I would go with Abbey and Susanna. Both keen to give the impression that they are 'just happy to be through to the next week' but I think in reality they are pretty keen to get their hands on the trophy. Shame it appears Sophie doesn't seem to have half their commitment.

I think at the end of the day many celebs just want to go to the finals. No one really bothers about the plastic glitter ball, except perhaps the pros. So in that respect, I think Artem, Brendan, Ola, Kevin, Aljaz, Anya and even Kristina must be eyeing for that trophy because it helps with their pro dancing career CV.

I wouldn't go as far as helps their pro dancing CV - but it does guarantee another year of work (unless like Camilla or Flavia the pros walk away voluntarily)

I'm never quite sure how one should judge 'wanting'. You don't even say 'wanting to win' OP, though I am assuming for the purposes of this that that is what you mean.

If you mean Natalie has the greatest visible ambition and the greatest motivation to get something out of SCD (i.e. little discernible other career prospects/fame) then that's one way of looking at it. The fact Natalie is a much better dancer doesn't automatically raise her desire to learn and learn well - I always got the impression that, for example, Dave and Rachel were incredibly keen learners. Does Natalie have the greatest desire to learn ballroom dancing? Does she really have the greatest desire to win the show? Who on earth knows?

Judging by the criteria you seem to be going on - ambition/motivation balance - I'd have put Ashley as almost on a par with Natalie. Do I think that really means he 'wants it the most'? No.

Oh I can think of plenty of celebs who wanted to win. Ricky Whittle didn't spend months demanding the voting figures be revealed because he wasn't bothered about a bit of plastic. Once you reach the final especially I can think of plenty of people who had that competitive gleam in their eye.

Really? Gosh, I think he's just smarting from the embarrassment that he lost to a loser of a dancer who gurned his way to the trophy.

Tricky to call, that one. If you do the maths, in 10 series I think only 3.5 of the current pros (Brendan, Ola, Artem and Aliona, who as we know was only reserve this series til Natalie got injured) have won the glitterball - and Aliona was only series champion two years ago.

Of the remaining winning pros, I think Darren and Lilia were ejected from the main pro mix without ceremony, while Karen, Camilla and Flavia left of their own accord. Not sure about Matthew's exact status.

By those figures it doesn't seem like an SCD victory is either a motivation for pros to hang around, or a guarantee that they'll be in work for a long time to come.

I said another year I don't think any pro has not appeared the series immediately after winning, unless they took themselves out?

I don't think winning the Glitterball means a job for life - although Brendan has managed 10 series on the back of his

Being the winner is just a hook for the pros, esp. if you are opening a dancing school.

Well, in that case, there is a defining equation related to 'greatest desire to win'. It goes something like Ambition x Actual Dance Talent x Physical Attractiveness / Prospect of Getting Another Job Without SCD Exposure.

Wanting it in the final is null and void because by then you're within an actual shout of it and wanting is pretty much expected

And Anton managed ten without it.

Some pros needed it somehow but more mysteriously some pros just didn't need to even try.

I feel we need to add "Chippiness" in there somewhere aka "The Dominic Littlewood Co-Efficient".

DOM (Ditry Old Man).

Of the celebs, I think Susanna is pretty keen on getting that glitterball trophy. And that's not a criticism, just an observation. I think she has a damn good shot at it too.

Of the pros Kristina is desperate for that elusive win. Very, very.

So...Ambition x Actual Dance Talent x Physical Attractiveness (- Chippiness)(- How Much The Producers Have It In For Your Pro Partner) / Prospect of Getting Another Job Without SCD Exposure?

I didn't know Ricky demanded the voting numbers. I think he might have regretted finding out & what good would it have one anyway he didn't win.

I think anyone who says they are not bothered about winning would be lying & any of them who have a reasonable chance of winning probably want too.

Of the celebs this year I think winning would be advantageous to the careers of Natalie, Abbey, Ashley & Patrick. I don't think that Susanna, Sophie or Ben want/need it for career purposes.

All the pros without exception want to lift that glitterball.

I think Aljaz doesn't particularly want to win. Or if he does win it will be just another title under his belt, that is all. For all his charisma and good looks he is really just a yes-man and will go wherever his girlfriend Janette wants - and she wants to get back to the US for defo. Her style of dancing is so frenetic, so American, I cannot see them staying another year.

Or maybe they will go on to Italy for a short while just for the recognition - but the US is their real home.

Personally, I so want him and Abbey to win. But his heart is not in it. The ultimate prize for him is in the USA!

So sad.

Why the need to mention Natalie in your title OP, why not just says 'who wants it most?'

I think Natalie suffers a bit from not being a particularly expressive person. She's not going to gush about how much she wants to stay like Susanna or Abbey but I think she shows her passion for dancing and her commitment to the show through the amount of time and effort she dedicates to it. I would say that she is genuinely interested in learning ballroom dancing as she could probably get away with doing a lot less training but she seems keen to learn and perfect the technique.

I'm not sure how much Strictly will improve her career prospects. It might raise her profile a bit (I had no idea who she was before Strictly - but then I don't watch Coronation Street) but if she's interested in showcasing her dance abilities in the hopes of moving into musical theatre then, given the health problems she's had in just 10 weeks of performing, I'm not sure many people would take the risk of casting her.

I think all the celebs want to win the glitterball, isnt that the point of going on the show? To become the Strictly Champion

I think they primarily do it to raise their profile. Winning is the icing on the cake IMO.

Don't get too precious, I don't think the OP in this case had axe to grind except she's the best dancer in this year's SCD.

You write like you know exactly that's was their intention!

Thinking back so far I'm fairly sure only Patrick has expressed a desire to win. At least without softening it with 20 "it'd be lovely to just make the final" and "whoever does it will deserve it though"s first.

I did recall that. And he even said his aim was to improve week on week so as to win. He's definitely doing that atm...