ALL dancers know that it is very much harder for an amateur male to lead.A professional male could make a one legged toad look good on a dance floor. Well done Tom for being the best amateur male ever in Stictly.The final show dance with the lovely Camilla was brilliant--Fred Astair would have loved it.Well done to you both.

By Bill. Posted December 22 2008 at 11:01 PM.

I am writing to congratulate the BBC on the wonderful show especially the final, every one has been a pure joy all series, what a first class host Bruce Forsyth has been he has kept the high standard of the show even his jokes had a charm!Tess was also excellent and the producers Martin Scott and Sam Donnelly well what can I say, first class, everything was perfect what a wonderfully produced show. I am so pleased Tom won which was a correct result on the night it was a fantastic dance I never stopped smiling which is just what everyone needs at this time. I must mention the wonderful singers and of course the band, dress makers and every one connected with such a wonderful show. Thank you and please hurry back we will miss you so much.
Kindest regards
Julie Taylor

By Julie Taylor. Posted December 22 2008 at 10:26 PM.

MY GOD. It wasn't a fix! What is it with the general public and the obsessive need to find evil plots and schemes, and conspiracy theories in every little thing!

End of the day. LISA CAME THIRD.

Rachel and Tom went head to head, clean wiped slate- 100% public vote. and Tom got the MAJORITY- therefore he won. Conspiracy? I think not- You can force the story to fit whatever evil BBC scheme you want but at the end of the day it doesn't make it any more a fix. After their show dances, if it had gone back to public vote, the judges said then and since it was the best showdance they'd ever seen, and the best performance of the series so you know he'd probably of won then too! Especially judging by Eileen on the news this morning....And you'd all be wailing conspiracy once again because the " judges were paid to do it!"- I guess good sportsmanship is dead in this country. ITS AN ENTERTAINMENT SHOW GUYS! COME ON!- I was entertained...

By Claire. Posted December 22 2008 at 3:37 PM.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but for goodness sake dont make a drama out of this! Tom was never in the 'vote off', he was the most entertaining along with Austin. The girls looked fabulous in their stunning gowns, some were better than others. In fact, Tom's showdance was absolutely fantastic, the other couples paled into insignificance compared to him.
The BBC was right this time in putting them all through, the reason was explained thoroughly. If some didn't understand why, its entirely their fault.
Its obvious both Lisa and Rachel wanted to win, they seemed almost desperate. When I heard that Lisa was 'furious' that Tom went through she went down in my estimation, I always wanted her or Tom to win, now I'm glad Tom did in the end.

By Lyn. Posted December 22 2008 at 3:07 PM.

Reading all your comments, you look at the facts that Rachel & Lisa both had higher scores from the Judges throughout the series and the final than Tom, but watching as a man if I were picking somebody on there skill and entertainment factor as a dancer, he wins hands down for me everytime, I cant see the fascination with Rachel as every dance where they scored highly, all she achieved was to be lifted around the dance floor by Vincent is a seductive manner, Tom leads the dance and at least makes it a little bit interesting with his variety of steps that none of the others can achieve!

By Martin. Posted December 22 2008 at 12:25 PM.

What a farce! Rachel should have won.She was by far the best dancer. Tom should have gone last week and he would have if the BBC had`nt cocked up!Shame on you.
Sorry, not going to watch next year.

By Donna. Posted December 22 2008 at 8:55 AM.

Strictly come dancing, no way , strictly come look at me im a pretty boy, if this competition was voted purely on dancing ability then Rachel and Vincent would of been the winners with Lisa and Brendan a very close second.
When will it be done the right way, in the final it should be the judges decision who takes the title, they are the ones with the knowledge they know what to look for. I have been a SCD fan from day 1 but oh boy im coming close to giving the show a miss next year if this is the way its going. The past 2 weeks semi final and the final was a travesty of justice. Come on BBC wake up and treat it with fairness.

By sandra dray. Posted December 22 2008 at 7:04 AM.

