When I think of Cam and Tom doing that dance as the 3rd placed couple (instead of Lisa and Brendan), and then having to watch the slightly disappointing Rachel/Vincent safe dance and Lisa and Brendan's nightmare as the final offerings on this year's already flawed series - I shudder.

Best Show Dance Ever?. Possibly. Best dance on final's night? For me? Certainly Tom and Camilla.

It would certainly have been an anti-climax for Tom and Camilla to have done that dance as third placed couple then to have to watch the other two couples which were not in the same league. Thankfully they were never in any danger of that happening.

Arlene Phillips stated on Breakfast News this morning that this dance was the best showdance in Strictly history.

It might be the best showdance. (They are generally poor, imo.)

But it is very far from the best dance.

That would've definitely been a repeat of series 3, where a good show dance in third (Zoe and Ian) was followed by a slight disaster (Colin and Erin).

I have to disagree with you, Veri. I think it's one of the most entertaining, electrifying dances in Strictly history. Obviously you have Alesha's Cha Cha, Mark's Salsa, Jill's Jive, but bar those three I can't think of much else up there with it in terms of technique and entertainment value.

I like Tom and I really loved it. My partner thought it was a shambles and that Tom dances like a clown. I guess it's down to personal taste.

i really liked it, so glad he won.

I'd offer up Zoe's tango as one of the top Strictly dances too - it's not entertaining in the same way obviously with it not being a latin, but I do think it is one of the best we've seen.

I think Rachels tango was better. Id put that one in the wow list.

Grah - controversial, I know, but I really struggled to enjoy any of Rachel's dances. A lot's been made of it, but I think it was the eyes. I think it was a great dance, and very well performed, but Zoe's was performance, music, choreography and dance fused into one - it's still my favourite Strictly dance all these years later.

Best showdance we've seen but, far from being the best dance ever!

Colin and Erin's AS, QS and Rumba*
Jill and Darren's Jive
Mark and Karen's AT and Salsa
Denise and Ian's QS
Rachel and Vincent's AT and Rumba

It's all subjective but the above dances are ones that I know I would watch before Tom's showdance.

*still can make me cry.

I'll put the cat among the pigeons and say that I think Don's tango was better (and more erotic) than either Austin's or Rachel's. He was masterful...sigh...and Lilia's choreography was brilliant!

As someone who loves Tom and Matt - do we really have to praise Tom by slagging off Matt for the meltdown - again?! The guy blanked it happened - get over it people - he too came back in the semi's that took some guts too.

He went into the final with THAT Waltz, and did THAT showdance with Flavia.

I'm with you.

Yes, I agree, that was a great tango - and to think I'd nearly forgotten it!


May I be controversial again? I didn't much like Matt and Flavia's showdance... in fact I think other than Puppet-gate and whatever Lisa and Brendan were doing, it's my least favourite showdance...

Oh yes, definiely Zoe's Tango. That was terrific. Have to agree with you in regards of Rachel's Tango. I preferred her Rumba TBH.

Don's was really good as well - was pleased to see that again Saturday night.

I so agree: usually they are little more than squirming and cavorting with no narrative to hold them together, so they feel like a string of lifts put together for no reason. Rachel's was okay to watch, but I struggled to see the point of it...Lisa's was truly grim (but I was never a fan, so am clearly biased.)

Tom was not my favourite for SCD6, and I had been worried that had he won purely with public support when bottom of the leaderboard, the whole series might have felt a bit of a let-down. But that showdance had so much charm and joy and fun in it, I was completely won over. Camilla did a great job identifying the aspects of Tom's dancing and his personality which made him so appealing, and put together a showcase for him and his talent. To be honest, that showdance and Austin and Erin's incredibly cheeky and upbeat jive lifted the whole evening for me, and turned what had felt a bit of a non-event, into a triumph. And, for what its worth, I think Vincent and Rachel knew as soon as it was over that they would not win, and behaved with real grace about coming second.

On a general note, so nice to see the return of a ballroom based showdance, with some class, as opposed to Latin gyrating!

Quite, personal taste. I am glad for Camilla that they won as I think she should have made the final (not won) last year.

However for me it was nto the best showdance ever... My personal taste was the dolls with Colin Jackson......

Nah only joking..

It was Alesha's from last year.... it was glamtastic! Bonny Tyler, those outfits and moves, that speech prior and after... damn it was good.

However personal taste... and that is mine!

For pure entertainment value, Toms show-dance has to rank as one of the best......Technically even if I could see it was`t perfect...bit did that matter...not a bit....Show dances are all about unadulterated entertainment......by the way I`v just re-watched the show from the perspective of the fixed camera on the BBC website.....I think Toms biggest fan must have been sat right next to the remote microphone.....it`s worth a look.

ps...even though he was`t my favourite last year I thought Matt show-dance was brilliant as well

I think Rachel was perhaps better than Tom in the more technical, regulated dances like the ballroom and Latin. I like Tom but I felt that the showdance, where anything goes and there's no rules, suited him better than the other dances during the course of the competition.

Lisa & Brendan's showdance was certainly different but not my taste.
Rachel & Vincent's showdance was enjoyable but, for me, a bit bland.
Tom & Camilla's showdance was pure entertainment and I smiled throughout.

Rachel did better than Tom on the other dances, Tom won on his better showdance.

All-in-all, the final was entertaining and enjoyable and what more can we ask for?

It's alright to have diff. tastes.

I'd go along with this - well done Tom, the showdance really suited him. Well done Rachel - her showdance was obviously what she wanted, she loved it and enjoyed it and it was fine.

Lisa and Brendan - thanks for the showdance- I think, in time that it may become truly legendary.

I know Tom probably had it in the bag with the public ages ago but is it right to say that the showdance won him the series?

The showdance is only one dance after all, a dance heavily weighted to show off that particular celebs strengths.

Isn't the best dancer the one who consistently is brilliant week after week at whatever dance is thrown at them?

I loved Tom's showdance but it was very Tom. In the same way that JS's dances were very John. Tom of course has far more dancing talent than John.

The dance is MY favourite dance from any series. I cant stop watching it.

It's a good contender for my best dance, but the reason why I love it so much is because of what it represents; my favourite pro getting to show what she can do/choreograph and milking every second as if her life depended on it. For me, this dance is so life-affirming; I've rarely watched two people enjoy each other's company as much as Tom & Camilla do on the dance floor, and is it that affirmation of friendship (some kind of platonic thing) that makes this dance so moving for me.

It's not streets ahead of my other favourite dances (Jill's Jive & Paso & Cha Cha; Matt D's Samba and show dance; Alesha's inyerface Cha Cha & show dance etc.), but it is littered with moments of utter genius (I've finally watched in PAL DVD resolution: 720x576 720 x 576 [AR 16:9]); the way she hints to Tom, 'go on then' and watches with what must be a mix of acted out pride and genuine pride and his does his stuff is so touching ('look at my star pupil dance, folks!'. It's obviously been a fantastic partnership.

Best dance? Maybe not.

Most entertaining dance? Absolutely!

Does anyone want me to do some decent screencaps?