The Birdy Song. She'll get a 40.

For me, it's not about meanness - it's about one contestant being over-marked, over-hyped and over-promoted at the expense of the others.

Rachel is technically great - nobody could deny that - but, for me and apparently many others, there's so little personality in her dancing. Unfortunately for Rachel, the judges have gone OTT about her at every possible opportunity - Arlene has even tried to make out she never danced in S Club 7 (LMAO). And, in a series where the judges are apparently all out to tell the public who they should like and vote for, the blatant bias is wearing increasingly thin for many of us ...

There will be yet more hype to come as she careers towards the final - but a Rachel/Tom would actually be the most appropriate pairing as it would give the public a chance to make their voice heard in a series where the judges have gone out their way to silence it. If it's Rachel vs Lisa, there will be some major storm clouds on the Strictly horizon …

no idea re rachel dance yet.

LOL

Rachel is technically competent, the rest is a matter of taste.

Her performances might not excite you, but they thrill the judges and countless other viewers like me.

I'm still hoping for Lisa to make the final & i'd love her & Brendan win

And I'm glad you enjoy her dancing. Unlike the judges, I wouldn't dream of telling people who they should or shouldn't vote for or lie about a contestant to try and garner public support for them ...

Sorry not sure what you mean by that or what relevance it has to the present discussion about Rachel's scores and whether they're fair or not.

Have to agree. All the way through the judges have made it clear how they want the public to vote and they definitely want Rachel in the final.

I think it will be Rachel and Tom with Rachel the winner.

If the public are so easily influenced that they do what the judges tell them to, that's their problem surely?

And if the judges were truly favouring Rachel, why did they place her middle of the table the week before last? That wasn't helping her cause in the slightest.

I dont think she has done anything wrong. It's just that she has been the main recipient of the judges absurd over-marking during this series. There is another thread giving stats that suggest she is the best dancer in SCD " history"..that is clearly not true and annoys people.

I don't understand the "I can't bear Rachel..." in your above post. Do you know her personally?

I understand some dancers appealing more than others but not such extremes. It isn't as if she has done or said anything nasty. I often think if some of the dancers came on this forum and read what is written about them they would be so very hurt.

I hope the best dancer on the night wins the series.

I happen to think Rachel is amongst the best dancers in Strictly history.

Just because others don't feel the same way her fans and judges do, why is she automatically a victim of over-marking?

I've been told she is doing the Funky Chicken.
The judges are arranging for 4 tens plus a standing ovation.

Fair enough..I could live with " amongst the best "..the stats ( based on highest marks) given in another thread suggest she IS the best..that's with another two weeks to go!

Rachel was once on 35, below 3 joint tops on 36.
Yet out of 9 dancers Rachel found herself in the dance-off. There appears to be a clear disconnection between phone voters and Rachel.

In this forum there has been uneasiness about Rachel long long before the start of alleged overmarking. After her jive on 32 she was blasted by Len. The forum generally did not warm to her then when she was out of favour with judges, and still do not now that she is made top of the class.

If you subscribe to this view of a definite disconnection with the public there is no way Rachel can win on the phone vote, especially when 90% of phone voters are female, who marginally may have a preference to vote male if they can find a reason to do so?

However if Tom with the jive should find himself in the dance-off with Rachel, it is obvious which way the judges will jump. In a girl-girl final all predictions would be off.

I hope Rachel wins and Tom goes out, she is amazing.

yes OP, Lisa and Tom to be the last two standing

I love watching both of them. Lisa more than Tom, but if it's not Lisa that wins, then I'd really like it to be him.
I just feel the joy in them when they are dancing, and I like it

I'm not sure about the forum uneasiness of which you speak - Rachel & Vincent are second favourite on the forum poll (and only 13 votes behind Tom & Camilla).

You do see a lot of anti-Rachel feeling expressed on this forum. I don't understand it at all. I wouldn't understand it about any of the contestants because none of them have been unpleasant. Fair enough if you prefer one dancer over another for whatever reason but even then, it is all down to whoever dances best on the night.

Does it really matter who wins?

I adored Alesha last year and wanted her to win but had she danced badly at the final, or at any point leading up to that, and someone else had danced better, she would have gone and good luck to the winner.

Rachel to win - if not, Tom. Lisa has been over-marked on far too many occasions.

I think Arlene's weeks of "you don't connect" has brainwashed a few folks. Admittedly, I was still unwilling to "give" when Rachel performed the Rhumba, which is a shame as it was beautiful and had plenty of connection.

Since that dance I really do not see that anyone can throw the "can't connect" card at Rachel with any justification. Rachel's never been my favorite, which is curious as in the last few weeks she has certainly become the dancer I most look forward to watching.

Seconded. To me, she seems quiet, modest, unassuming and ladylike. I would rather see girls like her and Lisa on my screen than some of the horrible excuses for women you get on Big Brother.

I'm one of the people who found Rachel a bit bland in the first few weeks. However, I thought her Rumba (which I generally don't like) was the best I've seen on Strictly. Since then I think she has been great. I hope she wins. For me she's the best dancer overall this series.

If Rachel doesn't win, I'm quite happy for Tom or Lisa to win. I don't understand why people are so anti Rachel and Lisa. Why can they not support their favourite without being so negative about the others?

Indeed. All this "closest ever series" "anyone could win" rubbish trotted out by Claudia and the judges is nonsense. Tom will win unless the judges send him packing next week.