He was just, dare I say it, a little bit dull!

I loved Gethin, he was my favourite that year, and would have loved him to be in the final although not necessarily win (was happy for Alesha to win). A three person final that year would have been perfect. I think what made him going out hard was the fact that it was entirely possible for him to top the public vote and be unable to avoid the dance off (although not impossible like Tom).

Don't think Rachel was robbed (Austin maybe as it was clear he was more popular with the public than Lisa given the pattern of dance offs that year) - all the last four contestants were brilliant, and Rachel needed help from the judges to get as far as she did. Was perfectly happy for her to come second.

Well I am a Ricky fan and so many people thought Ali would make it over him to the final so I'm sure a lot of people saw that as a 'win' already since Chris was very popular. To add to that some people didn't like Natalie and there was Ricky's legal issues of which he was cleared after the final, so those were some bricks to throw at them. Also it may also be that they already saw that people had been 'robbed' before and it just happens...

I think it does have a lot to do with the dance off. That element of not knowing whether or not the celeb actually deserved to go on merit of the public vote and people thinking that the judges had obvious favourites.

Ricky lost on the public vote, therefore you can't really complain. And he didn't leave early either he just didn't win over a much more popular contestant.

I'm not sure more people even did vote for Emma - that was a weird one if I remember rightly. Wasn't Louisa's departure the night they randomly threw in a dance-off, when there were no others that series?

I was a very new viewer to SCD at the time so thankfully wasn't too emotionally invested, but she was still my favourite, so I was pretty bitter about that one.

I may be remembering this all wrong - if so one of you clever bods will correct me I'm sure - but if this was indeed the case, then Louisa suffered BLATANT robbage.

Well I think Ricky Whittle was robbed and I think Colin Jackson was robbed. Bit different for Colin, though, it was Erin who robbed him.
With puppets.

I still can't credit how Chris Hollins beat him. Might have been because Ola was so popular, compared to Natalie. Because I had neither heard of either of the two celebrities before Strictly. And I can't be the only one.

I'd forgotten that! To be fair, Louisa and Vincent were bottom of the leader board after their two dances, and, according to Wiki,
"In the results show of week 10, the two couples with the lowest combined score had to perform a "dance-off" for survival. However, it was possible for viewers to calculate the points combination that each couple received beforehand, which indicated that the result was actually unaffected by the dance-off."

Which I think is saying that they would have gone anyway, based on the combination of judges' views and viewers' votes.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think it went like this:

EDIT: beaten to it. However, I was under the impression votes were re-set before the (very first) dance off?

Probably just my bitter Louisa wuz robbed! self twisting the facts. Bloody Emma and her hamster Paso face.

So more or less agreed that only one couple can be proper robbed if it is a decision taken by the judges and/or production team.

Me too. Although I was chuffed to bits when Chris won, if Ricky had won then that would have been fine too, because he was the best dancer.

Looking at the names mentioned on this thread, I'd say the only person who was robbed is Gethin and that's because after sitting down on the step, Matt should never made it to the final. That was down to the judges and all the others just didn't get the public vote.

PS I was voting for Alesha, but liked Matt and Gethin.

I just had a look on Wiki and there were 4 couples in at that stage - so technically, Louisa could have topped the public vote with Emma at the bottom putting them on equal points, so without a dance-off, Louisa would have gone through by virtue of most viewer votes.

But we don't know that happened - it's just annoying that it could have.

Just saw your post trevvytrev - sorry what do you mean about a re-set? You lost me

Bit like the voting system during the showdances - all previous votes didn't count - just those cast during the dance-off. I may be totally wrong though. Again, bloody Emma.

Totallly - Aled should have been in the final.



Totally agree with both of these I'm a Ricky fan and was more disappointed that he didn't win but always knew that Chris was going to be the winner. I thought it was the same for Rachel fans

I think most Ricky fans had prepared themselves for Ricky going out in the semi-final no matter what he did as he was against Team Cola and Ali & Brian so they were delighted that he got to the final and they got to see him dance every dance including the showdance whereas with Austin, Gethin, Emma, Aled or Louisa didn't.

As for Louisa - as far as I remember they randomly did a dance off but it went back to the original public vote and not by the judges as I remember I was shocked that Louisa went out as I was sure the public would save her over Emma who had been the bottom 2 the week before in fact it was quite similar to Ricky in shock value for me anyway - you have to remember Emma did the tango that night and that was her best dance Louisa on the other hand was like Austin in that she had a bad night in what should have been the semi final.

Totally agree with this point, particularly in regards to Austin I don't think there is a single fan who isn't certain that he would have stayed had it been down to the public vote and not the judges who went that week.

Regarding Ricky, I was a fan but knew he didn't really stand a chance against the juggernaut of Cola support so him not winning wasn't a shock, and to be honest it felt like a victory just seeing him get as far as the final. Chris may not have been the best dancer and not my personal favourite but he did some alright dances and people liked him he won fair and square.

Hi Mrs F - totally agree with you

Well I am a Ricky and Natalie fan and I was very upset that he did not win (despite liking Chris and Ola) He was the best dancer.

People say he was not popular but he got to week 11 without being in the dance off and I think it is relatated that he was in the dance off the week of his arrest (although he was cleared this year).
Anyway was so glad he was in the final and got to see his amazing dancing.
Now he is going to be in the tour with natalie so I am happy.

Also one does get over these things and am enjoying this years SCD now.

Ah I see - so they re-opened phone lines again? Didn't remember that. Fairy nuff then.

But, stlil... BUNTONNNNN *shakes fist*

That's the face that comes to my mind whenever I think of Emma Bunton on Strictly!

She looked like an angry Cherie Blair.

I never got the hate that Rachel got.

I thought she was a lovely dancer, very elegant to watch.

She didn't have the most vibrant personality, but not many other winners did.

I adored Rachel, and whilst she wasn't an especially sparkling personality by herself, I thought Vincent had enough character to carry the partnership and he and Rachel shared a genuine and very sweet bond.

Completely agree esp the bold bit I remember celebrating like they won when they were announced first through in the semi final so convinced that they were out.


So delighted that they are doing the tour

Him and Colin Jackson - now I wonder why? Erm.......

I liked Ricky last year but I'm not bitter he didn't get the glitterball because in my mind, he did win. He was the best dancer overall and to me, that's winning. Hollins won the popularity contest, Ricky won the dancing one which is all I'm interested in. I guess that's why I don't rage about it.

Also, I didn't really rate Gethin, Austin or Rachel. Rachel was the best out of those three but her legs constantly let me down and she never danced into the floor in latin - not once. She glided well but that's as close as she got IMO.

I think the only one I was really quite annoyed about was Emma Bunton. Yeah she was a pain but she was the best dancer technically in her year and I was quite peeved she didn't even make the final over the prancing rugby ball.

Austin and Gethin had the public support behind them. Rachel had the controversial semi final result building up the 'she was robbed' argument. Ricky never had the public vote and, dare I say it, Chris and Ola managed to match him on the final night which took away some, but not all, of the venom directed at them.

I'm assuming you wish to bring race into this, correct me if I'm wrong?

Ricky had the personality of a limp salad. No croutons or nuffink.

I agree about Chris commanding the public vote in a way Ricky just wasn't able to but when it came to dancing, at no point did Hollins ever match Ricky. At all lol.