I haven't watched Dancing On Ice since the beginning, I only got the bug during series 4, so it's hard for me to compare this series with the early ones... but out of all the series I've watched, I don't think there has been such a strong top 5.

I think that Matthew, Chico, Chemmy & Jorgie are all brilliant skaters who fully deserve to be finalists - and yes, I'm aware that there are only 3 places! IMO, Jennifer is the weakest of those left but she has improved massively in the last few weeks and I really enjoyed her performance on Sunday, so I'm happy for her to still be in the show.

Now, compare that with previous years... last year we still had Johnson (great story, not so great skating) and Jeff (how I hated that man!) in the show at this stage. In 2009 Gary Lucy (zzzzz....) made 2nd place, and then the year before that the awful Colleen Nolan made the semi-final.

I think we have a great bunch of people this year - I know not everyone agrees, but all the top 5 are good in different ways and people like them for different reasons. Here's hoping for a great final!

All in all, they are the strongest ever, but last year we had the strongest ever final, with 3 great skaters/performers. In series 2 and 3, the top two who got to do Bolero were top quality; in series 4, Ray was dominant; in 5, Hayley was not that good. But at this stage, we have the strongest ever set of contestants as their marks bunched around 25.0 demonstrate. We probably have the highest ever scores for this stage.

Yes, now that Adam has gone, the real battle commences. I am really going to enjoy the final few weeks. I think Chico, Matthew and Jennifer now have a real chance, Jorge isn't progressing

Maybe it`s me but there doesn`t seem to be many <if any!> outstanding and memorable routines so far this year

I have to agree with you. This has been the least entertaining DOI for a long time. Preferred last years and the year before that.

He's made such an impression on you that you've forgotten his name

I agree and I cant really pick who should go this weekend. I think its more than likely going to be Chemmy who finishes 5th but I hope not

Jorgie and Matt definately deserve to be through which only leaves Chico and Jen. I agree Jen is the weakest but has improved massively and I think she deserved to stay this week and she hasnt been bottom 2 at all yet. Chico is also good but I feel a bit like hes not getting much better and found his routine last sunday a tad boring. Im not saying I want him to go but when you think of it from all angles it makes it hard to choose who should go this weekend. I guess it all comes down to how they perform on the night now

In terms of basic skills this lot are the strongest ever at this stage. Coleen and Johnson certainly got far further than they should have on skatying merit alone, and even Donal and Kieron weren't really that great.

I'd go further and argue that Chloe and Gary - who were good skaters and worthy finalists - weren't nearly as good or as entertaining as this year's final five. I was also a fan of Jeff B's and think he had more potential than he got the chance to show because he was such as slow starter and had such a small fanbase, comparatively. (And I had a girl crush on Isabelle )

I agree there aren't a lot of 'memorable' routines this year, but perhaps that's just a symptom of the fact T&D are running out of ways in which to push the envelope, no matter how good their crop of skaters.

Plus, if you think about it, a lot of the most memorable routines are ones where we've had a strong dance theme e.g. Jai Ho, Riverdance, Rock Around the Clock. We haven't had anything like that this series - movie night was not a substitute! - and trying to come up with new spins on this idea is extremely hard.

Ok, memorable routines from past series off the top of my head:

1 - Bonnie's flying ("Love Is In The Air" I think), Stefan's broom routine ("Mr Bojangles")

2 - Kyran's "Billie Jean"

3 - Chris' "Cry Me A River" and "Time Warp", Suzanne's "Music"

4 - Donal's broom routine

5 - Hayley's "Jai Ho" and "No More Tears", Daniella's prop week routine (think it was this one, the one with the chair and the secretary thing)

6 - Sam's "Riverdance"

Honourable mentions (but can't remember which series they were from)
- Todd Carty's "Help"
- Mikey Graham's "Cecilia"


The ones I'm likely to remember from this series:
- Sebastian's "Clocks" and "Mad World"
- Chemmy's nun routine
- Sam's "Kung Fu Fighting"
- Andy's "Proclaimers"
- Chico's "Top Gun" and "Sexy and I Know It"

Can't remember much of any of Matt or Jorgie's tbh.

Matt and Jorgie in the duel were very good though

Laura Hamilton thinks so

http://tellymix.co.uk/reality-tv/dan...y-skaters.html

Definitely. The skaters may be stronger but, the wow routines have been few and far between. Off the top of my head there have only been two routines which made me sit up and really take notice: Jorgie's very first skate, and Sebestien's Mad World.

No wow routines with 2 weeks to go, and the lack of a shock elimination so far

An ok final 5 and at least we don't have any deadwood cluttering things so close to the end this year, that's something I suppose

But it just has that flatness this year when you sort of suspect who the final 2 or 3 are going to be which sort of takes away the suspense

I'd definitely say Seb was a surprise elimination.

Agreed. I'm still cross at how difficult that routine was and how he wasn't allowed the time to make his little diagrams.

I haven't seen a Wow routine since Ray Quinn

Too right. This old nag of a programme needs putting out to grass - quick.

You did'nt like the irish dancing last year with the dark haired chap...Sam Attwater That has been my fave so far.

I didn't really like him (too many tabloid "exclusives" for my taste) but, that was an excellent routine and I just went wow when he finished.