We all have our favourites but some people seem to get fixated on one person and champion them at all costs - getting desperately upset if anyone as much as criticises their hairstyle!!

Are you a "fixator" or a "let's see how it pans out" kinda viewer?

I liked Michael because of his cricket. Continue to like him for personality/effort/attitude etc.
I didn't like VP at all but now I do. Quite a bit.
I did like Lisa but am now SO off her.
Didn't much like Louis but am warming.
Nicky. Down. Up. Now down again.
Dani. Liking a little bit more each week.
Kimberley. Quite like. Neither hot nor cold on her. Wait and see.
Denise. The "R" word. A no-go contestant for me. Don't think I'll be changing my mind.

So there's a big pool of potential winners this year and only 3 I don't fancy as champions and don't think I ever will - Nicky, Denise and Lisa.

You?

It varies from series to series.

Series 1-3 I didn't feel that passionately until the final of Series 3 when I desperately wanted either Colin or Zoe to win.

Instantly fell in love with Louisa & Vincent but Ramps grew on me slowly (and ultimately I wanted to see him win).

I wanted Alesha & Matt to win (and no one else would do) by around Week 3.

Didn't have a firm favourite the following year (was too busy voting for John Sergeant each week!) - until Rachel performed her Quickstep. That's when I wanted her and Vincent to win. Incidentally that's also when they landed in the bottom two.

Never settled on a favourite the next series. Went from supporting Jo to Laila to Jade to Chris to Ricky. I was all over the place. The standard was crap and most of the personalities didn't grab me. Awful series.

I wanted Jimi to win from the off. Big fan of his prior to Strictly and planned to marry him until Flavia decided to have him for herself After recovering from his shock departure, I wanted Scott & Natalie to win. When they didn't make it, I backed Kara & Artem.

Last year I had two favourites - Chelsee & Jason. I started supporting them both early on and didn't mind which of them won. Surprise surprise, neither of them did. I've not backed a winner on Strictly for a while

This year I'm fixed on wanting Dani & Vincent to win (decided on Week 3 after their Foxtrot and Salsa). Can't see that changing. My reserve choice are Michael & Natalie. I'm not convinced either will even make the final though - especially given my recent track record! It goes without saying that Jerry Hall was robbed.

Tend to go for the most improved dancer but then do get quite fixated on them. Only winners i`ve had are Ramps, Goughy and Chris Hollins..supporting Michael now but was quite happy for him to go after first two weeks but like his commitment and character..The cricket theme is pure coincidence

I either pick one at the beginning and support them all the way through - Austin and Kara or I stay pretty much neutral.

This year

Love Louis, will support him as far as he goes, won't support anyone else if he goes out.

Michael - neutral at start, loved his jive, now going off him, his voice is so monotonous so he's reminding me of Jason

Denise - ringery ringah.

Kimberley - personality vacuum, find her partnership with Pasha dull

Dani - like her, like her partnership with Vincent but not as good as judges are telling me she is

Nicky - liked before he started but can't get past his massive ego

Victoria - like her, she's a terrible dancer, but I like her

Lisa - is now my Pamela/Jason/Snowdon celeb, so over marked by the judges that they annoy the life out of me. It's not their fault but I can't get past it

Thank you. It's nice to hear from people who aren't raving loonies and do actually have the power of critical thought rather than the rabid fan-boys'n'girls whom one sometimes encounters on here.

I think I'm a bit of a floater but by this stage I know who it's likely to be between. It's not just a question of the dancing (though that is first and foremost) but whether I take to the celeb and the partnership. People I've expected to like in the past I haven't and vice versa.

This year my faves are Louis, Dani, Michael and Kimberley and I'm pretty sure at least one of those can make it to the final. I wanted Harry to win last year and Kara the year before so those were good years. Before that though I wanted Ali and that ended badly and in series six I couldn't find a favourite at all. Is there anyone who didn't take to Mark Ramprakash as soon as he hit the dance floor? I wouldn't trust that person if there was.

Good point about Ramps there.
Never trust people who don't like dogs, cricket or Ramps!

I want to like Kimberley more. Maybe she'll end up my favourite! Because everyone loves Pasha. DON'T THEY?!

I started off determined to like anybody with Artem and Pasha as a partner. However......

Common sense has now prevailed and I'm looking more closely at the dancing. Denise and Dani are the ones I look forward to most. Can't for the life of me see what people see in Louis. After the dancing, I look at personality and partnership. I'm liking Michael more now because he and Nat get on so well.


What on Earth is wrong with Kimberley and Pasha? I had such high hopes at the beginning but I'm so disappointed in them and I can't put my finger on why. Kimberley dances well enough but I just don't feel any emotion when I'm watching these two.

spriggan, do I take it you're not fond of Kimberley? May I ask why?

That'd be me, never got the Ramps adoration.

And nope, don't get the Pasha love either.

I usually have one person I've decided on by halfway through the series - i.e. round about now - but they're not always the same as the person I started off backing.

In series 8 I was initially wedded to Matt Baker but realised Kara had to win about halfway through. Last series I started off rooting for Jason but had switched allegiance to Chelsee by halfway through. This series I began very keen on Louis, but have since decided that only a Dani win will truly satisfy me

I've really only been a mega-fan since Series 4 so dating it from that series, the only time I really haven't been all that pleased with the choice of winner was Series 5 because I couldn't bear Alesha. Other than that I've appreciated the winners' efforts even if they haven't been my favourites.

