I know it's still early days and they've only performed once, but after Sam finished five points clear ahead of anyone else, (both this week and with last week's highest score), I can't help but wonder whether this series will be like the previous two series where the same person is at the top of the leaderboard for every single week.

I do hope that's not the case because it makes for a very boring show.

Agreed. I don't know why they always have to have a ringer. I just try to pretend that person isn't there. Should be easier this year as there are some people who are fairly talented and entertaining who are learning to skate.

Not necessarily boring - hopefully it lulls them into a false sense of security and they think they are unbeatable.

I remember when Ray Quin was on there and he was so smug - I know he went on to win it but there were a few weeks when he didn't do as well as he would have liked.

Sadly I think he will be.............definitely the ringer.

I hope not - the last 2 finals have been a non event competition wise - I really long for Series 2 & 3 where there was some great competition. Another anti climatic finale will not be good for the show.

Sam is obviously the best at the moment but Laura, Vanilla Ice & Chloe look good so hopefully they can push on in the next few weeks and start to challenge Sam. There is also another group below them like Dom, Jeff, Johnson & Jen who look to have some potential so hopefully some surprises to come too.

His acting ability is an advantage on top of the skating ability - but we don't know how good he is at it or how musical. Vanilla can match him most of the way and is more powerful. Three of the girls are potentially good too. The problem is going to be that not only is he starting with skating experience but he is big and tall enough to match the girls if they go for advanced lifts as well as being more powerful over the ice. . Another is that the girls seem to be in Jessica's and zoe's position of being good with no votes to show for it. They have to overcome that hurdle before they may even get the chance to develop something they can do that looks more impressive than what he can do - Jessica and Zoe never did get the votes.

Sadly I think so.

After his second performance, it does look more likely that this is what's going to happen.

Are they deliberately trying to make it boring, with no real competition to speak of? It's so unfair on the other acts.

They knew how good he already was.......so it's ITVs fault if it looks like a one horse race.

For the moment he is a joy to watch - such energy - he is so much faster around the ice than the rest of the celebs, so, yes, I would imagine he will remain top of the leaderboard for a long time unless of course Jennifer or possibly Chloe will knock him off his pedestal

I think he will be at the top a lot. He is very good, but I also think Chloe could be a contender.

Neither will.

I don't think so either. He's too far ahead of the others. You'd think that ITV would have learnt from the previous two series.

Yeah you would! Obviously I'm strongly supporting Laura and would love her to win, but even the most optimistic supporter of Laura, Chloe or Jen is probably delusional in thinking they even have a chance of winning.

The sad thing is, without Sam, this series could have been one of the best. Without Sam, there's three who could be considered early challengers , and there's about another four who aren't far behind and have the potential to be really good and be contenders.

With Sam, it's just like Ray Quinn, just like Hayley Tamaddon. It's a one horse race from week two and there's no excitement.

I like Sam, but he shouldn't be on the show, given he has so much experience on ice already.

The phrases 'pissing in the wind' and 'preaching to the converted' spring to mind.

Not so much bothered if he is top week after week - just so long as he wins I'll be happy (or Denise)

If he skates better then everyone else then yes if he doesn't then no.

He can be top every week, I don't care, as long as he doesn't win. Lol.

The most annoying thing about him is that Laura, Jen, Chloe and Rob (Vanilla Ice) try really hard and get good scores, then get excited they're at the top of the leaderboard - then Sam skates and gets 6 points more than them. It must really p*** them off - it would me!

I think they should ignore him like 'the elephant in the room'.

ITV have really boobed by putting another out & out front runner on the show. They have got some great viewing figures for start of show but those viewers will only stay later in the series if there is a good competition. Last year's final was a borefest for me when it should be the climax to the series. How I long for the days of series 2 & 3.

The thing is Laura, Jen, Chloe & Vanilla Ice would have made for a great competition in their own right and Laura for me has the potential to be one of the best if not the best female skater ever on the show.

They might have been better saving Sam for another series when another really strong skater to challenge him comes along.

I expect he probably will. That doesn't really bother me, though. At the moment, he is way out in front of the others, so it's only fair that the scores should reflect this. It's early days, though - who knows, it looks unlikely at the moment, but maybe someone else will catch him up at some point.

Its funny how his vt's havent mentioned that he also has dancing experience & appeared in shows- when both Ray & Hayley were very upfront about this.
Maybe the fact he was a good skater & dancer would be too much for the audience.

I think 5.5 points is too much of a gap & can only see it getting bigger- which leads to a boring series & a boring final. I have tweeted T&D & expressed my opinion nicely of course

I never thought Ray Quinn was smug.

Think some of the others are closer, or have the potential to be closer to the top this time.