I guess you know that the idea was to demonstrate that Colin was sufficiently accomplished to dance by himself - ie unaided by a pro leading him.

Perhaps Erin's error was, in fact, to assume that the wider voting public would appreciate that.

I think as frankiecat says, those who were 'robbed' by just four people, aka the judges from progressing to the semi/final despite their undoubted popularity (more than the people they were up against) sticks in the craw more than those who won in the final. Kara managed very easily to win despite no DO in her series and I don't understand any need for one at least in the latter stages. The public should be allowed to choose who they want in the final, it's their show. Or it stands to reason that they will not be very interested in the final. The fury felt by Gethin fans who could not save him from the DO that year was mirrored by Austin fans a year later. What happened to Gethin 'was not quite cricket' as one FM said on here at the time. Alesha was a worthy winner but the Matt miraculous 40 waltz seemed a bit engineered to me.

They tried to turn Series 6 into a serious dancing competition. It just came across as very pretentious and up itself, certainly the panel did. There is a fine balance between a competition and entertainment, for me it's gone far too far to the entertainment side and frigging props and all a bit shallow to the detriment of learning ballroom technique. Probably series 5 was the last series with that fine balance.

Lilia taught Darren a professional standard waltz.

Aaaahh, Colin is a lovely guy and I think him and Zoe were better than Darren that year but he wasn't robbed, because the public choose and they chose the 'Journey' of Darren.

I didn't find it that impelling but lots of people are quite gullible, you can see from the TV shows that are popular on day time TV and the soaps. If they are watching and enjoying Phil and Hollie, Paul Ogrady and Eastenders you can't expect much in the way of discernment.

I am not gullible.

I preferred Lilia and Darren. I enjoyed them more. Personal taste.

Oh right,I never knew that; interesting and makes sense in that context.


Well I didn't get it at the time, maybe others did but just didn't care.
I think I quite enjoyed the routine if memory serves.

O.K. maybe I can live with that principle...to a point,but then the following year I have to leave the room when the public's current champ is trotted out as an example of "how good you could become"

I didn't realise at the time, either. It didn't matter to me what she was doing - Colin was head and shoulders above everyone else and I was STAGGERED when he didn't win.

How naive was I, eh?

In those good old days when we had a Monday ITT after the final with a winner's interview I remember Len being interviewed, and Claudia was saying the same thing about showing how Colin could dance on his own and he said something like 'yes but..I could do that with Craig honestly.' I think especially in those earlier series which wasn't the lifting free for all that it has become, the sense of disappointment that their showdance wasn't something spectacular with lifts, and really, the showdance was the only dance you could do lifts aside from the AS, was immense. Zoe and Ian did an excellent West Side Story showdance with lifts.

I don't recall the ITT (I was probably still on my way home from work at that time of night!) and I guess I was watching the whole shebang from a much less informed point of view in those days.

I don't think I had any specific expectations from the showdance - to me it was just a dance from something outside the strictures of the ten dances that were obligatory. To me, Colin was the best dancer, therefore he should have won.

I know better these days!!

It was the first year I watched. Only Colin's dancing could overcome my aversion to Bruce Forsyth. And like you, I assumed he'd win because he was THE BEST.

I didn't watch series 4 because I was still sulking.

I was having a double sulk because I'd wanted Denise to win the year before Colin - even though I really knew Jill 'Ringer' Halfpenny was better. OK, I didn't know she was a ringer, and I wouldn't have cared had I done so, but STILL......!!!! .

I watched series 4 nonetheless, and very glad I did.

Actually in these days with props being used for everybloodything...

It would probably get 40.

It's OK. I've got the gist of series 4 because Karen reminds us that SHE WON every time she opens her mouth. That poor baby that's on the way. Its bedtime stories are ready and waiting.

I wouldn't mind a bedtime story that included Mark Ramprakash.

Oh no! After raising my hopes that Colin's American Smooth (my favourite Strictly dance evah) was now on Youtube I find my hopes cruelly dashed. Although it may be a blessing if my fading memory of it has actually improved it far beyond the reality. Actually- no, that cannot be: that dance to Me & My Shadow must surely be the most joyous and classy dance ever seen on SCD.

It was gorgeous.

No, that was Rachel after votegate (still mad about that handy tie which broke the system).

Still looks good to me.

And, unbelievably, only one 10 for that from the judges.

Yes I did know that, I saw Erin say it on the show and she was right, he didn't need her to pull him around the dance floor as he could lead. I just think the whole concept missed the mark and she could of demonstrated his ability on his own in other ways.

I agree with what one of the judges said at the time, they were such a magical couple together that I felt robbed not seeing them partner up for the last time.

I thought she could of ditched the dolls after a bit of it and they could have partnered up again and she would have proved her point and showed off their amazing chemistry and partnership,

It made me cringe, especially when they kissed the dolls!

How would you know?


Mark Ramprakash? what's your bug there?
Or do you mean when Darren reappears as the holder ?


It's not naive to expect the best dancers to win and Zoe and Colin were clearly better than Darren.

The dance is marvellous and they look wonderful

That's 4 10's by rights.

[How would you know?]

Because I know my own opinion and preference. Which I have. The same as you have yours.

We'll I was making an amusing observation about how would a gullible person know they were gullible . I've no idea if you are or are not. This isn't about forum members,

But it is not opinion who is the best,

You may prefer one over another and that's your prerogative

But it's really simply a case of fact about who are the best rather than the favourite,

Darren was your choice , and the voters choice, but he certainly was not the best.

I never said he was the 'best.' Only that Colin and Zoe also had faults, and in Zoe's case re gapping, was not commented on by the judges at the time.

The 'best' is subjective. There are quite a few people who thought Matt Baker was the 'best' or Rachel Stevens or Chelsee Healey etc etc. They are not wrong any more than those who thought Kara was, or Tom, or Harry Judd etc etc. It's personal taste.

Bless those clips most of all for reminding me that even in those days of supposedly sensible song choices, Erin still choreographed a tango to a third-tier Geri Halliwell single.