I've watched since Series 1. I didn't get really invested in any particular couple, but then came Series 2 and Denise 'wozrobbed' Lewis, then Series 3 and Colin 'wozrobbed' Jackson, and the damned show's been winding me up and dominating my autumn weekends ever since.

I dearly wish today's Strictly bore a closer resemblance to those early series and I do happen to think that the Beeb need to reign in some of the trashier elements in the show like the bloody awful VT's and ghastly, discordant music which cheapen the show and will otherwise hasten the show's demise. I would be unrealistic to expect the show to return to what it was, but somebody please, please slap the production team around a bit and get a bit of discipline - and class - back.

Still love it, though.

I've been watching since series one. Still puzzles me what the judges are looking at sometimes.

Killer Killick JLC and a samba

Since 2011. My late mum watched part of the first ep but was disappointed it wasn't Come Dancing making a return so turned it off. I think she would have enjoyed it if she'd stuck with it.

since about half way through series two. don't remember much of that one except denise lewis who i thought was fabulous and it was her that got me hooked from then on in

Dipped in and out of S1 & S2. Was pretty devoted by S3.
By S4 as I had joined a little dance school and my teacher knew Darren the pro and had seen many others over the years, so had snippets of gossip from her.

What was it?

I have watched every series since the first plus Christmas specials etc.

Oh gosh yes. Whoever though that was a good idea?

Having said that he id a sort of in at the deep end programme where he entered a competition doing Paso Doble and I seem to remember he did alright in it.

Yes I think that dreadful Showdance lost him the title.
Been watching avidly since day one 😄

No, it really didn't
Voting all through the week themadays and the Dancing Wardrobe juggernout was huge.
Darren said, in his book I think it was, that he was so far ahead on votes that literally he could have done the dummy dance and still won.
It's nice to think that's what made the difference, but it didn't

I've always swum against the tide on that one. As we know, Erin's aim was to demonstrate that Colin was capable of dancing beautifully alone, and unaided by a pro pushing and shoving him around the floor. I think she achieved that and I never saw it as 'shock, horror OMG what is Erin doing. '. And he looked bloody lovely in tails, too.

I completely agree that Erin's routine worked for why she did it, unfortunately both judges and the public were expecting a spectacular routine with both of them together with big lifts etc

Colin Jackson was a beautiful dancer and that showdance demonstrated it perfectly but, even if him and Erin had turned out a "proper" showdance routine with both dancing as a pair, I still don't think they'd have beaten Darren and Lilia.

ETA: I also am more than willing to hold my hand up and say I'm glad Darren won, even though he wasn't the better dancer, simply because he was a brilliant example to be able to show the stereotypical blokey-type bloke who thought dancing was "for poofs" etc that actually, it's bloody hard work to get it right and it takes incredible fitness and strength.

Colin winning would have been great as well as he was also an athlete but he wasn't your down the pub with a pint a lager and a packet of crisps, type that Goughie was and who would be interested in looking at dancing in a different light.

Since Zoe, Darren and Colin.

Liked Zoe.

Bloody ADORED Colin.

From the very beginnings! I remember watching Series 1 sat on my kitchen worktop as the other half had some other rubbish on in the lounge, and the kitchen tv had a better reception than the lounge.

It was simpler, less affected, and an unbridled delight in those days, before the Beeb production teams suddenly thought the viewing public are stupid, and to treat every show as a pantomime.

That said, I still love it, and admire the celebs and the pros for doing it. I started reading DS threads about it about 6 years ago, and I'm still using the same iPad as I did then. I'm greyer, fatter and a bit grumpier, but I still love the anticipation of every new series, both on TV and on here.

Yes, I know Colin was apparently miles behind Goughie, etc etc, and I understand why people would have voted for him over Colin (the bloody Phillistines!!) Coughs.

As much as anything it's the knee jerk reaction to Erin's choreography for that showdance, with little if any recognition of what she was trying, and actually did achieve. It certainly still obtains on here. Hey ho.

Oh I totally get it, Colin was the better dancer and the judges should definitely have given credit where it was due for Erin's showdance. It wasn't a disaster or the reason why he lost and he did some absolutely beautiful dancing all through his time on the show.

That year I wanted Zoe to win, her and Ian were my favourite pair but she got stuck with the "judges' favourite" tag and a lot of people didn't like her previous laddish behaviour.

The thing I remember best about Zoe was when she was struck down with a heavy cold, and her being required to deliver the most bunged up, snotty, red nosed, oh my God I feel so sorry for myself interview. I went right off her. Harsh, but true

I'm not proud of it.

Since I was 7 so 10 years

I watched bits of series 1 and 2, the odd show here and there. Was a huge fan of Zoe and Ian in series 3. Watched series 4 but wasn't particularly invested. Then did not watch series 5 or 6 (which is a shame as they sound like they were good ones) and starting watching again in Chris Hollins' year and have been watching it since

The earliest series I remember is Series 5 when I was about 6 but I might have watched it before then. I don't remember Series 5 very well. I know I really liked Alesha and I got a bit overexcited when she won but I went right off her when she became a judge. But the first couple of series I watched I was more interested in trying to copy the dances (I remember falling over a lot) than listening to the judges and learning what the different dances were. I don't think I got into that side of things till Series 8 tho I always knew who I liked and always had an opinion on who should leave next.

When Tom Chambers won.
I wasn't a regular viewer and watched most of that series. Then I saw that showdance and realised how much I just enjoyed watching it and was entertained in a way that is the complete opposite of other reality tv shows. Even if it's fake and there's a ton of bitchiness backstage or behind the scenes (which we'll never know for sure tbh), it's one of those warm and fuzzy tv shows where everyone gets along and puts on the best show they can.

And that's a large part of why I hated it. The coded homophobia around Darren ("real man" and "masculine") vs Colin ("airy fairy" and "feminine") was horrible to watch for me. Good for the homophobic mouthbreathers in the audience that they can have a hero I guess, but when the show was actively closeting its gay male dancers at the time and has taken 14 years to cast an openly gay man as anything other than a comic turn to be laughed at, and was as recently as last year releasing press releases saying they wouldn't feature same-sex dancing because it's "a family show" then I don't see it as anything to celebrate at all.

Anyway, I started watching about halfway through series 1 woop woop

Since the very first series. Sue Judd, the original Costume stylist told me about this new series that she was involved in........ turned out to be Strictly. I have been hooked ever since. I don't post much but, oh my, do I read.

Since the beginning of Series 1. There's no other show that hooks me in every series like Strictly does.

Watched them all.

Not always avidly as I've lost interest at times (Chris hollins, Caroline flack years to name a couple)