I'm wildly inconsistent and have no principles when it comes to Strictly

I generally prefer good dancing and don't care about dirty ringahs...but I voted repeatedly for Team Cola and was delighted when they won. Conversely I'm struggling to "get" the appeal of Anita this year because IMO she doesn't dance well enough!

I spent 2013 supporting Sophie and wanted to see her Charleston again...then surprised myself by voting for Natalie in the final because she finally won me over.

I start every series telling myself I'm going to vote for the best dance regardless of who danced it...but by week 3/4 at the latest I've usually got a firm favourite who I end up giving at least one vote to each week.

I usually can't stand Komedy Kontestants...but I voted for Jeremy more than once this year.

Next year I'll probably find myself campaigning for more teapots...

I'm consistent inasmuch as I always like to see Aliona in short skirts.
The shorter the better.

I often find myself backing the lady with beautiful Ballroom who has to wait ages for 10s, if they ever appear (Cherie, Sophie, Sunetra-if-she'd-been-given-a-chance, Katie).

Me too Monsieur - love, love, love an elegant ballroom number. Not so keen on some of the mashups we get pretending to be ballroom. (Looking at the oompa pa pa pair last week). Hope Katie and Anton show us on Saturday just how gorgeous a beautiful ballroom dance can be. Fingers crossed.

Always vote for my favourite(s). No matter what

I usually pick my favourite in week one, and I never ever change, it is Jay and Aliona all the way this year.

I'm inconsistent in that I don't vote in every series. I have only voted in four series - for Ramps, Gethin, the occasional vote for Caroline, and now Jay.

I'm consistent in that I've never voted for anybody - and I've watched every series (and pretty much every show, only missed a couple out of the whole shebang).

i'm completely consistent.

i prefer better dancers (but not necessarily 'the best') and i never take against contestants based on real of imaginary aspects of their personal life / family life / history / employment or other random stuff totally irrelevant to strictly. i go by what i see on strictly and i'm surprised to find i'm fairly tolerant. at least in comparison to a lot of the board....

i consistently dislike anton. and i used to dislike artem. consistently. which is another example of my completely reasonable opinions.

I tend to support those who I think have formed great partnership and really get to enjoy the dancing side, and if they're great dancers, all the better. Couldn't give a stuff if someone if a dirty ringah just so long as I get enjoyment out of watching them.

Don't always vote, likely flounce off in a huff if I feel my favourite wozrobbed (that would be Austin ), and my favourite pairings have ranged from Chris and Ola, Michael and Natalie, Chelsee and Pasha, Gavin and Katya (possibly my favourite pairing ever, they live in a small cottage in Wales and bicker over the heating all day - in my head ) Mark and Iveta to Jay and Aliona this year. Not always the dancing, but pretty much always the partnership.

Oh, I'm totally consistent in my inconsistency
I've supported ringah's and Never Danced Befores equally - and I've not supported ringah's and Never Danced Befores just as equally.
Bottom line - previous experience not an issue but there has to be something else ... possibly the thing Mr Cowell is looking for on the other side ... both from the celeb and the partnership as a whole. The unexpected - like Chlesee and Pasha or Gavin and Katya are the best, though.

I'm afraid sometimes the Outside Strictly persona does have a bearing. Widdy, for example could have danced like Cyd Charisse and I'd have chewed my fingers off before using them to vote for her. Coming out and tritting a nice foxtrot would have never have been enough to balance out everything we disagreed about.

Its anyone with Aliona for me.

then partnership.

I not a fan of duffers or comedy contestants, even if they have a great partnership.

I do usually think my faves do produce some of the best dances so I think buying into a partnership helps you to enjoy the feel of a dance more, or believe the story. But I accept they aren't always technically the best (Matt, Abbey)

That's why I think it's partnership primarily,, because once I buy into the partnership, I buy into the performance.

Very consistent, being that I invariably start supporting my favourite Eastern European female pros and or sporty celebs then pick up on those who for one reason or another get a raw deal and eventually settle on the pairing who have a mix of imaginative choreo, improving celeb technique and music I like.

To sum up, it changes virtually every week.

Once I find a couple I like, I tend to stick to them, and they don't always have to be the best dancers. My favouritest couple evah is Michael and Nat.

I like people with a bit of spark and wit or self awareness, a good partnership and good dancing. I can support a duffer if I think they are doing their best. I don't like people who take themselves too seriously, whinge or have nothing interesting to say (across all media formats).

I've voted for Jay, Helen, Jeremy, Daniel, Jamelia and Katie so far this series.

I never vote so it's all about the dancing for me. As an ex dancer (who still dances for fun) that is actually all I care about. The ringah thing makes me laugh because, frankly, in the end, it's totally irrelevant.

