I hardly thought about Ben until he suddenly caught my eye in the crowd behind Tess when Abbey and Aljaz received their votes for the tango. Everybody is smiling and clapping but Ben maintains a stony expression throughout and when the votes come through he starts slowly rocking backwards and forwards in a very menacing way! Blimey, he looked threatening - as if he wanted to biff Abbey on the back of her head.

This is probably doing him an injustice (sorry, Ben) but I do find him creepy, especially when declaring he will run naked around the balconies over the dance floor if he gets a 10..EEEK!! (Personally, I don't like muscle-bound men, and I'm a trained artist used to drawing men in the buff.)

Unless he's acting, John Barrowman comes across as something of/a total @rse on anything he's on.

Yesterday evening was no different.

Right thread?

Are you joking about Ben's 'menace' by the way? He is the founder of an anti-bullying campaign. (He's also 50% deaf which may explain any slow reaction to conversation in noisy crowds.)

I agree with all what you say, Buddy.

I wad surprised he was so outspoken and he could have been more tactful, but he is there to give his opinion.

I brought Abbey up because we are discussing popularity, as she was in the bottom 2 last week it seemed pertinent to remind those that seem positive of the lack of Natalie's popularity that of those remaining we can only be sure of Abbey's as it stood last week.And it is exactly the same imo, if he had said that everyone seems to love her and she will be there until the end then it would be exactly the same as saying she was liked.

This sums up how hypocritical Barrowman was; wanting the muscle-bound clod-hopper to win nullified everything he had said previously. To give him the benefit of the doubt, he did look as though he couldn't remember ANY of the names except Ben's (for obvious reasons).

Oh, I didn't know that PM. Yes, I've obviously misinterpreted him. I didn't know he was partially deaf! Poor bloke. And I got the dance wrong, it was A&A's tango, where Ihe caught my eye. (That's what comes of posting and stopping to empty the washer..)

I wrote that on this thread because JB seems to think Ben will win. Well, good luck to him!

I actually agreed with a lot of what JB said, asides from Ben winning - don't see that happening. But that is simply because he voiced stuff I already thought myself. I absolutely cannot stand Dave, and have no love for either Abi or Natalie either. Natalie may well be good, but I don't enjoy watching her simply because it is like watching two professionals, I like to see people progress. And again, my personal opinion, I would be happy to see JB take over from Bruce, in fact, I would be over the moon. So I suppose now I will get slated for saying that, but it's just my opinion and I don't expect anybody to agree with it, I just figured as everybody else seems to be expressing theirs, I may as well join in

Chantal, I can't think when on DS I last heard someone change their view as generously as that! Hats off to you.

Your first sense was understandable though. He's a big bloke and it must be hard not to be physically imposing when you're that big.

(He started his anti-bullying campaign after his dad was killed trying to prevent an attack outside a nightclub.)

you get a dance off between Abbey and Natalie with abbey on form you never know

Abbey has never done a dance to the standard that Natalie has.

Ever.

So she'd have to have cracked it, Abbey's been on pretty much the same sort of level for well, since she started, she hasn't got better really.

Mind, that doesn't mean the judges won't over mark her, but there you go.

Natalie won't win remember the finals show is audience vote

You are quite right, I am voting for Natalie anyway, but I will certainly be giving her an extra couple of votes just to be on the safe side.

For all we know he could have been bluffing and is a big Natalie fan, and said what he did just to swing the votes her way.

Ben/Kristina are going to win, a man who resembles a Oak tree in the wind when he 'dances'.

Natalie's a great dancer, I for one hope to see her in the final. I also love Abbey and would like to see her in the final as well. Both are my favourites of this series and both are wonderful dancers.

Oh absolutely and that's the name of the game

An arse of a comment that Natalie will be voted out in two weeks.
I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't the winner though.

So far, Natalie has been better than Abbey, but she COULD slip up one week - and if it's the week that Abbey is bang on form, who knows what the outcome would be?

Could being the operative word of course.

There's really no need for the dig about the judges over-marking Abbey though.

True.

I thought John Barrowman made a right eejit of himself proclaiming she would be out in two weeks .
I think he sees Strictly through rose tinted/ obscured / blackout glasses in his quest to see Ben win .

I didnt agree with most of his comments. I do understand that the public like to see a 'journey' as Natalie has been great since the start that could mean people dont vote for her as much but there is no way she will be out in 2 weeks. She seems to have more support than Denise did last year, Abby is not that popular and Sophie has been struggling to do any 'wow' performances for the last couple of weeks. I think Natalie will have no problem getting into the final, I hope people dont just assume she is safe and not vote.
I cannot understand the love for Ben, some weeks he has barely moved on the dancefloor, he is getting a very easy time with the judges compared to some.

You know, what? You're so right. Don't know what's going on this year, but there seems to be so much anger and SCD snobbery on some of the threads. And a lot more and , and not enough .

Other threads are just the same (aside from the Spoiler thread) and I don't like, nor understand, it.

SCD is the one thing we all have in common, and rather than discussing it rationally and in good humour, it appears some posters are determined to cause bad feeling and be argumentative. People can challenge others without being aggressive.

It was shocking to pick her out, very nasty indeed.

I wonder did Barrowman have experience of ice-skating before he went on DOI?

Tonight is within 2 weeks.

I dont see anger here . I see conflicting views and people expressing them .

Bad form to quote yourself I know but, stage one complete...

Mwa ha ha.......