I always liked Dave. Rubbish dancer but a great tryer. But past couple of weeks he started to look surprised at his bad scores and likewise on ITT he seemed to have a much higher opinion of his dances than they merited. Started to become a bit of a diva. He was more entertaining when he was in on the joke so I rather went off him and happy he is now gone.

I totally agree. I said exactly the same thing to my mum the other day. I too quite liked him at the start but shades of Craig Kelly were staring to show.

He started as fun and full of enthusiasm, but as time went on, the more he argued with the judges the less I liked him.

What does shades of Craig Kelly mean? I don't remember his year very well!

I don't think he genuinely believed that he should be receiving higher scores or that his answering back to the judges was anything other than lighthearted. However, I did cringe at his repeated reference to Tess saying that his paso got the biggest standing ovation in Strictly history - a bit like Lisa Riley going on about her "famous cha cha cha" last year.

I think some of the assertions being made about Dave are just daft. He was just a very nice man doing something he enjoys doing, albeit ineptly, you could see he was trying very hard and working very hard. The fact that Karen was in tears says quite a lot to me, you don't often see the pro that upset.

I didn't see it that way - I just thought that he was a really nice guy and so he wasn't really prepared for the negativity of the judges. While Darcey is usually quite kind in what she says, Craig (obviously) and Bruno can be very catty and mean for Simon Cowell-esque reasons (making comments for soundbites/ratings/whatever), and even some of what Len says can be over the line.

I just thought that yes, Dave couldn't dance and had no natural rhythm, but he was trying his best, putting in the hours, and Karen wasn't treating him like a joke, she was actually putting in steps and he was learning to the best of his ability. Craig noted that this week which was nice. I understand that it would be boring if they all just said "ooo I liked that bit." but sometimes I think the cutting comments are harsh (Craig calling Alex Jones "sexless" springs to mind.)

I believe Dave just wanted recognition that he was trying. I think this was the same with Rachel. It was just a shame neither had any natural rhythm! I enjoyed both and will miss their sheer joy at being on the programme.

Just how it came across to me, but I really felt that when Dave looked fed up at the comments, he was doing that because he thought that was part of the panto nature of that part of the show. Like the crowd booing. I don't think the celebs are meant to act like they couldn't care what the judges say. By the time he got to Tess, he never seemed bothered by the comments, and if he was genuinely upset it would still be obvious then.

Yes, he is proud of his standing ovation, and I'd guess that Ben and Natalie have had bigger this year, let alone Louis's foot-stamping last year, which I think was the loudest I can remember. But let him be proud of his standing ovation it isn't taking anything from anyone. As long as he isn't saying he's the People's Champion, I don't mind.

I don't think the people who are less good at dancing should be constantly apologising for their existence. I don't want to watch that. Dave should be very proud of his time on the show. He's a nice man and he did his best.

I don't think he was a diva or arrogant. I just think that he tried really hard and felt he'd achieved something when, say, he moved forwards when he was supposed to move forwards. (And, given his lack of ability, he's right about that. Up to a point.)

Bless him, he never really grasped that there is a bit more to dancing than following the basic directions. So he never entirely understood how bad he was and got mildly grouchy when he couldn't see what he'd done wrong. To his understanding, if you don't actually completely mess up the routine, you've done well. Whether you've stamped through it or stepped gracefully was something beyond his understanding, I think.

I suspect that he sees other people doing a poor performance but still getting the standard '7' from Len and the same or almost as high from some of the other judges.

I also thought he had lost the plot, especially when he was arguing back at the judges that he'd done all the steps.. As if that was enough to make for a decent dance...:yawn:

But he seemed a bit more self aware on ITT tonight. I quite liked his analogy of going for your first driving lesson and being given a ferrari

Telling Zoe on ITT last night that he got the biggest standing ovation EVER on Strictly...tells you he was starting to believe his own hype.

How is that measured exactly.

I agree - to me he actually looked pretty gutted when Rachel was voted out and a bit guilty too. He I think tried to go and hug her - and I think her look said 'don't worry about it mate'.

I suspect that he was just having a bit of fun. Maybe even false bravado because he knows he is shit as a dancer. I liked him on Strictly for the first two weeks but then found his Strictly persona unbelievably boring like something off kiddy tv with a speaking to children voice to boot. His voice sounded more natural on the hairy bikers thing on the two occasions I've seen it. When it was rumoured that a hairy biker was in the offing I hoped it was the other one because he really does scrub up well

That's not what he said though, is it?

His words: "......they said we had one of the biggest standing ovations ...." .

He didn't make the claim, and I thought said it quite modestly, as though he couldn't quite believe it. A nice man, and I'm glad he had that moment to be proud of.

She was probably upset because, after the row with Ola, this was probably the last time she will be on SCD.

I really don't understand the mawkish reaction to Dave being voted off, he has been the worst dancer since the series started and his leaving was well overdue.

Anyone?

Google "Craig Kelly SCD", all will be revealed, including some not so memorable You Tube vids of his performances.

Craig was a well below average dancer (not as bad as Dave!) who week in week out met the judges' criticism with utter disbelief.

Flavia looked driven to distraction by the end of his stay in the competition.

I think she was fond of him and was enjoying herself - she's a relative noob and there were many who think that she didn't really gel with Nicky last year.

This.

I don't think he believed his own hype, I just think he felt he had done the dance well at his level (which I'm sure he knew was a low one) and looked a tad disappointed (as lots of contestants do sometimes, even the good ones) when the responses didn't quite match how things felt on the floor. It's not his fault as such, it's just the way it is sometimes. He can't help the way he feels it went, as neither can the judes or audience help the way they saw it (and hence felt it went).

I think Dave did well to get this far, and he can look back on his time on the show and be happy with it. He's been one of the very worst (or even the worst) dancer each show, so to just fall short of Blackpool is actually an achievement I think (for someone of his standard). The public didn't give him enough votes this time round to stay, and that's the way it is.

I don't think he "believed his own hype" at all. He seems like such a down to earth person.

Sorry, but I don't think his cooking programmes were up to much either, so maybe he should have stuck to his original day job and stayed in costume and makeup, sticking crystals on Julien.
Better than his potage julienne any road.

Dave was really trying and did improve granted not by mush but still improved yet his scores & comments never did. Bruno was particularly nasty on Saturday night. He wanted to get to Blackpool and was disappointed not to go.

Karen really got on with Dave hence the tears nothing to do with Ola at all and Kristina cried when John Sergent quit & he wasn't the best dancer was he but they got on really well as well.