Mark is saved!!!

So happy! But I voted for the first time on Saturday, giving Mark the fifteen online votes. So sad he was in the dance off and I thought it was curtains when Mark was in the dance off. <--- tears of joy

I can't believe it either....he should have gone last week.

So so happy he was so much better in the dance off & Fiona was worse so right result. He expected to go so even more happy

Sorry SCD-O. Lovely man, but terrible jive technique. He should have gone.

So happy for Mark. I am sure he must have his most memorable birthday to date!

It's alright. I know Mark is not the best dancer. But he did give it all and Susanna mucked up big time. That is what dance off is all about.

Fifteen votes he come I only get five? Glad marks still in

I can't believe it and I'm fairly sure Mark couldn't either - he danced like he was convinced it was the last time, so would just have a ball, and he looked totally shocked as the last 3 judges gave their decisions. Iveta? Barely blinked. Love the cold, hard Lithuanian woman!

Mark is the first comedy contestant that I've actually "got" in 11 series, so I am over the moon!

I don't think I ever heard such massive applause for a dance off dance. The audience were wishing him well. He is not a great dancer but he is a great performer & given a choice I would watch Mark over at least 3 or 4 of those left & Definitely Fiona

Contrast this with some sedate clapping to the tentative lifts and mess-ups in Fiona mid dance. Maybe her heart wasn't in it any more? She admitted being a corlander, no wonder her training footage always looked semi-panic-lost.

Delighted Mark is through, he's been given the worst dance possible for the past three weeks, almost as if they were trying to make sure he'd be voted off.

Indeed. Noe surely must be given some ballroom dances since the past three weeks they were all latin numbers?!

I like him and have advocated for him since the early weeks. I do think he is better than many give him credit for - more than nice and funny. I am pleased he gets to do another week but I also think he was very, very lucky to be saved in that dance off. Personally if I had to call it on the dance off alone I would have given it to Fiona.

Susanna ????????????????????

Wishful thinking SCD?

Totally agree with this. He is not a great dancer, but he's a better dancer than either Fiona or Ben (IMO). He gets the timing, and he gets the feel of each dance, even if he doesn't (or can't) get all the other aspects of each dance. Plus I love the partnership between them and Iveta's bonkers choreography, so I was delighted that they out-danced Fiona and Anton.

Mark got my online votes this week.

I'd vote for him to replace the Ol' Dodderer

Haha! It's Fi!

May I be so bold as to venture an explanation for that Ray?

Mark isn't a comedy contestant in the way that say Dave and Anne Widdicome were. Neither of these two could dance and frankly didn't seem to be very bothered about learning. They traded on their comedy performances because it was all they had to do to win votes. Or to put it more charitably they were happy to play the fool for our entertainment. 'We' were laughing at them and eventually the joke got stale.

Mark actually has some ability. He has timing, rhythm and musicality and is lighter on his feet than many. His age, general fitness/agility and shape are against him and make him appear poorer than he is. Yesterday his kicks and flicks were lame (but on time) perhaps because the poor chap's knees are shot by the look of the strapping in rehearsals.

Many of the dances have included humourous elements but I don't feel he is the joke. Dance can and often should be playful and he and Iveta have brought that sense of wit in. But I feel we are invited to laugh with him not at him.

I suggest this might be why you get him and not the others.

What a lovely post , yes playful is what they can produce when not manipulated .

Mark danced that last dance as if it were to be his last dance and danced with heart and sole it was glorious and I loved him and ( Iveta for it).

I don't know how much further he can go but when he leaves I will miss him( and Iveta) and will remember him as a true gentleman and he will probably be a favorite of mine for a long time.