Well, Lisa was praised to the sky week in week out, getting all the forties left right centre, yet, didn't seem to connect with the audience (well, she seemed to be connecting with the Strictly live audience, but not so much here).

Have to say, Lisa was slightly better than Pam in the ballroom, vice versa when it comes to latin dances.

Have not read many 'fix' threads and others of similar nature that seemed to be directed solely at Pam, but what do you guys think?

Please, don't want this to turn into another Pam bashing thread (there are enough threads of that nature in this forum), but I am really interested to hear measured opinions from you folks:

"Will Pam suffer from the judges' pet syndrome that Lisa suffered from?"

The Lisa pattern will repeat itself with Pamela getting to the final, getting high scores, but being eliminated in the overall vote to leave Kara and Matt to fight it out for the trophy.

Of course, if Scott goes into the final, then he'll be the male version of Lisa Snowdon. I noticed the judges were still softie softie towards him after he did his so-so charleston tonight.

I honestly don't think so. Pamela was good from the start (waltz). Lisa wasn't. I also don't think that either Scott or Matt have fulfilled their full potential. Lisa was also 20 years younger than Pamela and didn't have her enjoyment. So far Pamela hasn't complained about an of the dances or James. In any other year, this would have been hailed as a special thing.

I think so, the judges have just left the audience with nowhere to go but dissatisfaction. Unless you're a Pamela fan, I don't think you'll appreciate the two 40s, especially as with Scott, Matt and Kara, you can argue that they have done better dances than her.

On both nights that Pamela got 40, I thought Kara was better, just like I thought Austin was better than Lisa but the luck of the draw with the dances was against him.

The judges are trying to convince us of things that just aren't there. They're obviously not as talented as we're being told, we're not stupid, but then if Pamela makes the final, I'm hoping for a Snowdonesque showdance in all it's glory.

I think the judges have done Pam no favours. Assuming she goes through, I think she may well have an uphill battle against the others for the public vote. Everyone I know finds her very fake and annoying and simply would never pick up the phone. I see no reason that my friends and colleagues are the only ones. This, combined with the judge's pet stuff won't help her at all. If she could tone down the strained 'californian happy' personality and Dr Pamela, married to Billy Connolly stuff, she would help her cause considerably.

Whilst we're at it, the Beeb's love-in with Billy C. is almost more annoying than the judges' overmarking.

If she makes the final, she'll have done so without hitting the bottom 2, so I think there'll be less traction against her. With Lisa Snowdon, a lot of the bitchery came about because there was definite evidence that she was struggling in the public vote. People could point at the judges (who were also constantly saving her in the dance-off) and say "you're only scoring her so high because you know we don't like her and you're trying to protect her, and look, we can prove it".

With Pamela there's no evidence - she could be top with the public every single week. People can presume based on spurious "vote leaks" all they want, but there's no concrete basis to believe that the judges high scores for Pamela are actively changing the course of the competition. Hence less bitching against her IMO.

To be honest, personally, I think she's generally been overscored, but it hasn't bothered me until now, and it's done so because quickstep is my favourite ballroom dance, and I can think of about two whole hands worth of fingers of Strictly Quicksteps over the years that deserved 40 more than that sodden mess, some of which didn't even score one ten.

Lisa was fantastic. Only reason she got slaughtered on here was because of the hilarious jealousy of the female DSers - sorry, but it's true. The pretty girls almost always seem to be hated on DS, it was the same with Kelly Brook.

Arggghhhhh, pile of pants. Stupid generalisation, sorry!

Yes, it's why so many of us hate Kara. Obviously. Oh wait, she's knocking the socks off everybody else in the "Favourites" poll (and the second favourites poll). Maybe she's really just a minger?

I don't see Kara getting the same reaction? Nor did Alesha.

I think the idea that jealousy is at the heart of criticism is a bit of a lazy one.

I adored Rachel, but couldn't understand the high scores for Lisa. I genuinely felt her Latin was over-marked.

Cos that's why Kara is so popular on the board this year, all the jellus hatahs have gone on holiday!