Strictly come dancing, no way , strictly come look at me im a pretty boy, if this competition was voted purely on dancing ability then Rachel and Vincent would of been the winners with Lisa and Brendan a very close second.
When will it be done the right way, in the final it should be the judges decision who takes the title, they are the ones with the knowledge they know what to look for. I have been a SCD fan from day 1 but oh boy im coming close to giving the show a miss next year if this is the way its going. The past 2 weeks semi final and the final was a travesty of justice. Come on BBC wake up and treat it with fairness.

By sandra dray. Posted December 22 2008 at 6:57 AM.

I have watched Strictly since the very first series, and I really enjoyed it for both its dancing and enterainment aspects. This year's series, however was the very best. First of all John Sargeant - well I absolutely loved his most famous dance - dragging Kristina across the floor like a sack of potatoes. To be fair John should have gone out long before then but the public loved him!!!! The standard was so high this year that strictly speaking in another year Austin would have been in the final, and so would one or two others. I never voted at all in this series, but if I had it most likely would have been for Rachel, Lisa and Tom in different weeks. The girls were brilliant, but they did have professional dancers to lead them in their dances, but Tom had to do all the hard work and lead Camilla. Rachel & Lisa would have won in any other series, but for me Tom had the edge. All throughout the weeks he was brilliant and entertaining - sure he made mistakes but so did the girls, the mistake they made was to take themselves too seriously. I liked Rachel's showdance but not Lisa's and as for Tom's well it was absolutely OUT OF THIS WORLD. And millions of other people thought so too!!! At the end of the day Strictly is a little bit of light relief in our throughly miserable world, and I really cannot understand why so many people get really het up just because their favourite dancer did not win. WELL DONE TOM AND CAMILLA AND BRING ON STICTLY 2009!

By Pam. Posted December 22 2008 at 3:19 AM.

Doug Miles we were told. The first scenario is correct and in the event of a tie the audience hold the casting vote. This is correct and right because you can imagine the furore if the judges held the casting vote...."why have a vote when the judges decide anyway?"

So Tom and Rachel were in the final. If Lisa had been she would have won because the technically perfect Rachel fell at the end.

But she wasn'tin the final Tom was, and he won because his dance was better. If he hadn't have fallen in the first dance he should have at least matched Rachels score...see the look Len gave Bruno when he only gave Tom a 9?

No scenario her supporters can throw up would give the title to Rachel.

By Steve. Posted December 22 2008 at 12:10 AM.

not worthy to be champ,he's not bad but not greater than the two girls.it's a popularity contest obviously.Not watching STCD anymore.A tree can win STCD,not worth watching anymore.

By andrew. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:12 PM.

I have to agree with the comment from Sue Hill.

Before the first audience vote the scores were Rachel 3, Lisa 3, Tom 1. The tv audience voted Tom top giving him 3 points. Again no expansion from the BBC (why? why? why?) so we don't know who came 2nd & 3rd so let's explore the two possible scenarios - 1) (the most likely) Rachel 2nd (2 pts), Lisa 3rd (1 pt) giving totals of Rachel 5, Lisa 4, Tom 4 .. or 2) Rachel 3rd (1 pt), Lisa 2nd (2 pts) giving totals Rachel 4, Lisa 5, Tom 4. Why was Lisa eliminated from the 2nd tv audience vote when her total points could not have been less than Tom's? I think we should be told ....

By Doug Miles. Posted December 21 2008 at 10:27 PM.

Ok, it's only a bit of fun....but let's look at some of the misinformation given out by the BBC:-

In the semi final - with only 3 couples and two in the dance-off, whoever came bottom with the judges would have to have been in the dance-off - no matter if the other two tied for first place or if they didn't...simple mathematics...so the explaination given by the beeb was incomplete and this should have been worked out in advance.

Judging by the look on Brendan's face at the end of the semi final he knew this and had also worked out that if there had been a dance-off then Tom in all probability would have gone.

At the end of the day Tom won.....did he deserve to...maybe.....but he was greatly helped by the BBC numpties!

