1. Loved Mark and Natalie.
2. Felt badly for Patrick and Rachel, not their weeks.
3. A bit fed up with Dave.
4. Certain pros need to up their game on choreography.
5. Week 5 - suspect a shock bottom two.

1 - Abbey and Natalie were the standouts yet again for me last night. However, although we know Natalie is a great all-rounder, I think Abbey Latin's skills have generally been untested so far.

2 - For the first time, I thought Patrick was undermarked. Considering he only had one had through the whole routine, I thought a 6 was rather harsh.

3 - Robin's choreography was just awful - save the messing around for when your partner can't actually dance the dance given, because their actual VW was fairly good.

4 - Sophie disappointed me, again. I know party Latin's were never going to be her thing, but I was expecting better than what she gave. I think she's less of a contender than we all thought.

5 - Susanna is becoming a real dark horse in this competition. I thought her dance was lovely, and, if she improves her Latin a little, I can see her making the Final at this rate.

1) Rachel & Sophie limp as last week's lettuce.

2) Len's right about the faffing that's creeping in from almost all of them.

3) How original! A Halloween theme next week. Who saw that one coming

4) Lovely shot of Trev in the Hat

5) Worst series ever.

1. Found Mark's dance very touching. Like him a lot.
2. Robin's choreography: weighed in the balance and found wanting.
3. Never been at week 5 before and had no favourite.
4. Rachel is veering into Pendleton levels of uncomfortable viewing.
5. Dave: you are my Lisa Riley - loved week 1; loathed ever since.

1.Natalie’s dress…there is an Andrex puppy somewhere looking for it’s loo roll.
2.Darcey!! 8 for Patrick Plank…really?!?!?
3.Ola Jordan… the Phantom Foof-flasher of Old London Town, slips in yet another patented knee slide.
4.Ben danced his quickstep better than Dayvarch and his Melody Murderers sang it…but that wasn’t hard.
5.Bruce kept saying it was a live show…that’s more than he is…

I've already gave my 5 but a quick 6th, Pasha needs to make use of Rachel's strengths rather than push her because he thinks she can do it, she can't and in the process of trying the end product is always the same, felt awful for Rachel and I hope Pasha does too (I really like Pasha as well)

1. Natalie - not sure about the sparkly gusset but give her the trophy now

2. Craig - not sure what painkillers he's on but he was on form and the eyes were shining

3. Ben - nice looking lad but hid behind the couch for that one

4. The actual dance content - blink and you miss it - well done Len for addressing that one.

5. Bruce - bordering on the mediocre, progress I guess

1. Rachel, dreadful dance, cringeworthy and embarrasing to watch
2. Still find Dave funny and endearing ......... just
3. None of the dances really inspiring tonight
4. Patrick did well post injury
5. Too much "acting" with props reducing dance content, well said Len

1 Natalie awesome as usual. I want her in until the end even if she doesn't win.
2 Sophie overrated. Very floppy at times. I think she peaked with the Charleston.
3 Abbey is very good but not been tested in latin yet.
4 Sorry Dave loved you for a while but time to go.
5 Has somebody tangoed Susanna?

Really don't get judges praise in Ben imo he hasn't done a good dance yet ( Christina has danced round him a lot )

Sophie is so cool but don't think cha cha was her dance.

Still like Dave for comedy value

Poor Artum

Need proper Paso music instead of deranged looking dances.Rachel's was just shocking

Having just rewatched most of the clips my 5 thoughts are (in order of my favourites)
1 Natalie and Artem were the best last night - but wish she would stop pulling the faces! (and what had she sat in that stuck to her dress?)
2 Abbey was definitely the next best - what a shame they didnt put one or other of Natalie and Abbey in the middle of the show.
3 That was a very moving performance from Mark and creditable dance too - definitely a lot more than just a jokey performer!
4 Well done Fiona I enjoyed that - and Antons reaction when they got 8's was priceless!
5 I am giving my 5th place to Patrick and Anya both of whom I think deserved more credit for their performance - which was better then many of the others regardless of his injury and better choreography than some, again regardless of the last minute changes..

1. Way too much faffing!
2. No bounce at all to Natalie's samba
3. Robin - horrible, horrible choreography
4. Sophie - not getting the love, sorry
5. I want Abbey's foxtrot dress!

1) I think Len is usually the weakest judge but he was right to criticize Robin especially on the props. I don't know if he and Pasha were mid pub crawl when they choreographed their dances but poor Deborah really came a cropper because Robin's choreography is shocking from that, to the pointless tight skirt last week to trying to lift Lisa Riley off the floor last year. He needs to start getting right if he returns next year.

2) Again, Len was right on Sophie. She looked completely disinterested in the dance and it seems like she can't emote at all. I don't know why she doesn't go the whole hog and put on a Michael Myers mask for all you get from her. Brendan needs to bring it out of her.

