enormously about how they will do in the next week. Just coming aht and doing the dances isn't enough.

I also get the sense that they're (Ricky and Natalie) more anxious about impressing the panel rather than the viewer which is completely the wrong way round. Ideally it should be both but the public is more important, push come to shove. Certainly is this week, with no DO.

So why do they always say they try their best to produce dances that will entertain the audience?

For one reason or another they failed last week.

But look, I'm just hoping for a really good semi tomorrow that all the couples enjoy and feel that they did their best in. I think Ricky and Natalie certainly could produce the best AT so good luck to all of them.

Wot she said.

Of course the quality of the dancing is a very valid (and exciting!) basis for comparison between partnerships, but the personality (and mix of personalities) is an unavoidable component for me. By 'personality' I don't mean 'loud' or 'jolly', either. But if other crucial ingredients are missing at the start, the lack of personality inevitably affects performance, chemistry -- hey, and also the teaching!

By the same token, the right combination of personalities can bring about understanding, sustainable energy, camaraderie and a host of other intangibles that fuel the dance (even if the technical edge needs extra work). I am not saying that Natalie and Ricky don't get on (how would I know?) -- just that whatever they share as a partnership has not been delivered to me effectively, and I say that as someone who has enjoyed some of their dances (especially the Foxtrot and the Paso).

I'll be the first to admit, I started off thinking Ricky was a little D-U-double-L, but as the show has gone on I have really get the sense that he has a real (albeit quiet) sense of humour and a genuine sensitivity to others, and I have grown to quite like him as the show goes on.

I don't dislike Natalie and I respect her talent, determination and sense of adventure on the dance floor. But I don't feel that I know anything about her after... how many weeks? Quite a few. Why is that? Is it down to the editing on ITT? Is it down to work schedules and time constraints? Why do I feel like this didn't affect other couples to the same degree? Why does Natalie seem to be lacking something for me? I can only think that she seems to have a disconnect somewhere between the dance steps and the camera (for me, anyway) -- I want to see more than talent, moves, etc. I want to see someone making a connection with the world beyond the camera, and not just for the sake of garnering votes. Because that's where my favourite partnerships (and dances) begin, and where they are sustained. And this is, after all, a television show and not just "a dancing competition, dahhhlings".

And yes, if I am being honest, I want to see a bit more of the person, and not just the dancer. As others have rightly pointed out, Strictly celebrates its pros as much as its celebs, and ITT makes a big effort to bring out the people behind the dancing with everything from the dance machine challenge to the way their homes look. Personally speaking, I really do enjoy getting to know the pro dancers just as much as the celebs through the Strictly journey and have been pleasantly surprised more than once. Given the scope of the show (and ITT!) it is a real shame (for me) that Natalie gives me the shrugs. I can see that she wants to win, and that she believes Ricky could win. But is that enough? Personally speaking, I don't think so.

For the record, I don't believe that all pros should be loud, jolly, filled with bravado, etc, etc. I like quieter pros such as Matthew and Flavia, and enjoy a strong work ethic and determination to succeed (Erin is one of my favourite pros).

I guess I just wish I knew Natalie a bit better. She has had a real chance to stamp her mark over this particular series. I don't dislike her, either. I just find her a bit ?? Again, for the record, I think she is a very talented girl and I don't mind that she may be quieter than other pros. I do think it is interesting to contemplate how she would have fared with someone of -- shall we say? -- less ability, and how Ricky would have fared with someone who has more of a tangible understanding of the world beyond the dance floor.

My favourite relationships on Strictly include at least one shy/quiet partner, and this can work if a quiet or measured pro is matched with a more astute or charismatic celeb who understands the camera better. Love it or hate it, the people who can really work the camera and -- paradoxically, maybe? -- the people who can really reveal themselves in front of the camera have already got a head start in winning the show.

There are no rules about what creates true chemistry, of course, and the chemistry is that intangible thing that makes certain dances so memorable and exciting to watch. But (at the risk of sounding trite) it is the partnership that make those great dances magical, and make me want to watch them again and again.

