When they stay in and the good dancers get eliminated

The thing is I'd rather watch a Rinder or an Ed, over a Danny or a Louise. Both have come in with no experience, are trying their hardest to improve and are incredibly entertaining in the process. You cheer for them when they succeed and you feel it when they fail.

In contrast Danny and Louise both came in with plenty of experience. Louise - singer/dancer in girl band and high enough standard to be a judge on SYTCD and Danny - Musical Theatre trained and 3 years in Wicked. They've both come in at a 8/9 standard already and kind of just stayed there. There's been no improvement and neither has done anything that's blown anyone away. Also they both come across as exceedingly bland. Yes in a real world dance competition they should obviously make the final...... but on a Saturday night entertainment show I'll take Ed and Rinder every time.

I think tonight's the night we say cheerio to Ed, although I was rather hoping that he'd make it to Blackpool.

I can't see any other two dancers who would likely be in tonight's dance off and stand a better chance than Ed of staying in the competition. It'll be interesting to see who the public do put into the dance off.

I'd like to ask the people blaming Katya for Ed's faults and saying that she should focus "on his strengths", where or what are those "strengths", because at the moment I just can't see any if I'm honest.

I think she thought that one of his strengths was doing lifts, which is why she chose a difficult one for him to do. However it spectacularly backfired, but she wasn't to know that if he really does perform better in rehearsal. Last night there was not a lot of foxtrot, but I think it is the only time I have had a real issue with her choreography. The paso choreography was ok (except she probably should have left the capework out).

Jo and Oti have been lucky this year, not just because their partners are good, but because by all accounts they actually perform better on the night than in rehearsals. It is much more usual for someone the peform down a level like Ed, and factoring that into the routine (i.e. deciding how demanding to make it) is quite difficult.

I wouldn't class Judge Rinder as a joke act. As for Ed, let him stay for Halloween then boot him.

at least his is trying and giving it everything he has

I would rather watch 100 Ed Balls than 1 Anne Widdecombe on the dance floor - she didn't even try, refused to learn steps and was basically just a pain in the arse, a pain in the arse that, for some reason, the great British Public continued to vote for

Chris Collins

Or even Chris Hollins.

TBF he never really went down the all out comedy route.

His paso to The Darkness skirted it pretty close...

Wasn't every dance though, which for me is the comedy route.

Well, this joke act thing is surely as much a product of the voting for Ed as it is for the show constructing his comic journey. I can sit and watch an awful dancer, but I won't vote for him or her because it just doesn't move me and I see no point wasting a vote on something that doesn't make me love dance. The first two dances tend to be fine as it helps that celeb break the dancing ice and connect very quickly to an audience (in a contrasting way that good dancers will), but then the problem after is the show and couple know what works for them and tend to stick with it till it wears thin Plenty will vote for say Ed (or types like him), which is fine, we all vote for what we want and should do, but I do feel sorry at times for 'joke' acts when their fans keep voting them and they feel obliged at times to keep playing the fool as that is their selling point/survival skill for staying in the show. Of course in fairness, some Ed fans may want to see a serious side, but it can be hard to break a mould, esp as even if you try and attempt to be serious it can still can out comical (if it tends to just be the way you dance and are and it's stuck in the minds of those automatically associating certain expectations of you).

There is also the argument that Ed (and types like him) at times may enjoy it as well as feel embarrassed by it, I'm sure there are contrasting feelings from the 'joke' acts. Ed does seems pretty enthusiastic and prob does want to be seen serious at times but things don't always come out intended and mistaken comedy occurs (like with the lift, it was prob meant to trump Greg and Natalie's as a showpiece, but just went wrong. If had gone right, there may have been the right type of praise for his attempts instead of what did come as a result of it going wrong).

I always saw Chris Hollins as the plucky trier and I was very pleased when he won.

Sick and tired of this. Every year we have the same arguments and some people STILL refuse to get it. The rules are to vote for your favorite dancer NOT vote for the best dancer. Once again, I reiterate your favorite dancer. . If I can't warm up to some of the best dancers ( Louise, Laura, Daisy, Ore ), it's my prerogative to vote for the Ed, Judge Rinder...... of the show the so called comedy contestants. Because guess what ? They're my favorites, I don't care if the best dancers I mentioned above get eliminated before them. That's just the way things are. It's annoying to have to justify these things every year 😐😐

I think both Ed and Rinder are safe purely because its the Halloween special next week and people are going to want to see what ludicrous costumes they are put in. Plus as the 'joke' acts (and I agree Rinder should not be there as he does she talent) they tend to stay in a few weeks longer than the mediocre dancers. For me I think its got to be Lesley and Greg tonight. Both had a bad night last night, Lesley more so, but right now Daisy or Louise might also find themselves in the bottom two.

I don't vote for Ed because he's the 'joke' act or because he's 'funny'. I vote for Ed because I like him, and because he's really trying. Personally, I prefer to vote for those who are actually learning to dance over those who can already dance really well and are just learning a new discipline, or refreshing stuff they used to know.

I vote for the dancers I like and enjoy watching the most. That's not necessarily the best dancers (in fact, it's usually not.) If everyone I really like goes then yes, I'll swap to voting for the best dancer if I just don't care who wins otherwise, but the show isn't as much fun for me if it gets to that stage.

People can go on about how I've no right to vote that way, that it's spoiling Strictly, and that it's a dance competition. I say nonsense, it's first and foremost an entertainment show or the public wouldn't be allowed to vote. Unless someone is trained in ballroom or latin then we've got no idea what to look for. Thus, I have every right to vote for the enthusiastic guy with the attractive eyes, or the feisty older lady who is giving it her all.

I've no idea how or why some people arrive at the logic that the shit dancers who are not improving are some how working hard or harder than anyone else. Is Ed working harder that Ore or Danny. I somehow doubt it, is he getting more credit for this perceived work?

Yes he is.

It's a nonsense line of thinking to justify a vote.

I haven't voted for Ed but must say his mask routine is one of my favourite dances this series. Enjoyed it much more than some of the meh yawn offerings from quite a few of the others- immediately forgotten. I also thought the bits of the AS in hold were good although that lift
I honestly think he has as much right to be there as anyone and certainly wouldn't equate him to Widdy or JS.

There is no point moaning about Ed...at the moment people are enjoying him...he will go...but only when the British voting public want him to go

^^^ This! Exactly.

I agree...if people are enjoying him then he has a right to be there.

Someone learning a new skill has to work harder than someone using an existing skill to do something slightly different.

I'll let you know. I'm looking forward to Ed's cha cha.

They really don't, The better dancers just have to work on more advanced moves and polishing them. I really don't think a professional dancer works less than a learner!

There's no correlation between a person's natural ability and their work rate. Working hard helps you fulfil your own potential but doesn't necessarily make you better than the guy next to you who has more natural ability. But it may tip the scales in some cases.