This, essentially. I loved Chris and Ola's partnership, whereas Anita and Gleb's has none of the qualities that made me vote for Chris & Ola.

And the alternative that year was Ricky Whittle, who was good but left me cold, and I hadn't warmed to Natalie yet. The alternative this year is Jay & Aliona, both of whom I really like.

Hope you have a great time at the show.

A wonderfully heartfelt story - thanks for sharing (can't imagine it's the easiest thing to talk about).

Sorry about your loss and so nice to hear about HOW something like Strictly brought you and your Gran together during that time. Really does put any moaning and griping any of us have on here about the show in perspective.

Who are you looking forward to seeing when you go to the show?

I voted for every winner up to and including Chris and Ola - and haven't voted for the winner since.

Seriously though the series Chris and Ola won is the last one I really enjoyed. The following series is when the show lost a lot of its sparkle for me. I still watch every episode, but don't feel the same about it these days.

Yes I did . Team COLA BABY
I liked Ricky and yes he was the better dancer but I liked Cola routines more and I loved their chemistry and partnership

Yes Craig upping their Charleston by 2 points to give them a 40 was a real WTF moment. So contrived.

I do wonder sometimes how things would have worked out if Jade hadn't pulled out. She and Ian had really started to gain momentum when injury struck.


Likewise Buddy

The series after's when the revamp happened. We lost old pros, the Tesspit, got stairs, a tower, a new dancefloor and PROPS! Was never quite the same again.

Ditto.

And at the time I thought Ali Bastian was a drip and Brian was just too irritating, and yet now, it's their dances I watch back on YT. Love her Viennese Waltz, Charleston, Am Smooth and Samba.

Brian was a terrible old gurner, but his choreography was so classy.

I did, and I'm proud! I loved Chris and Ola's partnership. There was something much more likeable about him (and them) than the other finalists that year, imo. I was so happy when they won!
He did come in for a lot of flack from the judges, and he just took it on the chin.
I get a bit tired of seeing Chris knocked on the forum to this day, with people saying 'he wasn't the best dancer' etc, but I usually keep quiet of course. I watched their Charleston the other day after a while, and it still made me smile- I don't really care if people say it hasn't been the best.
But everyone likes who they like, don't they!

No, I voted for Ricky Whittle in the final , purely on account of him being by far the better dancer.

However though I could appreciate the quality of his dancing I didn't really warm to Ricky during series 7. Felt much the same about Ali Bastian - didn't dislike either of them, just felt a bit 'meh' about them personality wise.

I stopped watching for years after Ola and Chris's year (I loved them!) and only got hooked again after happening to catch Jay's jive this year.

Was Jade that popular? I can't remember her much but don't remember her being a public favourite or anything.

She landed in a surprise bottom 2 doing a Samba in a weird cobwebby dress! But after that, she and Ian seemed to go from strength to strength - and I remember people being really gutted not to see their Tango and seeing them pull out.. I think the series outcome would have been the same as the Team Cola thing took off quite early but Jade was more interesting than Ali and Ricky so she might have given them a run for their money. Certainly on the forum she and Ian were becoming more talked about.

I can't remember if I voted, but if I did I would have been voting for Ola to win, because I thought she did a brilliant job that year.

I was a big fan of Jade that year. She was a very different celeb - possibly the fittest ever pro or celeb on the show.
http://www.spokeo.com/Jade+Johnson+1...605008:7828901

It's hard to tell how popular Jade was after that bottom 2 (which wasn't helped by an old-style VT of her and Ian falling out badly then her sheepishly apologising the next day) but given that the second half of that series was marked with at least one couple falling to bits each week I think she probably could have made at least 4th place fairly easily.

Thanks for the link. I was a big fan of Jade and after she and Craig Kelly departed the series was rather dull. (NB Craig Kelly was entertaining for al the wrong reasons.)

On the matter of the OP: I never voted for Chris Hollins and was indifferent to him during the series. The fact that he won did not bother me as I disliked Ali Bastian and Ricky Whittle even though looking back Ricky was a fab dancer. The Hollins charleston leaves me cold.

I didn't vote for him, but had no isues with him taking the win.

I did loved him & Ola

I liked Chris & Ola (and Jade & Ian; such a pity when she got injured), but voted for Ricky & Natalie.

I did! I loved him, I love Ola and I loved their partnership. I still can watch that Charleston over and over...

Not that I actually voted (I don't live in mainland UK) but my favourite that year was Jade, and after she had to withdraw I didn't really care who won. It was between Chris, who had the personality but wasn't a great dancer, or either Ricky or Ali, who were good dancers but didn't have the personality. There was something missing for me with all three of them.




I think that was already clear in series 1 when Chris Parker not only got to the final but came in second!

BIB - ditto. I was absolutely gutted when she was injured (and so badly, at that. ) Ricky Whittle & Ali Bastian were excellent dancers but ineffably dull, I was still royally pissed off with the manoeuvring from the previous series that saw Austin dumped out of the competition, so Chris & Ola were a sort of protest vote. As a couple they had a brilliant rapport and genuinely looked like they were having a blast. It was a no brainer for me - Team Cola had to win.

Can't remember if I voted for them as I stopped voting after the first few series's but Chris and Ola were my favourites that year.

I voted for Chris. Didn't like Ricky & Ali was such a drip

Yes, I voted for him, I really liked his partnership with Ola, and I loved watching them dance.

I was also very glad when he won because I didn't like the other couples.

I loved Chris Hollins, he really embraced the spirit of SCD in the way that I think Jeremy Vine did. Chris & Ola were a great partnership and still love to watch their Charleston.
And Yes I did vote for him.

Awww ... what a lovely memory. I'm glad you can come here but of course .. it's not the same Sending hugs xx