They should have had this solo bit as the element a couple of weeks back and sorted out the skaters from the hangers-on...if there are any

They'll all be fine.

The problem won't be ability but the routines they end up with.

Danniella's done a great job with the last two characters she's had, but they've contained no skating. If she ends up with a routine that allows her to combine the two then it'll be fine.

Hayley needs a 'wow' routine to bounce back from the slightly insipid performance this week (which was entirely the fault of the routine's style - she did as much as could be expected with it). However, 'wow' routines this week will need 'wow' solo spots, so she'll have to master whatever she wants to include...

Gary would be best off with a routine like Hayley's this week - one where the character is a bit less 'out there'. The solo stuff will hold no fears for him, it's just the rest of the performance he'll have to worry about.

I think Kieron's probably overdue a proper romantic slushy number as well, which could be a bit more challenging for him than the 'out there' stuff - although he's risen to every challenge so far and I won't expect any less of him this week. I do worry that his leg lines aren't very good compared to the others though - it might show when he's on his own, depending on what he's given to do...

Too many variables at present, but Mystic LL's crystal ball says that whatever lets these four down on the night, it's unlikely to be their ability to skate alone.

I agree it could all be down to the choreography rather than their ability to skate alone, apart from the skate off where it could be used as the defining measure to send someone home.

He had the 'Don't Know Much' routine a few weeks back, which was a proper romantic slushy number if ever there was one.

Hoepfully T+D will give them all exciting and challenging solo skating - we really need to see who can do that aspect and who is struggling with it.

I agree with Lach and Lorelei - next week will depend an awful lot on the music and choreography they are given.....

Danniella showed what she could do with a good routine and music last night - and the solo skate will shut those who say she can't skate unassisted up for once and for all.

The lads are fine at skating on their own , and I think Hayley is too so the required element will be a piece of wotsit for all of them - it will all come down to who gets the decent tunes and the WOW! moves....

I agree.

Ending up in the skate off doesn't really have a lot to do with how they fare on the leaders board.

If Hayley by some reasoning ends up in the skate off, none of the others who might join her will be safe, no matter if they skated their solo best on the night. Hayley and Gary will most likely be safe against the other two no matter what. I can't see it being a Hayley and Gary skate off.


So I really don't think the skating solo or not, will sadly count for much next week So we could debate this until the cows come home, but think we pretty much can guess that it will be Daniella or Kieron going next week Pity as I like them both over Hayley and Gary.

Agreed with the 2nd comment.

I think Daniella will struggle - imo she appears to be weakest solo skater; but I'll be happy to be proved wrong.

I think Danniella has been one of the stronger skaters in the earlier rounds but the past couple of weeks she's been given routines with lots of lifts, and now the chair. I know there is skill involved in being lifted and holding the positions but personally I find them a bit boring and wish they would introduce a rule of no more than one lift per routine - Torville and Dean managed to devise interesting and much longer routines for themselves without them. Sometimes there are so many lifts it starts to look like a circus act.

Have a funny feeling Daniella and Kieron in SO. Daniella will be terrible but will be saved with Kieron to go. Just guessing, but then anything could happen. Cant see the plank of wood called Gary going.

At last a chance for Gary.

Nope the plank is going to win the title. Yeeaaahhhh

Don't get your hopes up...

I really hope Danniella does do well in the solo spot next week.
After all, it's not much fun watching someone who is struggling.
I am not sure how she will get on, sometimes I've thought she looked as if she could be really good, and yet in recent weeks she has struggled a little.
If she can and does do well skating solo, it will make this week's high marks for sitting on a chair even worse - why give someone who can skate well a routine which completely fails to show that off? Poor effort of a routine T&D!

I'd like Daniella to do well too, but I still get the feeling she will be the weakest of the four. We don't really know why T&D haven't been giving her any skating to do. Could just be an oversight or could be that they don't feel she's capable of it at the moment. She had lots of energy in this week's routine though. It's a bit odd really.

I wonder if Hayley will push herself to do some more difficult stuff like she has done previously. I can see her wanting to do more than just a bit of gliding around the rink.