I didn't dislike her because she was tall or pretty or skinny, she was actually really sweet, I disliked her because she danced with all the speed of an oil tanker turning and all the grace of a baby giraffe on ice skates.

And I hated being constantly told how amazing she was by the judges when before my eyes her QS was the speed of a tortoise wading through treacle.

Ahhhhh, I feel so much better now, very cathartic!

Thanks for summing up what I wanted to say. Lisa was lovely, but the judges tried to make us believe that she was fantastic, when she wasn't.

Do you think the same applies to Pam in this sense? That is, that Pam is good, but not really a perfect 40 material.

I liked her VW and even her QS was pleasant to watch, but perfect 40??? Just makes me go huh? Conversely, I am GLAD Kara didn't get any perfect 40, she reminds me of Alesha, where she never quite get that perfect score. Here's hoping Kara will get a perfect score in the final (she's top of the leaderboard, so I am betting she's in the final, touch wood!)...

What absolute and utter tosh.

I enjoyed Lisa's dancing. But she was overrated by the judges. Also I liked Kelly, Emma, Rachel, loved Alesha and adore Kara. Sorry if that craps on your theory but what can you do eh?

God I hope so!! first out in the final. Being the judges pet does not go down well with the GBP(if she gets there)

I love watching Pamela and James,and she has been consistent week in week out,but I have everything crossed for a Kara and Artem win ,they are a class act.

Ellie

Like this post a lot.

The scenario we all find ourselves in, is hardly new, is it. I love SCD, have watched it from Season One and will continue to do so.
But, it's all got slightly formulaic, and I find that disappointing. The BBC seem to have got a cast list to fill - we must have one or two appealing high profile 'lads' we must have one or two 'older ladies' ( of varying talents ), we must have the dictionary definition underdog, an attractive young woman who can dance like a dream, a ringer, the odd sportsman, and the panto villian that the dance fanatics love to hate.

So will Pamela be this years' Lisa - if the script writers haven't updated the autocue, then yes, in all probability.

ps I had to laugh at the post about LS's trainwreck showdance. I still youtube that if I ever need cheering up.
uncharitable, but true.

To be fair, to a certain degree yes. I loved her VW and the perfect score didn't bother me. I think she didn't deserve it yesterday, but she still deserved to be second on the leaderboard. However, I think the discussion around perfect scores is futile. None of them deserve a perfect score (which is why Craig's pedantic marking down of Kara is stupid).

The judges see something in Pamela that not everyone sees (although we don't know if she has gone through and whether she has any public support - on this forum she is certainly not liked). It could be that they take her age into account. Coming from that point of view she is doing amazingly well.

I agree with your post Monkseal, especially the bits in bold. The general assumption on this board seems to be that Pamela is unpopular with the public and that Matt has a good chance of being eliminated tonight, all based on spurious voting leaks and people's own desires and preferences.

I wonder whether a lot of Pamela's overscoring and Matt's relatively harsh comments are because the judges (and the producers) know he is her biggest threat, with Kara a close 2nd, hence the absence of a 40 for her so far (and it may never materialize). Scott I feel has been hyped up to create a rivalry between the 2 best male celebs, eventually splitting their votes. He is good, but he's still being marked on potential rather than actual performance on the day. Gavin is just cannon fodder, given marks and comments good enough to detract from his bottom of the leaderboard placement.

If Pamela gets to the final I feel her showdance will let them down.
I think Natalie & Artem are far more innovative in their choreography than James is.

I hope it won't be a Lisa and Brendan type showdance. To be fair though, we don't know how inventive James will be and how inventive he can be. If he pulls out something amazing, everyone will be impressed. Meanwhile we have already see Kara and Artem do showdance type dances. How is he going to top it?

If the both have made it to the final.

In a way she is like Lisa. Lisa was saved in the dance off, Pamela has been saved from the public by inflated marks.

Actually someone has already pointed it out above, she isn't. Lisa was multiple times in the dance off and in the bottom two. It was pretty obvious that she was a goner and kept in by the judges. We don't know the same about Pamela as she hasn't been in the bottom two so far. So for all we know she might have toped the public's leader board every time.