I have posted in a number of threads tonight about the manipulation of the judges (and the loss of integrity) for the final result but this is the last straw for me.

They wanted a man/woman final. They couldn't target Tom because he had too much public support so they targetted Austin - the only dancer who had a semblance of WOW about him.

They overmarked the girls as they have been doing in the last two shows as they know they haven't got the public support. They gave Austin the lowest marks as they knew he would be in the bottom two despite polling the most votes.

Get rid of the boy - guaranteed as girl in the finl.

This is the end of Strictly for me. I say it with a heavy heart as it's my favourite program on TV and has been since the start. But when the judges lose their integrity for audience ratings - I'm finished.

I'm so fed up that it has finished this way. I'm not so naive as to not understand things are about ratings but I actually thought this program was about both dancing and audience approval - I was so wrong.

I will miss the program as it was - but this is it for me.

Please don't post sour grapes as it isn't - I couldn't care less who wins - I just want to be entertainted. Austin was entertaining. John Sergeant was entertaining and I would have liked to see him progress as well.

I like dancing well and entertainment - I can't tell you what a hole this will leave in my Saturday nights - but - f**k - do the judges just take us all for tw**ts.

I am very disillusioned and very sad because this was my very favourite program since is started.
Last edited by boboboy : 06-12-2008 at 23:08

Cheers for posting the result without a spoiler.....you need to change your thread title

Odd they should pick Austin for the fall. I thought it would have been Tom. Yes, there is certainly a good case that Austin was deliberately undermarked tonight. How was his salsa so different from his paso that got 39 ? The salsa had more dancing content even.

I honestly don't believe they have an agenda regarding the final...the most exciting final would have to have the two boys in it. Way too close to call!

Austin, in my opinion, gave the weakest two peformances. I was very disappointed in the American Smooth but that's down to Erin rather than Austin. The choreography was somewhat staid - perhaps I expected too much...I don't know.

You have probably peed off a lot of people for not pointing out a spoiler

But based on tonights performances he was the weakest and deserved to go, no manipulation required

Rachel and Tom are doing the tour...

Sorry -need to add a spoiler - don't know how to do it on a thread. Can anybody help?

You should still have time to edit your first post and put the relevant bits in spoiler tags.

Good luck.

Can you alter your thread title to say 'spoiler'? Or put that at the top of your first post?

Still don't know how to do it - can anybody talk me through it? Again - sorry

Didnt see any manipulation myself. The result is fair and square imo. People should just get over it if their favourite gets the boot. We all have to at some time or other. It would be good if people just say you dont like the results and then move on.

On your original post, you may still be able to see the 'Edit' button in the bottom right. Click that, then click 'Go Advanced'.

On the far right of the tool bar (just above the box with your text in) you'll see a pale grey 'S' - this puts spoiler tags around things. Use it to hide just one sentence or even the whole thing.

I didn't see any manipulation. I saw the weakest dancer going home.

I'm sad to say farewell to Austin.

But I don't think his departure was due to judge's bias. He and Lisa were the weakest on the night.

However, what I do object to is Lisa being given the opportunity to perform a relatively easier dance tonight - the Waltz - which would save her against anyone and would override her woeful Jive.

At this stage, the couples should be performing the same dances as each other to make comparisons easier and fairer.

I liked Austin and he'd come a long way, but Tom is the better dancer of the two men. I'd be happy with a Tom/Rachel final, I've never taken to Lisa.

I'd be over the moon with a Rachel/Tom final

But I felt Austin was more deserving of a place in next week's semis than Lisa.

I do think the producers of SCD may have shot themselves in the foot with the latest turn of events,there has been an undercurrent all through this series,and the final 4(judges selection) were of no particular interest to myself,simply because those 4 were there simply because of judges manipulation regards the LB,that's why there has been so much inconsistency with voting this series ...but to have the judges save for the 3rd time,an inconsistent dancer who they seem to have protected for weeks,over a contestant who has performed well every single week,takes away for me any shred of credibility this show had left..

Ellie

I agree they should all have to peform the same dances or as close as they can get to them. Having said that, it's the luck of the draw as to what you get - Lisa hadn't previously done the Waltz, which is a simpler dance but had done the more difficult dances previously. It's all swings and roundabouts. The Waltz would only have saved her against Austin - Rachel and Tom had the same score as her and higher latin scores (although only by a point in Tom's case.)

This is the real point. It is ridiculous for the dancer with the overall highest average to this point to go against someone repeatedly in the dance-off simply because she draws an easier dance.

Just as manipulated as the X Factor.
Disappointing.

No...the judges placed the dancers in the correct positions tonight...and the voters somehow managed not to fook it all up.

The best male celeb and the best female celeb both survive...and if the voters want more of a personality contest, they have that option still....subject to being over-ruled via the grisly dance-off.

That's what I call a result.

How do they have that option? They're left to choose between whoever the judges want as their final 2.

But Austin could have been amazing had Erin given him a better American Smooth and he'd have had the advantage of having just come off the Foxtrot the week before. It's the luck of the draw...

You caught me before I fleshed out my post.

Would it not be better if the dance off allowed them to pick whatever dance they want to so that they can showcase their abilities to the judges. (which is what they did in X Factor for the first time this series and it worked well)

At least the judges would see them at their best and then could decide who should go through.