Very good and sensible post.

I don't understand why when some people ask legitimate questions (it's only human nature ) , they get accused of being Natalie detractors

The OP asked some questions and provided some arguments to her thought process but why immediately accuse her or him of being Anti-Natalie . I don't get it

Now you may not agree with the OP and that's totally fine (I'm not saying that I agree either ) but why do some people automatically assume that he or she has a vendetta against Natalie

She might be coming top of the DS Poll's which have 5000 odd voters but that is a tiny percentage of the overall voting demographic. Looking at comments from other forums, newspapers and the reaction she got tonight after the dance I don't think that she is all that popular. To me her recovery has been remarkable, even if she had an epidural to dance like that afterwards is well, brave or stupid.

And Susanna gets quite a bit of abuse on her too in fairness, as does Abbey, so it's not just Natalie that has these negative threads pop up. It seems she might be the DS favourite this year but I would be very surprised if she won.

As you might hazard a guess from my user name, I am an international athlete in Olympic lifting (Belg-O-Lift). We are generally crazy people and lift & live with all sorts of injuries on a regular basis, so what she is doing makes perfect sense to me. These are choices you make, and the long term outcome ends up on the basis of your choices. Even if several doctors advise you, you get varying opinions and ultimately have to make up your own mind as to what you will do.

I feel for her, having had a similar back issue in 2009 but I went about it a different way. I chose not to have injections and had to take more time off and then more recovery time at a lower power percentage, but I had the time** to make those choices. Note: I am still lifting almost five years later. She is dancing, but a lower energy level this week, trying to leverage it and make it go further.

She clearly loves it, and is making her own informed choices, so stop trying to second guess her or slam her for her own choices.

**Not much time, I had less than 3 months, had to negotiate a lot with the physios, but still won the gold in my category at the Euro Masters that May.
Last edited by BelgoLift : 17-11-2013 at 06:32

In that case I stand corrected. I wasn't trying to manipulate the facts but I have read that she was a professional dancer. Not on here, before you ask.

Well said.

It's like I said, you can find any amount of evidence to prove a point. You just have to look for it.

You are not seriously suggesting that Abbey and Susanna have had the same number of negative threads as Natalie? When I've nothing better to do I'll count them, but the really gross ones have been pulled, thank goodness.

Congratulations on winning the gold and for such a good sensible post

The only one coming close is Brendan.

Because Natalie is so much better than everyone else it occurs to me that the production team encourage her to magnify every physical problem, and exaggerate how difficult she is finding each new dance etc etc. I suspect this is necessary to stem the brick bats that will come her way if she and Artem just effortlessly weave their magic. You can't blame Natalie for being so good. She didn't choose herself for the show. Just sit back and enjoy it because it will be a long time before we see such class again.

I agree.

What I don't like is when they talk about the injury in the VTs and show themn going to see a doctor. This has happened quite a few times with injured celebs and pros. I don't want to see it! They have an injury, fair enough, but doctor's surgeries? No. We don't hear the doctor speak, just them sitting there looking at an X-ray or their notes. Pointless.

Then we get the dance and the injury stays in your head. So last night every time she bent her back I winced. It doesn't make for pleasant, relaxed viewing.

Agree.

I do worry about people getting so obsessed with how people manage physical limitations.

Mark clearly has bad knees. I just wonder if he is taking glucosamine (miracle worker for me). Yet I don't obsess about how his knees are holding up, as he clearly just gets on with things and does the best he can.

As someone who was on painkillers and having physio before becoming pregnant i would never ever risk my back to do things like that even if i did enjoy them.
Considering she was so ill as well why would you then go and do a jumpy dance routine? I am still wondering if she will have to do her Jive?

I'm a journalist and of the old fashioned kind that liked to have factual evidence and actually hold an interview with a person before printing their words

Well done on your gold I too have a back problem but am not a professional athelete or a dancer. I too have to be careful and with a bad back I do normal things a lower energy level. I started walking (not power walking) and find that has helped me a lot. I do go on fairly long walks my longest being 20 miles.

Gentle sex had me bedridden for a day or two at one time. I had to give it up



I think that's probably a reflection of your bias. All three girls have had negative topics made about them. The druggy, cheating, chav of a Scouser is probably the most offensive I have seen, but I am not measuring it - it's all unnecessary and only makes the posters who write those types of posts look bad, not the contestants.

I absolutely agree with you.

Unless she had miraculous surgery or very very strong painkillers, I cannot imagine anyone could do the gymnastics - or the back bend - she did. I know, I used to study ballet until my back got bad.

I don't really feel she has progressed - or had a journey to be honest. Natalie has admitted she had quite a bit of dance training in drama school. She is a good dancer but I really hope she doesn't win.

I love Artem's choreography.

If you've ever watched 'The Agony and the Ecstasy- a year with the English National Ballet' you'll have seen how common it is for dancers to 'dance through' an injury, even if it causes long term damage.

I'm no medical expert, but I can tell you that the air step at the end of the dance is incredibly easy, it's all kinetic energy, no effort required.

Well done to you. Keep up the good work. I do things too - I have found walking very beneficial, as is gentle stretching. My feet are terrible so can't walk much but better to walk 10 to 15 minutes a day than to sit for long periods.

What I find great about Mark is that he has NEVER mentioned it - I think Zoe brought it up on It Takes Two - but think it was after his interview - could be wrong though.

He didn't need to. It was plain to see by the knee braces clearly visible for the majority of his training clips. You can't see a bad back unless someone wears one of those dreadful old fashioned back braces so rarely used these days.

Thanks You too keep up the good work.

Natalie said in the interview with Tess after her dance that she had an epidural which would numb any pain she had in her back. She would therefore be able to function normally without any discomfort.

How long do these epidurals last? She had it three weeks ago now, didn't she?

She may have had another one or had another form of pain killer. It's totally possible to function near normally even with quite severe back pain if you are being treated for it.