I didn't think I would be saying this, but I think Susanna has to be a pretty good contender to the title.
She is well known to lots of people and she is quite a personality and I like Kevin from Grimsby.
Ashley too.....dark horse

I'm amazed that Su and Kev are topping the poll .

I picked Abbey/Aljaz .

I voted Abbey and Aljaz because that is who I want to win but it could be any of them tbh (bar Mark because I think he will be eliminated this weekend)

BIB - well, that didn't work, did it?

I'd say the producers are pushing Natalie above everyone else. The judges are scoring so highly that she'a almost guaranteed a place in the final. But I suspect she may have the DVO/Bunton factor going against her.

Both Abby and Patrick have appeared in the dance-off previously - which could make their position shaky. Ashley is a dark horse on paper, but Hollyoaks' executive producer clearly won't make any allowances with his workload, and I suspect he could go the same way as Scott Maslen.

I think a lot will be revealed by who Mark is in the dance-off against this weekend ...

It's because the thread is 'who do you think will win' not 'who do you want to win.'

I voted for Susanna and Kevin because I think they have a great chance of winning - the momentum seems to be behind them - they're not my choice to win - I'd like either Mark or Patrick to win but I don't think that's going to happen in a million years. I wouldn't mind Sophie winning too but I doubt she will either.

I think Susanna or Sophie.

BIB - Sophie seems to have quite strong public support given that she's yet to pop up in the dance-off, which is interesting given that her music career has hardly sparkled for quite a while now ... which, of course, is probably the reason she's doing Strictly in the first place.

Well I hope that support sees her into the final - I just get the feeling that the producers/judges don't want Sophie as the eventual winner. As said earlier she probably needs another breakthrough dance like her charleston for her to be seen as a contender again. I'm not sure she's that bothered about winning tbh - she seems quite laid back lol, but whatever happens I think she's achieved what she set out to which is raise her profile/ gain publicity for her forthcoming album.

I wouldn't mind Natalie winning - but because of the controversy surrounding her I don't think she will either - almost certain she'll be in the finals though

I think it's highly likely we'll have a female winner, I've always thought it from the moment the line up was revealed. As you said earlier I think Ashely's work schedule will work against him. Patrick, Abbey and Mark unlikely because of being in the bottom 2.

I know she has her detractors but just think Susanna looks like the least contentious winner - she's not my ideal winner. I think she's a female Chris Hollins but I can see her and Kevin appealing to a broad cross section of voters.

I voted Susanna because she and Kevin seem to have the momentum behind them. Having said that, and while I think she'll have a very good week with the Quickstep, always a vote winning dance, she has got the rumba, the salsa and the AT to come, all of which won't, imo, be easy for her. I think everyone is so even that an awful lot will be who gets which dance on which night.

One thing that unites all the winners dating back to Jill is that their fanbase has been able to ramp themselves up into a voting frenzy over the fact that they're somehow voting to overcome "injustice". Darren never got the recognition he deserved because he was a bloke. Mark was the victim of the judges bias towards Emma Bunton. Alesha was undeservedly in the bottom 2 because of silly women voting for Matt Di Angelo. Tom was the underdog because the judges were in love with Rachel and Lisa. The mean judges just didn't understand that "love of dance" was just as important as technical merit and that Chris was in fact actually somehow a better dancer than everyone else. How DARE the judges mark down Artem/Aliona's amazing avant-garde choreography that they're just too dumb to get! Poor Louis, why is Craig being so mean to him just because he's not a hoofer like Lisa Riley?

Sophie has that. Susanna had it for a bit when people were nuclear-force whining that her waltz should have got 10s, but it's dissipated a bit. None of the other have it and barring something dramatic happening before the final, nobody else will get it. It's between those two IMO, unless a "poor Ashley, having to hold down a job and dance" movement starts up.

Hmm I think Susanna/Kevin have the best chance of winning but it could still change within the next few weeks.

Just too hard to call,,,,which i like

Good points but doesn't that mean Natalie has a great chance of winning as some of the public/media have been less than complimentary? Or is it only if the supposed injustice is on the show?

I don't think enough people follow the media/messageboards to make a difference to be honest. If she's in the bottom 2 before the final some people will probably get a bit huffy over "the best dancer not winning", but it'll be swamped by "see? NOBODY LIKES HER" unless there's a Matt Di Angelo sort of situation to mitigate it.

I want Abbey to win but my money would be on Ashley. I find Susannah a bit too 'jolly hockey sticks' and Natalie is good but smug beyond belief.

(Right double check as a new poster, I didn't tell anyone what to do etc. Got to keep DR happy)

I think Susanna or Patrick.

I don't think she's good enough to win (technically) but she seems to be talked a lot about as a favourite in media so she must be more popular than I've ever realised. I never thought the sexy BBC presenter tag was serious, but people around me have said it more since she's been on the show, so her popularity is actually seemingly quite real.

These two aren't who I personally want to win (not unless they impress me more, which goes for some of the others too, to be fair).

BIB is the reason I don't think she'll win,I'd like it to be Sophie but it will probably be Susanna and Kevin lifting the glitterball. .

Because the way the voting changes for the final it is still very hard to say who will win one way or another.

For forum/blog users Natalie seems to have been written off, much the way Denise was last year & look how that changed.

I think it will be Susanna and Kevin. It's quite hard to predict though. I can't remember any other year where we've had as many as six people who are all really good, and all still here at this stage.

I hope Susanna doesn't win, as she'd be unbearable.

She didn't win and possibly finished third, just ahead of a girl who stank up the final harder than a cheese-fart? Even if she finished 2nd surely there's nobody who doesn't think Louis completely obliterated her in the final vote?

I can see a Susanna/Sophie final two and as they couldn't be further apart stylistically it will be interesting to see who the GBP go for at the end.

Louis won from about week 2. Don't think the result is quite so clear cut this year.

I would like to see Susanna and Kevin win this year. I hope she doesn't have to do any dances that may expose her weaknesses, ie poor technique, lack of good feet and leg action, Rumba and CCC again.They have an amazing partnership awareness, floor personality and charisma.

Well, with the judges it has been pretty clearly Natalie. I though have the same feeling as many that she hasn't really connected well enough wih the public to ultimately win.

As to who will win, I suspect Susanna, the final 3 being Susanna, Natalie and a bloke ( very likely Ashley, but I woudn't discount Patrick ).