SCD Series 20 Discussion Thread

[*Wallace]

Ahh yay couples' spoilers being out!  I'm gonna try my best to hold out and not look.... and wait until the reveal show happens next week.  We'll see how long I can hold out.  

 

But a trailer for the Launch show is out! 

 

 

 

[*Wallace]

Some (past series') Strictly related news I found out. So apparently Maisie Smith & Max George are a couple. I was not expecting that but that's wonderful for them! 

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/bbc-strictly-come-dancing-stars-27936712
https://www.instagram.com/p/CiM0ujbDVjr/?hl=en 

And then I also found out Stacey & Kevin are having a baby! A big congrats to them there!  

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChuGWaHsVNe/?hl=en 

[Abe1818]

Massie & Max are an odd couple.I most definitely did not expect that.Also congrats on  Stacey having a baby!

[Ariel1989]

Airing of the Launch Show has been delayed out of respect for the late Queen.  
 

Instead of this Saturday, September 17th, the Launch will air on Friday, September 23rd, with the first live show airing the following day as scheduled.  

[*Wallace]

On 9/10/2022 at 9:03 PM, Abe1818 said:

Massie & Max are an odd couple.I most definitely did not expect that.Also congrats on  Stacey having a baby!

Ah I wasn't expecting that either.... especially as during the series there were all those Maisie/HRVY rumors.  

 

9 hours ago, Ariel1989 said:

Airing of the Launch Show has been delayed out of respect for the late Queen.  
 

Instead of this Saturday, September 17th, the Launch will air on Friday, September 23rd, with the first live show airing the following day as scheduled.  

Oooh I just saw this and was about to post this on here. So thank you for posting! 

 

Totally understandable and respectful reasoning of postponing the Launch show.  Although this is going to be even harder for me to avoid the spoilers out there but still gonna try.

[*Wallace]

Looks like Strictly is back to posting updates on social media.  The celebs promo pics are out! First the group shot:

 

 

Then some solo shots!

 

Ellie Simmonds

 

Ellie Taylor 

 

Fleur East 

 

Hamza Yassin 

 

Helen Skelton 

 

James Bye 

 

Jayde Adams 

 

Kaye Adams 

 

Kym Marsh 

 

Matt Goss 

 

Molly Rainford 

 

Richie Anderson 

 

Tony Adams 

 

Tyler West 

 

Will Mellor 

 

Link: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/strictly-come-dancing-cast-2022-first-look-photos-glamorous-makeover-strictly-fied_uk_63245758e4b0eac9f4e0c1a4

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/62956981

[jarmon]

LMFAO part of me was wondering if Jayde, Kaye & Tony were related. All 3 of them having the same surname: Adams. I think it's safe to say it's a first for the show 

[*Wallace]

On 9/20/2022 at 10:31 AM, jarmon said:

LMFAO part of me was wondering if Jayde, Kaye & Tony were related. All 3 of them having the same surname: Adams. I think it's safe to say it's a first for the show 

Lmaoo yess, I found that really hilarious too.  It's definitely gonna be funny seeing all of this in the voting games.  

[*Wallace]

Strictly are busting out these Meet the Cast Videos quickly now that the Launch show is in 2 days.  Oh and I just noticed that YouTube posts these video clips so I'll post those instead. I'll post 3 in one post and 3 in another. So I'll continue back with Matt, Kym and Hamza. I'll highlight some fun facts they share here.

 

 

 

Matt:

- The two songs he most wants to dance to are The James Bond theme song and "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees.

- The three words he uses to describe Strictly are: Sense of Occasion. 

 

Kym:

 

- The song she most wants to dance to is "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol (though she initially called the Paw Patrol. ) 

- Her favorite past contestant is IDF's favorite, Bill Bailey.

- The three words she uses to describe Strictly are: exciting, glizzy and glamorous. 

 

Hamza:

- The song he most wants to dance to is "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Otis Redding.

- His signature dance move is The Carlton. (Um, SLAY KING!)

- Her favorite past contestant is also Bill Bailey.

[Abe1818]

Molly & Fleur having the last 2 vts

[*Wallace]

Three more Meet the Cast Videos. This time from Jayde, James and Molly.

 

 

Jayde:

- She mentions wanting to dance to Adele. Then she also imitates her accent.  

