I never saw Chris Hollins, but have heard it was a joke he won, he was terrible, etc etc.

Was he as bad as Ed Balls?

There's no comparison, Chris was a much better dancer.

Chris wasn't terrible by any stretch, just not as technically good as Ricky or Ali... or some of the others.

But then neither was Darren Gough who won.

Ed is improving though

He wasn't terrible, but he was up against a far better dancer, and he wasn't funny or likable like Ed. I couldn't believe it when he won.

Well Chris must have been likeable to have won

Well, yes, I suppose some people must have liked him, but it completely mystified me.

Just for comparisons sake this is the dance Chris did in Week 8 of his series. Although back then the poorer dancers had to actually be able to do a full routine in the appropriate genre, and couldn't bin 2/3 of it off for slapstick or LOL GANGNAM STYLE.

I wasn't a massive Chris fan at all, but there wasn't a single week up until the semi-finals where he was anywhere near the weakest dancer.

The Hollins year was a very strange series with a fittingly odd result in the final. Probably SCD's weakest year?

That said, there's absoluetly no comparison between Chris Hollins and Ed Balls.

Dance wise Chris was fractionally a better dancer than Ed is now. Chris was embarrassed lots of the time during his time on the show, so tried most of the time to dance in a way that was going to help lessen that feeling (like dancing more seriously when he could and not using a comedy crutch). He wasn't a great dancer by any stretch, but not the worst in that series either, and I don't think in persona or ability he and Ed are actually comparable.

Chris had the underdog tag as the comp went on and the popularity of his partnership with Ola became more apparent. They were the cute 'Hobbits', he called her 'Ola chops', they were underdogs against Natalie the 'new try hard pro' and Ricky the 'too good already arrogant up himself actor' and all the rest. Chris is a better dancer than Ed overall, and not all his dances with Ola were comedy themed, so he was a bit more varied in his approach. I think a lot of people still remember their Rumba, as felt quite touched by it despite him not dancing it amazingly (he did very little in the grand scheme of the dance) but I think it was more an emotional connection that won a lot of fans over to them if weren't fans already.

Chris was a dancer, not the best or most accomplished, far better than Ed could ever hope to be.

Chris could move his hips far more fluidly than Ed, whose hip movements remind me of Craig Kelly.

Chris was about the 6th best dancer in his series.

Ed is about the 16th best dancer in his series (out of 15).

Chris was a much better dancer.

:

I still think Chris & Ola's Charleston is the best I've seen on Strictly.

Yeah, it's worth noting, when comparing him to Ed Balls, that his Charleston got 5 tens in the final!

Chris was about 4th best in pure dancing ability in his series so he is often spoken as the worst winner but he was still pretty good overall.

He won because of his partnership with Ola, his lack of dance background, his personality and the fact that the better dancers that year all had their own different issues.

Chris Collins was a lower end of mediocre dancer. But he wasn't funny or entertaining and his choreography wasn't as witty as Eds. He's more comparable to Rinder than to Ed. Including in the way he tries to manipulate the audience and work the personality angle.

Chris was also 10 years or more younger than Ed, and a pretty accomplished sportsman. Not quibbling that he was not a better dancer, because he was, but we're not comparing like with like.

Ed is infinitely more entertaining than Chris could ever hope to be.

Re-watching that foxtrot, he's fairly comparable in his facial expressions as well!

I'd agree with that comparison, obviously without the campness. Chris could dance but there were at least two better dancers in what was a poor series. Ricky and Ali were miles ahead of everyone else but Ricky's court case lost him votes and Ali never seemed to connect with the public.

Three better dancers from my perspective. Ricky & Ali of course, but don't forget Jade Johnson who was lost to the competition through injury. She was improving at a rate of knots, and from my pov incredibly exciting to watch. I think she would have won.

I voted for Chris that year after Jade had gone and was really happy that he won. I'd be even happier to see Ed in the final, and if it were still a four person final I reckon there'd have been a chance that he could have made it. Not so sure now, but I do feel as if the known universe needs cheering up this year, and Ed has given many of us more than a little levity over the past few weeks. More to the point I've been laughing with him, not at him.

One thing's for sure, he'll be a Strictly legend for ever and a day.

What he said ^^

Chris Hollins could dance from the off, yes he wasn't polished or technically superior, but he danced and never played the fool with the exception of the Charleston which was choreographed to take advantage of his personality.
He also had a very endearing relationship with Ola.

Chris was a lot better a dancer, it was just when he got to the Q finals and it was like Ricky and Ali he was the weakest, I didn't think he was better than Lalia either

Ed has the Ann Widdicombe effect

You mean he induces projectile vomiting and an urge to throw things?

Harsh.