I agree. Ray really CAN skate, anyone can see how much better than any of the others he is. He may not win simply because it IS a popularity contest in many ways, but win or lose he's still the best skater, the only one who can be compared to a professional.

My first post but had to come on and say I agree but from the voting tonight it looks like a popularity contest between Hayley and Beth...eek!

Beth can skate well, do big lifts move in time, and make nice lines.
Hayley can walk on toe-picks, pull theatre faces, move in time, and make nice lines.

It depends which of those you value higher, but if you watch the professionals dance, none of them pull faces like Hayley. I think the complexity of the steps matters more than the wideness of the smile.

Hayley maybe the better performer than Beth but she is definitely not the better skater

So far I haven't voted (or contributed to the DOI forum) but tonight's result has spurred me on to vote for Ray in future (assuming he retains his high standard, that is).

Agreed love Hayley and Dan's partnership.

Maybe ITV did this deliberately I will be voting for Ray like crazy next week to help make sure neither girl wins. Ray is head and shoulders above them. I voted twice tonight for Ray as knew Sam was a goner but assumed Ray was more or less safe. Next week is now a different story, I just dread my phone bill next month. REALLY hope Hayley does not win

The catty comments about Hayley on this forum is such hypocrisy based on the venom you gave for Jason.

Sorry but Hayley is much better than Beth. Beth can skate because that's all she can do. She cannot perform at all so just moves around the ice rink, she leaves me so cold..

That's my opinion anyway.

I think Hayley will win. Ray will pick up a surge of votes now so I expect him to come 2nd. It will all be VERY close though.

he is SO far above everyone else its crazy he was bottom two. He is Hayley and Beth combined. He has Hayley good performance and Beth's skating skills. I sooo hope he wins next week

I'm not sure Beth will beat Ray in the final. I think a lot of people will have voted like me tonight, after all we Brits love an underdog, esp. a talented underdog, as Beth clearly is. I think by next week Ray may be regarded as the underdog because of being in the skate off tonight.

But I didn't vote for Beth because of her being an underdog. I've followed this very talented girl since she was 10, and in a competition my daughter was in (different category), even then she outshone every other competitor, she was so talented. Now that doesn't make her any good at skating obviously, but knowing gymnastics as I do, I know how damned hard they have to work and be prepared to take criticism on the chin however good they are (trust me, Jason won't be phasing her). She will be applying the same determination to skating, and I can see she is. Ray is my favourite, but tonight I voted for Beth because I felt she was in the wrong place on the leader board and wanted to make sure she got into the right position. I knew if she was in the skate off she'd go, whereas Ray would stay. I think others will have done the same

I agree the hypocrisy on this forum makes me laugh . Hayley is a much better overall package than Beth IMO .

Not surprised to see Ray in bottom 2 cos just 4 couples left. Viewers would have simply thought he would be saved by the judges and the viewers combined votes so did not vote for him.

Ray should have won with Sam second and then Beth

in her routine that scored her 40 she touched the ice once what a joke. They dont mention transitions once in the comments (as there were none) However, on the comments from Beth's and Sam's they comment that they are looking at transitions. I was annoyed tonight from the second they scored 40 for a routine that didn't touch the ice when it is a competition named dancing on ice

To be fair that's hardly anyone's fault when the routine is FLYING! None of them did much on the ice. What Hayley did looked beautiful; what Beth did was trickier and impressive. Neither of course had much to do with the ice

Depends what you judge it on.

He looks most like a dancer - but he was one. He manages to dance on ice without us noticing the ice - which is a big achievement. He has a bigger range of dance styles than Hayley, and moves better.

Can he throw up big tricks - some. More than Hayley, but not as many as a Suzanne or some Kyran, or Beth can do, And he hasn't added many this series at all. Can he do big lifts - some. But, as tonight, he can't match the top females who can do routines with 3 or 4 lifts that are as difficult as the one big one he put up tonight.

Can he act - yes. Can he act better than Hayley - depends what you like and the routine. Can he act as well as Suzanne or Bonnie - probably not - but they are not there.

if you want a good dance routine, easy skating, no difficult lifts, and few tricks Hayley can match him with the right number. If you want a routine with more difficulty and multiple, bigger, tricks , acted less well by a non actor, Beth is the best left. If you want a journey story, somone doing new things, and who can do more of the professional's moves, Beth is she.

I'm hoping that ALL judges praise Beth and give her 10's next week, with no negative comments at all, so that people will just vote on who they think deserves to be called a champion based on the best skating and best performance (whoever that might be)

Well said - I wouldn't have tuned in either. As it is I'm nervous already fearing the wrong person may well win.

yes but Hayley did NOTHING Im a ray fan (not Beth) but even Beth did a lot more and was more deserving of a 40 than Hayley. She should have done a bit on ice to show that she can do the transitions like the other 3 did. She seemed to just fly in the air holding different positions. I have done a bit of ballet previously (not much so im no expert) but i could have held them positions. Hayley is dance trained so this will have been easy for her. The way I see it the show is dancing on ice not holding positions (admittedly good) flying in the air

Beth wont win the final against Ray. She is a good skater, but is no way better than Ray.

Tonight was a surprise I didn't expect Ray to be in the skate off, I can only assume that complacency,was the reasoning behind that.

Perhaps the voters who voted assumed that he was safe?. That plus Hayleys skate and the Beth support put him in trouble.

I would still be confident in that Ray will win, the votes will surge in for him.

Beth was probably the best female gymnast Britain has ever had but this is an ice dancing competition and she's done extremely well but no way is she in the same league as Ray.

Yes but being a world champion gymnast also helps Beths in the lifts and tricks. It's horses for courses. Ray is a dancer, Beth is a gymnast, Hayley is an actress/dancer so they all have an advantage but in different ways.

True, she grins and acts, IMO she doesn't even dance. So when people say she dances it makes me laugh. Beth dances, she skates OK she doesn't act. I get it she lacks performance but that all. Hayley lacks dancing as well as skating IMO.

I so agree with this. I have enjoyed watching Beth for many years as a gymnast but she is nowhere near Ray, well not yet anyway.