If your personality sucks it won't save you to have great feet and a sweet face. You'll still be a pain in the proverbial. Mega egos/fakery and not having a sense of humour are killers as well

I love potential and I love people who work hard, fall in love with dance and then blossom. That is my favourite thing to watch - probably comes from having taught dance myself. I love to see progress and don't have much time for divas and whingers!

And then there are those who you love because you gradually see what kind of amazing person they are and their attitude wins you over (Jeremy, Jamelia, Louis).

BIB - that pretty much sums up how couples become my favourites. I've voted for Anita and Georgia all the way this series and will stick with them until the end. I rarely end up supporting the overwhelming favourite though. I tend to find myself rooting for the underdogs.

This pretty much sums up my attitude. However, having chosen my favourite couple I never vote for anyone else. And some years I have no favourite in the last few weeks and don't vote at all, last year being a case in point after Pixie went out.

No consistency or principles here! I like who I like, and I can rarely explain why, I just feel it. Favourites include Chelsee and Gavin, Mark Benton and Mark Ramprakash, and this year Jay. I like someone who is really trying, whether they're good or not, what seems like a partnership with the pro that works for both of them, and usually something vulnerable and/or endearing about them as well, that makes me feel like it matters to them. If someone makes me feel like it's just another job for them, whether that's because they work with choreographers all the time and can do all that's asked of them, or because it's just another promotional opportunity their agent talked them into and they have no real interest in dancing, then I might like them as people but I don't get invested in how well they do. (But of course those feelings are subjective - they're not necessarily true, they are how they make me feel.)

Hmmm...... Samba training.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAg0SSDWLlM

I'm consistent in that I support/vote for the people I enjoy seeing the most every series. Somebody will click with me and I'll stick with them. Never do any tactical voting or anything like that.

I'm inconsistent in that the people I enjoy seeing the most vary wildly. Sometimes, I like the best technical dancer and overlook grating personalities. Sometimes, a contestant's personality will strike a chord with me and I'll overlook disastrous technique.

This year, I'm liking Anita. And truly, the only reason for that is that I'd recently seen her on Who Do You Think You Are and admired the way she dealt with finding out about an absolutely horrific time for her family. Nothing to do with dancing at all - but I see everything she does through rose-tinted spectacles.

Other years, I've gone for the best technical dancer and seethed fury when popular but less able contestants were preferred by the dreadful British public.

Go figure!

Pretty consistent. Early in the series these days I spread my votes around even if I have a favourite. Then at a certain point switch to voting for my favourite, throwing a single vote elsewhere occasionally.

If my first impressions are negative, I try to give them the benefit of the doubt because I have been wrong in the past. Usually stick to my opinions, but can be persuaded by posters I respect.

NEVER support joke contestants (I don't consider Jeremy in that category).

NEVER vote for contestants with too much previous training - although how I define this is more of a gut feeling than a scientific calculation!

Didn't vote at all from Series 8 to Series 11.

Fantastic thread, thank you DeltaBlues.

I am quite fickle really. Before the series started I was going to vote for Peter. Then Jay did that jive and I voted for him, but then it didn't take long for me to love Helen - saw her on the Midwife and loved her ballroom. In a state of flux now trying to decide who gets my votes in the coming weeks. It's all about personality but having said that I want the best dancer to win. So yes, totally inconsistent.

Series 6 I'd vote every week for John Sergeant and Rachel Stevens - tells you all you need to know!

I rarely find myself supporting the absolute best i.e. the series ringer - not because I'm against them taking part, but like Nina Miscow was saying on ITT the other night, sometimes if they're just too polished from the start it's hard to invest in them.

The partnership is important, which is why I got sucked into Team Cola (arrghh!!) and why Alesha + Matt / Ramps + Karen were such amazing winners - they had fabulous chemistry.

I think it's fine to be 'inconsistent' as long as you're not telling the public off for voting through the 'weaker dancer' when you might have done the same yourself in previous series!

Not consistent at all. My favourite ever contestants are Kara and Rachel Stevens, but I also voted for Darren Gough and Chris Hollins. With Rachel I enjoyed her dancing so I didn't mind that all she said was 'amazing' etc. but for some reason with Georgia that does bother me so I don't really enjoy her. With Darren and Chris I liked their partnerships so I could enjoy their dances without focusing on their technical faults. The same with Katie this year - I know she is not that good technically but I like her and Anton so I can still enjoy their dances. Conversely, I don't like Anita or her partnership with Gleb, so all I see when she dances are technical faults.

I don't mind previous training but if they're too stage school polished like Natalie G/Pixie I don't find them that interesting. I have no problem with comedy contestants unless they start believing their own hype. Couldn't stand Lisa Riley but really liked Alison. I can be less inclined to like someone because of their personality outside the show, but can also change my mind - I really expected to dislike Jamelia this year because of the Bear Grylls show, but ended up liking her a lot. I also found Kellie a bit annoying at the start of the series but from her samba onwards she has really grown on me and I'd like her in the final now.