By John. Posted December 21 2008 at 7:28 PM.

Get rid of tess daly, she is like a plank of wood in a dress/

By Sophie. Posted December 21 2008 at 9:05 PM.

The final should have been between Rachel and Lisa. Tom was good and has been good from the start but his performance in the semi final was like a beginners, his argentina tango was tame and boring. Rachel's and Lisa's tangos were like a professional's. This has all been a BBC fix, they wanted Tom to win. I also don't know how he didn't get kicked off last night. Scores from the judges leader board were 3 3 1. Therefore if Tom received the majority of the viewers votes (sad Holby fans) then that would have given him 4 so one of the girls would also have got 4 and the other a higher score. It is another fiasco from the BBC, who do they think they are GOD. I know it is only a tv light entertainment program but if you are going to do it, you at least have to be fair. Lisa's free dance was the best of all three. I think overall Rachel was the best dancer but I feel really sorry for Lisa, I don't know why the public did not like her, which clearly they didn't, or was that another BBC fix.

By sue hill. Posted December 21 2008 at 5:29 PM.

I think Rachael and vincent should have won,with lisa and brendon has runners up,i've got nothing against Tom,but i believe Rachael and lisa were much stronger dancers,Camilla is lovely and made tom look better than he really is.
Its a pity when people vote for the person rather than for there dance ability,which at the end of the day thats what the show is all about.With Lisa getting perfect scores,and Rachael's rumba should've had a perfect 40,why craig done a 9,who knows!!
Still we cant change the outcome!!
But thats the way it goes!!

By Tracey. Posted December 21 2008 at 5:36 PM.

I voted for tom, a LOT, because i felt he was the worthy winner. You know i must of called about 50 times..I got through 5 TIMES. It was engaged for BOTH contestants. It wasn't a fix. It just means both were popular, but in the end, Tom more so.

Sorry guys, Rachel seems to be a far more gracious loser than the people who have lost 15pence supporting her! SOB!

By Claire. Posted December 21 2008 at 6:03 PM.

What a fix!! So it's a popularity contest not a dance contest! what are the judges there for! Tom should not have been in the final, a slap in the face to the hard work the high scores and the records broken Rachel and Lisa they were robbed never mind Brendan and Vincent . The judges should have the final say and earn their salary I thought this would be fair that talent would win obviously not I will not be voting again.

By catherine. Posted December 21 2008 at 5:58 PM.

What everyone seems to be forgetting here is that if there was no dance off, (as in the earlier series of SCD) and the dancers were voted off by the public vote, then Lisa would have left the competition a lot earlier than she did before she had had the opportunity to improve her dancing skills. The same may have have been true for Rachel. It's a light entertainment show - nobody died - the world is still turning - get over yourselves.

By Dangermouse. Posted December 21 2008 at 4:08 PM.

Really enjoyed Strictly but so sad Rachel or Lisa did not pick up the trophy. Tom should have gone last week but sneaked through due to BBC blunder. His Showdance was boring and lacked style somehow.
If it boosts the nations activity levels and gets people moving then it is a very good thing.
We need more shows ,and maybe some dance lessons on TV. More dance competitions for varied age groups. There is so much obesity dancing for all ages should be really encouraged and what better media than TV to get the message across ?

By Angie from york. Posted December 21 2008 at 4:03 PM.

All the last three were winners to me and i dont know what everyone is moaning about. its all good entertainment and at the end of the day its the public that wanted tom to win and they supported him and i thought thats what the show was all about. i will defo be watchin again next year like i do every year, this year was of a very high standard and they did really well. thankyou strictlly for a good show.

By rachel. Posted December 21 2008 at 4:29 PM.

Why are people constantly going on about Vincent being world champion in a perticular dance style, I didnt hear him complain when other proffesional dances were doing what was probably their strongest dance style and one which they have competed at world level in. rachel, vincent, lisa and brendan were all robbed, tom should have gone last week.

By chris. Posted December 21 2008 at 4:25 PM.

