Can't help feeling Zoe is trying just too hard and the strain is beginning to show.
She seems to be just so perfect every time she dances, is this the result of the rumoured extra lessons she's getting, is she just stressed out, or is she totally desperate to win?

Thoughts, people?

Yea i dunno, one of the judges Craig I think said she must have danced before, she didn't really deny it. Thought she looked nervous tonight you could see her arm shaking cause it wasn't resting on Ians shoulder. I dunno I think she does try very hard to keep up the standard, but thats what its all about!

No. I don't. I don't think you CAN try too hard. Everyone is putting their all in. They all get extra help in one way or another, so it's a moot point.

She comes across as a touchy-feeling, bubbly, chatty person and it really isn't her fault if she works hard, tries her best and scores well with the judges. I feel awful for Zoe sometimes because I'm not sure what people want her to do.. try less? Mess up more?

This isn't personally against you by the way I'm just responding to the question in the thread title. Hope you enjoyed the show tonight.

I think Zoe is a bit of a perfectionist. She trains hard, likes to keep redoing things it would seem and when she can't get something right first time, the worry sets in. I don't know though if she's trying too hard. Shouldn't you always try your best anyway? No point doing things half hearted, I say. She genuinely seems to give her all each week and that's one of the things I really like about watching her.

As for the extra lessons, Zoe did say that this was not true at all and that she'd never even heard of the other teacher. I'm pretty sure I also ead on Ian's site that this was false.

She's totally desperate to win. Desperation is unattractive. Darren also wants to win (they all do) but I much prefer his laid-back, easy-going, happy attitude and, for that, he gets my vote.

Agreed.
From what I've read it seems as if she needs to get her TV career back on track and she's desperate to do anything to achieve that aim.

I'm backing Darren & Lilia to win, but I like Zoe & Ian. They do look lovely together, she is, despite her tomboy image, surprisingly graceful when dancing & she is putting in a lot of effort.

However, what I can't stand is the way the judges are behaving. Even when Zoe states that she made mistakes & highlights them, the judges ignore them.

All the couples that have made it this far; & I include Bill & Karen & Will & Hanna in this statement, have provided hours of entertainment, amazed us with their abilities & shown dedication to the task presented to them. All of them have the ability to look equally stylish & elegant or funky & thrilling, as the dance requires & they are all capable of turning in top notch performances.

However, the judges, by appearing to be biased in favour of one couple or against another are having a detrimental effect on public perceptions of those competing; one only need look at the way there has been a quite visible backlash against Zoe amongst some of the posters to see this.

It isn't fair, to any of the couples, but it is an inevitible effect of what is perceived as being something wrong with the way the series is going.

Glen

Agree with Indya. i also find it really irritating the way she says "I'm dancing for my dad/grandad/nan" every week. No doubt she is saving dancing for hubby and son for the final to win more points! This week was a classic, moaning about how hard the tango was, she was never going to be able to do it, blah blah, then coming out and doing it perfectly. I'm not saying she doesn't work hard at it, her and Ian look great and she's very talented, but she's like the annoying girl at school who says she done really badly at an exam and then comes top! The judges do seem biased towards her too, Colin's marks are lower and he is just as good.
Feel better now that I have got that off my chest!

at least she doesn't moan about the scores or comments others get like somebody else who is desperate to win

That's because she always or nearly always gets good comments and scores.

I would completely agree with you on that Indya. I've always quite liked Zoe on the various programmes she's been on...but since SCD started, I've changed my mind. There's just something that grates on me and I really, really hope she doesn't win. It's Darren all the way for me.

When Zoe was in the last three, I had a had a brief thought that she might be going. I know everyone says that the top placed couple are safe, but I'm not so sure. In theory no-one's safe (which I was explaining to my house mates before the results show). It's much more likely that last minute votes will be for those seen as most at risk at the bottom of the leader board, so if the top couple don't get the votes they could be out.

Zoe & Ian were definitely among the best as they always are although I am not sure how much I like her anymore - ridiculously she was always one of those celebrities you could easily imagine being one of your mates but she does this angsting thing in all the training footage and looks sheepish and apologetic before she goes on the floor and then performs magnificently - hoping this makes sense to you - but now I imagine her being the type of 'friend' who would not tell you if something wasn't flattering.

Anyway enough random completely unfounded personal opinions which could be absolute rubbish . .

impossible for highest placed couple to be voted out at this stage i think. someone on another thread has set up some sort of calculation which shows this...

As was said by a poster before, Zoe's popularity with the judges will be her undoing with the public so I think she will make it to the final but it's always the viewer vote that decides the winner and that's where she may become unstuck.

Zoe's self-deprecation (sp?) is common in many women (not being sexist here, I'm one too) who are taught to be modest and feel they must always apologise for their achievements. Men, on the other hand, are more celebrated for their achievements and aren't branded as arrogant or desperate for a win if they are successful.

Having said all this, Jill did a better job of gathering public support than Zoe has this year, so some women manage the arrogance/achievement balance very well.

She is trying too hard. And is too clingy ti Ian, it seems forced. He had a much better relationship with Denise I think. They're still good but not as good as everyone says. I hope they get to the final but I don't want them to win!

A lad has to win!!! Darren!

found it. look at this:
http://www.affordable-afpers.co.uk/strictly.php

As this is the third series of SCD all the top five partners are desperate to win as this is a more open contest. I think Zoe is trying hard as she is now shaking off that tomboy look and has now found she has found a new talent in dancing. I don't deprive her of that as I think she is brilliant.

Anyway why shouldn't she cling to Ian. If I was in her place I would too, just look at that superb coaching Ian has given her. Ian and Zoe make a lovely couple and I can't help thinking that they are best suited than Ian was to Denise in Series 2.

I’m no expert here, so please take this as a daft old bat’s opinion and worth nothing!
HOWEVER! I would put money on the facts that:
1) She had dancing lessons as a child
2) When she signed up for SCD she had top up lessons

Natural talent or not, she’s had extra help.

This is why I was so fond of Fiona and Bill, neither had a clue about dancing and played it straight down the middle. WYSIWYGs the both of them

I think you will find that most women/girls have had dancing lessons as a child as every little girl likes dancing. I have danced (not ballroom) all my life and have never regretted it.
Anyway people should vote whether or not any of the celebrities have had any childhood tutoring as that is so many years in the past.

Who do you mean?
It wouldn't be a certain Colin Jackson would it

might be

*walks away whistling*

Good point, Shappy. I think sometimes we (women) can be harder on other women, especially if we think they are overly confident (the reason so many people seemed to not like Denise who I thought was fab) and to be very forgiving and accepting of confident men (though lots of people seem to find it hard to approve of this in Colin which is a shame.) I think he is just very competitive and is very honest about it. And so is Erin. So good for her! Because really underneath, they are all competitive though some are more honest/blatant about it than others.

And Zoe is a very interesting case because here is a woman who seems to be very low in confidence but is actually very good and so we mistrust her for that. I agree that Jill seemed to manage it better and was less self-deprecating but there was a period when she also came under alot of attack for being what was perceived as overly-confident.

Personally, I love Zoe and I think she and Ian make a great team.

But taking a very simplistic view (to show my example, which I worked out before the final results) the scores could have gone like this:

ZOE and IAN 6 + 1 =7
COLIN and ERIN 5 + 2 = 7
DARREN and LILIA 4 + 3 = 7
JAMES and CAMILLA 3 + 4 = 7
BILL and KAREN 2 + 5 =7
PATSY and ANTON 1 + 6 = 7

On this basis the audience vote would have been used to decide the outcome.

PLEASE NOTE This is not what happened on Saturday, just a hypothesis