Beth has shown time and again that her solo skating is up there with the best of them - add to that her grace and flexibility in the lifts and tricks and she's way in front of the men.

I thought Beth's flying routine was beautiful especially when both she and Daniel flew together - I had goosebumps watching that part and a great soundtrack Angel to compliment such a fitting piece of dance.

Beth for the win.

Matt is OK but he comes across as very "cocky" from day one. Beth has never been in the skate-off while Matt has been

Me too; Beth was elegant but Matt was exciting.

Because he's a cocky arrogant so and so who think he is better than he is, the judges seem to ignore his mistakes yet slate the others for the slightest error, and also you can see he has thought he has had the competition sewn up since Week 1, especially evident when he was in the SO and the feigned 'tears' when he got a serious reality check , the voting figures when released next week will be very telling indeed

I don't think he is cocky at all, if he's cocky for wanting to do well then surely Beth is too?

Seriously p***ed off of Leamington Spa I am now! Week after week Beth waits with baited breath to hear what they have to say and every time it's a real put down. I thought she looked close to tears as Jason laid into her again last night after the "on ice" routine - and it will take a lot for a top gymnast to crumple under judges' scrutiny (I used to be a gymnastics judge).

She is brilliant, I've watched her since she was age 10 as a gymnast, and she applies the same discipline to her skating and nothing she does seems to elicit a decent response from the judges. And I can't see any personality in Matt's routines so what they're seeing I don't know.

At least robin gave a decent score last night.

Indeed. And if he were cocky, would he bother putting in a full day's training even on his birthday?

Matt is going around like he has already won and has done since the first show. Beth is not behaving in a cocky or arrogant way.

It is not his wanting to win that makes him cocky it is his overall behaviours and attitudes that make him that way. His OTT reactions to his scores and getting through each week i.e jumping about like a lunatic and gesturing at the audience and screaming out I find disrespectul to the others and totally unnecessary. Yes fair enough he might just be excited but there are better ways to show you are pleased than he is doing.

His cockiness in the early days was apparent as he wasn't really listening in his early choreo days and just wanted to do his dance moves and that was brought up in one of the VTs IIRC i.e he didn't have to listen to what he was being told. His certainty that he was going to do everything that hadn't been done in DOI before because he was basically the best there has ever been.

Beth is doing moves that haven't been done before either but she's not screaming from the rooftops about it and at no point has she come across as cocky or arrogant in her personality she has taken some extremely harsh and IMO unnecessary criticism from the judges without complaint or sulking whereas when Matt ended up in the skate off he nearly had a meltdown and went into sulky toddler mode for the next week. Gareth in the same situation simply got up and got on with it.

Wanting to win isn't cocky its how you present yourself to the public and IMO Matt and I will say Brianne too come across as seriously cocky and I daresay a tad unpleasant now.

I agree with this. I too was a Gareth supporter so not too fussed who wins now - between Beth and Matt - but for me personally I think Matt gives more of an 'all round' performance than Beth. I dont particularly like Matt but he has the ability to grab my attention - make me sit up and watch. I like Beth, she's a nice girl and her routines and performances are also 'nice'. Her flying routine was beautiful but over all the weeks imo Matt has been more consistent. I am not influenced one way or the other by the judges comments or scores. Sometimes I agree, sometimes I think they are barmy but I make my own mind up about who I like, why I like them and who I vote for. Given the amount of Support Beth has on here it seems most people do the same so whatever bias the judges might have probably wont make any difference in the end.

I will wait till next week to see what they all do to finally make my mind up but right at this moment - personalities aside - Matt has the edge.

I don't think someone being cocky and arrogant in their behaviour is any reason to take marks away for good performance. Nor do I think that Matt getting high marks from the judges is a reason to have yet another tired go at him for his own arrogance and cockiness - he's not awarding himself the marks, after all.

The judges do at least base their judgements on a concrete level of content. All the posters who've gone on and on about fakery, arrogance and cockiness on Matt's part have had absolutely nothing to base their opinions on except an interpretation of Matt's behaviour that can certainly be read in more than one way.

So if those posters who don't like Matt wish to carry on behaving in a way that they're slating the judges for doing - ie letting their feelings get in the way of recognising good work when they see it - feel free to carry on.

Sorry but I don't rate Matts skating as being all that his skating is messy, he doesn't cross crossovers, IMO his transitions can be clunky and his general skating posture (hunched over) is bad as well overall he is not of the same standard as a lot of the previous male celebs, i.e Chris and Ray particulary but also Sam and Matthew. They were much better skaters than Matt IMO but got nowhere near the gushing adulation from the judges that Matt does.

