Johnson's routine was well executed and lovely to watch, but he didn't do anything except to throw a very light and skillful little skater around.

All Chloe did was get thrown around, although she did a little more footwork than Johnson did. Again, lovely to watch, but really tame.

Rubbish! Get 'em off! What has happened this year?

Having said that, anything is tame after Hailey Tamadan. I don't suppose I'm the only one to notice the Indian themed routine that Chloe did all in yellow this year. What a rip off, a blatant attempt to grab some of Hailey's magic. The sychophantic Maidley hype has really turned me off this year.

WOuld help if you could spell Its Hayley Tamaddon! And she was WAY overated last year, all she did was grin like a cheshire cat all the way through the series, there have been FAR better skaters than her in the show.

And as for your comment regarding the "rip off" of Jai Ho Chloe did NOT choreograph that routine she was given it. and Im sure had she been given a choice she wouldnt have wanted a similar routine knowing she would always be compared to Hayley.

Funny, I was thinking just the opposite to you OP - they could only introduce the solo routines this year because the standard of the indidvidual semi-finalists is so high. Well impressed.

Yep agree with you on this. They have 3 skaters of a very high standard and I'd put any of them above Hayley (mind I couldn't stand Hayley last year and thought she was well overrated so admit to bias there! Chloes and Hayley's routines were only similar in that both were based on Indian music and therefore had some similar moves but Chloe's I much preferred.

Jai Ho was a fabulous routine, but Hayley was carried round by Dan for most of the time!!

Agree with thread, compared to past years not on a par with the finalist.

Have to disagree OP. Hayley may have been the best last year but she was made to look much better than she was due to the poor overall standard of competition. If Laura, Chloe & Sam all get through to the final (and I think they will) then we are in for a great final.

I disagree, Chloe just had a bad night. Johnson is not good, but I doubt he'll make the final. I'd much rather have it like this where I have no idea who will win, and have a really exciting final then knowing that Hayley was going to win all along

I sort of 50/50 agree with this, as this year the men are not as good as some we have seen years before like Ray and Chris. But Chloe and Laura are the best we women we had imo.

I don't understand anybody saying that skaters are ripping off others 'moves'/'routines,. There are only so many things/tricks that they can do, and most of the choreographing has been done before. The top 3 this year are all better than Haley imo.

Hayley is one of the most overrated skaters the show has ever had; lovely lines and lifts to hide what seemed to be fairly average skating.

If the top three make the final, it will be the best DOI final that I have seen, anyone of the three could win. I would say this years celeb skaters have been the best yet...

I'd have to see them skate against each other in a show to compare but Ray, Chris, Suzanne and possibly Clare are amazing and are very hard to beat in terms of skill; particuarly Ray and Chris.

and you are rude, anyone can spell a name wrong

Wouldn't say it was rubbish this year, but last year's standard was far superior.

Not just one name actually.... Hailey, Maidley, sychophantic..... but hey what's a bit of spelling amongst friends. I'm much more concerned about the assertion that this year's skaters are "rubbish". Someone may prefer Hayley, but it's disrespectful to this year's contestants to call them all "rubbish".

Whilst they aren't of the standard of Ray, Suzanne, Chris or Clare they did at least get it right in terms of a reasonably even competition this year. I think this years standard overall is better than last years though, the others made Hayley look a lot better than she actually was.

Best in the sense of having 3 contenders who could win on merit and who might get the votes on recent voting. Especially after two years with no real competition for a clear winner. Suzanne and Clare and Hayley and Chris, Ray and probably Kyran though are probably all better individually.

Part of it all is the routines that T and d write for anyone, but if you compare the solo starts to routines around this stage, done in previous years by Ray, Chris, Suzanne and Hayley, to tonight's overlong solo routines, Its clear that there's probably even more ability in past years. With the girls, that reflects the poiint that Hayley and Suzanne were also much stronger dancers, and Sam isn't the best dancer or strongest skater among the males.

Watch her solo skate last year and compare it to what anyone could do this year - Hayley is far from average. As a dancer only Suzanne is probably better.

I don't think Hayley was very impressive as a skater.

Is there a handy clip of her solo skate?

I did watch her solo skate last year and while she is competant on the ice and an excellent dancer that doesn't necessarily mean her skating skills are the best the show has ever seen. She is arguably one of the best perfomers the show has ever had but I rate quite a few contestants higher then her in terms of skating ability

Is there anything that actually shows Clare being so good while she was in DOI? I remember Clare as someone who spent too much time in lifts. Not her fault, but still.


Even if that were true, the thread is explicitly about the overall standard. And re overall standard, this year holds up well compared to earlier years.


"Overlong" is down to this year's format and to T&D.

Chloe looked a bit nervy tonight but I think she has proven herself to be better than Hayley over the course of the series. Laura & Sam were certainly better than her tonight. Hayley's spin was quite good but Laura's is better.

Hayley was a deserved winner last year but before this series I would have put Kyran, Clare, Suzanne, Chris & Ray ahead of her and now all of this year's finalists. Looking fantastic is easy when you're up against Gary Lucy & Kieron Richardson but sorry she doesn't compare with the names mentioned earlier.

This thread seems pointless. diva_moon, you're entitled to your own opinion, but atleast back it up properly. They have never had three skaters at such a high level before.

its not a race though - its about performance, and I didn't say she was the best ever.