There are other competitions in the world where it's not winner takes all but everybody in the finals gets something.

In this case of Strictly 2012 - who won?

Technically: (from the leaderboard with the judges' marks)

Joint first: Denise and Kimberley
Third: Louis
Fourth: Dani

Popularity vote: (holds up the glitterball)
First: Louis
Positions 2nd to 14th: all the other contestants

But - no reason for sour grapes at all on anybody's part, because:

You could see how overjoyed James was with getting Full House 40 at long last. and how happy Denise was to have made James happy. She probably worked out that winning the popularity contest to get the glitterball was not feasible.
She has danced at least two, probably more, really memorable dances that people will keep referring to.

You heard Kimberley's squeals as she and Pasha picked up sackfuls of 10s. She too was happy for Pasha, but what she has really won is the right to be seen as a solo performer for herself, and not perpetually as one of 5 singers in a girl band. So she can now be as famous as Cheryl Cole all on her own!! That's her glitterball.

The glitterball went to the guy who at the last moment swept the night with his showdance and excellent rework of a Charleston. This has happened before - Tom Chambers with Camilla, Chris Hollins with Ola and their Charleston. The dance that got more phones ringing on the night..
I don't think the other contestants are going to begrudge him that.


For me it was an excellent final - not even Robbie Williams could spoil it for me. Only one fly in the ointment, Bruce was rude and selfcentred from beginning to end, and I hate it when he interrupts the judges as they are showering praise on the dancers. Turn his mike off, producers!!

We all know who won the competition - the voting is itself is not reflective of the public in general because most votes come from girls aged 12-25 who are more likely to vote for someone simply because they fancy them and also vote several times. Unless the voting can be changed to accept only one vote from one phone number then we will never see an honest result, but shows with phone votes obviously don't want that because thats how they make most of their income.

I couldn't agree more. Denise and Kimberley both scored their own personal victories and can feel proud.

Quote - We all know who won the competition - the voting is itself is not reflective of the public in general because most votes come from girls aged 12-25 who are more likely to vote for someone simply because they fancy them and also vote several times. Unless the voting can be changed to accept only one vote from one phone number then we will never see an honest result, but shows with phone votes obviously don't want that because thats how they make most of their income.

This. Sour Grapes.

Upset your favourite didn't win..... never mind.

Quote - We all know who won the competition - the voting is itself is not reflective of the public in general because most votes come from girls aged 12-25 who are more likely to vote for someone simply because they fancy them and also vote several times. Unless the voting can be changed to accept only one vote from one phone number then we will never see an honest result, but shows with phone votes obviously don't want that because thats how they make most of their income.

This. Sour Grapes.

Upset your favourite didn't win..... never mind.

Yeah...............


Louis won, deal with it.

We've got to think of a different way of deciding the SCD winner after Louis' won. LOL!!!!!

And actually Louis scored same with judges as Kimberley did . Denise was first with 119, Louis and Kimberley both scored 118, but I don't really care, Louis won.

j4Rose, read my OP again before posting.

I said, there is more than one way of looking at who won this competition.

ncl*girl's point was not about Louis winning but about the way the winner is chosen. If more young folks are willing to spend £15-£25 voting for their faves, then you cannot deny that the glitterball is won as a popularity contest. ncl*girl's point was a comment on the final evening's voting system, not on who won.


Sadly this will never change. We can never go back to the bad old Series 6 days when PhD mathematics swamped the boards as people tried to pick their own winners through reworking the leaderboards and public vote percentages. It has to be first past the post, and there will never be any runner up or other placed prizes. But as the winning celeb doesn't get any extra cash (I believe), there's nothing in it except kudos for the pro dancers.

There must have been a lot of 12-25 year old lesbians voting in series 1, 2, 5 and 8 then.

NO, read my OP again.

Louis won the popularity contest, so he got the glitterball.
This could be due to his good dancing (which surprised me as well as Darcey) , or due to his lifts, or due to his fan base, whatever - he won Strictly 20120.

In some international classical music competitions the judges place the top candidates in order from first down to third, 4th, 5th 6th, even more, but one televised competition has a people's prize,where the viewers can phone in for their favourite finalist, even if the judges places that person last.

Strictly only has the people's choice, but some of us look at the other finalists For me, turning my back on the glitterball, Denise got it by a whisker from Kimberley, mainly because her show dance was so good. Dani danced decently and did her best, but was outclassed.

Anyway, enough of this - I'm going to bed!