Plus if Matt is the best "skater" why is it the comments are alays that Beth is the best technically which actually if you take the performance aspect out of it for a minute means that in skating ability Beth is the best so therefore why should in terms of the skating should Matt be getting marked higher than Beth other than the judges showing favouritism, same as why are his stumbles and errors ignored when others are marked down for them.

Example he admits he had a small stumble in front of the judges in prop week and thought he would drop the hat but it was ignored completely by the judges.

Breakdances and pulling a few faces does not make a performance and that is the core of Matts routines for me and that to me does not merit the marks he has been receiving. He is also pretty consistently given stuff he is more comfortable with whereas the others have been given routines well outwith their comfort zone and been forced to deal with it whereas Matt has been favoured by mostly giving him stuff he is very comfortable with. Again why has he been favoured with styles that suit him yet Beth in particular has been forced into fast numbers with lots of tricks that don't really suit when we have seen that given a lyrical piece she can truly shine but has not been given that opportunity yet Matt is given every opportunity to show his best style.

For me this year there has been very blatent favouritism and manipulation for whatever reason and I think a lot of people are seeing the same thing.

I'm not a great fan of Matt and yes, I find him slightly arrogant and slightly smug and much prefer Beth.

However: genuine question. Why would the judges want Matt to win over Beth? It can't be because they prefer his personality

Yes i thought the judges would undeservedly give her all 10 scores. She did what all the other female celebs do while in the air which was disappointing, the walking around spiral was done again but not as good as Suzanne Shaw (who herself did not exactly do it brilliantly). I still think her score for the flying was too generous.

Also the lack of skating from a semi finalist is not very good there is no excuse. Yes she can do the tricks while being held but she does the same ones and no head banger? Previous female celebs have done a hell of a lot more skating on thier own (and not just a few steps i mean actual skating while dancing etc). It is such a shame Gareth had to leave the way he did because i am sure Beth was going to be in the skate off with him and left the show.


No i think the flying routine for Matt was far superior to Beth just for the fact that he did a lot more then she did and his was different. Beth's was too like previous female celebs and there was something missing as well as skating skills in the semi final. Due to the lack of skating skills she should have gone. Yes she is an Olympic gymnast but that is no excuse not to do the skating and rely on the lifts. And Matt's non-flying performance was miles better than Beth's due to her not doing anything different. She did however do a few more steps on the ice without contact with her partner but it is the semi final...where is the effort to do solo skating as well as with the pro skater?

I would go even more on the the weak choregraphy and choices behind it. Matt has been allowed time after time to do his breakdance style and given music that suits his style. He's had one week that put him outside his comfort zone.

Beth's been seemingly given just one acting lesson to catch up with whats, amazingly, his profession. As Jason pointed out last night, she's done well with lyrical music programmes - but she's usually been given something meaningless and storyfree that goes nowhere much. Even Luke has learnt to look romantic looking into his partner's eyes, while Beth was choregraphed last night at equivalent moments in her music pointing at 90 degrees to her partner. There's been very little utilisation of what she can do unusually well - things like spins and jumps, very little build in her routines to showcase a big lift, and too little development of moves over following weeks. The big lifts tend to get lost in routines, and the judges seem more interested in marking Matt's feet or commenting unconvincingly on acting skills . Beth hasn't been given many dance moves, a la Suzanne, at all - so we don't even know if she could do that. Its far from clear that anything new will be put together for the final either. The wirrly move she did in headbanger week was pretty unique, and looked to me like it could have turned into the exit from the headbanger they wrongly pushed Jorgie to do last year - but they seem unable to think of striking routines or building moves any more - which was the secret to Hayley and Suzanne's success.

You wonder if they have a basic problem that they can't choreograph a decent female routine any more - and tend not to think far beyond moves that Jane can now do.Unless you are the best dancer the show has had since Suzanne, or you get a bought in routine like Hayley, you now get lost in dull routines after a few decent ones and big moves. That combines with Robin - who now marks everyone on how much they perform like he would - and Jason who is avoiding rewarding tricks, and marking acting he can't judge, and basically whoever he likes.

Beth did the head banger from a standing start a couple of weeks ago

I must admit I am getting fed up of the same sort of routines T+D dish out. I would prefer it if the pros could choreograph their own routines like on Strictly, as they get to know their partners well and it we would have new ideas and variety!

Yes that was it weeks ago...... and it was not that good either.... other female celebs have kept the headbanger in later performances and definitely in the semi final what with it being a daring dancing on ice skill. If she had put the head banger in and done more solo skating then she would have gotten better scores. I actually think Luke and Matt deserve to be the final two now. I thought she was good when the show started but seeing the same lift and tricks repeatedly but to different music is so boring.

