Oh for heaven's sake, he's outright good entertainment, and this is what this show is supposed to be about isn't it? Yes, some decent dancers have gone, but imo none that were in any danger of winning...possibly Daisy, but let's face it, there can only be one winner. As soon as Ed gets into that dance off, he's a goner and we know it, and it's not like the X factor where the comedy/bad act has a given vote by their mentor, and should it go to deadlock, it's down to the good old GP. The strictly judges will vote for the best dancer, and should one of them go "off piste" Len, as head judge will have the casting vote!

My advice to Ed is stick to your guns, and don't you dare quit! At the end of the day a good dancer will win, and hey, if the best dancer doesn't win, does it really matter? Again, I'm gonna compare the show to the X Factor, -someone's life isn't gonna change if they win or lose, after strictly has finished, is it likely that Danny Mac, or Judge Rinder is going to give up the day job and try and cut it as a professional dancer? No! Is it likely that they'll continue dancing as a hobby? possibly, but more than likely not I'd guess!

If Ed gets voted out, or quits - I think the final stages of strictly will lose a massive chunk (sorry Ed) of it's entertainment value!

If that is the case then Danny & Louise who had an unfair advantage before the show started should resign too. At least Ed started at the begining instead of starting dancing like a PRO

LOL! Just because Danny and Louise have *some* dance experiance doesn't mean they are Pro's.

Ed's had a good run but he is the weakest "dancer" left by a very large margin and should leave the show (hopefully by public vote at the weekend)

HERE WE GO AGAIN - some people don't like the result of a vote - so what we have to do is change the rules and keep having votes and petitions till they get the result they want -- somehow i seem to have de-ja-vu

GO ED _ go win it now so it gives even more for people to complain about

ED FOR THE WIN

He should leave the show only when the public want him to and put him in the bottom two. I've said before that I predict it will be the rumba (can't see him doing a romantic dance) or the Argentine tango (won't be sharp enough moves) that ill see him there.

Why shouldn't the weakest dancer win anyway - it's not a dancing competition. If it was he wouldn't be on it in the first place. It's an entertainment show based around dancing so the best entertainer should win.

I do wish the tabloids would get their headlines right. It shouldn't be "Strictly fans want Ed to go" but "Some Strictly fans think Ed should go". That's the truth.

So much this. As the Guardian liveblogger wrote on Saturday, "Ed Balls is basically the saviour of 2016, which is not a sentence I ever expected to type".

Because were Ed Balls to actually win it would an epoch defining moment that I think could damage the SCD brand irrecovably.

Yes, it's an entertainment show based around dance BUT in nearly all past years the public have generally removed the worst dancers by the final stages leaving the strongest field possible for the final.

If that was to be broken this year and Ed went on to win I think it would ultimately prove very, very damaging. It would basically trash the Strictly brand, similar to what's happened to X-Factor in the past few years.

Hopefully you are right and he'll be out by the public vote shortly. But if not and it looks like he might actually win he needs to do the decent thing - As a politician I'm sure he'll know this.

Some excellent points there. You hit the nail on the head for me especially given that Ive only a fairly rudimentary knowledge of dance technique etc. The show's magic and pull does combine technique with entertainment value and Ed Balls reflects that somewhat - Katya's choreography has been stunning in itself and Ive been astonished the fun way Ed B has coped with some of its complexities. I was never a fan of his before the show but fair do's, people obviously vote because they like the way hes got stuck in and made them smile. Why should he quit if people take the trouble to vote to keep him in ?

Quite. If they want it to be a pure dance competition they shouldn't put total beginners on it in the first place. Since they do, there's no reason a plucky beginner who improves and entertains should be any less worthy of winning than someone who was a great dancer right from the start.

I was disgusted with John Sergeant when he quit, I don't expect Ed to do the same.

He is doing exactly what he was contracted to do.

Personally I have rewatched his Charleston, Cha Cha Cha and Salsa more than any other dances this year. I've been voting for JR but would be quite happy for Ed and Katya to win.

It is not a Dance competition. Otherwise, everyone would start from the same level !!

It's an entertainment show and Ed is entertaining. He is there by public vote and the Judges are not doing themselves any favour by railing against the GBP for the dance - off results.

I am enjoying watching the enthusiasm of Ed Balls & Judge Rinder. I am not enjoying watching Louise, for example, who was a judge on, 'So you think you can dance.' She has a unfair advantage. Therefore, for me, there is no pleasure in watching her dancing........

Agree with this bit of what you have said.

Chris Evans and Moira Stuart were rattling on about it this morning with Moira saying (don't quote me I cannot remember her exact words) that he should go and it's a travesty he is still there. Should keep quiet, actually, as a BBC employee, I think.

He isn't the best dancer but he cracks us all up week after week and if he gets the votes then he should stay as long as people want him to. Same for any other contestant.

He won't win but, I hope he does not resign, he is there still voted by the public. Why should he quit? The public obviously want him to stay and I hope he does.

why on earth should he quit

GO ED!!

He shouldn't quit. Why should he? He's trying hard and improving. Danny is my favourite although I'm enjoying Claudia's and Judge Rinder's 'J' word a lot too and I've enjoyed some of Ed's dances and definitely his attitude.

They can all improve from where they start, so long as they are putting the effort in and doing that good luck to them all.

JS didn't want to miss his annual winter cruise.

I suspect he was also bemused that the public was voting for him like they was because he knew he was terrible and whilst the "joke" was fine for a while he knew himself that people were taking it too far.

This 100 per cent. Here we go again, those who do not agree with ANY vote - either in politics or on a light-hearted entertainment show - seem to adopt this 'sour grapes' attitude that if they stamp their tiny feet, throw the dummies out of their prams and raise pointless 'petitions' - that nobody at the BBC will take any notice of - they will get their way despite the fact that the vote didn't go their way.

The show is supposed to be about ENTERTAINMENT, and it is entertaining seeing Ed (and Rob Rinder) on their 'journeys.'

It is so boring when we end up with stage-school educated fodder making it look easy week after week - perhaps THEY should 'fall on their swords' as for them to compete against contestants with no dance training at all is clearly unfair IMO.

I really think the show should stop inviting contestants with any previous dance experience at all, to make it fair on those without this advantage.

I read that he was forced to quit by the judges - especially Len Goodman, who wanted his favourites to win.

This is exactly the dance off I reckon is coming this week: Ore versus Claudia (but I don't think it will be engineered. I think that will be the real result of the combined votes). I think Ed can just about escape it by the skin of his teeth this week. But next week it will be impossible. Hopefully, as you say, 'the sense' of fair play' will then kick in too.
The fact that the backlash is starting now and a lot of people really want him out also shows that Eds days are numbered. It is a relief that Ed won't be there by public vote for much longer.

There were a lot of consipracy theories at the time (and Arlene Phillips famously went all over the telly one morning demanding the public vote him off) but JS is as tough as old boots and has the hide of a rhino. If he'd really wanted to stay he'd have stayed.

He didn't want to miss his cruise and he'd had enough of being "saved" when he was terrible.

Fingers crossed. I don't want him to have to quit. I want his "run" to come to an end the proper way.

Which is why I was disgusted, he didn't fulfill his contract, Kristina worked her socks off to create entertaining routines and he just wanted to take the money and run.

I expect more of Ed Balls who really appreciates what Katya is doing.

Who knows the judges might save Ed in the dance off, look what happened to Honey G in The X Factor last night!

I agree he should not resign, the gbp who are watching have voted for him to stay. I am supporting Claudia but I hope Ed goes on to win now, just because a couple of Nat & Greg fans are moaning because they were booted out.