Just wondered whether judges scores are for guidance only in the final like in Strictly, where it's only the audience vote that actually counts.

Not sure, but I think they count at the beginning (with three of them), but they don't count towards the bolero (with two couples).

They don't count at all in the final, the scores are only for guidance. After three skate it is decided on an audience vote, which is why Jessica left first last year, although she was above Donal with the judges, and then a new audience vote after the bolero. So it is decided on two audience votes. The judges scores do not count at all.

Really. I've been watching the programme from the beginning and don't remember that. My powers of observation are obviously not very good.

Thanks for the answers

I remember that the judges voting in the final is not included in the overall voting, unless it has all changed now. But don't remember audience voting at all? Only viewer voting.

According to ITV's rules, the only time the judge's vote counts in the final is if viewers votes are tied both for the final show and across the series as a whole - in which case the head judge decides. Can't imagine that ever happening somehow unless there's only 4 people voting each week!

By audience, I naturally meant the viewing public (i.e. the viewing audience, not those in the studio!)

yes they mark ALL performances as "a guide" but its only the PHONE vote that counts unless there was a technical difficulty or some freak result like to people both getting the same public votes.

Thank you for explaining Can you imagine if they allowed the studio audience to vote