I was wondering if the couple who dance the best have a chance of winning or is it just down to the public voting for their favourites? I hope the best dancers win otherwise it all seems a bit pointless really.

Any thoughts?

I agree. I was appalled that bloody Lisa Reilly got so far in the competition, just because the viewers found her 'entertaining.

I want the best dancers to win back over the years most best dancers have won overall. Kara was the best dancer and she won so I just hope natalie and artem win.

Gough? Hollins?

I think Abbey is better than Natalie because she's more 'with' her partner. She dances beautifully. Natalie and Artem both strutt their own stuff but are not together often enough. Both are prima donnas.

I honestly don't know. I think the "best dancer" is subjective. Last year I genuinely thought that Louis was the best dancer, looking back now with a little distance Denise was obviously the best dancer but I didn't enjoy her dances, so Louis was, for me, the best dancer at the time.

I think everyone looks for something different. Some look for the best technical dancer, some look for the person who has improved the most, some look for the one enjoying the experience the most and as far as I'm concerned, they're all valid.

And while you're told to vote for your favourite, I don't think the best dancer argument really applies.

When it actually comes to the final is it at the very end the judges' decision? Not sure.

Think viewers have their favourites, that may or may not be the best dancers, but they will vote for them anyway.

Well, let's rank them....

1.Natalie.... Never been anyone as good as her.

2. Sophie... Excellent ballroom and great body shape. Disappointing Latin.

3. Abbey... Excellent ballroom and great body shape. Not as 'good' at latin as Sophie.

4. Patrick.... Computer controlled.

5. Susanna Reid....Going backwards and cringeworthy to watch.

No, the viewers choose the winner in the final. The judges' scores don't count.

I have always thought the best man won. Kara was miles above everyone else, Aleshia same. The guy from McFly.. I have never seen a more perfect Argentinian Tango. I would now love for Abbey to win, she just goes out there and performs, without any drama and makes it look so easy, and she clearly loves being there

It's a mixture of both personality and good dancing.

Denise knocked spots off Louis and Kimberley last year - particularly in ballroom - and didn't win. Denise didn't connect with the audience despite being the best dancer. The judges score technique, viewers vote based on who their favourites are, for whatever reason. Judges scores are worth 50% as are viewer votes. Quite fair IMO.

The best dancer wins about half the time, I reckon.

Yeah, the public get it right...and that includes the Chris Hollins win

We have no idea what those who only vote in the final will decide for us on the night, but I doubt they will penalise Natalie for her 'previous; in the way I, for example, do. If she manages to perform a recognisable dance or two, then I think she will have way more chance of winning than most here think she does. She may also have the advantage of believing she isn't in the running and so will just go out and enjoy herself rather than get all nervy over the outcome.

If Abbey maintains her form and controls her nerves, I too would like her to win, but I still think she is more likely to place 2nd or 3rd (might be down to a 'hope for the best, expect the worse' thing that a lot of us have going on at this stage)..

Yes this is what they all should be aiming for: a bit of integrity. I really hope a good dancer wins.

It's a mixture with the public, and it's not really for anyone to tell them on what criteria they should vote, simply best dancer or whatever.

A few weeks ago I wanted Susanna to win, and I still like her. But for me she now has to back it up with some significantly better dances than recently.

Currently, my thoughts are I expect to vote for Abbey. I quite liked her from seeing her on TV before, but she has grown on me more. I think shs has grown on other folk too, who maybe originally just pigeonholed her as a model and WAG. And she can dance ! I can see little likelihood that I will vote for Natalie, even if she proves to be the "best" dancer in the final. I just don't warm to her ( I think most agree a perfectly legitimate phrase ! )

Oh dear... Quoting my own post. Oh well.

This is how they'll finish -

Sophie

Susanna Reid

Natalie

Abbey

Patrick is off next week.

Oh do you know them? Tell me more . What's that you say? You don't know them? Oh so what do you base your 'prima donna' statement on?

Is that your opinion that they are prima donnas I would be interested in any evidence you have to support that claim.

There's a dance off next week, Patrick is sure to be in it. If the judges are clever with their scores they can keep Natalie/Abbey safe and get rid of the pesky Susanna/Sophie, who we know are doing consistently well in the vote.

They sacrificed Gethin and Austin in a similar fashion.

Abbey has always been my fave, but I have rooted for Natalie because of the bitchiness given just because she is good.

And I voted for Chris Hollins,loved his charleston, and his showdance in the final was the best.

Oh, let's play the game of extreme judge manipulation ( which I really think is overegged by many ).

If they want rid of say Susanna or Sophie, they have to make them bottom on the leaderboard ( will quite probably not be difficult with Susanna ), next bottom Patrick ( just accept that they probably can't keep him out of the dance off ) and have Abbey and Natalie in the top 2 places to mitigate against the possible public vote ( though Natalie's in particular is a bit of a mystery ) and then hope the public vote order goes how they want it to.

However, I do think that how they all actually perfom will play a not insignificant part in the judges' votes ! And one can imagine that suggested order being a perfectly legitimate order on the night, eg. Abbey, Natalie, Sophie, Patrick, Susanna.

By finals time I vote for the best dancES on the night (by my own reaction and nothing more) - whether or not the best dancER ( a contentious term anyway) performs them.

I will vote for the person who has improved every week from week 1 so at this rate for me it will probably be Abbey. Natalie as good as she is has always been good and really hasn't improved. I want to see a journey.

Unfortunately the judges have little influence now. If some odd people want Susanna Reid in the final then she'll be there.

Fortunately Susanna Reid will not win though. This is a Sophie victory.

That's honourable of you. I acknowledge the best dances in my heart -- Denise last year, for example -- but vote like a lunatic for my favourites if they're still in the competition. And if my favourite's not in the final this year, then I probably won't vote. Just sit back and enjoy the show