Well I have news for the judges and they may not like it- Rachell is the lowest on the public vote- that is why they put her out of harms way

However it'll become harder and harder to protect her from next week

I think smug's the most over-used word so far. Talk about a bandwagon...

WOOHOO go RACHEL!
I loved her dance tonight, she is in my opinion a lovely girl and very sweet. She gives it her all and tries hard - no desperation in it.

I will be voting for her because she's my favourite. No voting for the underdog just to be "oooh, what a rebel" for me!

RACHEL FOR THE WIN!

I said straight line because I recalled Karen saying foxtrot was dance as such?

Now I am confused. *off to watch the main show again*

I don''t think Rachel can win- she doesn't have enough public support- It will get harder and harder for her now to survive

That's what I don't get... why have we suddenly decided she's the favourite now? Until last week, she's had weeks of mediocre comments.

Before that Cherie was the "so-called" favourite, and she was voted off by the judges.

I don't buy the protecting her thing. She had the best dance of the night, and maybe they were being overly generous because of the John thing, but her place on the scoreboard is right.

I never said anything about looks. It seems you are the one thats actually judging her on looks I said the public like jokey, vunerbale, and non-compeititve females. Rachel iS driven and unlike Alesha who played 'Just dancing for the fun thing' and the mum and nan card. Rachel came her with a single game plan. Win or do well with a view to boosting her career. Her high praises by the judges and Vincents fawning over her would not endear the female public to her. Just my 2 pence.

For the record, she is not cold or b1thcy or a wannabe. Yes, I am biased because I am a male and she is pretty.

I agree with you, Rachel to win.

I'm not anti Rachel but I do find her very bland

I've got one but she was just born that way. So my dad says

I have watched Rachel's foxtrot again and I saw the heel leads. But I can see why people thought she wasn't doing it because her dress was quite a bit longer than it should be.

She even attempted a beautiful heel-turn that was caught on camera.

That said, I still don't think it deserved 4 tens. But she's EXCELLENT in this dance.

Surprised about EmilyIRE's claim that there was no heel leads, tbh. I don't want to pick a fight with anyone, especially someone who say they've done ballroom dancing. But I am surprised, truth be told. Karen Hardy (who is a world-class dancer and a judge) said (in series four with Mark Ramps) that foxtrot is 'boring' because it's done basically with straight line. I recalled seeing two foxtrot champion dancers (in series 5?) demo the foxtrot, and it was straight line most of the time (even when they are doing the fanning), so...?

Nothing more I can say except to keep quiet now.

She bores me to tears. She really does...
I read something about her that makes me think she has no sense of humour.

I am not anti her!

But she's sooooo boring- her dance tonight was NICE but D-U-L-L!

Also, has anyone else noticed that in every interview with her, she always says "and oh my god. . . " and the addition of "and... yeah" because she never finished her sentence!

I also find her VEEEEEEEEEERRRRRYYYYY dull. :yawn:

Then when I heard about all these expectations she wants to get out of using Strictly, I started to dislike her.

I'm trying not to though but right now I'm losing that battle.

Go Rachel!

I find her anything but dull - her partnership with Vincent is the most exciting! In fact, they are the only couple who get my pulse racing. And I really wasn't a Rachel Stevens fan before SCD.

IMO she is the best dancer left - latin, ballroom - she is brilliant. I don't see why people think she's dull.

Holding a grudge from the Sclub days perhaps?

I agree she did a heel turn. But other than that I didn't see any of the heel leads.

And Karen is a world class dancer and judge in Latin - not ballroom. I was at a lecture with Nicole Cutler recently - just as good as Karen, and she was asked a question on ballroom but said she couldn't answer as she was a latin dancer.

Foxtrot does have more straight line than other ballroom dances but I disagree that it's just in a straight line the whole time, it can be just as interesting as other dances if choreographed well.

Poor Rachel,she is pretty,petite and her dancing excellent...but...yes sorry there is one,I'm sure she's a lovely person and she says and does all the right things,but she can't connect with the public,after all these weeks,I feel I'm watching a persona, not the real Rachel.

Ellie

Now I like Rachel and think she deserved her scores last week. I found this week's dance D - U - L -L.

I have to break my silence, sorry.

Guess we have to agree to disagree about the heel leads?

I didn't say foxtrot is straight line the whole time but it's *basically* done in a straight line. Of course you can do A-line, contra-check (rare, but why not?), some kicks and flicks, fanning, etc.. But those are only accents (and if used too much becomes gimmicky), not the actual basic foxtrot. Am I right?

Of course, foxtrot can be interesting. But most of the interesting points are oftentimes achieved when the choreographer break the ballroom hold. Also, if the dance are dance at a faster pace (a 'fast' foxtrot), you can get away with making it 'less boring' but it tends to be more gimmicky, like what Jill did in her foxtrot with Darren.

I like Darren Gough's foxtrot, but it was faster in tempo (often so as to hide the dancer's limitation) too. Arlene once said that you can 'cheat' foxtrot by dancing at a faster pace. This implies that the slower the dance, the more control you need. Perhaps dancing slow (for an amateur like Rachel) means it looks boring?

Nevermind. I am sorry I seem to be making enemies for liking Rachel's foxtrot!

Exactly, and also if it's sold well by the dancers. Take Alesha last year - her & Matthew's foxtrot was beautiful and they made half of it up on the spot! For me, Rachel's problem is that she is just not very good at selling a dance to the audience, as little to no personality shines through on the dancefloor. She wasn't even that exciting when she jived. She's performed well in one dance so far, last week's rumba. I've found all her others to be rather like dancing wallpaper.

I agreed I was very moved by Alesha's foxtrot last year. Also agree Rachel's jive was underwhelming. But her foxtrot was very romantic to me.

She has no charisma.
Hence why the judges have lost the plot and totally overmark her.
She leaves me cold!

Wonder how Bruce is going to big her up.
Rachel Stevens. The new.....? Er, the next......

No, it's just not coming to me.

Mind you, Alesha was the British Beyoncé. But after the performance we saw the other week who the hell would want to be?

Seconded that. I had to watch the dance twice, and It still didn't wow me.

i like rachel but i dont think she deserved 4 10s. I honestly dont think anyone should be getting that at this stage unless there dance is perfect.
If she were to make the final and do that dance again better where can the judges go from there?
Nevertheless its not her fault and i think it would be a shame if she looses popularity because of it.