I know! Let's carry Tom's score over to next year, so he can be the first to win two years in a row!

By bill aitken. Posted December 21 2008 at 4:14 PM.

This was a dance competition but also an entertainment programme. Tom won fair and square and his show dance was out of this world. The public are entitled to their vote, we pay for the programme. All you whingers should grow up its a t.v programme not the end of the world. I also think people should think again before they criticize Bruce, nobody else could do the show as he does he is brilliant and I bet all the people who complain about him cant do as he does now let alone when they are 80

By chirico. Posted December 21 2008 at 4:50 PM.

I HAVE READ A LOT OF PEOLE COMMENTING ON THE JUDGES SHOULD HAVE PICKED THE WINNERS AS REFLECTED IN THEIR SCORES ON THE NIGHT BUT IN MY HUMBLE OPINION THE JUDGES GOT IT ALL WRONG BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY DID NOT CONSIDER IN THEIR MARKINGS THE FACT THAT IT WAS MUCH MORE OF A FEAT FOR TOM THAN IT WAS FOR THE GIRLS AS HE HAD TO LEAD AND DANCE WHEREAS THE GIRLS WERE LEAD AROUND THE DANCE FLOOR BY A PROFESSIONAL ,OF COURSE CAMILLA IS PROFESSIONAL BUT SHE COULD ONLY TRAIN AND GUIDE TOM INTO THE ART WHICH IS THE DIFFERENCE

By PETER. Posted December 21 2008 at 4:49 PM.

FIX -The BBC should be hanging their heads in shame. There should have been a dance off last week in which Tom would have gone leaving either of the two girls as worthy winners of the two couple final. Can I get a refund of my licence money?

By Steve. Posted December 21 2008 at 5:18 PM.

well done tom for winning strictly your dancing was entertaining throughout the series it is much more difficult for a amateur man to lead the woman than it is for a woman to be led by a professional male dancer well done

By Sue. Posted December 21 2008 at 5:01 PM.

Any one of the three finalists deserved to win last night. ---- That is until the Showdance.
After Tom & Camilla performance, there could be absolutley no doubt.! --- To coin a phrase, "It was all over bar the shouting "
Well done Tom & Camilla, ---- by far the best performance of the series.

By Madge. Posted December 21 2008 at 3:07 PM.

Either Lisa or Rachel should have won STD. They received the highest judge's marks and were simply better than self-styed "cheeky chappie" Tom. The judges marks obviously meant for nothing therefore the Beeb need to decide the future of the programme otherwise contestants will focus on their public persona and not their standard of dance. Personally I would be hacked off if I was Lisa..I get perfect scores yet come 3rd??..The semi-final was a fiasco. Maybe the Beeb thought they would receive less votes (and revenue) should Tom not be in the final?! Some say it was down to personality therefore as others have said the Beeb need to decide a fair system. I actually thought that Tom was not as entertaining and, on occasion, came across as smug. Regarding his "mate" Austin, he did deserve to go as he was not as competant and, from the beginning, seemed to believe he deserved to win. I did feel there was a touch of arrogance about him but then maybe some fans of the programme like this supposedly "macho" approach hence his longevity in the show. What a shame..

By Julie. Posted December 21 2008 at 3:39 PM.

Tom and Camilla played the game by the rules and the public chose who they wanted to win and that is the long and short of it all. He is very talented and Camilla certainly brought out the best of him. He led her like a professional unlike the 2 girls who had their professional partners to make them look as good as they did and also a great deal of help from their dresses! Lessons with scoring should be addressed for future years but at the end of the day the public showed without doubt that they wanted to see Tom & Camilla win - every week they received astounding public support - and after all why are the public given the vote if not to chose their favourite - most talented or not!

By Ali. Posted December 21 2008 at 3:38 PM.

i was truly amazed and slighty dissapointed that tom won .the title should have gone to rachel what a perfect little package rachel & vincent make .not fair

By marilyn. Posted December 21 2008 at 3:32 PM.