- Her favorite past contestant is Series 4 winner, Mark Ramprakash. She shouts out his Argentine Tango being one of the greatest moments on television.

 

James:

- The three words he uses to describe Strictly are: terrifying, exciting and bewildering.

- His favorite past Strictly contestant is Davood Ghadami. Then he mentions him having a wonderful body but also is his best mate.  

 

Molly:

- She demonstrated her signature dance move but doesn't have a name for it, but referred to it as some wave move.

- For her past favorite Strictly contestants, she mentioned and said she's friends with Karim and Maisie. But then points out HRVY being her top favorite past contestant.

- The song she most wants to dance to is a Jive "Good Golly, Miss Molly," which fans suggested she do on social media. LMAO this happened with Mollie King in S15, so I would not be surprised if this is one of Molly's first few dances on the show.  

[*Wallace]

The Launch show is finally airing tomorrow and then the first Live competitive show on Saturday! Here are the last Three Meet the Cast Videos. The last three videos are Will, Kaye and Fleur!

 

 

Will:

- His favorite past contestant is Rose Ayling-Ellis, where he also gave a shoutout to how special her Couple's Choice routine was.

- The song he most wants to dance to is "Cry To Me" by Solomon Burke from Dirty Dancing.

 

Kaye:

- Her favorite past contestants are all of the past Loose Women panelists that have done the show. She didn't want to single out one of them or else the others would get mad at her.  

- The three words she uses to describe Strictly are:  glamorous, beloved and wonderful.

 

Fleur:

- Her signature dance moves are the shake and a hair whip.

- Her favorite past Strictly contestant is Alesha Dixon. (Slay Queen with the TASTE!  )

[Abe1818]

Fleur slayed with the Alesha Dixon as favorite contestant!

[Abe1818]

4 minutes ago, *Wallace said:

The Launch show is finally airing tomorrow and then the first Live competitive show on Saturday! Here are the last Three Meet the Cast Videos. The last three videos are Will, Kaye and Fleur!

 

 

Will:

- His favorite past contestant is Rose Ayling-Ellis, where he also gave a shoutout to how special her Couple's Choice routine was.

- The song he most wants to dance to is "Cry To Me" by Solomon Burke from Dirty Dancing.

 

Kaye:

- Her favorite past contestants are all of the past Loose Women panelists that have done the show. She didn't want to single out one of them or else the others would get mad at her.  

- The three words she uses to describe Strictly are:  glamorous, beloved and wonderful.

 

Fleur:

- Her signature dance moves are the shake and a hair whip.

- Her favorite past Strictly contestant is Alesha Dixon. (Slay Queen with the TASTE!  )

Alesha 4th best contestant to be on strictly.A queen

[*Wallace]

Here's a fun Signature Dance moves video from the cast!

 

 

The Launch show did air today!  So the couples are officially out there in the open. I'm just trying to see whether I'll wait for a launch show episdoe link or just decide to spoil myself on it. I'm not sure what to do yet.  

[taylorkat]

21 hours ago, Abe1818 said:

Alesha 4th best contestant to be on strictly.A queen

Who are the other three?

[*Lily]

Fleur eating everyone up in the group dance, yup! Prepared for her Alesha/Alexandra-style domination

[Abe1818]

1 hour ago, taylorkat said:

Who are the other three?

Natalie Gumede,Ashley Roberts & Danny Mac! Sometimes Alesha/Danny switch out in 3rd or 4th for me,but as of right now,Danny is 3rd & Alesha is 4th.Also Alexandra rounds out the top 5 for me IMO.

[*Wallace]

5 hours ago, *Lily said:

Fleur eating everyone up in the group dance, yup! Prepared for her Alesha/Alexandra-style domination

Omgg she did?  I haven't gotten to see the group dance yet but soo looking forward to seeing it shortly!

 

5 hours ago, Abe1818 said:

Natalie Gumede,Ashley Roberts & Danny Mac! Sometimes Alesha/Danny switch out in 3rd or 4th for me,but as of right now,Danny is 3rd & Alesha is 4th.Also Alexandra rounds out the top 5 for me IMO.

Ooooh amazing favorites!  

[*Wallace]

LOL I couldn't find a full episode anywhere yet and I'm too impatient to wait since the live shows are starting tomorrow. So I wanted to look at the couples now. I held off for like 10 hours though, lmao. But I watched the clips on the Strictly instagram and will post my thoughts below!

