Why do we all get our bits in a twist when there is a slightly controversial remark made and the scoring is random. As far as I was aware the judges are supposed to not only mark on the dance they see but whether the couple have improved. Some of the dancers who are good anyway and have danced all their lives are not improving...so why the very high marks? Not that it matters as i say.....the judges marks are actually totally irrelevant. It is the phone calls that determine the scores totally. I hope that in the future the improving people will get some acnowledgement of that fact.....but hey its TV and we must have controversy and excitement...manufactured or not.....I still love watching

I think judging is quite hard...especially when you can't see the couples dancing next to each other. You can only judge what you see at that time and it boils down to personal taste. I don't believe the better dances should be penalised for not improving as much as the others...and I think the scores do reflect when a couple have made strides in their dancing (georgina's scores come to mind for her last dance).

What? How do you work that out?

Sometimes I don't know why the dancers solely blame the Judges for being knocked out of the contest. Of course the Judges have a 50/50 say in the scoring, but its the viewer vote that can really change things.

In series 1, Chris Parker (deservedly) got rubbish scores from the Judges, but must have got massive phone votes to be able to reach the final. The real blame lies with the fickle viewers' choices.

Ah but he kept getting the sympathy vote - the nastier the judges were - the more voters picked up the phone for him!

The judges never seem to learn to make constructive comments only - the nasty sarcastic and personal comments just bring out the votes for the underdog.

I submit Rik Waller m'Lud and rest my case!

I submit the McDonald Brothers!!!!

The viewers vote is the real decider. The general viewer is only interested in personalities. They vote because they like so and so cause he or she is on Corrie or Eastenders or the like. Nothing to do with the way they dance otherwise the outcome each week would be so different.. Think about it, you can vote for them before they even dance, Totally crazy but thats TV. I am one of the old school who would like to see the old Come Dancing return to our screens.

I think you are harsh on the corrie/ soap fans, as if you look at the last series the semi final was made up of:

a little known chef
an ex childrens tv presenter
an ex athlete
and an aging cricketer.

None of these could be said to have been that well known previously unless you were interested in their particular area.

If you look at this series, Mark seems popular and so does Carol both of whom are lesser known than other contestants.

a late submission...............Michelle McManus

I think (fortunately!) long term Strictly watchers are getting a bit more savvy than they were when the whole Chris Parker thing happened.

MY meaning was that people in general vote for personality more than dance ability. But to be fair probably most people watching and voting are non dancers. The answer is just watch the show and enjoy what you do see and if you are not a dancer get out there and learn. It is a great pastime.

I agree. May be non dancers but we revel in seeing good dance (and justice)

I have seen some pros and some celebs do the extra few weeks due to public support, but if they can't dance I hope tht series three was the one to start seeing the end to support beyond the call of duty.

I think James Martin is more then a little known chef. He's actually a very popular and well loved chef.

More than a "little known chef" I think you'll find

From Chris Parker to Georgina wotsherface, SCD is littered with proof that those who vote EXCESSIVELY on the phones are a bunch of muppets and every time insist on voting cos he/she is in their favourite soap/drama or think they have a cute bum/nice headlamps... BUT this influence is getting less and in defence of the GBP they have corrected any mistakes PDQ this year, or at least the combination of judges and GBP have done the decent thing a week late.

If anything the Chris Parker debacle of series one has benefitted SCD and probably CIN, cos those who would normally have assumed a couple are safe with the judges scores only have to remember CP to realise they MUST 'vote to keep their favourite'. AND Georgina/Spoony was a timely reminder that muppets can have an undue influence on the outcome.

The judges are MOSTLY right in their assessments and scoring <cough> Emma <cough> and IMHO they don't invoke sympathy voting for 'that nice young lady who played thingy in that series in the hospital, you know the one, no she doesn't have a colostomy bag granny, that's the other woman on ITV. We don't like her anyway, glad she's not on here. Mind, I'd love to see her weein' into a plant pot and eating earwigs on IAC.... or wearing a leotard on Big Brother.... but oh gawd the cellulite, put me off me dinner that would......... <continuing incoherent drivel for twenty five minutes, missing the rest of the routines and then having to check ceefax for the right number to ring.... a lot>'