Like most years I've gone into Strictly not knowing who would be my favourite. I immediately warmed to Matt and saw the potential for an amazing dancer. However, over the weeks I've been increasingly disappointed with his dances and I totally blame Aliona.

I do like Kara, and think she has had some amazing dances (the Argentine Tango being my favourite), but I still feel that if only Matt had had a different pro partner, he would and could have been even better. I feel like we have been cheated, and that he won't realise his full potential and its driving me mad.

I did initally think that Scott and Gavin were most likely to go this week, but Scott has two dances that are always crowd pleasers if done well. The Charleston and the AT are right up his alley and I reckon he's going to storm it this weekend. Kara has a really good steady following which is only right (I believe her and Matt to be the best dancers), and I think Pamela has a good following to.

If Aliona doesn't sort it out this weekend re their choreography, I fear the public will start to feel the same way as the judges and he may be in danger. This will be such a shame as I'm sure he could dazzle and amaze just like Kara (and Scott with his jive) and we may never see it.

Grrrrrrrrr...

Agree on Aliona,i think we would have seen how amazing he could be if he was with Natalie.

I'm afraid I agree. There was a thread early on in the series along the lines of 'would Aliona's choreography let Matt down' and I defended her thinking, by now, all they needed was one latin and one ballroom WOW dance to see them comfortably hold their own in a final. Unfortunately, I was wrong, and they just haven't happened. In fact, I think I prefer his first dance, the Cha Cha, to anything else he has done. It is a worry because it's just not right! Scott for me is the crowd pleaser and Kara the technician. Matt's just beige and I am sorry to have to say it.

It takes up till the quarter finals for me to fairly conclude that Aliona is NOT a good choreographer, and she doesn't connect with her partners and the audience.

Matt is just trying to keep up with Aliona's ridiculously difficult routines (the AS being the prime example, almost like watching Colin doing the puppet dance, almost cringe inducing). Don't feel relaxed seeing him dance, except perhaps their Samba.

None of their ballroom was memorable nor good, though it's clear Matt would be EXCELLENT in the ballroom with his beautiful top line.

I actually approve of their partnership, in a reasoned way of looking at it Aliona has moderated more this year, but still needs to calm down more and really think with how she can relate to her partner more.

This is not me condemning Matt and Aliona, just what I've noticed from them. On the other hand they have a very large voter fanbase, so they are indeed very popular as a partnership. As a viewer myself I'm not drawn into the discint of the judges so much now and subsequently more skeptical about them.

In relation to this weekend I hope they do silence their detractors and be super motivated. They do need to look as if they care about the title more and give it more oomph so they can convince more.

Matt has potential, and so much potential, but it sort of feels to me like he's not been able to make the most of it.

Lilia would have been SUCH a perfect match for him. So perfect.

I could have written that first post! I didn't watch ITT this week because I was wondering what Aliona would do and I fear her outlandish style will mean Matt will go out

A Matt and Kara final would mean I wouldn't mind who won

unfortunately we are not in an ideal world sadly.

they have a very large caller fanbase, so I wouldn't worry too much.

I think Natalie is part of the reason Ricky didn't win last year and why Scott has appeared to have hit a decline in support .

However her choreography is excellent .

I agree TylerTango , Lilia woudl have been perfect .

Natalie isn't as popular as we make out to be.

Aliona's choreography for that Salsa was appalling (IMO). What a shame - she is really letting Matt down - he is a brilliant dancer who is not being allowed to show his full potential. What a great partnership he would have had with someone like Lilia.

I actually quite like Aliona, but everything everyone has said is true. I gave her the benefit of the doubt last year after that disaster Rav Wilding, but I think she hasn't really worked out Matt's strengths and weaknesses as a dancer to the scale that the others pro's have.

I agree that Lilia would have gotten a lot more out of Matt too. I honestly wouldn't care if he was out this week.

Tonight may be a blessing in disguise for Matt. The public got to see a much more human side to him, it was impossible not to feel for him when he was so clearly gutted about the judges comments.

Also, might be a kick in the bum for Aliona, she needs to stop being so experimental and ambitious with her choreography and give Matt some straight forward dances that he can perform well and sell without becoming manic.

Personally I found it hard to warm to Matt before tonight. He had a Stepford quality about him, too nice, too controlled and too slick. But I have really changed my opinion of him, I can see the man behind the mask now, and he is a decent guy.

Trouble is if Matt wins this year Aliona will carry on thinking her coreography is great.....I have to say that Matt is only dancing what she is teaching him BUT I do think he should have drawn the line at the horrible sexual gyrating directly in her face it was just horrible......and I agreed with Alesha who said it was completely unecessary. I am not convinced that Aliona understands that this is her fault.

One of Matt!s problems is his top line where he always lifts his left elbow giving him the bent wrist and ugly left side
If he dropped the elbow and relaxed the shoulders he would have a class top half

The other problem is the lack of feeling for each other, I.E they do not present the feel of a pair in emotional harmony, why? can be several reasons but for me Matt believes he is the act instead of understanding the couple are the required presentation, him the frame her the picture

I thought Matt was going to be this year's Tom Chambers - similar energy, enthusiasm and talent. But Tom had Camilla as partner and choreographer; poor Matt is lumbered with Aliona. I hope they drop her after seeing how she's ruined his chances.

Matt has been himself all the way through and sometimes it has paid off well, at other times less so. Can't blame Aliona who is terrific with him.
Let's wait and see. I really want Matt, Scott and Kara to be in the final and I think that will happen.

I wouldn't worry. The public will vote for him because he was sad

I agree, I REALLY hope they drop her after this. (Except that I like watching her in the pro dances.) Either that or take her in hand and explain what she needs to do to make a great pro partner.

One thing that really annoys me is that over the whole series, no judge has really come out and directed their comments to Aliona about the choreography. Time and time again they find fault in the content - and they say it to Matt, not her! What's all that about? Why don't they say it directly to her? I'm sure I remember that the one dance she had with Rav last year, she was criticized for not choreographing appopriately. And I think that when Claudia picked up on it in ITT, Aliona got very defensive and blamed Rav for not being better?

Anyway, enough is enough, I think the judges are partly to blame for not pointing out where she is letting Matt down. And I think it's a huge disappointment that we've missed out on what would have been some incredible dances. As other people have said: with Lilia, or Natalie, he would have set the place alight. Such a shame.

It's funny how we all see things differently! I was thinking the opposite - that all the other pros try to showcase their celeb, but Aliona constantly uses Matt as if they were in a professional partnership. So, she uses him to do incredible lifts that make her look amazing, or to frame her in the picture - none of which is bad in itself, but doesn't bring out his strengths, or give him the wow factor that the other pros are giving their partners.

I do agree about the lack of emotional harmony - in fact, to me it looks like a complete lack of emotion. She seems to choreograph in an emotional vacuum - the absolute opposite of James Jordan. It's all tricks and no feeling, IMO.