I'm guessing your either anti females celebs or you are not watching the same show as the rest of us. Beth has done lots of solo skating and believe it or not ice dance and pairs skating is about dancing with a partner not solo as Robin would have everyone believe so to do ice dance you are supposed to be in hold with your partner. Beth was not not in lifts and tricks she was actually skating on her own and not just a few steps, plus if you had actually been watching the week of the Leveller you would have seen she was top of the leaderboard and that was skating on her OWN plus as said she has also done the headbanger so again guess you were watching a different show to the rest of us again that week.

Plus not that she needed it but her save me skate also proved she could skate on her OWN plus do the tricks etc although I guess that is still not enough for you
Beth is the best technically as stated by the judges and has had to work constantly out of her comfort zone whereas Matt has been given choreo to favour him and his skills.

Also don't the choreo stop blaming the celebs they don't choreo their routines Chris Dean does so if you have a problem with lack of skating in a routine blame him not Beth as she has shown plenty of times that she is a more than capable skater and the judges have stated that she is technically the best skater so that makes her better than Matt IMO.

As I said about it is not Beth who decides what she is or isn't going to do in the show it is CHRIS DEAN so why moan at Beth for not putting in headbangers and etc etc take the issue up with him. The celebs do not choreo their own routines so its not up to Beth what she does or doesn't do.

I truly hope Beth wipes the floor with the pair of them.

NONE of that is Beth's fault!!!!
She skates to what Chris has given her.
She is technically the best skater there FACT several professional skaters I know have stated this on Facebook/Twitter

Well if i am allowed my opinion.... I think Matt is better because he does more skating on his own and there is more content to his performances. Beth is good but what i am saying is she doesn't do nearly as much skating on her own (and i don't mean they should all do skating on thier own without thier partner) like previous female celebs have done. At this point in the competition she should be doing more which includes having that head banger in to increase the difficulty and excitement of the performances. Previous female celebs once they have done the head banger once then have it included in other performances and definitely the semi final and/or final.

I am not being nasty i am just saying my opinion which apparently is not the same as yours but i am being slated for having my own.



Ok firstly i am not moaning at Beth for not putting the headbangers in. I am giving an opinion, just because you do not agree it doesn't mean i am going to change it. I hope Matt wins personally.


Just because you say it is fact doesn't mean it is. I could say the sky is green "fact" but it wouldn't be true. With the skating it is more to do with how previous female celebs compare to Beth. Hayley from a few years back did so much more and she definitely did a lot more in the semi final skating wise. What i am trying to say is she skates but very little on her own and by now she should be doing so much more and wowing everyone but instead has focused on her gymnast skills while being lifted. Yes she is good doing that but there is something missing without much skating going on. Just my opinion.

You are moaning about Beth because you are saying SHE should be doing whatever she is doing what has been choreographed for her by Chris Dean. Beth proved she is more than capable of skating on her own in Leveller week so you can't blame her for not skating on her own when it is clear she is capable but it is not being choreographed for her. What to expect her to do ignore T&D and go off and do her own thing?

WIll you get the concept that Beth has no say in what she gets to do each week she can do it is T&D that are not letting her they choreo all the routines except Bolero and this year the save me skates which if you watched you would have seen she skated on her OWN if the show was about solo skating they wouldn't bother giving them a pro partner.

Also I don't rate Hayley she was the best of a mediocre bunch that year and she would not have competed against Laura, Chloe, Jorgie or yes even Beth.

Ice Party a few years back she seemed to be struggling to even keep up with Clare in some of the numbers and they weren't that difficult so I don't rate her as a benchmark to compare anyone.

Also I don't think you can compare past to present as each varies and the outcome could be completely different depending on the mix of celebs and pros that were involved as if you changed that like happens on tour the outcome can be completely different.

There seems little point in putting the headbanger in again, she's proved she can do it. As pointed out she doesn't choreograph the routines so if she keeps doing the same moves and not much skating on her own that's down to T&D. Beth hasn;t concentrated on her gymnastics, again that's down to T&D. She's more than capable of skating alone and skating well but as the routines are choreographed for her she doesn't have much choice. She can only wow people if she's given a wow routine. There's hasn't been much wow at all in the routines this year. Your criticising and blaming Beth for things beyond her control whereas when people slate Matt it is about his skating - poor posture poor footwork plus to them he comes across as arrogant so some do have a go because of that. But be fair don't criticise Beth for not doing the headbanger again and for not doing more solo skating.

Actually IF you read my post I said it was also the opinion of several PROFESSIONAL skaters who know what they're talking about, the judges have also stated that she is the best technical skater this year so it's not just an opinion but fact IMO

Yes but my opinion is for a semi final performance previous years female celebs have done so much more and far better. So much more solo skating and with thier partners balancing it just right. Also the flying performances were different and more fun.

I felt disappointed because i was thinking she was going to be brilliant and fight Matt for the top scores but the flying performance was so dull.