There has been a lot of speculation about who's going to leave in the next few weeks. But at this relatively early stage, which couple do people think will make the final and what order will they finish? I'll start off with my predictions:

1st: Zoe and Ian
2nd: Darren and Lilia
3rd: Colin and Erin

And not to sound preachey , but your REALISTIC predictions please, as there are lots of other threads to support our favourites. At the end of the series, we can see from this thread whose predictive powers are the best!

1st: Darren and Lillia
2nd: James and Camilla
3rd: Zoe and Ian

I will weep with frustration if this actually comes true, but i have a horrible feeling that this stupid rivalry will take Darren and James right through. Darren will win because he is a cricketing legend to the English.

It's painful predicting a personal non-favourite to win, isn't it? Zoe and Ian aren't my favourite but I think the judges' adoration and their public following will give it to them.

How do the judges stay unbiased?

The rivalry between Darren & James is fun, but don't think it generates that many votes (and James would still be popular if Darren wasn't in this)

I think Zoe, Colin, and Darren will end up in the final.

James' popularity could knock one of them out (Colin probably), but he will have to avoid being the lowest scorer once Bill & Dennis have gone (the only people who I don't want to be in the final).

Will or Patsy could grab a final place too, but only if they keep getting high marks.

I agree with this - although i would like to see Patsy and Will go through too

I hope for Zoe and Ian, Will and Hanna , Colin and Erin... I really won't mind which one of them pairs win it.

I think it'll be:

1. Zoe and Ian
2. Darren and Lillia
3. James and Camilla/Colin and Erin (I can't decided)

But I'd like it to go:

1. Darren and Lillia
2. Zoe and Ian
3. James and Camillia

I really would like...

Will and Hannah
Darren and Lillia
and
Patsy and Anton in the final


but it seems Zoe and Ian are the favs?
i can't see the difference between her and will myself though... hes doing a grand job in the ballroom.. leading..
and i think in latin.. he and Zoe both struggle..!

zoe and ian 100%, not sure who else

Very difficult to predict at this stage but so far I'd plump for:

Darren and Lilia
Zoe and Ian

HOWEVER

James and Camilla deserve to be there as do
Patsy and Anton.

It may come down to how well they all dance between now and then and the continuous improvement.

Yes! I mean, look how Will went from zero (not literally) to hero last week.

And there's always the phone voters to factor in - for the high scorers like Zoe and Ian and Darren and Lilia, it's hard to gauge how much public support they have. They would only need to get one or two points from the phone vote to get through having been top of the judges' scores leaderboard. Has anyone done the maths to figure out which positions would ensure couples going through just on the judges' scores?

People need to realise that Zoe is actually only good when she's "in his arms" as she herself keeps saying! She's not strong in the latin stuff or when she's dancing on her own - she relies too much on being physically supported by Ian and I think the judges are being far too swayed by the way they look together! Darren Gough, as the judges said, is EQUALLY strong in latin and ballroom, so he's one to watch. And don't write Patsy off too soon. She's come a long way from weeping and wailing in week one, to positively glowing and actually ENJOYING herself in the Foxtrot last week. (I thought her Tango with Anton was absolutely brilliant!). James and Camillia aren't that fantastic - her choreography lets them down, I feel. I'd like to see Patsy in the final, along with Darren and perhaps Zoe. I've gone off Colin. Will is a sweetie - so humble in the way he accepts the judges comments. This year is quite difficult. In Series 1, Natasha had absolutely no competition at all, so no wonder she won it. Series 2 saw Jill Halfpenny as a runaway success - she was so brilliant and deserved to win. Yet she did have competition in Denise Lewis and Aled Jones (no! NOT Julian Clary). This year is much more difficult. I love Will, Darren and Patsy; the others I'm not keen on but they're up there as major contenders. Exciting stuff!

