Not sure how much the McFly influence counts on Strictly. McFly was famous between 2004 - 2008. Assuming the majority of their fans were aged between 10 and 25 at the time, this fanbase is now aged under 31 and more likely to watch I'm a Celebrity than Strictly.

Neighbours was hugely popular in the mid 1980s. Those of us who spent our lunchtimes at uni watching it are now in our late forties. (We even remember when Russell Crowe was in it.) Being in Neighbours might not translate into votes for Jason but he is probably more famous for the Strictly audience than Harry.

In terms of respectability, both Harry and Jason cannot be considered as has-beens at all. Both have steady entertainment industry-specific careers before joining SCD as celeb contestants.

It was Chelsee whose 'career' was in question. So far, like Kara, she only acted in one show. Whereas Kara was more well known because Eastenders often has 10+ million viewers, I don't think Chelsee (who didn't play the main role in Waterloo Road) was that well known.

delete

Ah, ok The conviction was more towards my theory rather than any facts I know from the past. Like I said until last year I never really paid attention to who was bookies favourite.

I really don't think bookies should be allowed to place bets on matters that are decided by the betters. It seems like a self fulfilled prophecy... (of sorts). It seems rather random who's picked as being bookies favourite (Harry is the favourite presumable because he was fit, and Chelsee wasn't because she was considered too "common" maybe?!) SCD is just a bit of fun and game. But for celebrities who are hoping SCD would help their careers and put a lot of work into it for months, it seems unfair if such a random affair as being/not being the favourite, which is out of their control, effects their chances of winning.

I see. It's just a variation of posters saying: "This.^^" is it?

Before your knee-jerk reaction to my earlier post, please also read my clarification. And calm down.

Just thought I'd note that one of McFly's biggest singles to date was released at the end of 2010 - a collaboration with Taio Cruz called 'Shine A Light'.

I have no idea. I had personally never heard of Harry before SCD, and had only heard of McFly because of the other member doing Pop Star to Opera Star a couple of years back.

Didn't know Robbie had so many followers though.

And even non pop fans like me heard of that song.

I don't really know much of Mcfly except their guest appearance singing 'It's All About You' in SCD and CiN that year, and I thought they were all cute as buttons and definitely drawing in teenies and tweenies for SCD.

I have to say, his followers ballooned after his Foxtrot week. And then some actually stopped following him after his thrusting business. I am not a twitter user but I read about it here in DS and the forums.

I missed that so am still in the dark. Have never heard them sing as a group at all. I'm not much of a pop fan these days so not surprising.

He still has over 500,000 followers - I just checked.

Ok, I realise that I may have offended McFly fans, and I apologise for that.

I wasn't talking about his charitability. That is very respectable and in any case part of his personal life. Not for me to judge.

To me pop music is industry that effectively mass produces singers and bands. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of originality in the industry either, because these products are pitched to appeal to the mass and so that the general public buys them. Britney Spears has had a very successful career, but again I don't consider her career respectable. The only pop musicians I respect are people like Madonna, Lady Gaga, Elton John (though he walks on the border of being a pop musician), Michael Jackson... those who were/are original and in a way trend setters.

I'm sure the McFly band members are very talented. Just seem to me to be part of a big corporation that is all about the "selling". And I'm assuming this is why so many of their band members are taking part in reality shows lately.

McFly, unlike Madonna or Lady Gaga, play their own instruments and certainly in Madonna's case don't use autotune.

I don't think you can really call Madonna or Gaga, or even Michael Jackson musicians, they're singers for me and of the three, I only like Gaga, but I do recognise that she is copying her idol Madonna, but I think Gaga could sing and Madonna can't. (Sorry controversial, I know, but I saw Madonna live and she was appalling )

I don't know why, all of a sudden, McFly are doing these reality shows, maybe it was for a bet, maybe it was to raise money for their causes (Tom did a celebrity edition of the Cube), maybe they wanted a challenge, but their band is still quite successful from what I can gather and if their songs come on the radio, I don't mind them, I may even have a couple on my ipod.

But I do think, in selfish times like these, it's really nice to see young people giving back and doing something worthwhile for others (God, I sound like my mother )

Sorry for the ramble but I actually think Harry deserves more credit, not less.

You see, though I've only heard of them singing the CiN song one year in Strictly, this year when Harry joined the showed, I dug around and found their 'supercity' or 'simcity' website. Put their free online-albums on play and went about my daily routines. Their last albums I heard over youtube (one with Twilight theme obviously trying to attract those kind of fans).

They are not bad. They write their own songs, and I can see they have grown in their sound and identity. Okay, they are not The Beatles, but at least they are not those plastic boy bands like One Direction or The Wanted or JLS.

So in that sense, I think Mcfly is more respectable compared to other boy bands out there. Of course this is just my personal opinions. Mcfly fans can obviously 'defend' their careers better than I ever can.

If Harry doesn't win despite his carefully managed journey does that mean the judges will have to commit Harry-Kara?

*gets coat*
*leaves*

Chelsee in Waterloo Road is probably is in the top 5 main characters of the show that made it fun (comic relief). If she has a transfered vote from Waterloo Road she'll have a bit of a voting base. Especially as this voting base has been able to beat Doctor Who in many public awards as a show and for individually actors.

As we say we can't take anything for granted Tuffers had a voting base to win in the jungle but not Strictly. Also Chris Hollins was favorite to be voted out first. Until we see them dance on the night we won't know

BID - This made me laugh. A bit like Mickey Mouse signing all those petitions

I guess you mean Tom Felton? I follow him, and he's a sweetie.

LOL, yes, I did. I just didn't think anyone would know him by his real name. He is a sweetie.

ah, but if you call them all by their proper surnames we'll know who they are! Harry McFly, Dougie McFly, Tom McFly and Danny McFly.

Not particularly you mentioned Dougie's victory in your original post to prove your point. When stats show that McFly fans or no McFly fans Dougie was behind celebrities with no established fanbase in the voting for much of his time in the jungle.

I am sure the post above me about Mcfly friends and fans tweetings in 'millions' to vote for Doughie for the final, actually that proves my point, isn't it?

Dougie won with a 5% swing, Christopher Biggins vs Janice Dickinson was also a 5% swing all the rest won with around a 35% swing. Though Mark Wright appeals to OK readers et al most people would not have heard of him. So the inbuilt fan bases mean very little imo.

As I said before people can tweet all they like, celebs can tweet all they like, people in your work place can say they support X Y & Z but we don't know if they are actually picking up a phone (& spending money) for them to win.

not really he had celebrity support all through his time in the Jungle, not just leading upto the final (so did most of his competitors thats what happens on twitter) and it didn't have a massive impact on his votes in fact the opposite given that he was bottom two a couple of nights before the final.
the fact is if you watch Im A Celeb or Strictly you will already have a favourite and will vote accordingly regardless of who Harry from One Direction tells you to vote for.

Like wise if you do not watch your hardly going to be like

"well I haven't ever watched IMACGMOOH but Arty from Gless says i've to vote for Dougie and we don't want to go disobeying Arty from Glee now do we?"

Come on.

All 3 of the Striclty finalists will have high profile supporters/fans who will no doubt tweet they want them to win, wither or not people spend money voting cause someone famous told them to on twitter is highly dubious imo

Okay, iyo. But imo I still feel Mcfly fans will tip the balance, all things being equal. Just like when it comes to the final two in the jungle, I was told both Mark and Dougie were likable (in fact I read a lot of people were determined not to like Mark in the beginning), and the Mcfly fans factor tipped the balance. My opinion, of course.