 

Ellie S & Nikita: Ooh wow, I did not predict this pairing but I like it! Nikita has another young blonde partner but a total opposite from Tilly. This looks like a cute, fun partnership. Nikita did intrigued me with his choreo last year so I'm really looking forward to what he can do with Tilly as I think she's got a great shot at winning.

Tyler & Dianne: I also didn't expect or predict this pairing because Dianne has had many young partners and already had a DJ in Dev. And yeah this partnership is already reminding me of Dev/Dianne. But I am interested in what they do as I can see Tyler being a great and fun dancer. But I fear his lack of name knowledge will put him in danger a lot.

Kym & Graziano: LOL I feel like I predicted none of these couples correctly. I don't really know what to expect here but they seem to gel and get on well. Curious to see what they do as I don't know what to expect. But I am intrigued.

Will & Nancy: Another couple I didn't predict. But yay I'm happy to see Nancy get a partner as I feard she wouldn't. Lol I like Will's excitement and they both seem really excited. Lol he alreay came up with their team name of Mellow-Xu. I'm also intrigued with what they can do.

Helen & Gorka: Lmao I don't think I predicted ANY of these couples. But  Ido like this pairing of Helen & Gorka. He's got someone who is capable and yay a break from an actress as he's had two in a row. They seem fun, cute and looking forward to what they can do.

James & Amy: This seems like a nice match. Oooh interesting how James is really looking forward to the Argentine Tango. I'm curious if he'll get it. This is nice and they work together well, but I'm not really excited nor do they stand out right now. But looking forward to what they can do.

Fleur & Vito: Ooooh snappp, Vito lucked up on his first year with a contender in Fleur. I am kinda nervous as I don't know Vito and don't know what to expect from them. But he did win a DWTS/Strictly type competition somewhere else.... was it Italy? So he knows how to train his celebs and work hard for that win. So yeah I'm really looking forward to what he can do with Fleur and I'm ready to see Fleur slay!

Hamza & Jowita: Aww wow yayy, I'm happy to see Jowita getting a partner. I was not expecting her to get a partner. I don't know what to expect but they have good and fun energy together. Also danggg Hamza's hair is INSANELY long.  

Matt & Nadiya: Oooh again, I don't think I predicted or saw this partnership coming but hmmm, Matt showed some pretty good potential in this intro clip with Nadiya? I'm praying Matt's good. It was nice seeing Nadiya make it far last year but hoping she can do so again with an actual potentially good partner? We'll see but I'm looking forward to them.

Ellie T & Johannes: Okay I think this is probably the only partnership I predicted right whihch was easy to see coming as they are both so tall. They have great and fun energy together. LOL her calling John Whaite a hulk. LOL at Jellie for their team name and them singing "Bootylicious." They won me over with that. Looking forward to seeing more.

Molly & Carlos: Ooh wow Molly got a brand new partner in Carlos too. Ahh dang I didn't even get this right. Although darn I was kinda hoping she would get Cameron as I think they would have gelled well. But looking forward to getting to know Carlos, his choreo and how he does well with Molly. Although I do worry how/if they can connect with the voting public.

Richie & Giovanni: Oooh I also don't think I predicted this either. But aww it's nice to see Giovanni getting the same sex partnership. Richie seems really excited and happy to get Gio. This should be a fun and different partnership for Gio but looking forward to see what he does with Richie.

Jayde & Karen: Oooh snap, whoa. I was not expecting this..... two same sex partnerships. Shocked as they really kept this under wraps when they usually reveal the celebs getting same sex partnerships. I like how they gel and get along with each other. I feel like Karen has been wanting a same sex partnership so I'm happy for her to get this chance. Aww #LetsGoGirls is a cute team name.

Tony & Katya: Oooh... not Katya getting paired with the older guy. But I guess it's fair/overdue as I don't think she's ever really had older partners. Katya is a fantastic choreographer so I look forward to whatever she cdan do with Tony. Although I don't have high hopes for him but I'd like to be proven wrong.

Kaye & Kai: Ooh, I also wasn't expecting Kaye & Kai. Ah dang, I was kinda hoping for Kai to get another young contender but oh well. Looking forward to seeing what he can do with Kaye. BUT I will say I think their names sound really cute together, so I'm kinda here for that.

