Where is the evidence that people are not warming to Nat.

Here's a scenario for you.

Decent Paso tonight sees them through safely to Blackpool, where they produce a foxtrot of such beauty that Len declares it one of his highlights of the series, and what the show is all about.

Anton is so moved by this that he lets it be known that he doesn't think he'll top that feeling now and that he'll retire from Strictly when his and Fiona's involvement in the series comes to an end.

The narrative develops that every week could be Anton's last dance on Strictly after three hundred years, and an internet army of blue tinted ballroom lovers create an unstoppable wave that sweeps them to the glitterball.

Then he pulls a Hardy and decides he's not retiring at all.

I think I've just written down a nightmare that a few on here have had...

For me his annoyance was the sweeping statement that Natalie & Artem would be out in the next two weeks, without considering how the show works. Coupled with the claim that SCD is a dance competition and as such people like Dave should not stay at the expense of people like Artem and err......

Seems like he really has no idea how things work at all and is comparing his performance and ejection from DOI with SCD.

A creative and highly believeable scenario actually

Could it be that the panel were, shall we say, 'encouraged' to be a bit controversial last night?

Or is that just too cynical a thought?

I totally agree with this. They are really running Nat down to the benefit of Abbey. No call for that.

John Barrowman I thought he spoke a load of rubbish quite frankly.

If people weren't reacting to Barrowman, others would be shouting that it was evidence Natalie isn't liked.

He upset me, simple as that. If that's ridiculous, well, what the hell? I hope I'd have been as upset if he'd said that Abbey would be out in 2 weeks because nobody likes her and Ben didn't deserve to stay any longer because he was taking the chance away from 'good' dancers. (Which he presumably would have said if he'd danced with Iveta in the last Christmas show.) If I can't vent on here when something on ITT upsets me, what is the board for? People can at me with abandon, JB can say what he wants and so can I.

He didn't say Natalie is not liked. He said people had not warmed to her & even as someone who votes for her, I think he's right. Look at the vitriol on here and in the media about her dancing experience. Not once has another celeb on the show (and I mean both the main show as well as ITT) said anything nice about Natalie other than she is a great dancer. Nobody has mentioned being friends or that she's lovely - the kind of throw away comment we often hear.

He was asked for his opinion on the Friday panel, not Question Time, so he really does not have to justify what he says.

I think it is a 'Chris Hollins' year, just like it was last year when Denise didn't win, but Ben is not good enough to win. Neither are Mark, Patrick, Fiona & Dave. The winner will be Susanna, Ashley, Abbey or Sophie - probably Susanna or Ashley.

I know when Fiona avoided the bottom 2 & Abbey was there I actually posted on the spoiler thread 'can Fiona & Anton win this thing'. Fortunately the post was swept away in a tide of 'who the f**k is voting for Dave posts' so I can pretend I never said it out loud.

Doesn't he always?

I didn't see that, but I love your idea.

Thing is JT, he didn't say people didn't like Natalie personally, he said people preferred a journey contestant. He didn't sneer at Natalie the way he did at some of the male contestants (the dismissive shake of his head when names were mentioned).

However, the fact it is his comment about Natalie and not his dismissal of all the male contestants, bar the bare-chested one, that has people up in arms, does prove she is certainly popular with the DS crowd. So take heart from that

Meanwhile, I shall try not to let Abbey's drug abuse, serial cheating and incomprehensible chav-talk get in the way of my enjoyment of her dancing

ETA: I'm even getting to really like Susanna, despite the vitriol she receives on these forums

Yes, but in DOI he was eliminated after a dance off - with a contestant who was below him on the leader board and who was in the dance off that week for the third time of the trot.

To JB, JB was the ultimate shock boot. I think he is projecting

I seem to remember John Barrowman lifting the Christmas Star on Strictly. I think he has a very good idea of what Strictly is and how it works.

Yes, he beat an antiquated Lib Dem MP, a miserable impressionist who acted like a tit, Dot Cotton and Fern Britton. A formidable line-up of opponents.

If he has made a point of going on the net he will know there are people who do not like her/want her to win.

Or

Perhaps he has inside information? Does the production team know the voting figures?

Or

They get John to say that because they don't want it to look as if Natalie is going to win at this stage of the competition when clearly technically she is the best by a mile. If everyone said on the panel they thought Natalie will win that would sure
make her lose votes.

But he did, saying that the public were not warming to her and she was going in 2 weeks is the same thing imo. I dont know why people are saying otherwise. He does not have to justify what he says and of course he wont........ but neither do people responding to his unkind comments have to justify their comments on the matter of what he said.

He probably reads the forums (I would love to know which of her fervent detractors on here is him)and maybe thinks he is going with the tide because of all the negativity her appearance is attracting. But he does not know, nor do any of us the extent of her popularity outside of these forums.

What we do know is that of the lot remaining Abbey is the least popular as of last week....yes she will get a bounce this week and judging by all the positivity she has been recieving this week, the headlines etc etc I think she will once again be overmarked and overpraised no matter what her dance is like and I think that Abbey will top the leaderboard this week as it is pre ordained.

I also believe....and my belief is getting stronger that should Natalie prove to be unpopular and in the DO along with Abbey that it is almost certain that Abbey will be saved....regardless of the dancing.

Christmas special.
One dance.
The judges usually very egg-noggy mellow.
Studio audience vote only.

It's not-Strictly

If he goes on the net he will know that all the celebs have people who don't like them and don't want them to win

If the production team do know the voting stats, I can't think they would give than info out to a random member of the Friday panel?

How dare you John Barrowman is multi-talented - he can act, sing and dance to a fairly mediocre standard.

He didn't say she'd be being going tonight, he said she COULD be gone in 2 weeks.

It isn't the same, not at all. He did not say she wasn't liked.

I actually can't stand Barrowman, seriously dislike the guy.

Why bring Abbey up? Seriously?

He said he that he thought she'd be out either this week or next week.

Both sets of fans do it. I've heard nasty comments about both women on here.

why are Natalie's fans het up about what JB allegedly said or didn't say?
if anything, his alleged comments are more likely to help Natalie as her fans will make more of an effort to vote for her now just to prove JB wrong