The worst part of the programme (apart from Bruce who can't read an autocue and his singing was just a complete embarrassment) is the fact that you can't see their feet half the time. Why do we have all this fancy camera work with close ups of their faces, from the waist up, long distance shots, overhead shots etc. Just keep the whole body in shot all the time.

By Chris from Camberley. Posted December 21 2008 at 3:29 PM.

ITS JUST FOR FUN!!!! Lives DO NOT depend on it! So many of the comments on here are histerical rants about "well the fourth toe on his left foot wasn't pointing in a latin-american way" or "it was fixed because when i called for the 30th time they didn't answer my call personally"....Its TV!!!! Saturday night TV at that...its meant to be a laugh. Well done to the couple that won and an even better well done that they have the capacity to get off their backsides on a saturday and earn a hell of a lot of money in doing so! Controversial decisions or not you all wasted your money ringing up a dozen times to vote! Me... i donated to a childrens charity this christmas! Think twice...there are more important things going on!

By Kellie. Posted December 21 2008 at 3:28 PM.

What a fix. The hideous, theatrical Tom was definitely the worst and should have been off last week. We won't be watching fixed programmes like this any more. What a load of typical BBC rubbish. He was NOT the best dancer in the series and in any case Austin was better than him. Lisa improved most of anyone and Rachel was so good she looked professional. If the ghastly Tom had been a decent man he would have stood down after last week's fiasco. Glib, self centred and over the top, he is a disgrace. The will to win takes over good manners and obviously this was not taught at his public school...and as an actor he would have been taught how to move in any case. FIX FIX FIX.

By Jinette and Caroline. Posted December 21 2008 at 2:36 PM.

Chambers' show dance!! what a laugh....more like watching Goofy & Animal dance round the floor....terrible. Another BEEB voting fiasco.

By jill. Posted December 21 2008 at 2:33 PM.

Tom won the globe last night not with his dancing but with the votes from his Holby City fans, many of whom have admitted to voting many times. His constant reference to his wife,and the wedding plus his habit of crying would have gained him support from women who were the main callers. Rachel's fan base is small and despite the fact that she was far and away the best dancer and the highest scorer in this and previous series I knew she stood no chance against Tom even if he'd danced as badly as Sergeant. I feel sorry for her and Vincent, all that hard work and improvement for so many weeks, all to no avail. When he looks at the trophy I hope he will have the decency to feel a little guilty as to how he won it. BBC must make up their minds whether Strictly IS a dance contest and if it is to leave the judging to the professionals and avoid the farce of leaving it in the hands of the public to decide.

By roy elliott. Posted December 21 2008 at 3:00 PM.

I am so pleased that Tom and Camilla won. The judges had decided weeks ago that the two girls should be in the final - think of the times they kept them in when they were in the bottom two. Another thing, Tom had to do the leading while the girls were led by their professional partners. To have the Argentine Tango in the semi-final was another fix. Rachel and Lise were good but bland.

By Jean Seth. Posted December 21 2008 at 2:52 PM.

TOM WAS AMAZING!!!!!
Brendans attitude lost it for Lisa!!!

By Sarah. Posted December 21 2008 at 2:47 PM.

There is no doubt that when it came to the crunch Tom had the X FACTOR !!

By jean . Posted December 21 2008 at 2:24 PM.

This show is, as far as I am concerned, a DANCING competition. It was judged by PROFESSIONAL judges who decided that Lisa and Brendan were the winners, with two perfect scores for their dances. So congratulations Lisa, you are the true winner, with Rachel a hairsbreadth behind.
If the BBC want to run a popularity contest, next year let them do away with the Judges.

By Dave. Posted December 21 2008 at 1:53 PM.

Tom was brilliant. The others were much too serious. It's only dancing after all, not brain surgery.
What spoils it is Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly. He is useless and she is thick, she can't even speak properly. Get rid of them both. He talks rubbish and her accent seems to get worse. i.e coople. It is a shame they both had colds. Haven't you heard of nasal spray!!
Also could you please get your cameras to focus on the dancers feet, Most of the time they are on their top halves. The feet are the important bit surely. They might as well just walk around, half the time, we wouldn't know any different as the feet are shown.
I don't think much of the singers either.
The whole programme needs a re-vamp with new presenters, singers and producers who can understand camera work and what the public want to see. It's not the 1st time I have complained.

