I didn't mention Ben or Abbey, but seeing as you've mentioned them, I would def agree on Abbey, and I can only think she perhaps suffered from being first out when the judges usually score abit lower (though of course they always follow suit). With Ben,... well, I think it was a decent attempt (for someone of his low ability), and I can see why people might have been more emotionally stirred by it (in comparison to say Sophie or even others' dances), but in general she is still better imo than some others over the entire show so far, hence why I said others are more due the conversation of a swan song dance than her. And when I said others, Ben and Abbey didn't come to mind (well certainly not Abbey). In honesty, Ben does nothing for me, dance wise (so far that is) but that's just my own opinion. I can sense that Sophie does nothing for you (or certainly on that dance) and that's just your opinion. As an audience we ae varied and like different things.

I was just making a point about other dances, which were at least on a par with hers, not being scored as highly.

I just quoted your post because you were talking about other dancers in comparison to her, and I was doing the same.

She definitely was better than both Abbey and Ben in dance content and technical ability, which is why she scored higher marks.

Well I am no dance expert I admit, like most who post here. This is still a discussion forum however, so although I support your right to disagree, it should be remembered that if only experts could post here then the forum would be very quiet. We are all just offering our opinions on what we have seen and I am no different. It was an honest assessment.

Perhaps you could argue that my description was a tad harsh but when you see judges offer almost no criticism of a dance you considered poor, it's easy to get carried away.

Also, I repeat I do not have anything against her (except that tattoo). I objected to her scores/praise.

As for another poster taking issue with my Dave comment, I agree he danced it poorly, yes even more so than Sophie. My argument that he at least showed energy and effort was in my opinion valid. It's difficult to split them.

I like Sophie, but wish she'd learn to let go.

She needs to learn to develop a more supple back for Latin and use the floor more to get a true hip movement rather than trying to make her hips move. I often see this in beginners when they've not learned that the movement comes from weight change, dancing into the floor and learning how to bend and flex your legs. Sorry, it is a lot easier to demonstrate than put into words!

Samba is a bitch of dance, to be fair, and not suited to the English at all! Most of them find it excruiating to do unless they are very comfortable with their bodies and letting loose!

To a latino or latina it's natural but others find it a bit rude at first!

Maybe you have got it......! Swan song as in her last dance as a good performance! Especially since many who are are expected to do great things, simply don't..........! But continue to be praised and over marked........

Yes , I know what a swan song is .But how it could possibly be " evident " that it is is beyond me .How could any one know whats to come .So NO its not evident at all .

This is all rubbish.

Sophie has negotiated the Samba hurdle - that's what it is, an obstacle. It was a bit ungainly in places but it's water under the bridge now with open seas ahead. A hard dance safely negotiated.

Clearly the OP has a crystal ball. Perhaps he/she could PM me next week's lottery numbers.

It has nothing to do with prediction! She has no core strength and consequently will never beat her charleston performance unless she does another charleston!

Being neither a rocket scientist nor a dancer I hesitate to suggest that a way to cheat 'never' would be to develop her core strength. I wonder if this has occurred to her Pro partner.

For some reason it really cracks me up. sorry.

Forget the dancing, from what I've seen on this and other forums Sophie is the sort of person that a lot of people (mainly women) see as aloof and/or lacking personality.

It happens every year, if you are not liked you'll get a lot of pseudo-experts giving negative opinions purely out of spite.

Exactly! Judged entirely on her performance last week, still dazzling the judges, from that performance.

Curse that Darcey Bussell for introducing the term "core strength" into the Strictly vocabulary.

If that is so, why wasn't she top of the leaderboard this week just like she was last week and why did she score less points this week than she did last week?

Personally, I thought she did a good samba. It wasn't mindblowing but after only a week's training in week 3 I have seen far worse and I am sure we will see better dances from her in future weeks (quickstep in particular should be brilliant given that it is partially derived from the Charleston).

Her leaderboard position this week was about right so I don't think there is any evidence to suggest that the judges were not scoring her objectively.

Sofakat has been talking about it for years on here and I listen to her, she knows her stuff. Sophie has a very loose-limbed, cool style but she is quite floppy, it was more noticeable in her waltz.

It's way better than her Yaaaaah though surely!

My post certainly wasn't directed at Sofakat who I trust knows what she's talking about it. I've just noticed a rash of people posting about this or that celebrity lacking "core strength" this year and can only assume it's because it's basically Darcey's catchphrase.

No way! Abbey is more talented by far, and more endearing........ Ben is doing great but cannot be pushed into moves quite as easily by Christina as Brendon can with the willowy Sophie.....!

I don't think we have any evidence that Abbey is more talented than Sophie so far. Her waltz was very good but last week's salsa wasn't her dance and jive wasn't her dance this week either.

Ben up until this week has been pretty bad. His rumba this week was much better but that doesn't mean he has turned a corner. It might be that rumba just suited him (maybe its the only one he doesn't need core strength for ).

Well we will just have to wait and see, but I can bet you I' m right ! At least on Abbey!

Yes, how dare a hugely respected dancer actually use any specific terms ... the clue is in the word "core" it's central to anything you do with your body.

I don't think that was actually meant as a slight to Darcey. However, it does seem to have become the phrase du jour since she mentioned it. Many posters use it and probably only a handful really know what they're talking about.

Not accusing anyone here of course...

I do agree on most of your analysis of the Samba and it's difficulty to master, however you seem to forget the myriad of past pro dancers in the real dance world who were English and did phenomenal Sambas, namely Gaynor Fairweather, Bryan Watson and the incredible Shirley Ballas (mother of mark Ballas) who was probably the best Latin American female dancer ever...... In my opinion of course!