My pre-season rankings (just literally based off their Instagram clips):
1.    Fleur & Vito
2.    Tyler & Dianne
3.    Helen & Gorka
4.    Ellie S & Nikita
5.    Matt & Nadiya
6.    Ellie T & Johannes
7.    Molly & Carlos
8.    Richie & Giovanni
9.    Jayde & Karen
10.    Will & Nancy
11.    Kym & Graziano
12.    Hamza & Jowita
13.    Kaye & Kai
14.    James & Amy
15.    Tony & Katya
 

I can't wait to see all these rankings change tomorrow.  

[*Wallace]

So I went to look at Ariel's other post to find out the benched Pros which are: Neil Jones, Cameron Lombard, Luba Mushtuk, Lauren Oakley and Michelle Tsiakkas

 

- Sad to see Cameron and Luba benched two years in a row. Yikes at Cameron being benched over the two new Pro guys that got partners right away. Sad for Cameron as I did want to see him with Molly.  

- No surprises and not upset that the new female pros in Lauren and Michelle getting benched. But hoping they can get partners next year.

- But yikes, Neil benched AGAIN? This is 5 out of 7 years he's been benched as a pro, which is getting really ridiculous and unfair. I'm assuming he's fine with not partnering with a celebrity and just doing pro dances or something? Cause I don't get how someone can stick with the show this long without partnering with a celebrity.

[Ariel1989]

I can't believe the first live show is today!  Woohoo!  

 

Now that the pairings are officially revealed, here's my thoughts:

 

Ellie S. & Nikita: I actually expected Gorka to get Ellie as the shortest male pro, like Sasha with Terra.  Despite the height difference, they seem very well-matched.  Ellie came off really enthusiastic and Nikita is similarly upbeat so they should be a fun couple.  I'm curious to see how they will handle the height difference but nevertheless, they should go far and maybe even make the final if Ellie dances well.  

 

Ellie T. & Johannes: This pairing makes the most sense based on height but their personalities seem to mesh well too.  Johannes is a naturally joyful person so putting him with someone as self-deprecating as Ellie was a no-brainer.  I can't see them going very far based on Ellie's performance in the group dance and her general assessment of her awkward dancing but they will make the most of their likely short time together.  

 

Fleur & Vito: Golden couple alert!  Fleur slayed in the group dance and already seems to have great chemistry with Vito, who came off very lovely in the interview with Claudia, talking about how his mom cried when he left Italy .  Fleur's only issue will likely be overcoming the "too confident" trope that viewers tend to label on talented women (particularly WOC) and part of that will be softening her movements so that she won't be hitting them as hard as she did in the group dance.  I think they'll make the final though, even if they have to go through some dance-offs like every talented woman who goes on DWTS/Strictly.  

 

Hamza & Jowita: First off, yay Jowita!  I'm so happy to see her get a partner, she was incredible in the group numbers last year and handled Adrian Chiles' nerves and height in the Christmas Special really well, just comes off really lovely and professional.  Hamza is so endearing and likable, he also did better than I expected in the group dance so maybe with a bit of skill plus his lovely partnership with Jowita, they'll manage to survive a few weeks even with their limited fanbases.  

 

Helen & Gorka: I felt like Helen was a bit overrated by some of the fanbase (so many of them calling her the winner), but she's growing on me and she looked pretty decent in the group dance.  I think that she and Gorka are well-matched and if she keeps growing throughout the weeks, combined with her popularity she could possibly be Gorka's first win.  

 

James & Amy: Not quite sure about this pairing, they feel a little too bland and expected, I don't know how else to explain it.  He was okay in the group dance but didn't surprise me with any natural dance ability or two left feet.  Amy is a great teacher so maybe she'll pull something great out of James and then they'll surprise us.  

 

Jayde & Karen: So happy for Karen getting the same-sex partnership she's wanted for a while!  Side note: Karen is now the longest-serving female pro of all time, having surpassed Erin and Ola's ten series and going into her eleventh series!  Jayde seems pretty fun and I think she'll exceed a lot of people's expectations about full-figured women's dancing capabilities, she has quite a bit of experience under her belt and she was very comfortable on the dance floor so who knows?  Maybe she'll be Karen's most deserving finalist partner!

