Hi Guys,

This is my first ever thread. My favorites are Michael and Nat- according to what other people have said... he seems to be somewhere in the middle, most people like him but aren't too fussed either way. However was week 7 a turning point, he topped the DS poll?

I hope he gets there!

I doubt it, unless he suddenly become possessed by Ricky Martin in his latin dances
as much as I adore Natalie, I don't want her win to be another case of chris hollins. Can you imagien the irony?

He's doing a Darren Gough. Improving week by week and obviously loving the experience and he's got a great partnership with Natalie.

His latin will be the clincher - if he can crack that, who knows?

It would be very tough, and he'd have to avoid the dance off (except possibly against Nicky or Victoria), and whether he can score enough points with both the judges and the public with his Latin to do that is up for debate. If Natalie doesn't duck the samba, I think that'll be the week that he goes

I'd love him to, but I don't honestly think he will

If he can master one of the Latin dances - Rhumba or Paso are his best bet - then absolutely. If he can master both (because he'd have to perform another Latin dance in the final), then he could win the whole thing. That's a big ask though.

However, as fond of Michael and Natalie as I am, I don't want them to reach the final unless they do actually conquer the Latin at some point. I championed Team Cola at the time but regretted it in the final when the judges started pretending Chris was better than he was by giving him artificially high scores (because they had to justify his place there and convince us the final was a high quality one).

Michael's got to achieve this on merit. I'm rooting for him though.

If he continues to improve in both the latin & ballroom then I see no reason why not.

I think the partnership with Natalie has picked up a few fans along the way, and his work ethic and commitment to improving (even when you can't actually see it) are what many viewers (not all I appreciate) like to see.

As a fan, I'm happy as larry with them at the moment, but wouldn't want them to outstay their welcome....

Sid - just seen your reply - and agree on all! Especially the last sentence!

sure, why not, if he continues to improve the way he has been in both latin and ballroom there isnt any reason why he couldnt be a finalist

good luck Natalie and Michael

To make the final you've got to be in with a shout of out-dancing AND getting more votes than all but two of the other contenders. I can't see any situation where Michael would make the final in a dance-off with Denise, Dani or Kimberley - and it'd take another week like this one for him to beat out Louis. Plus he's done four of the five classic ballroom dances and he'd have to do a LOT of Latin to make it to the final. So I think it's fair to say no.

The only way it could happen is for Michael to become so much more popular than the other contestants that he makes it to the final purely on public votes alone, but I think that's highly unlikely.

Hi Emma welcome

I think there are too many imponderables to consider for Michael to reach the final, and whilst I'd love him to do it; I agree with all the above posters, his latin has got to improve to another level again, and several of the "other" dancers have got to stay static, which I dont see happening. Denise, Dani and Kimberley are all great dancers, so he's up against some stiff competition.

If he's in the dance off with any of the above he's toast. I'm assuming that Lisa and Louis are the top 2 with the voting public, so cant see either of them in the dance off. Shame the producers dont abandon the DO for the later stages of the competition, when it's practically impossible to save your favourite celeb or perhaps they have

Victoria and Nicky should be the next to go, so that gives Michael 3 weeks ? before he's in danger, is that semi-final week that would be a good achievement.

However, he's topping the leaderboard for training hours, and that is starting to pay off now, so who knows

I'd love to see a Michael and Natalie showdance, it would be brilliant, it would be another Tom Chambers all over again

Would love to see them in the final! Agree with all of the above, too many tricky Latin left. Lets hope he pulls enough votes to avoid the dance off!

He is a likeable person and Nat and him make a good team. But Nat is a very likeable person herself and no matter who she is teamed with she always forms a good relationship with them IMO.

I agree with all the others as well, it's be fantastic if he could make it but the odds and the dances are very against him.

The semi would be a great achievement though. Resigned to a boring final as far as I'm concerned, but hey I can always crack on with the Open Uni course I'm on.

Good luck!! Best thing I ever did

Thanks very much, really enjoying it.

Of course if Michael does make the final it'll be put on hold.

I don't think so, but I want him to make the Semi Final and I think he will depending on what his next dances are. I think if he gets through this week's Argentine Tango, then he should do the Rumba/Paso, I think the Rumba is his best bet, and then if he makes it through that do the Viennese Waltz which in my opinion should guarantee him a place in the semi final.

However he is then left with a very poor mix of dances, he would have to do the Tango and then Charleston/Paso/Samba, and I think even if he does a great Tango he won't be able to place higher than last on the leaderboard. Which would mean unless he tops the public he has no chance of getting to the final, even then it would depend on the placings of the other semi-finalists.

I could be talking a load of bollocks of course, but that's what I could see happening.

I doubt it. They've been quite kind to Michael with the amount of ballroom he's been given but that leaves him with a horror parade of dances to come. His latin is still very poor and I can't see that changing

Wouldnt be suprised to see him in the semi finals

Dont think grand finalist is as likley but wouldnt rule it out 100%

Towards the end, in the semi finals they often have a double elimination and knock out 2 with no dance off leaving the final 3 so there isnt always a dance off at the last stage

Last year Alex Jones and Holly Valance left leaving the final 3 to go straight through, the year before that they did the same and knocked out Gavin Henson and Scott Maslen in the double

The way Michael is improving he could make the final.

I really like Michael. At first it was because of the ridiculous jive and cha cha, and then because his ballroom was such a stark improvement on what I'd seen before. But I wouldn't want him in the final. He can only do adequate ballroom dances, and he's thoroughly atrocious at latin. I don't think that's deserving of a place in the final.

If there were no dance off I think Michael could possibly have got to the final and Denise would not have got there. But the judges are bound to give the ringer a passport to the final where she will finish third. Michael deserves to last longer than Nicky, Victoria and (because of the repetition) Lisa.

I would not bet against it, hard work plus progress equals votes. But a judges' ecision might get in the way.

You could be right.

D'you know, I guess it doesn't matter to Michael. He's done so very well to get from how he was in Week 1 to that fabulous American Smooth, he'd probably settle for that! I hope he goes even further, but no matter what, he's been a joy. What a nice guy.

I strongly doubt Michael will make the final. Semi Final is his finishing spot IMO.