I have realised that of the things I really enjoy about Strictly each year is how my opinion of the different contestants changes as the series progresses and we 'get to know them' better. I often dont have a favourite until the last few weeks. Anyone else the same?

i never thought i would actually like Jeremy Vine on Strictly Come Dancing.

his dancing makes me smile all the time


i first wanted to like Peter Andre, but he's so annoying.


and i already know my Top 2: Jay and Georgia

Ones where my opinion has improved.
Jamelia, Jay, Jeremy, Ainsley, Anita, Daniel, Anthony.


Gone down.
Iwan, Peter.

Others about the same.

I don't really like Helen since the beginning - her voice, the way she reacts etc, but the last week's dance was so good, I felt respect towards her for remembering and executing difficult routines in a very professional way.
I still don't like her but I respect her now. She's good.
So that's a change I guess.

it was not the ideal Samba music, but she pulled it off.

and that's the same what i think about Georgia, she also hasn't got proper Tango music, but she manages to dance a really staccato and sharp Tango.

you're right, if you can dance those routines, with crappy music and dance really good, than you got real dance potential

At the beginning when I saw the line up of contestants I thought 'whatever'. However things have progressed!

Originally thought... / Now think.....

Jeremy Boring. / Good sport, funny, real trier, can laugh at self⬆️

Jay. Who? Poor aliona. / OMG Awesome jive sweet sweet person⬆️

Anita. Liked from start, esp WDYTYA / Good dancer, bit too earnest, ⬇️

Peter Is gonna do really well. Genuine. /. Not so good dancer. Not genuine ⬇️

And theres more!

I thought I would like Peter Andre - sadly I dont

Jeremy - oh dear, dad dancing - yes, he does dad dancing but I cant help but like him!

Anita - who? - like her dancing but find her *slightly* trying to hard
to be liked (if that makes sense)

Jay - who? - love him!

and what about Georgia for you?

i didn't know Georgia before strictly, but she's quite genuine and she really wants to learn how to dance

That's exactly the kind of thing I mean.

Liked Anita before, don't like her at all now, she annoys me, but I do like her dancing most of the time.

Didn't know who jay was - think he's fab now

No feelings about helen, don't like Trixie - like her dancing, still not too sure about her though.

Liked Jeremy before ( after his Frank n Furter he can do no wrong in my world!) love him now !!

Wasn't a big fan of Kellies - really starting to dislike her, but again - don't mind her dancing ( she gets a bye from me via Kevin !)

Never been too struck on Peter - or Jeanette, so nothing has changed there !

I didnt like Georgia before because i'd read she was difficult on corrie and got pushed to leave before she was sacked. But she seems really nice on strictly is trying hard and is good.

I thought id love jamelia but i really dont now, her resting bitchface gets right on my nerves and i dont think shes trying as hard as some of the others.

Jays been a revelation thought he was boring as hell but hes coming out of his shell and Anita didnt know anything about her before as dont watch countryfile but shes lovely and is undermaked loads (so is jay i think)

Kelly - Love her on EE but find her a little annoying - loud on SCD - great dancer though
Anita - Very good dancer - a little too ambitious - but look forward to her dances
Jay - Did not know him and expected little - Amazing dancer and comes across as a lovely guy
Georgia - I expected her to be good and look very pretty - very good dancer
Helen - Did not know her - warming a little to her now - very good dancer
Peter - Pretty much as I expected him to be - great performer
Carol - Sweet Lady
Jeremy - Much more fun than I expected him to be - enjoy his dances
Jamelia - Pretty much as I expected her to be
Katie - again didn't know her but appears to be a Lady and very graceful

couldn't agree more

When Strictly started, the only 3 I had never heard of before were Jay, Helen and Georgia. Now they are my top 3. I also like Jeremy.

I had also never expected to like "dreary" Daniel , but found him quite lovely.

With the advent of free voting, I don't have to think about who my favourites are. Generally I vote for the 3 best performances on the night in my estimation and my favourites just gradually emerge when I review who has persuaded me to vote for them the most over the course of the series.

So it's only really about now when I firm up on my favourite couples. Personality doesn't usually play a big part in it for me.

Jay was my biggest shock. Took one look at his big hair and thought no way...just some unknown boy band member whose career is over. By week 2 he was my favourite.

Jeremy. I thought he'd be an annoying posh guy who put in little or no effort. He's an absolute delight and has worked so hard.