By Penny Ryan. Posted December 21 2008 at 1:46 PM.

During the final installment of Strictly Come Dancing, when the contest had just two competitors remaining, I tried to vote for Rachel. I must have dialed the voting line about 10 times but each time it was engaged. I had the phone on redial but still could not get through. I'm going to complain to the BBC.

By Victoria Leather. Posted December 21 2008 at 1:44 PM.

Justice at last for TOM. The judges should go back to school to learn how a Latin American and Jive dance steps should be performed, without the sex and facial expression.

By nick lev. Posted December 21 2008 at 1:39 PM.

Yes it was a fix and thankfully Tom still won.
What about the selection of the Argentine Tango for the semi final when V was (is?) world champion at this dance?
What about picking the critical Male Lead role in last night's waltz?
R was ballast for V with a pretty face and nice footwork but showed all the personality of one of SC7s posters.
On technical ability then when R fell at the end of last nights show dance then the victory was clearly T's.
On last week the voting is set up so the judges shouldn't have more than 50% of the vote. They rectified this mistake that was still to T's detriment.
If anyone should be peeved it shouldn't be R but L. She went out yesterday with perfect marks. If there was a dance off last week with the principles of the voting it would be between R and L, and L had a perfect mark last week as well and V&R may well have gone.
Unfortunately for R this reality show has a wider viewing range than other shows. R's looks endear her to the under 12s and the lovers of musical theatre who normally make up over 80% of the voters on BB and the like.
T's personality shone through and won the competition and rightly so.
Whereas other dances may not have suited T, C got the show dance absolutely spot on, T danced on his own wonderfully, way beyond R (good in hold - very little else).
T had been marked down throughout the series, his Latin last night was worth more than the 38.
Well done T, bad luck L.

By Steve. Posted December 21 2008 at 12:58 PM.

I think people forget that Tom was the only one of the three finalists to never have been in the dance off, obviously he was far more popular and if the BBC are asking to pay to vote then we should be allowed to vote for our favourites without being criticised for making it into a "popularity contest".

If it was solely about the dancing there would be no public vote, the judges would have the final say!

By Amy. Posted December 21 2008 at 1:06 PM.

What a farce. What an obvious fix.

Why call it strictly come dancing ? Why not call it ' strictly's popularity show' ?

Why have professional judges ? As dancing ability is obviously the last thing being judged why have pro. judges at all?

John Sergeant resigned so why didn't Chambers when it was obvious to him and everyone he wasn't in the same league as Rachel and Lisa.

The BBC has let us all down. We thought we had been watching a dancing series but it can no longer make that claim. Total disgrace. What a let down.

By richard wooldridge. Posted December 21 2008 at 1:24 PM.

Why on earth are people complaining because Tom won????? Yes it is a dancing competiton but also how the contestants related to the public. Tom had it All. Lovely personality and brilliant dancing. He showed emotions whenever he knew he got through and never took it for granted. YES THE PUBLIC MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT. We must not forget that BBC lost viewers when they had 'Come Dancing' Long may 'SCD' continue!!!!

By Martha Best. Posted December 21 2008 at 12:53 PM.

Honestly, I wasn't sure about Tom in the final, but after that showdance, how could he not win! Clearly the minority who think it was a mistake are wrong, he won because the public loved him, he is an absolute gentlemen and his last dance was amazing. He won for that reason.

By A. Posted December 21 2008 at 12:47 PM.

Was I the only one bored too tears with last nights final. How many times are we expected to watch re-runs of relatives, previous dances etc - far too many times in my opinion.
Where was the excitement of the professional dance routines of previous weeks? You would think for the final something extra special would have been arranged.
Brucie seemed to be having trouble remembering/reading his lines.
Added to all this the frustration of the phone lines being constantly engaged. Having told us how many millions had voted last week, was it not possible to do something about the jammed lines.
A very dull, lacklustre finish to a brilliant series.

