Funnily enough, I think Mark seemed to fulfil ALL the four criteria and therefore won last year!

I usually go into the first show with an open mind. However, when there is a really good dancer (such as Mark last year) I tend to support that person. I have only ever voted for Mark as I don't usually vote at all.

This year I hadn't heard of Matt Di Angelo as I don't watch soaps. And Alesha was an unknown quantity for me.

I have now come to the conclusion that Matt for the boys and Alesha for the girls - based on their dancing and the partnership - are my favourites.

For me, I vote based on who I think is putting their all into something and trying hard to improve. Hence, I am voting for John this series and it was Matt last year, and the fabulous Aled in series 2. (Didn't vote at all in series 3).

I definitely have my fave pro dancers (Ian, Flavia and Lilia) although I like almost all of them. However, as much as I like the pros if the celeb isn't really good or trying hard then it's difficult to justify voting for them as a couple.

As much as I like Ian, Mica last year would have been hard to vote to keep in as she was never going to do as well as Denise and Zoe. On the other hand, Vincent at the time wasn't a pro that I liked a lot (do now) but Louisa put her heart and soul into learning and deserved the votes.

So, a lot of people on here are admitting they don't vote on the dancing - a lot vote on who the celebrity is. So these are the people who keep the rubbish dancers in like Chris Parkes, Kate Garraway etc. - and the best celebrity dancers go out before they should. I hope they feel responsible for this - and I hope that they now realise that because of them, and they're voting, that is the reason the programme has now changed its voting format - leaving the judges with the final say.

I can understand someone voting for their favourite celebrity if they'e a pretty good dancer, but to vote for a celebrity, even if they know they're a really bad dancer, is ridiculous. And thank god, the format has changed and its down to the judges to decide on the bottom 2.

You only have yourself to blame that Strictly Come Dancing has now changed its judging format.

The public can vote for whoever they wish for whatever reason they want.

It`s an entertainment show and not a National Ballroom championship.

Yes but it is a dance contest & and not just a personality contest. The dancing should be taken into account as that is surely what the show is all about.

I agree with moonglow to a certain extent. I was really annoyed about John & Willie being in the bottom 2 last Saturday as they certainly weren't the worst dancers on the night. I believe it should have been Kate & Penny in the bottom 2 based on the dancing only, but then I wouldn't have wanted to see Penny go because I feel that it just wasn't the right dance for her and I think she has protential and comes across as a really nice lady. I'm a big fan of Lilia's & I like Dominic too but I wouldn't vote for them just on that basis as I don't believe Dominic is the best dancer.

So I agree with other posters who have said that it should be based on a mixture of the dancing, personality & partnership but surely the dancing should be the main criterion. Unfortunately, some people do vote purely based on who they like most or who is the best looking or who has the saddest sob story so those of us who do watch the show as a dance contest are sometimes going to be disappointed with the final decision

I would love it if the BBC showed a dance competition on Saturday nights, where the pro dancers competed against each other. But that isn't this show. If I was a dancer, I think I'd find it offensive to suggest any of the celebs are dancers on the basis of a few weeks training - why have they been working for years if you can get to 4 10s standard in three months? This is an entertainment contest, and who is most entertaining is in the eye of the beholder. I assume I'm not going to agree with the final two half the time - that's in the nature of opinion polls. It's frustrating, but so far it hasn't stopped me watching.

Exactly

Otherwise the show may as well fast forward and kick out everyone apart from maybe Alesha, Kelly and Gabby. Sorry but I would find that utterly pointless and predictable.

I don't watch Eastenders, so last year I had no idea who Louisa was (I even referred to her as some bird off Eastenders!).

She became my favourite after the jive and by the end, if she had tripped down the stairs and just laid there in a heap, I would have voted for her!

Why? Excellent question.

I've been watching some of her dances back and she is without doubt a superb little dancer (and would have given the fab four a run for their money this year!). She is darned cute too but I didn't get her in that way (she'd be more like a little sister). Her enthusiasm was amazing, especially the way she giggled through rehearsals.

All this could be said about Alesha but although I like her, I haven't got the same enthusiasm as I did for Louisa. So in conclusion...I dunno!

Just to add that there is someone I'm hoping will do well this year who first caught my attention because she looks remarkably like an ex girlfriend of mine!

Okay, I'll bite.

Who is she may I ask???

Lol...not Letitia, Gabby or Kate. Or Stephanie before you ask!

Kelly, Penny, Alesha...?

Any of the three, it would be a Wow!

She was blonde

I've been a very lucky chap in my time

But surely part of the entertainment is watching a non professional dancer being taught how to dance by a professional and watching the improvement (in some cases) made each week & the satisfaction that the improvement gives to both the celebrity & the professional dancer. If it is purely an entertainment show why bother with the dancing and would the pro dancers want to be involved if they found it offensive. Obviously the show is not judged in the same way as a professional dance contest would be but the dancing is the main ingredient of the show otherwise it would be called Strictly Come Entertaining!

Last series Matt Dawson was trashed by the judges at the beginning of the series but went on to take 2nd place. He was a sportsman not an entertainer so surely the end result was down to hard work by Matt & dedication & good tuition from his professional dance partner. How far would he have gone if it was purely based on his entertainment value

Libra12 - I take your points, but I think you and I are meaning 'entertainment' differently. I don't mean everyone taking part is an entertainer in the showbiz sense, I was trying to find a word for the overall pleasure of watching a particular couple rather than just the technical excellence.

Exactly what I`m trying to point out. He was kept in by the public for the first couple of weeks and it definitely wasnt to do with his dancing.

I think I understand where you are coming from jtnorth

I agree that the overall show is an entertainment programme and I love it for its entertainment value and I accept that people can vote for someone for whatever reason they like whether its based on looks, personality or sympathy but the dancing has got to come into it somewhere along the line because it is a programme about dancing. I love Anton & I don't mind Kate either and I know she has had problems with her feet but should better dancers be voted off because of sympathy votes? Should Chris Parker ever have got as far as he did? I have tickets for the tour & I was quite disappointed when I heard that he might be taking part because, although he was good entertainment, he was a rubbish dancer.

I suppose someone has to be voted off each week & not everyone is going to agree with the decision for one reason or another but I have never been disappointed with the overall series winner in the past & I still love the programme no matter how frustrating I find it when a good dancer gets voted off over someone with entertainment value.

On the whole I would vote on the dancing, however there have been exceptions......nothing would have made me vote for Emma Bunting, despite the fact that a couple of her dances were really good

As I don't watch the soaps, and have no interest in any sport other than dancesport, I didn't know any of the current 'celebs' before the series started, so had no pre-conceived 'favourites'.

I do know some of the pro-dancers, and have to admit there are 2 who I would find it very difficult to vote for(!) even if they'd had good partners!

Well, I never watched series 1 so maybe I don't get the full impact of watching Chris Parker stay in week after week. I suppose all I mean is that I wouldn't know a foxtrot from a waltz unless someone else tells me which one it is, so if it was proper dancing competition I'd feel I couldn't vote at all. And I enjoy voting! I don't take any pleasure in watching someone I like looking terrible week after week.