3) Ashley and Ola's dance was fine because he can actually do it unlike Sid Owen. He does need to loosen up a bit, he looks like he doesn't want to let Ola down so much that it's affecting him but I'm seeing him improve week by week.

4) Well done Anton. He took last week's debacle on board and choreographed something Fiona could do well.

5) I have to agree that Mark and Iveta's dance was wonderful - well choreographed with a beautiful story told.

1 I feel a bit sorry for Rachel, I can tell she really tried hard to get into character but the movements from her just look so awkward
2 Dave seems like a nice guy but he needs to go now, I didn't even find it funny tonight - just plain bad.
3 I think Mark is possibly my favourite, he just gets into every dance, although he is an actor so he should do really!
4 I don't like it when Len is grumpy but have to agree about all the 'messing around'. I HATE props. 90 seconds of dance isn't much really, why waste it pushing a table around or sitting on a sofa?
5 The worst week so far IMO, totally uninspiring.

1. Ben's dance was good (the bit he danced)
2. When was the last time Anton got an 8
3. Much preferred Mark and Iveta's dance this week
4. I love Dave I just feel like Karen's sticking to the fact he's funny
5. LOTS OF FAFFING (some faffing was good some was bad)

1. Disappointing show all round, no one particularly stood out.

2. Natalie was very good but I feel the performance was very tentative, probably because of her (and Artem's) injury.

3. The judges are STILL mollycoddling Ben, it's ridiculous. What was that rubbish from Craig "I liked your face"??? Good grief, if that's what they have to do to encourage more fragile-egoed sportsmen to sign up for the show, the future is BLEAK.

4. I so want Sophie to be good at Latin but she's simply not. And as someone else said, it's the same aloof character in every routine. She might pull off a good Tango or Paso with that but her remaining Latins aren't something to look forward to.

5. Too. Much. Faffing. Too. Many. Props.

1) Bruce was ok tonight - though I tend to switch off (mentally) when he's introducing the next couple with those sometimes awful jokes - which are probably written for him.

2) I loved Dave and Karen eating the banana - shame about the routine itself.

3) Len is correct, ditch the props or at least tone them down. The odd cape, cane or lamp post is fine - not pushing an operating table up and down.

4) Rachel is trying hard but it's just not her thing sadly.

5) Glad Anton and Fiona got a decent score.

1. I was there!

2. Brendan needs to find Sophie a facial expression other than icy cool/bored if he wants to win. She was poor.

3. I enjoyed Dave a lot, had a great laugh but he needs to go.

4. I felt sorry for Rachel but I was mostly distracted by Pasha in a cage.

5. Abbey and Aliaz are my favourite couple at the moment.

1) Dave is starting to wear a little thin.

2) Robin proved his total ineptitude at choreographing with that woeful Viennese Waltz.

3) Fiona's Quickstep was overmarked.

4) Rachel is constantly on the verge of tears- makes me very nervous.

5) Even a fractured nose can't mask the sheer delight on Artem's face.

VirgilHilts you write some great posts! I'm grateful if they did censor the word nympho, for Rachel's sake.

And I'm glad you don't have a cat.

1. Sophie appears tuned out during every routine.
2. Mark, by contrast, appears fully tuned in. (Have I mentioned that I love him? And Iveta? Well I do ).
3. Rachel would struggle doing the moves to "Oops Upside Your Head".
4. Dave really needs to go.
5. Overall meh, meh and more meh.

1. bit of a middling show overall, enjoyable, but not remarkable.

2. abby and aljaz probably most accomplished overall, but i missed her stroking and petting him in the interview with tess...

3. mark and iveta most genuinely touching dance of the night, he is quite a talent, although his size will prevent him from acheiving all he could.

4. rachel. put us out of her misery already...

5. dave and karen. your time is up. i wish.

1. Last night's show was rather underwhelming aside from ...
2. ... being angry with Pasha's paso doble choreography.
3. Patrick did a marvellous job and I hope it's enough for him to stay.
4. Some nice ballrooms with dignified performances from Abbey, Mark and Fiona.
5. I hated the props. Too much used for too long. Robin's routine was the worst offender.

Thank you! I'm getting a bit bored with reading that Sophie was overmarked - taken in isolation, yes she was, but in the context of Fiona also getting 30... no. Or in the context of the bizarre marking in general.

Not saying that Fiona didn't improve but 8s put her very nearly on a level with Natalie and Abbey

I'd have given Ashley and Susanna less too. But then I'm a grumpy old meanie

Does that count as 3 thoughts? OK, so I'll also go with:

Like Robin but wanted to throw rotten tomatoes at him for that table cr*p. Seemed to go on and on and on...

I want to give Mark all the hugs.

Agree with you on pretty much all of this, particularly BiB.