I thought Kellie would be a disappointment, dance wise. But she's held her own.

I've found Anita more annoying than I expected.

I thought Peter would be a much better dancer. I get the impression that he nods a lot but doesn't listen.

I've not thought less of any of the celebs since they started.

I didn't particularly warm to Helen when the show started and nothing has changed there. I don't dislike her, but pretty much neutral towards her.

Annoyed at the favoritism that Peter Andre gets, but again haven't changed my opinion about him as a person either (like Helen, pretty neutral about him too).

The only change of opinion is with Jamelia....I didn't think I'd like her (going from the small bits I'd seen of her before SCD) but shes remained enthusiastic despite the setbacks and strikes me as quite a bubbly and warm person. Not a stand-out for me, but certainly nothing unlikeable from her.

Not a change in opinion, but the biggest surprise of the show for me was finding out about Jay having dance training in week 3. (found out on this forum) He was so nervous on the first night, I thought it was the first time he'd even seen a dancefloor and mentally put him in a different category to Helen and Anita (who I presumed must have had dance training!)

Kelly - Dont watch EE, but she seems a good sport
Anita - Only know her from the one show, but she is trying very hard and seems nice
Jay - do not know who he is still, but he seems a nice person and a great dancer
Georgia - I expected her to be an airhead, and she is! That accent is awful, poor girl.
Helen - Do not know her, she seemed a bit stuck up but she is getting looser
Peter - Thought i would like him, but his humble act is so very annoying
Carol - Liked her on the weather, still like her but she cannot dance at all!
Jamelia - Didnt know much about her, but she is very annoying - not as good as she wants to be
Katie - i didnt know much about her but she is fantastic - those legs!! my new role model
Kirsty - i thought she would be expecting to win, but she was useless and couldnt seem to accept that, a cry baby!
Iwan - what a complete and utter idiot he proved to be, a person i now actively dislike through the show

Liked Jay at the beginning, find he plays up the coyness now and that's not appealing.

I can see he'll be the Louis Smith of this series.

I like Jeremy and Jamelia more than I thought I would.
I dislike Peter and Kellie more than I thought I would.
I didn't know Jay at all but love him now.
I don't mind Anita and Katie but am not liking them as much as I once did.
Helen and Georgia I've always liked and still do.
Carol is a nice lady .. but not a comfortable dancer to watch.

Daniel I thought watching him would be a cringe fest but I was quite charmed by his self deprecating humour

Helen I don't watch CTMW and I thought she seemed quite ditzy on the opening night but I have really warmed to her

Georgia I thought she might be my favourite and was disappointed by how bland and forgettable she's turned out to be

Jeremy I expected him to be super annoying but he's actually a lovely guy

Spot on exactly the same as me. Every single one. Except I've always liked Jeremy

I used to like Jeremy but the uber cheese and hyper sell is turning me off him. He's upped his game and I'm not buying it.

I dislike Peter even more than I thought I would but there's been no big surprises from him. Just a tad slimier.

My feelings for Jamelia remain the same. I dislike her a lot and have done for years.

I didn't know Kellie but can't stand her on the show. So pushy and in your face. (she's also putting me off Kevin big time)

I didn't know Jay at all but now adore him to the point of obsession

I don't mind Katie but she doesn't register that much with me.

Anita has always come across as head girl material on shows I've seen her in and nothing's changed. Still that uber ambitious intensity that I dislike. Add vain Gleb to the mix and it's a couple I can't warm to at all.

Helen comes across as a little aloof but I like that. I'd be like that. I love her clothes so just enjoy watching her interviews. Her dancing I can take or leave.

Georgia is pleasant enough but I'm still influenced by Giovanni's intial sleazy dancing. I am warming to them a little. But I'd never vote for them.

Carol sets my teeth on edge. I'm not sure I buy the smarmy niceness. We hate watching her dance in our house and tend to chat during her bits.

My votes will ALWAYS go Jay's way. If he wasn't there I'd find it hard to find one to vote for. Possibly a few for Helen if she was up against Anita or Kellie. I know we wouldn't watch the show that religiously if Jay wasn't there.

before strictly, i didn't know Georgia either, and now she's my favourite


well the ones i don't like are Peter, Carol ( maybe a sweet lady, but there's something i don't like), Kellie ( her screaming ), Jamelia ( her giggling is annoying, and saying nobody votes for me, while some people did vote for her).

you're being honest, and maybe you can like Georgia after some more shows