Sorry for the speech! I have just eaten a lot of jalapeno peppers and am feeling very passionate.

Sugartingles x

"Has anyone ever got a ten in the first week?"

"I don't do average. They have to come up to my level."

"We knew Len wouldn't like the lift. That was just for the people at home."

Three comments that certainly provoked enough interest at the time of making!

I don't know! First Natalie is some S&M dominatrix who has Ricky manacled to the dance studio wall while she drills his routine into him, now she's Robocop.

If she's bland and boring, I wonder how she can have inspired so much dislike in so many posters. The poor girl can't win. And if she thinks doing her job well by choreographing two fabulous routines is going to make any difference - well, I think I might just wet my knickers laughing.

It will eventually when people get used to her. Some strictly watchers just don’t like change and so are suspicious of anyone new and love the originals just cos they have always been around - even if they disliked them originally. You can see it in the continual reshuffle of the staff requests as if they can’t imagine any outsider could join the crew and judge or present. And look at the hatred of Alesha and Darcey just for the sin of offering opinions as judges and for the way they speak. Basically it is just insularity that will die down if she sticks around long enough and keeps smiling.

If she's given the chance to stick around.

The bbc want instant gratification. They have a habit that is all too prevalent in this country of picking something up and running with it and then dropping it before they've properly realised what it is they're carrying. Maybe if some organisations actually gave some schemes a fair crack of the whip, we might have more success. But no. We live in a "I want it yesterday and I'm going to stamp until I get it" world.

Very true, this thread is a prime example.

I think Natalie is just suffereing from being the "new girl".
None of the UK viewers know anything about her and as with many new things most of us are unwilling to be impressed until they become more familiar to us.

Unlike Christina last year who had the benefit of the "John Sergeant" factor to allow us to get to know her, Natalie has suffered from very little exposure because of spending most of her time away from London and we all know the BBC doesn't realise England exists north of Watford! If she had a very extrovert personality she may have overcome that, but it always does take longer to get to know the introverts amongst us. That doesn't make her a bad person, or even uninteresting, just slower to take to.
Ambition to win really shouldn't count against her, after all, Camilla made no secret at all of desperation to win last year and, rightly, no one criticised her for that.

It has taken Ola years to become a national treasure, who knows in a couple of years we may all be saying how fantastic Natalie is.

I agree with everything you said, very fair comment.
Maybe Natalie's personality might shine in the dance mat challenge ?

I think she will probably be given the chance to come back next year. She has coached her celeb into being one of, if not the best male dancer the show has ever produced. She has got into the top 3 in her first year. And more importantly people are talking about her, not necessarily positively, but definately talking about. I think they are far more likley to drop a pro who doesn't make an impression than one who creates a stir good or bad.

Of the 3 new girls, Natalie has made an impression on the viewing public for getting her (very talented) celeb to the final stages of the show which has meant a fair bit of exposure of her skills to the bigger audience outside DS

Aliona has made a mark in the pro dances with her very creative choreography.

Katya is the one who is (IMHO) in most danger of getting dumped next season for not really making her mark in either area.

I think if you're looking for who might not come back, you might be looking more for people who want to leave (a la Karen or Camilla), rather than people who will be pushed out, new or old.

Imagine the backlash if she gets the highest score?!!?
Then again, imagine the slagging if she also gets a zero!

She can't win either way, can she?

Blimey, I have been very unimpressed by Aliona. Not only was her choreography for Rav bizarre, but even to my admittedly only slightly dance-trained eye, her dancing in the pro dances looks fairly obviously substandard to the other pros. I have question marks over Natalie's teaching abilities but she certainly deserves to come back and it would be interesting to see how she makes out with a less talented celeb. Jury out on Katya too, although I thought of all three she choreographed the best within her celeb's ability range, including when he had had knee surgery.

She's not a comedy routine fgs.

I've seen them laughing plenty in rehearsals but her main focus is to get the best she can out of a very talented dancer.

Ola, on the other hand, knows that the way forward with Chris is to promote his comedy/fun side.