I think they meant no the judges are not in deep do do.

PS Is your real name Len pickledgherkin?

I think the judges lost public support when they got rid of the publics favourite Austin. And there judging has been shocking this year 2 out of the 4 have to be replaced keeping CRAIG.

Serves them right if they are. They got far too big for their boots this series and seemed to think the public votes no longer mattered.

Isn't it more likely to be Vincent that he's got his eye on?

I actually think the producers are deeper in the s**t. They should have realised the consequence of a tie at the top and dealt with it at the end of the first programme. The straightforward way would have been to point out that Tom would now definitely be in the dance off and the public should only vote to save either Lisa or Rachel. This would have been honest, straightforward and totally in line with the rules.

I, by the way, don't support any of the three so I have about as unbiased opinion as you can get.

They were all in a 'conflab' certainly.
I laugh at the expression on Len's face when his marks don't match his comments - we know, you know!

It may not be provable beyond doubt but the scores probably wouldn't stand statistical analysis. Bruno and Len particularly.

Do we have any statisticians on here?

I am also unbiassed.

How are the judges in deep "doo-doo" They commented on the dances & marked them accordingly! In my opinion there comments/marks on Tom were correct, semi-final - pressure situation, live etc etc - He did not dance well, & correctly ended at the bottom of the leader board. As for the 2 girls, they obviously came out fighting & again their marks/comments reflected this. There have been many previous weeks where there have been couple joint top of the leader board -WHY is this week any different????!!!!

As for the explanation that it was not "fair" that there was no way Tom could avoid the dance-off (as I read on BBC entertainment) well..... Is that not the whole point? Unless he got more votes than the 2 girls, he obviously was in the dance-off & the couple with the next lowest phone vote was there with him - then Judges choice??!! AS It Has Always been every other week????!! - I just don't understand the reasoning behind it at all - A complete Let-Off for Tom & Camilla in my opinion. Now last year I did feel sorry for Camilla - but this year?? No! Semi-final - you must earn it & clearly Lisa & Rachel did.
I mean why not Austin & Erin be in the semi?? I mean it is just stupid??!!
As we saw earlier in the night, the worry/stress/nerves about the A.Tango from Brendan - what was all that for??!! He needn't have worried - They were going to the final !!!

I mean they make much of Brendan's "storming out" but when it is Camilla/Vincent - well.........?????!!

Again a Complete let off for Tom & Camilla & once again I must stress, EVERY couple "endures" the dance-off - Lisa & Brendan did - 3 TIMES!! - But not Tom & Camilla?? Hello??!!

Good luck to ALL next week - but I'm shouting, now more than every for Lisa & Brendan!

I dont think they are.

Its so obvious they fixed it for this to happen, but nobody has any proof and never will.

They'll get away with it basically, but their plan failed at least

The judges had nothing to do with this problem. It was someone at the BBC - producers? - who didn't think it through. They should have had a rollover the week John left.

I did feel that a couple of the judges undermarked Rachel's second dance to try and force a tie....

I am no statistician but by watching this series for what seems like months and all the other series Len's marking was just too weird!......Craig maybe you could explain it away but not Len's.

In my home after Lisa's second dance someone actually said "I bet the judges give Rachel 36 for her second dance"....we looked and said why do you think that and then they explained that that was what she needed to tie....and then Len gave a particulary weird score!

I felt even before the show started, that whatever happened the judges were going to vote so that Rachel and Lisa would be top and Tom bottom. It was almost a re run of last week with Austin. Pathetic.

The judges wanted R and L in the final - now this debacle has happened through no fault of Tom and Camilla. They didn't ask the producers to put them through and now they are suffering the backlash. Tom didn't dance his best last night and perhaps should have gone, however the decision was not his and I think he will now suffer for the decision the BBC has made as people seem to be blaming him and Camilla, which is ridiculous.

This whole series has been a disaster I feel - too much messing about with a great format. I do hope they get rid of the totally pointless dance off but suspect they will not.

I hope Tom dances his socks off next week and proves he does deserve a place there in the final otherwise I fear Strictly may not survive this farce.

I don't believe there is a conspiracy but the judges couldn't have done a better job of making it look like one if they'd tried especially Len admitting over-marking the ladies and then giving Rachel's a lower mark than the other three (when was the last time that happened?).

I think the judges did manipulate the situation regards the LB and have been doing so for a couple of weeks,Austin's was obvious IMO,and I said to my OH they'll do the same to Tom next week...and guess what?...Unfortunately for the judges in their eagerness to have an all female final they cocked up big time...By the way I'm not an Austin or Tom fan ,just like fairplay...and before Lisa's fans become very precious,and defensive, just 5 words... Len's mark for Argentine Tango...Now if you seriously can't see that as overmarking you're on a different planet.

Ellie

So true !!

Even Craig admitted on BBC breakfast that it was up to the judges to get the best dancers <in their view> to the final

As for Len giving Rachel an 8 for her lack of foxtrot in the AS and Lisa a 10 in her AT even though she stumbled - pray tell me what planet is he on !!