Anyone think the dance off process should stop once they get down to the final five. It seems outrageous that the judges can put their favourite through to the final (via their dance off votes) even if the public give them bottom marks every week.

Surely the two finalists should be the two acts who get the highest public votes in the semi final. That makes for a more exciting final surely.

Let's face it Rachel will be in the final thanks to the judges - but who ever is up against her (Austin probably) will win as she lacks public support. Therefore the final will be a big anticlimax rather than the drama expected!

No . Thats why it was introduced after the best female dancers (and the ones who had perfomed best over the series) were dumped out of two successive finals by the largely female audience vote. The 2006 final was so bad that the rule changed followed to stop any more walkovers with out any good competion in the final. This year hardly suggests the audience vote is more reliable - we would have already lost one of the top three dancers, one or both of the top males would be far more likely than any of the top females to make the final, JS if he hadn't walked would be strolling (literally) into the final and someone outside the top 4 dancers would be taking the third place.

As opposed to a big anti-climax when Austin arrives there against someone who dances far worse than him.........

Ooh the disgusting public (especially women who just vote for the hunky men) who pay the licence fee that pays for the judges salaries - why should they have any say at all. Just let Len, Arlene etc decide the winner....

No thank you - the X factor at least has the decency to remove the judges vote near the end (and I am not forced to pay for Cheryl Cole's salary).

I agree with networkbabe

The show has to preserve it's integrity or it'll just end up a joke. If anything I think the public should have less power. Letting them vote all the way is just asking for trouble. We may have seen rubbish Gethin in the final or rubbish Christine in this years final.

The public cannot be trusted. Too many desperate house wifes voting with their hormones. Not to mention the ones who vote against those big , bad nasty judges. (e.g. christine probably won't be in dance off tomorrow as she was at bottom of leader board and will probably be saved as an anti-judge vote) so even though she was the worse dancer, she'll still progress. Hardly fair on the other celebs and may potentially put off future celebs from coming on the show.

Hopefully next season they will strip the public vote power even more. I believe the bottom two only on the judges leader board should go to a public vote.

Oh, and if you don't like it, you can always choose not to vote

Well i don't like the dance off anyway i think they should scrap it altogether.
But i think maybe the judges should have their last say when it comes to who they want in the semifinal so then the public get the 2 couples who they want in the final.

so the public can not be trusted, why? because they vote as they see fit or because they don't vote for who you and the judges like? the show has lost its integrity and going by your public can't be trusted remark it does make you seem really rather snotty,
if the public vote is diluted then it will turn fans away from the show, maybe you don't realise this but if they feel they will not have as much a say in who comes or goes then they will desert the show,

one thing would you also say the same thing regarding voting in say an election that we the public can't be trusted?

I was agreeing with you, networkbabe, until you said this!


Gethin was hardly rubbish - he got good marks for his Viennese Waltz, even before he managed to come out of himself and transform into a dancer for the waltz and salsa. Gethin should have been in the final.

Like Craig says if it was purely public vote, it would just be like Big Brother on a dance-floor. A bit of a freak-show. I understand the importance of keeping the public involved, but history suggests they cannot cope with 100% power. As Emma Bunton would testify.

It's also important to keep the competitive/competition element of the show. The show marketed as a annual competition will preserve it's longevity.

Good post...well put.

I agree with you because Emma and Louisa were my favourite and best dancers in 2006. The problem is last year I believe Gethin should have been in the final and that Matt was overmarked in his waltz (sorry matt and flavia fans) even though he was great in the final so if you have TWO people in the final the public should pick the two. I also think that the judges are overmarking Rachel at the minute to get a girl in the final due to the fact the all male final two in 2006 was such a poor final.

Another solution is that if it is a 50/50 split between the judges that it goes back to public vote instead on Len being head judge and deciding

I agree with this. It's how they do it on X Factor. That twerp shouldn't get the final say in a deadlock IMO.

My honest answer is if my favourite is more likely to get through on the public vote thaen no I wouldn't want the dance off. If they were likely to suffer a low public vote then I would like the dance off.

This year my favourite is Tom so I would prefer the public vote, but last year I preferred it because it virtually garunteed Alesha would be in the final.

I think a dance off in the semi's when there's only three people is incredibly unfair, it should be down to the public to decide the final IMO, especially when there's only a two person final.

I know what you mean - I suffer from the same lack of objectivity about whoever is my particular fave - this year it's Tom

Seriously though, a dance-off in a four person semi-final is just about acceptable because there are enough variables for the result not to be manipulated.

A three people semi is too few variables and might end up with the viewers' fave going out. Whatever anyone says about stupidity of voters' choices, they are paying out money to vote so their views have to be respected and given more weight than the judges.

I think it should go back to how it was when strictly first started. The couple with the low4est votes should leave, for me the dance off spoils it. Why bother to ask the public to vote at all if the judges have the say in the final two,,who stays and who goes,,,obviously they are going to choose their favourites,,and its not always who dances the best in the dance off. Remember Gabby vs Penny??

Emma Bunton was robbed of her final place.



gabby , penny , cherie , ray fearon, spoony.

they all went too early due to the public vote