With so much money being collected on this Saturday from frantic Matt, Alesha and Gethin fans I find it disgusting that one of their fates will be sealed by Len Goodman.

If we are spending our money - the top two with the most votes should go through. I can accept my favourite not making it through if they don't have public support but I do care if Len was the one that booted them out.

STupid BBC!

Rant over

I have to say, I think it's absolutely wrong that there should be a dance off when it's down to the final three

the final three should go to public vote alone - that's what happened last year and that's why Emma didn't get into the final

Len is so off the wall this series he could go any way!

This is precisely why I've not voted in this series so far at all as essentially it boils down to one person calling the shots.

It should be entirely down to the public who are funding it all, don't forget, who should pick the finalists.

Having said above, I will have to bite the bullet and vote this week.

I just think if you finish second in the public vote and get booted out you are basically annoying over 1/3 pf teh paying audience!!!

I wanted Emma in the final last year but as she never had teh public support I excepted her fate but I can imagine how annoyed Matt D or Mark fans would have felt if the judges had chosen to save Emma over one of them as they are poplar with the public.

Exactly, this is what's wrong this year and why it's all fallen really flat with a few exceptions for me. I always accepted evictions when it was the public choice happily, but when it comes down to a judges's decision it really bugs me.

It's a great point, but that's how it is. I'm surprised that very few of the judges' decisions have been that controversial - I thought at the beginning they were making a rod for their own backs and the whole programme would be 'How dare the judges choose X over Y?' like X-Factor, but I think Gabby is the only decision where there has really been a discussion. Where people have been cross it's generally been about someone saved by the public rather than the judges. This week, though, whoever goes, there is going to be an army of angry people, and Len doesn't like people being angry with him. So his reaction will be interesting, even if I've nothing else to cheer me up.

I don't care who wins this year but it's crazy that one person will decide who gets that chance. And Len is so inconsistent it's not even funny.

Yes, Lenpower is too great.
In case of a 2-2 judges tie, Brucie to decide.

I just can't see how they can justify it - it means a person more popular with the public can be voted out, which might be ok when there's 14 couples but not when there's three!!

I really think there has got to be a better solution than Len having essentially 2 votes as opposed to the other judges having 1. I would be saying this even if my respect for Len were not at an all-time low (each time I think it can't go lower, it does...). I understand they wanted to prevent situations such as last year when several people left early, but it just created a situation this year where people voted to keep their person out of the bottom two, not just the bottom one. It does have its merits (when they choose correctly) and its disadvantages too...

Really not sure if it should be used at this stage in the competition though.

I think this week is going to be remarkably simple. Whatever the judges' dodgy scoring, Alesha will be in the bottom two, but will be saved unanimously by the judges.

The Beeb have totally got their knickers in a twist over the selection method, presumably to avoid another Spoonygate. So I scratched my head and came to the conclusion that the best way is for the bottom two scored by the judges to be voted on by the public - loser goes. Hang on, that's Big Brother.

tHAT'S UNFAIR TO bRUCIE.iT SHOULD GO BACK TO THE PUBLIC VOTE. WHOEVER FINISHED BOTTOM IN THE PUBLIC VOTE GOES OUT

Actually I agree with that.

They should have stopped the judges vote last week I'd have said. At this stage they have just too much power.

The dance-off should continue until one couple collapse from exhaustion. The other couple then go through.

The dance-off is good for the early stages so that good dancers won't get voted out (well, it didn't help much with Gabby...) but should be scrapped at most halfway through the competition.

Totally agree - as per the X-factor. Judges should only have the power to eliminate early on - which I accept - as you say - to avoid the better dancers being voted off and leaving the Fiona Phillips / Chris Parkers still there

I think the best way to do it is the dancer on top of the leaderboard goes through, and the person top of the public goes through.

Lets face it, Matt probably wont be top of the leaderboard, so one of the better 2 dancers (imo) will go through, and then its up to the public who goes through too.

Lmao .....

If Matt is in the final I may not even bother to watch
The whole thing has turned into a complete farce
The problem is the phone lines being open all week
Most of the votes had been cast before he danced
I do feel sorry for him but he just hasn't got what it takes

A Gethin/Alesha final is the only option I want to see
I love them both so it's a win win situation for me

The reason Alesha isn't popular with the public is that she hasn't improved. Simple as that. The BBC know that she came bottom of the public vote last week but they have spent 11 weeks promoting her and eulogizing her so they are going to make sure she reaches the final.
It is tough on Gethin and Matt but that's the game the BBC plays with us.

I love this idea. It's brilliant - honestly.

Brucie's been a dancer and a performer for more years than most people have been alive. To be honest I think he has lots of 'dance integrity' (a concept I've just made up but I think everyone knows what I mean).

I'd trust him more than Len the Loon.

not forgetting ....

judging integrity
viewing integrity
voting integrity
posting integrity
"BBC Sunday Show" integrity

Totally agree... I've just posted the same sentiment on another thread.
I was wondering if it's messed things around this year that there won't be three in the final?
I was under the impression (although it's never been properly explained to us) that public vote would decide the finalists and the winner.
But with Kelly dropping out, we're down to a final three this week instead and the judges still seem to hold sway.
I think it just makes it boring. Alesha's going to go through regardless, so we have a situation where whoever ends up in the bottom two with her will go.
If Matt gets a tidal wave of votes again, it could be Gethin who ends up going which is just ridiculous.
I also think the dance-off distorts the voting, making people less likely to vote for the performance they love and more likely to vote multiple times to save the personality they feel sorry for.
As another poster said, I want to feel the two finalists are there because they've been endorsed by the GBP... not because four warring crazies have agreed to save one.

I genuinely don't think that's the case - there's not going to be that much of an outcry if it's a Matt v Gethin final

Kenny vs Kate would have been another matter