There has been a couple of negative threads involving Abbey Clancey winning and I don't get it.

I thought she was brilliant - not a 100% on this but didn't she come from a non dancing background?

The thing I liked the most was that she was always introduced as being Peter Crouch's partner but the table turned and now it's Peter's turn to be introduced as Abbey Clancey's (the lady who won Strictly) partner.

Personally I was delighted for her.

For me, it was the (IMO) absurdly fake "lil ol' me, I'm so nervous, I'm so shy" when plastered over lads' mags wearing a bikini. I also thought she was ridiculously over marked by the judges (that bit isn't her fault I know).

I don't think that is strange, imo. Being in her comfort zone having your pic taken in your undies is completely different to the stress we all know they go through every week & having to perform week in week out in front of a few million people whilst being critiqued by the judges and the public.

I liked Abbey and I was glad that she won

I liked her as well. There is a tendency to be a culture of bullying on many online systems which often can go way too far. It usually focuses on women particularly if they are attractive, blonde and do not have a Southern accent. Many seem to think this means they must be thick and of course being a 'WAG' completes the set of things they can use to attack the person.

I really liked Abbey we got to see a different side to her, I think she genuinely was nervous because she was not use to performing in front of a live audience but Jay on the other hand is very clever & putting it on to get sympathy votes I hate to be sceptical but how can he be shaking & that nervous when he is use to doing that for a living performing in front of live audience's & aliona egging him on by hugging & holding his hand & asking him if he's alright every 5 seconds. I really hope he doesn't win team GG for me

ALL I'm going to say is that I'm glad that DS doesnt represent the GBP at large. I have seen nothing but love for her (outside of DS ) for the most part after she won and till this day .
I was even pleasantly surprised to see that she even came joint 2nd on the best strictly woman winner on ITT.
Thankfully the majority of opinion here about her doesn't always represent the public.

A lot of people here thought that Natalie should have won as she was " the best dancer " . Debatable; plus this show isnt a proper dance competition. People have to like you and your partnership as well.

BIB I agree that it seems a little odd that someone who performed to audiences of thousands gets so nervous about performing live in front of a much small audience. But you could say its because it's putting himself out there in a different way - dancing rather than singing. But then others would say he had the support of his group mates in The Wanted when he was singing, but he has Aliona with him on the dance floor so it's not like he's alone out there.

With Abbey she was a model not a performer so her experience of being in front of a live audience of any numbers was surely limited so it's natural to be nervous.

I don't know if Jay's putting it on or if Abbey was (or if both were fake or genuine). All I do know is I liked Abbey and was glad she won.

Abbey was genuinely nervous. Jay isn't putting an act on. I am always puzzled by this type of comment
Performing with his bandmates for years in front of a live audience is totally different than being suddenly on your own (it exposes you, nowhere to hide...at least with having 4 other people on stage, you can sometimes take a backseat; which he did a lot of times) ; and then dance in unison with another partner in front of millions of people.Partnering isnt easy.

Even seasoned performers like Jason Donovan, Daniel O Donell, ....got nervous; some people are just better at hiding it than others.

I don't necessarily have a huge vendetta against her, but she was just...so...bland.

To compare her with the other people in her final, you've got Sophie who had the best ever Charleston, Natalie who was clearly the best dancer by miles, and Susanna who was at least entertaining to watch.

But with Abbey, her ballroom was dull, her disco (sorry, salsa) was hugely overmarked and I didn't ever get the impression that she wanted to be there at all.

I didn't mind Abbey as a person, I just thought she was hugely overrated, in the same way I think Jay is this year.

The perfect 40 for her salsa was the epitome of "WTF?" moments, for me.

I'm with you two.


Not sure why you are speaking disparagingly about Jay in a thread about AC but do you also believe that Daniel O'Donnell was 'putting it on' when (in spite of the years of experience he had had) he claimed to be nervous?
Was D.O'D just looking for sympathy votes also in your view?

I liked her very much and enjoyed her dancing.

I appreciate how wonderful Natalie was, but her partnership withArtem left me cold. I need to believe in the partnership and A&A had a lovely one.

Wasn't a fan of either Susannah or Sophie.

"Debatable"?....No,not really,except by people trying to justify supporting another.

I only ever really noticed any negativity for her online, mainly this forum. When she was dancing most of my friends (in uni, work, housemates alike), liked her, fancied her or wanted to bed her, and that was even before they wanted her to win. The funny thing was lots of them, inc myself, was we were surprised we liked her, personality and dance wise. I'm really glad she's going to be on the Xmas show, and interesting to see how she pairs with Brendan. I don't personally sense any large negativity for her, even now. Threads, one or two here and there, don't point to a large enough mood of feeling for me.

I thought Abbey was skittish, with an element of that being due to nerves. I always thought she looked like someone who craved popularity or attention, but that's just my view.

I had no issues with her winning - She did so at the expense of the best dancer that series, and I pesume that's where some of the feelings come from.

I liked Abbey, but I think a lot of her dances were overmarked. I feel the same about Caroline - after a certain point, she could do no wrong and the judges just threw tens at her.

Abbey has done very little wrong, in my book. If anyone wants reasons why she isn't liked on the forums then it is probably going to be that Natalie was a better dancer and both Sophie and Susannah had a dedicated fan base. The people who post (repeatedly) on these forums seem to come in two types, the ones who admire the best dancing and the ones who fanatically support their favorites.

It didn't help that Abbey was continuously over marked after Blackpool and everyone loves to moan about the judges favorite.

This ^

I agree with this except the fact that Sophie was my 2nd favorite after Abbey

I think my problem with her started in Blackpool when she had gapping so big in her Quickstep that a Blackpool tram could have driven through it. Yet 3 of the judges gave her a 10. Craig was the only one who marked it correctly with a 7. I had even texted to my Mom that Len would not be happy with the gapping and yet he ignored it. It was at that point I knew she was the chosen one which was confirmed 2 weeks later when she got 40 for that Salsa!!! I just didn't like how she was anointed so early on as the winner. Of course that was the year I had no favourite in the final - having gone off Susanne with her smugness and not being particularly drawn to wither Natalie or Sophie!! That being said she did have a fabulous relationship with Aljaz which was nice to see.

And sometimes, they're both the same contestant ...

Congrats OP, you've started another Anti Abbey Clancey Thread

I'm just shocked anyone can still be surprised when an experienced reality show contestant does well .... in a reality show like SCD.

The current hand--wringing over Helen's apparently "early" exit just underlines that being an actor (with or without x years of dance theatre training) doesn't help a lot compared to the darker arts of being able to present yourself to a voting public.

....oh, I'm sure dance skills help a bit, too.

Pretty much how I feel, I'd lost interest by the final though and didn't see it. I knew Natalie wouldn't win and felt meh about the others. I had no strong feelings either way, but she was just one of those who wasn't as good as the judges were telling me she was and the "ohmenerves" was aggravating but she was just "there", sweet, nice but ultimately forgettable.