Anyone else agree? I feel, health permitted, he should be able to come back for the final.

He's a great chap and all the other contestents seemed shocked too at him being axed.

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I agree as long as he does his flying routine, otherwise sorry but its not fair on the other who were voted off

They should have just put all 4 into the final, and then eliminate 2 before Bolero

I don't think they should take the risk with his health and make him rehearse when he clearly needs a break to get better.

He was one of my favourites and I am disappointed for him, but his health is the priority.

Rubbish, he didn't complete the task.... end of!

i agree and disagree lol i don't think they should of got rid of him the way they did, but they have to fly next week too, so where would that of left him? :/

Probably chucking up all over the ice

I think this would be the the fairest way to do it

I think they should have let all four skate next week. But apparantly the rules are if someone can't skate; presumably in the SO; they're automatically disqualified. However it's possible that Gareth won't be well enough to train this week and maybe not even well enough by next Sunday to skate anyway.

Why? Rules are rules he was disqualified for not completing (or even starting) a routine

Without being disrespectful to Gareth I don't think it would be fair to the others as they did everything to get into the final whereas Gareth didn't.

Now before everyone starts jumpign down my throat I appreciate yes he was ill and it was extreme and we have never had these circumstances before however he wasn't even able to complete a second routine never mind a save me skate whereas the others did still have to do the 2 routines.

In previous years when the required element was done if that was missed then it was a major count against the celeb and I guess you could take the flying as the required element and it was missed so had to count against him so in a sense (and I'm talking generally not specific to this) you cannot simply forget that something has been missed.

Had he perhaps been able to complete a second routine then maybe there would have been more argument for all 4 to have been put through to the final but on the basis of what was performed last night then technically the right decision was made.

Plus I think in terms of his health there is Robins tweet about Gareth not being on the ice for a while which suggests that they do not think he would be fit enough for next week either so it would be unfair to put him through another week of training or perhaps he is not able to continue so what would be the point of putting him through then to go straight out anyway potentially or to withdraw during the week or do himself more damage.

Like it or not I think overall the correct decision was made both in regards to Gareths health and in regards to fairness to the others as again would it be fair if Gareth by any fluke then went on to win the show outright (potentially unlikely but could have happened) despite not having completed everything the others had done. I don't think it would be and would have left me feeling a bit disheartned and I'm sure Gareth would not have wanted to go through and to have potentially won on maybe sympathy/bravery votes and not because of his own skills.

No, the medics ruled him out of the show completely. What if they gave him a bye into the final and he didn't have even time to recover, rehearse and train for next weeks show?

Hmmm....David Seaman got a pass into the semi finals in series 1 when his partner was injured in the dress rehearsal so it's been done before.

I thought when watching last night that all 4 should have just been put through - at least giving a chance to gareth to skate in the final. I appreciate that he may not have been able to skate anyway & of course his health must take top priority but it just came across as a bit harsh. Also what confused me is that from what Pip was saying if the voting permutations had meant that Gareth avoided the skate off then the skate off would have gone ahead & we could then possibly have faced a 2 couple final.

Have said elsewhere that it will be interesting when they release the voting figures next week if they include those from last night given they effectively cancelled it & are refunding the voting money. If it turns out that Gareth was top last night some viewers may not be happy.

I didn't agree with David Seaman getting a pass into the semi final back then but again it was the first series and there was no previous benchmark. I believe a lot of people didn't think it was fair either he should either have have performed with another pro as happened earlier in the series again with him or forfeited at that point as it was unfair to the others that he got through to the semi without actually doing the work that night.

I also do not think that Phillip would have said on air that they knew Gareth was going to be in the skate off if he hadn't have been as that would have caused outcry when the voting figures are released and I guess they will still have to release all of the figures because of the previous scandals etc If worst had come to worst then I guess it would have been a 2 person final.

As I say I don't think it would have been fair to him or the others to put him through to next week and from the tweets it doesn't sounds as if he was fit enough to continue so would not be fair to try and make him and to potentially make the situation worse and also put Robin in danger if something did happen.

If they are not going to let him compete I would like to see him skate anyway as a show skate, as long as he wants to and can.

I hope he is on the tour.

Glad the money from voting is getting refunded, that was my only concern after last night.

Gareth's past actions, as well as his skate last night under less than ideal conditions, have shown he's not short of bravery either. I reckon if the medics had ruled him out and he'd felt he could carry on, he would have gone ahead and done it regardless of the implications. That's the crazy sportsman mentality for you.

Gareth has also come across throughout the show as a thoroughly nice and decent fella, and I don't think he would really have felt comfortable getting a bye into the final when he hadn't completed a flying routine in the same fashion as the others.

So while I'm horribly disappointed that he went out with a whimper, I think it probably was the right decision and that Gareth would be the first to defend it

I am sure that it was right that Gareth was in the skate off on the combined vote but it's perfectly feasible that Gareth could have been top of the viewers vote & still ended up in the skate off.

Ok so Gareth was not able to do the flying. But Matt left out a chunk of his routine in props week because he couldn't handle the hats and was still overmarked. He also fell in his skateoff and was put through against Shane. Yet week 1 they said Pamela went out because she stumbled in her skateoff.. The judges are blatantly biased towards Matt and they knew Gareth was a threat to him.

Matt also cocked up a lift last night, nearly dropping Brianne yet Ashley and Jason gave him 10

I had images of him chucking up all over Jason last night from a great height

Which tour?

I would like to see him back, but I'd say it's a little too late to put him back in now his withdrawal has been announced, and he might not even be fit to skate come Sunday anyway.

Is that true? Total nonsense if is; completely pointless.

I thought the tour had been cancelled?

It has. But he's doing the Celebrities on Ice tour. At least the Cardiff leg which is the only one I've bothered checking!