Of course there's no elimination first week and all the couples will (presumably) do the opposite discipline next week. So if they do score lowly on the cha cha, they've got the (presumably) foxtrot to make up for it, whereas those who did the waltz now have the salsa.

Which brings us on to another point - what happens if somebody scores higher in week 1 than week 2 and ends up in the dance off? Is it more fair for them to do their higher-scoring dance, or the one they did earlier that evening as opposed to the one they did a week ago?

It wasn't a great night for Austin performance wise and lots of people including hubbie (a Tom supporter) argued that he was a spent force by that stage - however on that bias Lisa ought to have gone whenever she got a latin dance - the samba to 'Rock the Boat' was pretty bad and I thought her jive was fairly poor although not as bad as I was expecting. I still maintain that anyone with form is allowed a bad night - even Kara messed up her jive after all. Austin underperformed because he was tired - his twins might have started sleeping better or it could have all gone a bit Scott Maslin - we'll never know but I wouldn't have missed nor I suspect would many.

I liked a few people but apart from two rhumbas which hit the ball out of the park - it was a pretty poor year for latin all in all - Rachel's was decent but unwelming, some of Tom and Austin's was quite fun and almost everyone else's pretty poor to utterly abysmal.

Sorry, I know there's no elimination. . I meant I'd rather do cha cha foxtrot than waltz salsa and have the waltz later in the series when I need to bring out a big score and there are far fewer contestants.

You only have to turn up for the waltz by week 4 to get a 36 it feels like.

I think it should be week 1 waltz or cha cha and week 2 the one of those you haven't done. It's fair but I can see its boring tv. But I do think that everyone should have done their waltz before quarter final.

talking of Tom , what is Camilla doing these days, she could do a few weeks with Johnny

She's appearing in a play, I can't remember which one but it was discussed earlier in the week.

I think she is back in CG in November then heads to Telford to play the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella

A much missed person on Strictly

If I remember rightly a leaked article from a tabloid alleged that John Sergeant was the most popular, then it was Tom, followed by Austin and Christine. Rachel and Lisa were not doing well at all in the public vote

Only by Camilla fans!

Just kidding, I do miss the godawful trousers she used to wear and the dancing like a Duracell bunny on speed.

I take your point about the excitement she showed when dancing - but I loved her ballroom and some of her choroegraphy was inspired

1. That Showdance
2. Her foxtrot with Tom
3. Her Quickstep with Tom
4. That waltz with Gethin
5. Andt awesome jive with Gethin

I'm teasing.

I know you are - just miss her - she is a great teacher - and would make a good judge

You could see the desperation oozing from Camilla and all that gurning too was irritating!
Not a fan as you can tell.

that is a bit unfair CC

She buggered off once she got what she wanted - winning.

what is so wrong about leaving on a high

From memory, I think Camilla decided to leave before she won.

Thanks Izzie

She would make a great judge - she knows both ballroom and latin and was one of the best choroegraphers that SCD ever had

Perhaps because she knew she was going to win with Tom so decided 'beforehand'.

you are being unfair here

Or perhaps she wanted to put her psychic powers to better use.

I'm sure in The Sun article which reported John getting double the votes of everyone else, Tom was second with Austin third.

As soon as Austin went they may as well have crowned Tom the winner and gone home - it was obvious how it was going to finish. Though, in what was the biggest farce of the Dance Off era, there was the tie in the semi final where Tom couldn't escape the bottom two thanks to the judges scores...they nearly managed to get rid of him.

What is the difference between a top sprts star retiring after winning and a professional dancer quitting after producing sime of the finest routines they have ever produced

There is no difference

Well it backfired brilliantly didn't it - Lisa was booted out first in the final - despite a ludicrous maximum mark which she did not deserve - and Brendan came up with a horror of a showdance. Then Camilla showed him how it should be done with the best dance I have ever seen on the show

Tom and Austin should have been the final two. And I backed both men over Rachel. Tom and Austin were like kids in a chocolate shop - I didn't get that feeling from Rachel

To be fair, I didn't really like Tom and Camilla (was more of a Rachel & Vincent fan that series), but...

Early 2008, Camilla announced she was leaving. She was one of the ones who had been there from the start, so I can't really blame the producers for wanting to give her that last chance before she left.

And she sure earned that Glitterball - especially when you remember her first celeb partner in David Dickinson