 

Kaye & Kai: Poor Kai, first his very successful debut got cut short right before the final and now he's almost guaranteed to leave first or second if Kaye doesn't have Carol Kirkwood-level of support.  I don't have high hopes for Kaye, she looked so awkward and stiff in the group dance and I can't see even Kai improving on that.  I've heard that Loose Women has a fanbase so idk if she's going to go as quick as we'd hope, despite her lack of rhythm.

 

Kym & Graziano: Another potential contending couple!  Kym looked really good in the group dance and she seems to be getting more support since the intro videos (most notably following the Paw Patrol/Snow Patrol mixup ).  Excited for Graziano, he had a pretty good series last year getting along well with Judi and winning the Christmas Special with Anne-Marie so this must be a reward!  He just comes off like the nicest guy so it's lovely to see him getting a legit chance this year.  

 

Matt & Nadiya: This partnership is a little worrying now that I've seen Matt in action during the interviews and group dance.  He seems a bit too withdrawn and in his head to relate to people, maybe it's nerves from having to be himself in interviews and on the dance floor rather than performing in concerts which is likely his comfort zone.  Hopefully lovely Nadiya can coax him out of his shell and get him to loosen up and enjoy the experience, I'd really love to see her go far with a good partner especially with her stunning ballroom choreography.  

 

Molly & Carlos: I already love Molly, she (along with Fleur) seems like the ideal forum It Girl.  I'm also loving Carlos, I didn't expect him to be that much fun in the interview with Claudia.  I'm not sure about their combined fanbases since the young women celebs struggle sometimes to stay out of the bottom two but they should be a beautiful dancing pair.  I have this feeling that they're going to give Fleur & Vito a run for their money in the Latin dances, like AJ & Kai did with Rose & Gio in the ballroom dances.  

 

Richie & Giovanni: I figured that as the reigning pro champion, Gio would either get the duffer woman (Kaye) or the same-sex partnership (Richie).  This partnership will also be interesting, due to their different personalities; Richie is so enthusiastic about everything Strictly and Gio is a bit more focused so it'll be fun to see them work together.  I'm not sold on Richie's dancing ability though, looks like he'll be needing a lot of basic training like posture, balance and foot placement, but hey, maybe Gio will work a miracle!

 

Tony & Katya: Poor Katya, I know that she'll give some great choreography but she really hasn't had a fair shot since Joe.  I don't think Tony will last as long as Ed Balls but I'm not sure that he'll be a definite first-boot; he seems quite nice and approachable and didn't look as awkward as Kaye in the group dance.  

 

Tyler & Dianne: I wanted him with either Dianne or Nadiya so I'm happy he got one of them.  He isn't as well-known as some other contestants but he and Dianne are already coming off very well together (their team name is Team TyDi!) and he seems to have some ability so hopefully he can help Dianne break that Week 4 curse!

 

Will & Nancy: Another pairing I'm looking forward to seeing!  They're both very energetic individuals (especially Nancy!) but together it somehow works.  

 

On the benched pros: 

 

Not that disappointed about Neil, he's been very underwhelming despite being given two potentially good partners.  

 

A little surprised that Cameron wasn't paired with Molly, given their closeness in age and probably height as well, but maybe he just needs more time learning the ropes of the show and Carlos came in more prepared.  

 

Sad about Luba, she's a fantastic dancer and wasn't really given a fair chance in either of her two series; James being one of the worst dancers ever on Strictly and Jason getting sabotaged with that Star Wars Paso Doble.  She's done reasonably well in the Specials so it's not like she's on the bench for being a consistently bad teacher or choreographer.  

 

Not surprised about Lauren or Michelle being on the bench, with so many strong and established female pros in the lineup it would've taken some incredible chemistry with a celeb during the tryouts to get them a partner in their first series.  I do think we'll see them with partners in the future; Lauren has a long history with Strictly (performing in Blackpool and Musicals Week numbers) and seems to be a pretty good teacher based on some online tutorials, while Michelle isn't as experienced with Strictly she was stunning during the John Legend performance in the launch show.  

 

Overall, this is shaping up to be a good series even with the nostalgia still hanging over from last series.  I can't wait for later today to see them all dance, fingers crossed the stream works just as well today as it did yesterday!