I want
1st Ian and Zoe
2nd Darren and Lila
3rd Camilla and james

I reckon the final three will be
Zoe and Ian
Darren and Lillia
Patsy and Anton

but not necessarily in that order - I reckon people will not vote for Colin Jackson as he comes across as slightly arrogant.

Not arrogant just determined and motivated to do his best and there is nothing wrong with that. I think he also gets less coverage than the rest.

I would like Will, Patsy and Darren in the final , but I think Zoe will be in there and probably Colin too. I thought Will's Ballroom this saturday was fantastic and better than Zoe's but the judges do seem to like the paring of Zoe and Ian. They do look good together and compliment each other well so maybe seeing them live they come across even better (it does annoy me when the camera's cut off their feet...this is a DANCING show !!)

Do you know, I'm really surprised you said that! That's really interesting. I wonder if the producers are kind of setting him up to appear that way? The thing is, I already had the impression of Colin as the nice guy of athletics, an ambassador for sport and a real sweetie, particularly in contrast to someone like Linford Christie. Colin usually smiles continually, I've hardly ever seen him cross. When he trains with Erin, though, it seems to be all business, and maybe that's why he's coming across as arrogant. Hmm, very interesting. I'll have to look out for any more occurances of Colin being cast as Mr Moody...

Ive met Colin and hes not arrogant at all Patsy is also really nice and Dennis

Right on the ball although I would like to see
Darren and Lilia, Zoe and Ian, Will and Hanna,
but I do like Colin and I sway between him and Will depending on the dance

In the final should be: Will, Patsy & Darren!
Zoe's not all that... :yawn: she's just tall...

3 from

Zoe and Ian, Darren and Lillia, James and Camilla, and Anton and Patsy. Most likely to be James and Camilla out first but the Yorkshire "sex on legs" votes may get him through though I think he is the weakest dancer of the top 5.

Colin and Erin have injury problems and as has been mentioned they haven't had the most positive cutting from the rehearsal room. Too much wanting to win shown [we know all of them are in professions where success and winning is key ]. In weeks where they are lower down the table I think they might struggle.

Zoe seems sweet and looks so elegant but I agree she may struggle with too much latin dancing. Anton and Patsy are really growing on me and they have a story which has been focussed on . Darren has done really well and if a male is to win this year I think he deserves it as he is really getting into the swing of it and seems quite self-deprecating .

Will has done well but as a partnership they will struggle with votes, Dennis has experienced bottom 2 as well so will not last to the final in my view, Bill started well but has been portrayed as a whinger so that may cost him a place, he did look quite clumpy on Saturday as well .

Well Who i want to win and who will win are totally diffrent things! I would like the top 3 to be in no order, Camiila and James, Lilia and Darren and Dennis and izabella but i think that the top 3 will probably be Zoe and Ian , Patsy and Anton and Darren and lilia! Although iwant James and camilla to win!!! VOTE JAMES AND CAMILLA!! xx

Zoe and Ian
Darren and Lilia

and Colin and Erin (if CJ returns to form)

if he doesn't

Patsy and Anton or James and Camilla

reckon J and C have the larger public vote, but presently P and A are getting the higher judges vote.

So much a matter of where others are placed. Also when there are doubles on the same score the next one down jumps down two points in effect. Could all be down to a bit of luck.

I don't think Colin will make the final three. As someone said higher up in this thread he comes across as being a bit arrogant - I am sure he is not - but that determination reads different. I don't think that that is getting him any real fans. As to Zoe she is doing fantasticly well for someone who admits to being something of a tomboy - good for you girl - but again she just looks to good.

I think the final three will be Patsy, Darren and James. They come across strongst as being the three that are having a really good time, enjoying themselves and on a really steep learning curve. The eye candy appeal of the two yorkshire puds helps as well

Sorry but can never remember the names of the pro's!

What eye candy exactly dont you think weve been somehow told that we must think these 2 attractive and its drummed into us youd walk past them in the street Erin and Izabela are truly pretty though and Anton a sexy dancer