Let's be honest. It's really time they dumped the Rumba

I'd vote for that.

I thought they wanted to do him in this week by giving him that dance now. Surprised they placed him so highly.

I think the order in which they each are given particular dances to do each week is far more potentially influential than the order in which they dance in each show, which seems to create much more angst on this forum.

*bump

Was just going to have a mini rant about bumping but I get it now

It's a tribute to Roger Hargreaves characters.

I do like Patrick but would want him to do well on merit not because he works on a soap which is on BBC and someone there wants him to win. I did rewatch the Rumba as I wasnt sure at first and imo he was better than Ashley.

You'd get no arguments from me, I cannot stand it whoever's dancing it.

Patrick is a better dancer than Ashley, especially in the Latin where it becomes far more obvious that his hips work in the correct way. Patrick has natural rhythm and musicality and has a pro who has made best use of his skills.

I agree, last week Patrick's Charleston was no way a better dance than others who scored lower! and it was the same this week..

Funny that both Patrick and Susanna work for the BBC though..

I think Ashley is a more engaging dancer although I do concede Patrick has good hip action. I also prefer Ashley and Ola's partnership.

Agree. Given that Patrick was in a dance off a while ago you would have thought if the BBC/Producers were desperate to shoe-horn him into the final that he would have been given the Rumba before now & not wait until the quarter finals.

In terms of crowd pleasing dances, a salsa is always going to beat a Rumbe hands down.

100% agree and combined with his tree like dancing in the Swingathon it makes you wonder ......

They're both mediocre and very dull. Deal with it

Agree 100%. The rhumba is the hardest dance for a male celebrity and never has the exciting moves that would catch the public's eye.
Check back on other dancer's marks for the rhumba.
Patrick is definitely the best male celebrity dancer.
Also I am NOT a great fan of Natalie who I have discovered had dance training, she is definitely over hyped.

I really like Patrick but didn't think he deserved a 10 for his rumba - there's no way it was perfect and he was very lucky to be second in the swingathon. Although I found it difficult to actually see what he was doing because I felt the camera hardly went to him or Sophie.

To my knowledge, the camera was too often on him (which is why most people agree that he was very bad). For me, it was Abbey who I couldn't spot (even after rewatching it).

I don't dislike Patrick, he seems a nice genuine sort of man. But a good dancer he is not IMO. I have been struggling right from the start to see what the judges fall over themselves to praise. And I just can't see it. Mark had much more natural rhythm than Patrick.

I love Patrick, he's someone who has steadily improved and became a real contender out of nowhere imo. I really liked his Rumba, I think it deserved 37 - Rumbas's with male celebrities can look really painful, but he pulled it off well.

But I agree about the Swingathon. Abbey and Patrick were a bit disappointing. And poor Ashley was robbed.

Yes me too, I just really dont get Patrick at all on the dance floor, he makes me wince tbh.

Well the judges are probably making up for the bias of the public who seem to be generally against Patrick. I think patrick is great with some of his dances among my favourites (Charleston, American Smooth and Salsa). BUT I do think that's what makes Strictly fun - there is no clear winner and a variety of opinions and favourites.

While he wasn't awful, he didn't appear to have the hip action that was being said he did (I still think he lacks in this area). And while he was a good support for Anya, he didn't do an awful lot of dancing himself (which is not his fault choreography wise obv). I know the Rumba is a dance to present the lady, just as the Paso is more to show the man, but the man in the former and the woman in the latter (as seen in Professional dances) can still dance alot more even if aren't the focus of the dance. So, Patrick, for me, still should have been given more to dance in that routine despite it being a Rumba (unless Anya gave him less for a reason). I'm sure other celeb males (that have had the capability) have danced more, so it's not impossible to show the men can still dance in this while also being a solid support. This routine certainly didn't do anything for me.

In my honest opinion Patrick did NOT deserve a 10 for his Rumba - his hip action was not that good - Darcey lost it when she gave him that 10 - I totally agree with what Stephen Mulhern said on the Friday Panel on ITT that I can't warm to Patrick at all - he comes across as quite conceited which I don't like - in that partnership I much prefer Anya over Patrick.

This is just my honest opinion though - you don't have to agree with me on it.

From Hayley

Yet Susanna was bottom of the leaderboard... Doesn't really support that conspiracy theory

I don't know if it's a difficult dance but very few male celebs it well, even my all time favourite contestant Mark had trouble with it, he actually was quite low on the scoreboard that week, luckily that was pre dance off days and he was popular enough to stay in.

Patrick had a decent stab at it but I don't think it was better than Louis' 60 seconds of it last year which Darcy marked lower.

I guess it depends on how they're defining "a hard dance". I think the rumba for a male celebrity is harder than for a female one. The male has to mostly stand still and present his female partner while still managing to look sultry and passionate and involved in the dance. Making decent shapes while not really moving at all I think is difficult for a lot of blokes.
The female celebrity in the rumba can get away with a lot of armography, some spins and turns and a bit of "sensual" gyrating.

I find it an utterly boring dance whoever's doing it and whether it's danced well or not. Even the acknowledged stars of it leave me cold.