[*Lily]

Quote

 

Ellie S and Nikita: Cha Cha Cha to Dance by DNCE

Ellie T and Johannes: Quickstep to I Am What I Am by Klaus Hallen Tanzorchester

Fleur and Vito: Cha Cha Cha to Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez

Helen and Gorka: American Smooth to You Send Me by Aretha Franklin

Jayde and Karen: Samba to Dirrty by Christina Aguilera featuring Redman

Kaye and Kai: Tango to Voulez-Vouz by ABBA

Kym and Graziano: Jive to Yes by Merry Clayton

Molly and Carlos: Samba to Kiss My (Uh Oh) by Anne Marie and Little Mix

Hamza and Jowita: Foxtrot to Islands In The Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers

James and Amy: Jive to What I Like About You by The Romantics

Matt and Nadiya: Quickstep to Sir Duke by The Chris Walden Big Band

Richie and Giovanni: Cha Cha Cha to I'm Your Man by Wham!

Tony and Katya: Tango to Go West by Village People

Tyler and Dianne: American Smooth to Falling by Harry Styles

Will and Nancy: Jive to Livin' La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin

 

 

Week 1 song/dance styles!

Omg Fleur

 

 

Loving Kym, Molly, Ellie S, Helen and Jayde's songs too

Edited September 24, 2022 by *Lily

[*Wallace]

Ooh yayy songs/styles reveals. I lowkey was kinda hoping to go into the show as a complete surprise of who dances what but of course I'm here for the reveals.  Loving/looking forward to Ellie S', Fleur's, Jayde's, Molly's, James', Matt's, Tyler's and Will's dances based on style/song choice combo.

[*Wallace]

LMAO So I have no idea when the show is coming on but should be really shortly. I'll try to do some pre-season prediction rankings though I literally had no time to think about this or let it set in. So these could be my worst predictions yet.

 

15. Tony & Katya
14. Kaye & Kai
13. Ellie T & Johannes
12. Hamza & Jowita
11. Richie & Giovanni
10. James & Amy
9. Matt & Nadiya
8. Jayde & Karen
7. Molly & Carlos
6. Tyler & Dianne
5. Kym & Graziano
2. Helen & Gorka
2. Will & Nancy
2. Fleur & Vito
1. Ellie S & Nikita

Lmaoo yeah I really have no idea about this.  

- I don't feel like there is that obvious first boot. Tony and Kaye looks most likely for it but they have strong pro partners that could prevent that for them. But they are ones I don't see lasting long so I put them towards the bottom.
- Hmm, Ellie T has me a bit worried as I feel she may be gangly and awkward as a really tall slim dancer, specifically in the Latins. Hopefully she can produce some
- Hamza was someone I saw as an early boot as I think he'll be an okay/fun dancer but with a small fanbase. But I could see him anywhere from like 14th to 10th, so I guess 12th works. 
- Ugh I'M STUCK going forward here. I'm not really sure on Richie's dance potential. But him having Giovanni should/could take him further than 11th but I just don't know where else to place him.
- Had James predicted to last longer but I feel like one of the male soap stars will succeed while the other doesn't. I'm thinking James won't stand out as much as Will.
- I thought I saw Matt have good potential in his intro clip but then I hear differently with the group dance so he's really tricky to predict. But I think him going out around the middle makes sense.
- On the other end, I had Jayde as an earlier boot but I'm hearing good things about her. I struggled with 8th-6th range but I guess I like 8th for her.
- Hmm, I do feel like Molly and Tyler are two that could struggle with the public vote, being and winning a number of dance-offs. I think it could take them decently far but not to the end. I had them around the 9th-5th range, but I think I like 7th and 6th for them. These are also a bit of hopeful predictions as I can see one of them going a little earlier.
- Hmm placing Kym/Graziano seems risky as it looks kinda strange predicting Graz that high but I think this should be a great year for him and Kym. I see Kym having potential and going far.
- Then I have Fleur, Helen and Will as finalists. I mentioned I see one of the actors going out early with the other making it far. I have a feeling Will will have strong fan support, though I'm not sure how I see his dancing. Helen seems well liked with a strong fan support. I actually was stuck between her and Kym for 5th and the runner-up spot, but guess I'm feeling Helen can make it there. Then Fleur seems like the usual slayage strong dancer/performer that may not have the fan support but could beat nearly anyone in a dance-off. Don't see her having the support to win but would love to see her win. I just want her to make it to the finale, at least.
- I just feel like if Ellie S can dance, or go on that journey, it should be hers to lose. She seems really likable, rootable and has a good story.