I just wondered how many of us change favourite celebs due to any number of reasons like bellow but not because the original favourite is eliminated (as then you are forced to change favourites):

1. start disliking someone's personality that you originally liked - grating personality, pro not up scratch...

2. warming up to someone who you dislike on first impressions,

3. early promised dancing ability not met expectations/ not developed properly

4. someone else's sudden improvement makes them overtake the original favourite.

any other reason you may think.

1. Lisa Riley

2. Chelsee Healey.

3. Harry Judd, Louis Smith (but don't hate them, but from like to being indifferent).

4. Chelsee, because I started liking both Harry (and weeks later Chelsee), and when I saw dramatic improvement in Chelsee in techniques and performance while Harry only got better technically but danced with just one expression, I became a firm Chelsee supporter.

I have several favourites (because I'm greedy!)

Favourite dancer (not necessarily the best, but the one I enjoyed watching the most) and that changes week by week along with with my vote.

Then I have the one who's personality I like and give the occasional vote, if I enjoyed their dance and they are in danger (middle of the board).

Then there is my favourite pro. Do not vote for the pro but still love to watch them dance.

Then there are ones I will never vote for.

There is one pro whose personality I dislike so much (have met and they were horrid) that regardless of whom they are partnering will not get my vote.

And the other I will not vote for are the Natalie's and Denise Van Outen's. They are wonderful to watch but do not need my vote.

I thought Dave was fun for about two shows , now he bores me .

I don't have any favourites, I just enjoy the show as it is.

But there's always one or two who irritate me, every year.

So this year have those irritants left the show already?

Yes they have!

Good, you must be enjoying the show now, except them host (yes, just one), whom we can't get rid of of course...

For the first time ever I did not have a favourite at the start, but I am warming to Abbey because of her beautiful face and endearing accent - and I am a Londoner! I also like Susanna on Breakfast so am enjoying her as well. Sadly none of the men do anything for an old lady like me - I need a pretty toy boy!

I supposed Ashley is not toyish or boyish enough for you then? Or maybe it's the faulty chin?

Wanted Sophie to win but now think she is not as great as I suspected.

No he isn't pretty enough!

For Sophie, I would say she started off well and I thought she'd be my favourite,but she seems to be getting worse. I'm veering between Ashley and Mark at the moment, and I quite often don't have a person I definitely want to win until the final. For example: last year I never voted for Louis until I saw his show dance and then I felt that he was the best and picked him, but up 'till then it could have been any one of the final 3.

Ah, in my definition then that means he's not 'toyish' enough for you then.

Ashley / Natalie / Susanna for me

If Natalie is top each week consistently then I would have to vote for her in the final.

Susanna I like her dances to watch and Ashley seems to have a nice personality (However, think he might struggle later on. Does not have Louis Smith levels of dance quality)

1.Start disliking someone's personality that you originally liked - grating personality, pro not up scratch...
Yes - notably Zoe Ball in series 3, Austin Healy in series 6. This year: no-one (yet) though Fiona is heading that way, mainly thanks to Anton.

2. Warming up to someone who you dislike on first impressions
Maybe not "dislike" but I warmed to Lisa Snowdon in series 6. Until the judges started overmarking her. I also warmed to Abbey after not liking her at the start, but I'm now somewhere in the middle where she's concerned i.e. complete indifference.

3. Early promised dancing ability not met expectations/ not developed properly
Sophie Ellis Bextor this year

4. Someone else's sudden improvement makes them overtake the original favourite.
Only time this has happened was series 4 when Ramps became my favourite, overtaking my early favourite Emma. But Ramps was always my 2nd favourite so I suppose this doesn't really count...

No.
It takes me a few dances to develop a firm favourite then I stick with them.

1. Louis Smith, Ben Cohen, Denise van Outen, Joe Calzaghe
2. Robbie Savage, Alex Jones, Holly Valance, Natalie Gumede
3. --
4. Dani Harmer. She overtook Kimberley as my favourite that year.

Funnily enough my favourite has changed in the last hour. Was Natalie now Susanna. Nothing that Natalie's done wrong at all - far from it - but Susanna just impresses me more every time she's interviewed and I'm bothered less and less that she rather loves herself. I like Kevin a lot too so that's an additional factor.

It could easily swap back again after tomorrow night though.

Thanks! Great replies.

Often change my mind, particularly when I had no idea of who the celebrity is when the series starts - both Chelsee and Dani spring to mind as celebs I'd never heard of but ended up wanting them to win.

Some I go off as the series progresses, Tom Chambers for one.

This series no firm favourite - like Ashley (though I had no idea of who he was before this series), Patrick (as a Casualty fan knew him) and Sophie. Quite a few celebs I'd never heard of this time - Ashley, Natalie, Mark, Julien, Ben obviously don't watch the right programmes!

I always change my opinion! Tbh, although I have almost always heard of the celebs on Strictly, they tend not to be the kind of people whose careers I have paid attention to before the show starts. (I don't want to sound snobby but Strictly is a guilty pleasure and my tastes outside of it are slightly more highbrow). I never have a preconceived idea of whom I will end up supporting before the show and, normally, someone just grows on me after time. For example, last year I started off disliking Louis but then he became my favourite. Alternatively, I started off liking Pamela Stephenson but found her unbearable by halfway through that series. This year I instantly liked Natalie and found Ben nice but dull and Mark a bit middling. Now they are the three I am supporting. I still like Dave as a personality but have lost interest in his routines. Surprisingly, I am finding Abbey a grower, as I was sure I would dislike her based upon her appearance in the launch show.

I love a questionaire.

1. Anton (because of the Latin). Could say Janette, but haven't seen her dance enough to tell, but I'd suspect Anton is better than her in Ballroom. I like Fiona, don't mind her personality at all.
2. It was Deborah, not becasue I didn't like her, it's just I only knew this Dragon persona before Strictly which was quite firm, and judgey. She seems a nice person on Strictly though. I had seen Abbey on her model shows a few years back, so I already knew she was a nice person before Strictly (though I suspect most would put her for this point).
3. Sophie!!!! (could say Abbey too, but I don't think she's stalled like Sophie has and been more consistent at her level overall).
4. I don't think anyone has suddenly improved or taken over the favourite (technical) dancer, yet. But I think Abbey was a sudden surpise from her first dance (though I know this isn't really answering the question). I think if people have improved it's been slow gradual improvements, very slow with some.

I am glad I am not the only one who knew few of the contestants at the start. I suppose I tend to like what I know rather than know what I like and the same applies to who I know. I don't watch soaps so that puts me at a disadvantage most years. Singers and models are also a bit of a closed book. Cricketers are a different matter - I love cricket . Not so keen on boxers. Oh dear I am showing what a snob I am! What all this is leading to is that once I begin to get to know people I can make a more informed choice. Last year I was completely won over by Lewis Smith. This year it is Abbey as I've said. Very interesting posts in this thread - thank you!