Strictly Come Dancing

What?! How is Danny in the dance off?! Really hope he goes through

Louise in the final despite two terrible dances last night. Claudia in the dance off and of course the judges will save Danny! So predictable!!

They didn't need to overmark and overpraise him when there were more unpopular dancers left. But now that he was the most unpopular (2 dance-offs), they wanted to ensure he got into the final. I have no issues with Craig's marking, he is consistent. 

And gymnastics training is far from ballroom/latin dance training. 

I think the fact that we've just seen two dances worth 40 in the dance-off says it all. The two best dances of the night, two of the best dances of the entire season. The absolute wrong bottom two and although it was surely the right decision for Danny to stay over Claudia, I'm sad for her and really think she was thrown under the bus last night. She could have come second in the public votes and still been in the bottom two. I do think that the online vote being down may have effected things this week as well. I would imagine that Danny and Claudia's fans skew younger than Louise's and are more likely to vote online than over the phone. Honestly, it's a shame that anyone had to go at this point considering the final usually has four couples, but due to Will leaving early this is what happened.

Claudia and AJ have been the surprise of the season for me. Not the best dancer or even my favourites (Danny & Oti) but have produced almost as many rewatchable dances: Charleston, American Smooth, Paso Doble, Viennese Waltz, Argentine Tango, Salsa & Quickstep. I know some people haven't liked AJ but I think he's done a great job with an awkward height difference and almost consistently awful songs as well as the patronising of his age from the judges and presenters. I also thought they seemed to have a lovely friendship. Hope he's back next year and so he should be considering he's the pro dancer to get his contestant furthest out of the four new ones (although I'd be happy to have all four back). Hopefully they will put him with someone older so they can calm down with the jokes and childish themes and music.

If Danny doesn't win now, it will be a bit of a travesty for me. I really think he must be the best dancer ever to be on the show. Ore peaked at his American Smooth/Jive weeks and hasn't come close to those since. Louise has produced one standout dance, but other than that has been a capable but utterly boring dancer to watch. How she wasn't in the dance-off last night with those two bland-as-anything dances I will never know.

Danny > Ore > Louise for me.

Such a shame for Claudia. Agree with @snutte that anything other than Danny winning will be extremely disappointing for me. Louise was pretty bad last night for this point in the competition. She must've topped or been near the top of the public vote. I just don't get it - what is getting her the votes?

The only good thing, I hope, is that this will spur Danny fans into action next week.

Who in their right mind is voting for Louizzzzzze? Pleased to see Robot Mac in the dance-off too. Feel really sorry for Claudia and AJ, they've been a really entertaining and lovely couple this series.

And why are people on twitter complaing about Ore and Joanne crying too much?! For goodness sake, the man has just got to the final of Strictly and he probably never thought he would!! Cut him some slack, of course he's going to be overwhelmed.

That result is a travesty.

Ore didn't do an AT - he did a lot of standing and posing. Louise was awful in the Samba. They should have been in the dance off

Danny did one of the best ever dances on Strictly - that AS was breathtakingly beautiful. It was worthy of at least 40 points. Darcy was being tactical in her marking.

So so wrong.

He might have been cut some slack if he hadn't cried at the drop of a hat nearly every week so far. At this point it just looks fake like everything about him.

For those that think we're making it up about the judges manipulating the marks, it says something when the pro dancers comment on it and former pros refuse to watch.

From Brendan's column:

I thought the judging was interesting again - I can't quite work it out. They're overmarking certain things and undermarking certain things - it beggars belief.

I just wonder what they're looking for and I wonder why they do certain things they do. Some people can do no wrong and some people can do no right, and it's quite obvious. It seems to be the same comments coming out of the same judges time and time again for the same stuff that isn't actually part of what you're expecting for what you're seeing, so that's my main criticism.

I think it was Louise who messed up a couple of times during her tango, obviously went wrong, and didn't have the right position, didn't have the footwork, and yet she's getting a 10. Does that mean if she gets it perfect she gets a 12? Because there's no such thing.

I think Claudia did a better job than others last night - she did a better job than Ore, and yet he was at the top of the leaderboard and she was at the bottom.

I was very disappointed to hear that Danny was in the dance-off. For me he's been the clear winner from start to finish. At the same time, though, he should have been at the top of the leaderboard! For me it was no contest - I'm still shocked that he wasn't top by a long way. 

www.digitalspy.com/tv/strictly-come-dancing/feature/a816581/brendan-cole-strictly-come-dancing-column-judges-scoring-beggars-belief/

At least Ore has a personality who seems genuinely emotional to have got as far as he has done (with no previous training). Unlike the plastic twosome in the final who struggle to show any hint of personality.

Ore has a personality!? I must have missed it under all the fake crying.