Like him or not Jake I think is a bit of fresh air to Strictly. He's no dancing experience just a good old guy from the East End (cue Eastenders music). He made us go wow. Then dipped and dived. Then rose again. Unlike most of the others who you kind of knew what you would get from one week to the next (good or bad) at least Jakey boy leaves us hanging. Hoorah for someone fresh IMO

I love how he is the least Strictly celeb ever - he doesn't glitter or camp it up or go on about how life-changing it all is for him.

I love his show dances but his lack of technique at this stage is a tad

Hope he makes the final but wouldn't be surprised to see him out on his ass tomorrow

Yes he does act a good performance as a 'good old guy' with no 'dancing experience'!

Can you clarify what dancing experience he's had?

I agree with this. I love how Jake just gets on with the job; it clearly means a lot to him, but he shows it in a way that is quite different from the norm on these kind of shows. I think he's very cool and like him now more than I would have ever expected to.

Well I'm guessing that's because he just hasn't got into the dancing part of it and it isn't life changing for him. When Zoe talks to Janette about dancing, Jake just sits on the sofa next to her, staring at the floor, waiting for them to finish. That's not necessarily a reason to dislike him, but I'm not sure that being disinterested in what's going on is a reason to make him a champion.

He's great - honest and real, lovely, normal wife and kids, doesn't 'do the speil', laconic, the total opposite of 'reality star', a bit crap and then inspired and hilarious, has a go and sells it with everything he's got.

And oddly hot an' all.

Three cheers for you.

Glad you agree yaaayyyyy

Well I thinks a nice change to have a celeb that takes it for wat it us ie no falseness grins and back slaps. Just enjoying it

A bit of fresh air is probably what Jake needs. Every week Janette seems to spread her gusset in his face in another decency-defying splits move.

Spot on

I don't think he is disinterested at all - just a bit quiet and when it comes to discussing the dances, he prefers to let Janette do the talking as she obviously knows far more than he does.

Jake is great. Personally and as a contestant, I think he's well worth supporting. In principal. He says he's never had a dance lesson in his life (and I have no reason to disbelieve him - his lack of real technique, his natural rhythm, his performance, his terrible ballroom posture are all things that confirm his claim) but he appears to have natural ability, a great work ethic and remarkable performance skills. I also like "Jake - the man" too.

Unfortunately, I think his natural talent hasn't been exploited. At all. Arguably, his best dance (and certainly his most memorable) has been his salsa. Brilliant, unexpected week 2 dance which had everyone sitting up and going "Whoah, sh*t!" and taking this balding, formerly ginger unexpected sex symbol very seriously indeed. On further analysis, however, said salsa consisted mainly of Janette doing things that still don't look humanly possible while Jake wiggled his hips (quite well it must be said) a lot underneath her and caught her when she occasionally came back to earth. His samba (also vastly lauded), is very much his salsa - (-Blackpool hangover x10) - unexpected.

His ballroom is rubbish. Really rubbish. His tango (ignore his ballroom scores - in this case, they mean nothing. His American Smooth was bizarre) was his best ballroom dance. In week one. The rest have been a bit painful. His technique is pants. It's a shame. There is a real dancer in there with inbuilt performance. A great teacher would have a gift of a job. Unfortunately, Janette is not that teacher. She is not skilled enough herself in the Strictly dances (salsa aside) to teach a beginner. Jake has not improved much, if at all, under her tuition. He can shake his arse. He always could. He performs very well. He always did. His ballroom is hunched and stilted... ahem!

I'd quite like to support Jake. He probably is exactly what this show is about. Unfortunately, because I had such high hopes of him, his lack of improvement means I can't. Much as I would like to.

I really, really like Jake and am hoping he does really well tonight.

I like Mark but he uses forty words where one will do (as my old old Mum would have said) Jake just goes for the 'one word' and you sort of know it will never be that 'J' word.

I really want the boys to do well.

I like Janette's choreography for Jake, remember that dark waltz? Fabulous! She plays to his strengths and there hasn't been a lot of time for anything else doing full days on set at EE.

I feel a bit sorry for him really. He has a totally inept teacher, whose ballroom is actually below the standard of some previous celebrity females. Plus it boiled my piss on Saturday when she took credit for the charleston choreography.

I do think Jake is a nice enough chap though, but I don't want him to win.

I love his dry sense of humour, that clip last week when he said, completely deadpan, that their next dance was the Lindy-hop to Enter Sandman, brilliant!

Both Jake and Janette acknowledged the help they got with the choreography for the Charleston from a guy called 'Ryan' I think - on ITT Zoe asked about the lifts which I believe Janette said she was involved in.
I hope Jake makes the final as love him or hate him - everyone talks about him.
He is very entertaining - maybe not technically the best - makes no excuses and never seems to complain about all the work he has. I think Caroline will win as the momentum is with her but it would be nice to see a guy win this year - Jake or Simon

I like Jake, he is a nice guy and isn't taking things too seriously. He is a good dancer, but I think Caroline, Frankie and Simon are all ahead of him on that front. There are still issues for him and it will be interesting to see how he copes with no lifts. Hope he does well

Unfortunately his recent training videos show all too clearly how much he lacks in the dance department. They are pretty awful.

He needs to go tonight. There is only so much you can fake with gurning and your partner dancing around you.

I am sure he is a lovely man, but I find him dull and rather lacking in any kind of personality. He is just boring - but then I am not amused by someone who just ' a nice bloke' on a dance show. I need a little more committment and style and his appearances on ITT were abysmal. He contributes nothing. Time for him to go and bow out gracefully.

The VW training is ABYSMAL

Jake's vote is solid enough for him to make the final, no sweat. It's such a shame there is so little dance content in his routines; he'll make for a poor winner.

Here is hoping that Jake makes it to the finals and hopefully wins.

A no nonsense guy with a dark and twisted sense of humor, a great family man and the most incredible pair of hips the show has ever known.

Jake for the win.

Hahahahaaaaa! You jest! Surely. Incredible hips? He can't even do a cha cha move. He stomps about like a stick insect and is incapable of doing one single natural weight transfer.

Bless you. You are a good fan.

I hope he goes out tonight.

You're dead right as usual trev. It is terrible.

I find it hard to believe so many people have been fooled for so long about his dance ability. Nice guy etc, but no dancer. Judges have been very sneaky about his total lack of ability.

Such a shame some of the audience actually believe the hype when it is obviously not true.

Ah well. The famous glitter ball is plastic after all. No one will die.