As has been commented on previously, there has been a lot of marking up of contestants going on throughout this series to try and cover over the lead Natalie had on everyone else. Abbey benefitted from that early on.

Otherwise it would have looked like a one horse race ...

Just as the lessons Abbey is alleged to have had prior to Strictly. Or the proven ballroom lessons she had with Brendan when she was on Britain's Next Top Model.

I'd heard talk of the former - and she wouldn't have been the first if that's true - but not of the latter ...

Still quite different from Natalie's experience, though - and that difference showed.

She wasn't a quarter as experienced as Natalie, and like you say, it's alleged that she had lessons, not a proven fact.

Natalie's CV states she is 'highly skilled' in Cabaret Dancing, Contralto, Jazz Dancing, Latin American, Tap.

I'm not knocking her, I really enjoyed her dances tonight, but you really can't compare her and Abbey when it comes to any kind of training before the show.

All of the final 3 had something that could have been claimed was an 'advantage/disadvantage'. In Natalie's case I'm convinced the shadow of her persona in Corrie was hanging over her. In fact I've even seen someone saying she shouldn't win because of what she did to Tyrone!

I won't convince you Natalie would have been a very worthy winner of the Jill Hlafpenny range. As she came runner up it hardly matters. Nor will you convince me Abbey was the best dancer tonight.

It is true that Natalie's popularity went back up tonight & that is all that matters to me.

So there was no mass voting for all 4 finalists by their fans then? Even though I saw a lot of Nat's fans saying that they had topped up their mobiles and were ready to hit the redial button?

Fair play and justice, that's a laugh.

This. Watching Natalie dance has sometimes felt like watching a very good chartered accountant doing a really demanding piece of double-entry bookkeeping - on a technical level you can appreciate the skill being displayed, but it's not emotionally engaging, there's nothing that entertains, there's no sense of fun - it's just very good technique. Abbey and Susanna may not have been as good technically, but they were full of the joy of dance, and the passion - they made you understand what a much cleverer man than any of us are meant when he describing dancing as the vertical expression of a horizontal desire. Natalie never conveyed this, to her dancing was just another day at the office.

Everyone else could have done the same.

I know of one Sophie voter, voted 300 times.

Maybe that was because there was mass voting by Corrie fans, just like Abbey allegedly benefitted from the Premier league

If you read my comment you'll see I did say all 4 finalist's.

BIB. That's a great analogy

There would have been far more football fans voting against her rather for her. Not every fan is a Stoke supporter.

She has been better than Natalie throughout the series and is far more personable. She won on merit.

Natalie was a joy to watch. In my eyes she has won. Sorry Abbey was ok, not bad but not a patch on Natalie.

BIB

Well that seems to knock the theory of Abby having the 'journey' that the judges seem to have liked to shove down our throats

That's a very interesting point. I also don't agree- as some have suggested above that Natalie was over marked. I felt she was appropriately marked for her abilities. I can understand the frustration of dancing AGAINST someone with a professional dance background, but why devalue her because of it? Surely, the producers are to blame.

Abbey grew on me BUT I for one minute do not believe all the unassuming modesty act. I feel that she is very good at presenting herself in way that makes her endearing. That's a quality, not everyone can master.

I believe that Abbey and her partner portrayed the fun they were having -on the dance floor but I also feel that she was not as technically clean as Natalie yet was over marked. I feel that it's more of a popularity issue. In the case, Abbey wins hands down!

Well seeing as Abbey won, proves it was not about best dancer.

I think some very cruel things have been written about Natalie in these forums, undeservedly cruel. The people who have written them really ought to question their own attitudes before denigrating hers. The fact that she finished in the top three proves that she did have popular support, just not as much as Abbey and Aljaż. I don't buy the accusations of her having no connection with Artem either. She didn't fawn over him in the post-dance interviews, but I saw that as conducting herself with dignity. As for those idiots who cannot forgive her for what she did to Tyrone, grow up for Heaven's sake! That was a fictional character. All she did was play the part as it was supposed to be played.

Of course you're allowed to say it.

Do you think the public inquiry should be chaired by a high court judge or a senior civil servant?

I have to say I have been very critical of Natalie. I thought she was too good for the show to start with so there was no "journey" and I also thought she gave an immpression of loving herself too much when she danced and I still feel the same BUT credit where it's due, her last dance was excellent and I agree with Craig that Andreas vocals were fabulous.

And I thought she was on a journey. Abbey was my second fav but to make a statement like that does her case no good.

"Attack" him? Do me a favour and please stop yourself! You think as you are a Natalie (the professional dancer) fan it is fine for you and him to gang up on me??


Oh and by the way, he does not "say the truth" he disparages those who do. Anyway, what I've said all along has been proved right. THE GBP don't like a ringer and however beautifully Natalie danced she wasn't going to win. She hasn't, get over it.

Funny how, as the series went on, Natalie found it harder & harder to.....talk (look at me welling up'...) about her.....(make sure the camera gets the tears in my eyes now...) love of... (deep breath & swallow, then another little pause to get more camera time looking so deeply moved)... Strictly. (Brave smile to make sure they are on my side)

And yet, when she was on red button straight after the final she spoke of the show having a piece of her heart forever and not a problem! Not a sign of a tear! Funny that...

^^^

Exactly this. Her dancing was a joy to watch and she seemed very likeable. But I would never, ever vote for her. That is the truth not only for me but for a large number of other fans of the show. Twice in this thread I have been attacked by Natalie fans for saying so. I was attacked by them last weekend too. Fact is she has it on her CV that she is a dancer. I prefer to see someone actually learning to dance.

And to me that became more obvious than ever than last night as she finally took the dampers off and allowed herself to dance at her full ability. No wonder people have been feeling a lack of warmth and lack of chemistry when she's been having to dial herself down so far all this time so as not to make the gulf between her and the other celebs as obvious as it became last night.

My only discomfort with the "ringer" tag is that it does in my book require dishonesty and deception and Natalie is absolutely NOT guilty of that. The BBC though in selecting her for the contest...