As Ben was dancing I said to my husband it looked as if he was messing up on purpose.

And during the final dance at the end she was hanging onto him and saying something (probably 'You get the AK47 and I'll get a garrote and we'll meet at the judges table in 30 seconds). He smiled and, I think patted her, but looked a bit uncomfortable then gestured for the others to come onto the dance floor as well.

I like Ben, think he's a really nice guy and there have been moments when he's moved well but mostly I really don't understand the marks he's been getting, particularly from Craig of all people. His jive was overmarked awfulness, last week three other guys did half the dance for him and this week was all cheese and lifting. Mark entertains and he may not have a bounce action but he still dances. I'd far sooner watch Mark than Ben. If Mark had been dancing against anyone other than Ben, I'd have said it was time for Mark to go but against Ben, I think they made the right decision.

Good 6th post in almost two years...

Craig is clearly super shallow hence the marks he was dishing out to Ben just so he could watch more of him week on week.

Ben was much like Fiona - accepted his fate as soon as his name was called and I think both he and Fiona made obvious mistakes in their dance off performances because of that which led to them being eliminated.

Mark and Ben were the weakest left but it was just that Ben made more errors.

So sad to see Ben go, what a sweet guy.

That is the biggest ovation that I can remember when a contestant left, and what a gracious loser.

I shall really miss him.

No Mark did not dance, he has never danced since the beginning of the competition, he cannot dance. He walks around in a robotic motion. He may be entertaining to some, popular with others but a dancer he is not, nor if he was here for 50 weeks, ever will be.

Spot on!

Lol you are so right. I can't understand the outrage, Ben went wrong so many times he looked like his heart wasn't in it. Kristina harps on about the fact that Ben started off with no dancing experience but to be honest he still hasn't got much more after 9 weeks.

It's not personal he seems like a nice bloke he just can't dance

For years viewers have moaned that the dance off was irrelevant and the judges always saved the best couple overall, except this year they are making viewers happy by actually judging based on the dance off. Well I suppose that's how it is meant to go.

Agreed.

The point is Mark could never do what Ben did, not in a million years. Disgusted. Mark should have gone long before this anyway.

I'm not saying Ben is a great dancer (he would be my pick to go next week) but from week one there HAS been improvement, unlike Mark who has barely progressed at all and simply lumbers about the floor and really should have gone a month ago.

Fair play to Mark though, it's not his fault if the judges keep putting him through, despite CRH best efforts to get rid of him, LOL.

Totally agree!

Shocking, really? It would have been shocking had Mark been saved over someone like Sophie or Patrick. But honestly, Ben is terrible. He's only lasted as long as he has because he's considered a "hunk", he's only very marginally better than Mark. He'd has have probably been voted off next week anyway.

Some people really need to get some perspective!

No one was more shocked than Mark - I like the guy but he should have gone tonight.

A cynic might think it suits the judges to have Mark as their get out of jail card in the dance off.

Agreed. If Mark had gone this week Ben would have gone next week......all that has happened is the order is different. In the grand scheme of things it really does not matter.

What? Lifting and walking? That's what most of Ben's part of the dance was. He danced far less than Mark this week.

Yes, I suspect that's what it is, but of course, just because Mark has been in three consecutive dance off's it doesn't mean he won't turn in a funny ("entertaining") routine next week and get through on the public vote leaving the judges to have to get rid of one of the better dancer.

I suspect that's why CRH has tried to get rid of him for past two weeks, LOL.

But she voted for Mark in the dance-off and also gave him one more point in the main show. She should be happy.

I was a Ben fan, but I think he and Kristina paid the price for playing the beefcake card one too many times. If he'd done a fully-dressed funnier Charleston a la Chris Hollins, he would have stayed.

I thought it was the right decision.

But surely it's a good result because next week if he's in the dance off again, a good dancer won't get thrown out.

I also agree with the judges decision. Ben's timing was awful in places, as well as his mistakes.

Mark will be leaving soon enough, but tonight he was the better dancer.

Agreed they over did the hunk thing, although this is Kristina who likes being naked herself so hardly a shock she would try and mask his lack of ability with sexiness.

But he wasn't tonight. Kristina will insist on putting those intricate lifts in. Iveta's been the sensible one.