Strictly '22 #18 — Who's going to lift the glitterball? We don't know, but it will happen in this thread!

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Previous thread

We're moving so fast I'm setting this one up to be ready!

I've just rewatched all the final dances.

None of the showdances thrilled me. If I had to choose one, it would be Fleur. But tbf, they were all a bit 7.

Of the couple's own favourites, Hamza's made me the most happy. Helen's seemed less sleazy this time for some reason and I'm prepared to admit I was wrong in saying it was first time round.

I think the judges were unfair on Molly with their pick for her in the judges' choice.

I don't agree with the Jordans. The best overall on the night I think was Helen. (and I'm not TeamHelen)

Btw, I said I'd read about some voting controversy - went back to find it and it was people voting for "1" (Fleur) receiving thanks for having voted for "11" (Molly)

It can't have happened to that many people as I've not read anything else since Sunday.

I have not seen this at all from the pro dancers. No, not even Gio and he is pretty much Gorka's best friend.

Gio's Instagram post before the final was of him and Rose, with a comment on wishing them all good luck. No names of any finalists, but comments below of course mention Helen and Gorka. One of them obviously being from Gemma Atkinson.

The closest thing I've seen about being disappointed for Gorka and Helen is Dan Walker's Instagram post here. What annoyed me more about his post is that he mentions Helen has remained dignified and never mentioned "the whirlwind" yet here he's alluded to it himself!

Gorka should pull up his big boy pants and get over it.

🙄🙄

Gorka is entitled to be disappointed, the professionals put a lot of hard work into the show but he doesn't seem to have the same popularity as Gio or Aliaz and Oti did. And it is a popularity contest or the worst dancers would be voted off first and Hamza was popular.

Was Bill Bailey really a better dancer than Maisie Smith or Joe McFadden better than Alexandra Burke or were they and their partners more popular?

The judges consistently overmarked Hamza during the series whilst undermarking others and this influences the public voting and it also keeps them out of the dance off. Molly was not popular but she was a good dancer, who would the judges have saved in a dance off between Hamza and Molly I wonder. Would it have been the best dancer?

I'm not a massive Gorka fan but I agree @springerspanielpuppy - he's worked hard on the show for years & is fully entitled to be disappointed. Plus he's not British so none of the stiff upper lip / pretend you don't care / it's all ok no matter what you're feeling inside crap!

Why isn't he doing the tour? Was that his choice?

I remember Bill Bailey being slightly off his game too in the final like Hamza. However, Bill's Rapper's Delight dance was an absolutely fantastic routine that still remains up there as one of my all time favourite Strictly routines and which I often rewatch.

I don't think I'll remember any of this year's finalist dances. Although oddly, Tony Adams Full Monty remains one of the memorable dances of this year! 🤣

Interesting that Gorka isn’t doing the tour - I thought it must overlap with his Firedance tour but there’s a couple of weeks between the Strictly tour finishing and that starting. Maybe he just wants January as downtime to spend with family/rehearse for Firedance.

Ha! Thanks for Hamza's Paso footage! If that was advanced, I'm a size 8!
I rewatched his showdance today and it looks a lot better now than on the night, expectations and all that. I watch Jay's quite a lot too - stands up better than it did live. I agree with upthread about past winners; there will be inevitable #wuzrobbed across all series but it shouldn't denigrate what the winning couples accomplish and you could make a strong case for any of them year on year. See you all Xmas day - if someone does the honours of a new Xmas thread.
Happy Holidays everyone x

Maybe in the Ann Widdecombe School of Dance, Hamza's Paso is advanced.

Nicola Roberts didn't seem very gushy about Giovanni on the One Show like the celebs usually are about their pros.

That might be because on the university circuit you don't dance paso until intermediate or advanced competition categories. So it's possible the class it was taught in was called that, regardless of how good (or not!) the dancers actually were...

Cumulative scores going into the final (according to ITT):

Hamza: 453
(Molly: 452)
(Fleur: 449)
Helen: 428

Cumulative scores going into the final, if using the scores per dance awarded by Craig (based on the assumption he is the fairest/most conservative/most likely to call out bad dancing and technique/least flaky/least partisan/least ridiculous judge) and applying that score x 4:

Hamza: 408
Helen: 384

Cumulative scores going into the final based on the lowest scores they received per dance x 4:

Hamza: 408
Helen: 383

Cumulative scores going into the final based on the Helen was robbed/undermarked, Hamza was crap/overmarked hypothesis. Based on Hamza's lowest score per dance x 4 and Helen's highest score per dance x 4. All Hamza's lowest scores came from Craig. All Helen's highest scores came from one or more of Mosti, Shirley and Anton, save for one occasion when she got the same mark from all four judges:

Hamza: 408
Helen: 456

Cumulative scores going into the final based on the lowest scores they received per dance x 4:

Hamza: 408
Helen: 383

Typo, that should be Helen 380

Oooof the forensics...I'm just delighted Helen is going to dance with Kai on the tour, may have to go, something for me and DH!

Ooh 😯 I just read in the daily fail that jowita & gio are together! I thought her and Hamza were so cute together he will be disappointed if this so true he was definitely a bit in love with her it seemed

I see the Mail is running a story that Jowita and Giovanni are now a couple. 😳

I didn't think Hamza looked in love with Jowita tbf. He looked at everyone like that 😂. And every year a couple gets made out to be an item. Last year it was Gio and Rose. Must be a winner's thing. Mind you, Brendan set the precedent there in series 1.

Jowita and Giovanni would make beautiful children. Gorgeous though he is, given his form, I'd not touch him with a Fred Astaire cane. I'd like to be asked though. 😁

@Gloriousglitterballs interesting re the figures. Thank you for working that out! The people still trolling Hamza (I've hidden the SCD page, Hamza's page and Tess and Claude now as some of the comments are really awful) won't like it. Hey ho.

Excited for Gio and Jowita!

I saw Gio and Rose on the live tour in Feb and it was obvious the chemistry was only on TV, he had no interest in her beyond the steps of the dance.

Came here to check whether any of you saw the news re Gio and Jowita.

Definitely didn't see that one coming!

I hope they're happy.

Blimey, didn't see that coming. It's Kai and Nadiya all over again. I hope it goes well: I love Jowita.

Still not ok with those two, thought I’d be in with a shot with Kai.

I thought I read that Jowita had a long term boyfriend that she ran a dance school with ?!

Jowita used to be with Michael, a fellow Pole who she won The Greatest Dancer with, but they split up a little while ago.

God, Jowita’s brave - dating Gio. I mean, he’s gorgeous but if your relationship with him lasts a year, it’s the equivalent in Gio Dating Years of the Queen and Prince Philip’s relationship. After 365 days, you get to celebrate your Platinum anniversary.

Jowita I thought had a real spring in her step during this competition. Ah to be in love or in lust for Chistmas!