Much of the problem they'll face with this required element is psychological. I think all four of them can manage some solo skating for that length of time but they're going to feel under pressure on their own like that. Part of being a good performer is to overcome it.

I think the performance side cannot be over-stated. For this reason, I'd like to see Danniella in the final. That was a great performance on Sunday. Meanwhile, Gary Lucy is the most bland performer in the competition and to me he is a personality-free zone; as limp as a lettuce. Sadly, it is middle aged women who worship this bloke and vote for him in their droves - because he mysteriously succeeds in getting their g*ssets wet.
Danniella, on the other hand, won't be forgiven by the masses for her drug-addled past. I think this is a shame as she has conducted herself brilliantly over the course of the series, shown a great attitude and it would be a fitting redemption for her to win the whole series.

It's so easy to make this unfouded generalisation if you have no shred of evidence. Daniella has not been attacked anywhere on the forum or in the papers for her drug past (most of us don't even think about that).

And as long as you don't have a statistic for the gender and age distribution of people voting for Gary, you don't have a shred of evidence for your generalisation about Gary either (looking at your type of language, you probably are not interested in facts anyway). Don't let the truth get into the way of a beautiful (not) and twisted theory.

By the way, I have not voted for Gary and I don't find him handsome, but I think he is a competent skater (although he doesn't set my heart on fire). I also like Daniella and think she has supplied us with some really enjoyable routines (although I think she was a tad overmarked this week).

the evidence is in the fact Lucy keeps avoiding the bottom 2 whereas Danniella was in the last 2 skate offs previous to this week. You do the maths - it is abundantly apparent Lucy has been getting a big vote and it's a fairly safe assumption that a big chunk of those votes come from middle aged women, who are happy to disregard his incredibly dull performances. It is the image, based on her past and the state of her nose, that stops people voting for Danniella. The demographic of DOI voter is largely female.

Believe it or not, Johnny, some of us middle-aged women were partygoers ourselves once.
I like Danniella, and I'd really like to see her do well. I have voted for her and would again if the routine merited it. I have in the past voted for Gary, too. However this week, I agreed with the judges that he was the weakest of a very strong field. I can assure you, however, that my gusset has remained unaffected by all of his performances.

I think maybe you need to research what the concept of "evidence" actually means.

Why should Gary Lucy's vote be coming from "middle aged women"? How do you know his voters aren't all under the age of 25? How do you know they aren't all men who aren't interested in "performance" but do prefer faster skating?

You may be right about the demographic of the voting public showing a greater than representative proportion of women, however studies suggest that the key voting group is the 18-24s who are the largest voting group with the biggest impact on the result. Not really middle aged are they?

Just one other point, your use of crude language greatly reduces,for me, the value of your opinion.

As far as I know it was the first time that Gary got the lowest marks from the judges, which means in previous weeks the judges and the public kept him in because he was better than other people. In the last two weeks, as far as I remember Daniella received less marks from the judges than Gary (however I stand corrected if this is not true). This means that the judges decided that Gary was a better skater than Daniella in previous weeks, not just the gullible public. This Sunday was different, Gary was in the bottom and might have benefitted from the usual vote for the person in the bottom spot. Daniella got the highest marks from the judges (we don't know the public vote, it could be that she topped the public vote as well - after all she was not in the dance-off this time).

please try and get a sense of humour. That line was intended to amuse the reader. Like a red rag to a bull with people on DS sometimes. You lot are very easy to wind up. Don't take everything in life so seriously.
But really, wait until ITV releases the percentages - you will see how 'gorgeous' if insipid Gary has been getting a much higher voting percentage than Danniella. Sure, he'll be getting a younger vote as well but I'm extremely confident he is the 'housewives' favourite' - the point I was making.

actually I am proud to disprove your theory as a middle aged woman myself , I really think gary is as bland as bland can be and whilst admitting he can skate fast , have seen nothing to say he is worthy of a place in the final , as far as I am aware it is a dancing competition not a speed skating competition

Daniella however has been a delight and has produce some fun memorable moments of dancing on ice and so I would happily vote for her ( if I voted at all )