I honestly don't know.

I always start out with an initial favourite. For instance, for the last two years I started with Robbie Savage and Michael Vaughan.

After the first couple of dances, I tend to still have soft-spot for my pre-series favourite, but if their dancing isn't much cop I'll probably come round to supporting somebody who can dance. Last year it ended up being Holly who, at first, was very frustrating, but I ended up the same shrug-of-shoulders attitude that she had, and just went with the ride, enjoying the odd brilliant dance she had (i.e. American Smooth and Paso), but mostly her personality.

This year, after his bottom two, I accepted that Michael would be going home soon and to just enjoy him and Natalie while we had them. THEN he came out with his Quickstep, and I've become more committed (that sounds crazy, I know, but I can't think of a better word) to them as a couple than I've ever been to another couple. I've generally always groaned at the dreaded 'j' word, but I've really bought into it with Michael: watching him fall in love with dance, put so much effort in and ultimately turn it around (in Ballroom anyway!) has been brilliant.

Also, I tend to always like the couples in which my favourites pros are in. I've tended to always support/vaguely support (in Audley's case) the couples which Natalie has been the proffessional in.

Not so much these days. Last series, his arrival helped me get over losing Jimi to Flavia. But the appeal has faded this year. I don't know whether it's the hair (still hate it) or because we're not seeing as much of his goofy side (which made him so endearing in my eyes) or whether it's simply a case of the novelty wearing off.

Also, I haven't found Pasha's choreography all that inspiring this year (or that might have something to do with Kim's style of delivery). Their dances aren't distinctive enough for me - their Samba and Salsa are already merging into one in my mind and the same goes for their Foxtrot and VW. Does that make sense?

Ramps was the only one I've wanted to win from week 1.
This year I'm still dithering ................

Lorelei! Another non-fan of Alesha! Hurrah!

Alli, just don't say you don't like dogs. Then it'll all be OK again.

spriggan, I know what you mean about Kimble. She's a weird one.

You're right Sid - it's Kimberley who's killing Pasha's appeal, I'm telling you

There are shedloads of us about on the board but it can all get a bit West Side Story if the lovahs and hatahs are forced out to do battle en masse

Perhaps we should just set up a thread for the 'No Real Appreciation or Lack of Appreciation for Kimberley'. I honestly can't recall having felt so 'meh' about a contestant, especially one whose dancing wasn't at all bad. (See, I can't even say it's good - it has to be 'not at all bad' )

Picking a winner is easy. Male, under 30, muscles, at least half-decent dancer, anything else optional or irrelevant. Picked Louis before it started.

Picking a favourite is a different matter.

I had three to start with. Johnny because he is nuts. Colin because he is the coolest, tallest, deepest, most rumbly-voiced man ever to have been on a reality show in this universe. Kimberley because 'everyone loves Pasha, don't they?' YES! Plus she has more chemistry with her partner and flair than folk generally allow

But there are very few I don't take to. I like Dani in particular and loved Denise's gawky birdy Charleston. Michael is great.

More indifferent to Lisa, Louis, Victoria. :yawn:
There's only Nicky who I have learned to dislike but Karen is growing on me more and more too.

Sid and Lorelei Lee:

I get the feeling that Kim and Pasha are too busy worrying about how their hair looks to put any oomph into their performance.

Didn't see much of series 1
Series 2 - knew Jill would win
Series 3 - Wanted Zoe, then Colin.
Series 4 - knew Mark would win from the salsa on. Didn't especially care though.
Series 5 - very much wanted Alesha to win.
Series 6 - veered towards Austin, but didn't especially care.
Series 7 - didn't particularly care.
Series 8 - very much wanted Kara to win.
Series 9 - knew Harry would win, but favoured Chelsee.
Series 10 - can't decide between Louis or Lisa. It's not that I really like either, I just think the likely winner is going to come from this pair. Louis needs to connect with the music (and losing the oh-so-cool 'tude will help) to really take off - if he does, then I'll be behind him. Lisa seems to have the support, but she doesn't do it for me.

...which didn't especially answer the question I've quite often been able to pick the winner, but usually in a year when I didn't really care so could be impartial. Last year I knew Harry would win, but did get invested in another contestant (and as long as it wasn't Jason...). Actually, that's a different point - there have been series when I didn't care, unless contestant X didn't win. Lisa Snowdon, Pamela Stephenson, Jason, Chris Hollins.

Every year my friend and I pick the top three ( who we think will win etc ) after the first dance. Dinner is on whoever gets the least right. She bought dinner last year because I picked Matt as the winner from week one.

This year I picked Nicky to win ( what was I thinking ?) and my nummber 3 has already gone.

Having said all that the person that I want to win is either Louis or Dani. Anyone but the ringer or Lisa really.

Oh no I do think they're trying really, really hard. They fought hard at the weekend (after the disappointment of the bottom two the week before) . And it can't be easy with Kim's sore knee. But sometimes the magic just isn't there and it's not something you can manufacture.

Puzzled that people find Kimberley's salsa and samba alike, what with their being different an' everything

Sadly, I think you're right. All the ingredients are there but it looks as though somebody forgot to switch on the mixer.