I agree with you actually - I sympathise with some of the gubbins the poor woman had to put up with and can appreciate she had her fans but her latin wasn't great and her head position in the QS weird. In fairness to her she only really did party latin - she might have turned in a good paso (she certainly did a good tango - probably the best of the series as I'm not convinced Louise will top her effort especially with 60ies music - Kellie had the gusto to pull it off I don't think Lou does) or rhumba or jive - (Ore did a great jive and not so great salsa). Also it's hard to imagine what else she could have done on a busted ankle - the tango was probably her best shot as it's danced flat but even barefoot rhumba would involve a lot of holding a position on one leg and it might have been a stretch to make sure it was always the good one.

Yes, he'll definitely be back. Appeals to the younger audience especially and he's done very well with Claudia this year. He's very much part of the next generation that the show are now starting to inject into the line-up. I think Strictly will be very eager to hang on to all the new pros from this series, so they'll be back imo, unless they choose to leave.

Yeah I think he will be back too. Think Chloe will be as well and hope she gets a partner. Neil I'm not too bothered by but if Katya comes back, and I think she really deserves to, think he will too.

Oksana I'm not sure about. I think she will be asked back but don't her and her husband live in the States so maybe she might decline? It must be difficult to be apart for so long.

I think Gorka and Tameeka were unlucky to go out so early. He did really well with Anastasia so think he deserves another season.

TBH, I think there will be unlikely any changes this year unless anyone leaves of their own accord...Anton, Karen, Brendan maybe?

Agree with your assessment kat. Laura's best Latin hope with her damaged ankle was the paso. A rumba would have been a killer. It is a pity that she never demonstrated other Latin styles just as Tameka never got a party Latin, which I think she would have been her forte. I hope Laura gets some good physio and does strength work now that a weakness has been identified. I think Laura had potential to be a good dancer but for one reason and another it did not work. I think her initial cha cha cha was quite good and I enjoyed her samba. She seemed to get they style of each dance even if technique was not perfected.

I also think the standard this year was pretty high from the outset so dancers like Laura, Daisy, Tameka and even Greg sort of got lost among the pack whereas in a different season they might have gone quite far.

I mean if you look at who is left...Danny and Louise have had dance training, Claudia is a world-class gymnast and Ore seems to be really naturally gifted at dancing so maybe Laura was a bit unlucky to be in this season?

I didn't think her samba was bad at all. She was unlucky to be up against Ore (at the very least a semi-finalist) imo.

Of course. How could I forget Oti.
Therefore no new Pros required thanks very much.

There are only 8 female Pros at the moment, and all will be needed next year. So if you have Karen and Jo as potentially not being available, then 2 new females will be required.

All good points Stella though I think Tameka was not lost in the pack but very unlucky with her draw of dances, charleston aside, and didn't get to demonstrate other aspects of her personality to which the public might have warmed. The final will be somewhat predictable, which, in a year that started with lots of possibilities, is sad and dull.

I'm part of the "younger audience" and Claudia/AJ don't appeal to me at all.

Me too but I like them as a pair regardless of their age. I would like them if they were older. Big sports fan so would always support sportspeople and I genuinely think Claudia has improved each week and deserves to be in the final.

Katya should be a shoe-in after what she achieved with Ed. And Oksana has done a good job too. Oti, Neil....
after that I'm not that fussed.

AJ needs to calm down a bit, Claudia has got the lot but he doesn't always get the cheoreography right imo.

I did check back and I didn't think they were all that great. Ian's choreography used less of the more challenging steps particularly in Denise's routine. Their music felt a bit slower too which made it easier for them

Anyone got any more ideas now that the show is nearly over and the tour has been announced?

Wonder if they will use Katya with the 'comedy duffer' role again...first thought is they would give her at least a middle grounder...but she did so well with Ed that it just might suit her......

I agree with that all of those four I think would have got further in a different series and they'd have had the time to do it - people have made comparisions of Laura with Caroline for example and Greg with Anita Rani also it's noticeable that Tameka resembles Alison Hammond in some respects and she at least made it to Halloweon.

The problem with giving her paso straight after a tango though is that the two are very similar in mood also Claudia was doing paso the same week which might have invited derogatory comparisions.

Tameka never got to demonstrate much in different styles either.

Laura I think has potential to go quite far imo. She did a wonderful waltz and tango but unfortunately got injured and had to do a samba (never scores that highly) and then be up against Ore (a finalist) in the DO. I also wonder if Giovanni was the right partner for her?

I don't think so - I think she'll get a ringer next year.

I am not sure that Laura paired with Brendan, Alijaz or Anton would actually have gone further as the public vote was just so important this year.

(Laura 'tried out' with those three pro dancers on the initial 'meet the celebs' days and spent most of the time with Brendan. But.. the producers went a different way.)

I initially thought Laura would be put with Brendan as well. Her and Giovanni never seemed to click for me.

Just thinking about teaching, I thought that Giovanni achieved good scores for Laura in her Latin which was not really her natural dance style, and Brendan achieved quite weak Latin scores for Anastacia - who I thought was going to produce brilliant Latin dances.

I wouldn't mind Brendan being 'rested' next year.