I don't think Jennifer's score suffered at all. I thought she was overmarked. She didn't actually skate much did she?!

Personally I think the first skater is always undermarked and I say that of any couple that has to skate first. I'm sure Nicky explained a few years ago that the first couple always tend to end up with a lower mark because they have to set a bar and judge the following couples from that so when your on first you tend to get marked a bit lower whereas when your on last you can get higher marks.

Bear in mind that the routine may have had to be altered to suit Dan's injury which may have impacted what we should have seen. The skating she did do was strong enough and she certainly wasn't actually clinging onto Dan and the training clips I have seen show her as capable of skating on her own and fairly strongly. This whole they must on their own thing does annoy me a bit as its ice dance which is meant to be skating as a couple not doing your own thing as was happening with Sebastien last night. I know its important that the celeb actually skates and proves they can do it but I just get fed up with the emphasis that keeps being put on it being essential to the routines.

0.5 less from each judge would have given him 19.0, which I think would have been spot on. I also think Jorgie should have had 0.5 more from each judge, giving her 20.0.

Is it a coincidence that Matthew went on so much about beating Jorgie in his VT that they judges had to make it happen ? Was it pre-scripted ?

I definitely think he wasnt overmarked he was brilliant and for me he was better than Jorgie so he deserves the score he got because he was really good for week one. He definitely my favourite this year this first time since Chris Fountain that I have liked a male skater so I really hope he goes a long way in this competiton.

I agree he was overmarked. Confident performance but for me he did not glide over the ice as well as Cico and Seb. In his routine there were lots of dance moves, lots of body shaking but his forward skating was not great. He did turn well but the dance moves using his upper body often hid his lack of forward skating.

:yawn::yawn::yawn:at the predictable he's too competitive comments. I never fail to see why this is such a problem. Waiting for the same guff about Chemmy too (well she's a sportswoman so she must be uber competitive & therefore a bad bad person

They're all competitive in their own fields - the idea that Rosemary isn't competitive when she has a fantastically successful business which has been running for decades is laughable.

Agree with you completely about Jen, she was alright in a 'first week' sort of way but nowhere near lived up to the hype around her IMO. Matthew however was breathtaking and I'm already looking forward to seeing what he can do next!!

I doubt the routine was altered as Dan was doing a lot in it.

he was fantastic

Matthew was good, but I think Jorgie was better.

For thise interested here are the Week1/2 scores for all skating celebrities.
Matthew Wolfenden 20.5
Jorgie Porter 18.5
Chico 18.5
Sebastien Foucan 17.5
Chemmy Alcott 16.0
Jennifer Ellison 15.5
Sam Nixon 15.5
Charlene Tilton 13.0
Heidi Range 12.5
Rosemary Conley 12.5
Andy Whyment 12.0
Corey Feldman 11.0
Mark Rhodes 8.0
Laila Morse 9.5 Eliminated
Andy Akinwolere 14.0 Eliminated

He was great but something about him was "off" to me, like there was an edge of cockiness lurking under the I'm-So-Humble stuff. I also don't like it when the judges fawn so much over anybody whether they're my favourites or not.

I feel that two 7.0s in the first show was too much however good someone is...where is the room to grow and what will spur them on if they're getting top marks in their first week?

Well he can aim for 7+ from all 3 judges and he has from 7.5 to 10 so still an extra 6 marks to aim for. I am certain that DOI limit marks in the early weeks anyway but they can only do that so much. You have to have a decent range of marks to differentiate between the best, the OK, the below average & woeful. They could of course use marks such as 1 for the weakest but that would only increase the underdog vote.

Personally I am not bothered about individual marks unless people are getting 10s when i don't think it's warranted. The most important thing is position on the leaderboard and Matthew deserved to be top.

I thought the exact same thing too.

Jason is meant to stay out of it.

Anyway, I think Matthew was well over-marked, for the reasons you give and others.

Matthew was on last and got a boost from that, of about 0.5 from each judge. Jorgie I thought was actually undermarked, and would have got 0.5 extra if she had been on last. Next week, up against each other, if both are on in mid group, it's more accurate as a head-to-head.

Thought Matthew was fantastic and hope he wins

I agree with you!! I thought Matthew was really good, however if he keeps coming across in his vt's as wanting to be perfect all the time then he will become annoying!! I also do think it gives him something of an advantage having a dance/gymnastic background as all he has to concentrate on the skating whereas some of the other celebs have to learn to skate, dance and perform. For the record I thought Jorgie gave a beautiful performance in the first week and I'm looking forward to seeing what she does next!!

Jorgie also has a dance background.

As does Jenn.

But I don't think anyone else has gymnastics, though Seb. may as well have if he doesn't.

If so, isn't it down to the choreography (and so to T&D) that she didn't skate much?

In any case, the marks aren't only about skating.

Not really down to T&D, as they take people's skills into account.

yes im worried about this too if he gets any worse will have to warn him on twitter to calm it down people dont like it lol!

Not in a way that always reflects their skating ability.

They were on the way to ruining Suzanne Shaw's chances by putting too little skating in.

I thought he was over-marked again this week.

And over-praised.