By Linda Harris. Posted December 21 2008 at 12:30 PM.

Was I the only one bored too tears with last nights final. How many times are we expected to watch re-runs of relatives, previous dances etc - far too many times in my opinion.
Where was the excitement of the professional dance routines of previous weeks? You would think for the final something extra special would have been arranged.
Brucie seemed to be having trouble remembering/reading his lines.
Added to all this the frustration of the phone lines being constantly engaged. Having told us how many millions had voted last week, was it not possible to do something about the jammed lines.
A very dull, lacklustre finish to a brilliant series.

By Linda Harris. Posted December 21 2008 at 12:27 PM.

What a complete and utter farce! For all those who thought Tom Chambers deserved to win,...well let's remember that he has a dance training of some form in his past (even though he looked at times hopeless) but the real fault lies with the BBC and the producers. They've YET AGAIN proved themselves to be inept and useless!

By Ali Sichilongo. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:36 AM.

To all who have said, "You should have picked up the phone if you wanted Lisa or Rachel to win" well, i did and i had constantly, "Number not reconised" and i believe some other forums people were saying similar. There should have been a dance off last week between Tom and Lisa as going by, lets justify last weeks shambles leaderboard they scored the same so technically that means a dance off yes?? whoever won that vote went through to the final and i believe it would have been Lisa and Rachel would have won - Yes Tom did a brilliant showdance but, if it was going to be fair he would have gone last week in the semis end of.

By Angie. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:41 AM.

To all who have said, "You should have picked up the phone if you wanted Lisa or Rachel to win" well, i did and i had constantly, "Number not reconised" and i believe some other forums people were saying similar. There should have been a dance off last week between Tom and Lisa as going by, lets justify last weeks shambles leaderboard they scored the same so technically that means a dance off yes?? whoever won that vote went through to the final and i believe it would have been Lisa and Rachel would have won - Yes Tom did a brilliant showdance but, if it was going to be fair he would have gone last week in the semis end of.

By Angie. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:41 AM.

BBC stands for Bloody big con what did you expect . this was a complet stich up

By bugsym. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:57 AM.

WHAT A JOKE! YET ANOTHER FIX I'LL NEVER WATCH AGAIN.

By dan. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:43 AM.

I think you'll find Tom- yes TOM CHAMBERS- the gentleman mentioned Lisa's job at the same time a couple of weeks back as he mentioned Christine Blakely's full time Job, and quite frankly he postponed his wedding and had camilla on his HONEYMOON, so all made sacrafices.

You cannot say that Tom's dancing was not up to parr with the others, If you're really going to call it a fix then perhaps we should look at home LAST WEEK, Rachael had the argentine tango world champion for her partner whilst Brendan and Camilla had NEVER danced it before and were having to learn it themselves- BEFORE the vote blunder. Besides if not for that blunder, ....if the girls had not TIED last week in top spot, the public vote would still have been able to save TOM- and would have, as he had the highest public vote (as was revealed at the start of last nights show). The decision that was made to keep him on was FAIR.
I also think the public didn't warm to Lisa, because of Brendan.

THIS IS AN ENTERTAINMENT SHOW PEOPLE, where the final fight between the FINAL two was sorted 100% by a clean slate public vote- wheres the fix? If the nation thought it was a fix, they would have voted for Rachael. If it had been entirely up to the judges, then you know what.... if Tom had won ( and could have after his SHOWDANCE which they said was better than Rachels) you'd all be crying " FIX!...THE JUDGES ARE PAID BY THE BBC!".

There was no fix. It was a fair fight, and a fair win.

By Claire. Posted December 21 2008 at 12:12 PM.

what a load of whinegers. I voted for Tom last night, for the first time this series and I bet many others did after seeing his show dance.
Well done Tom.

By sallie. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:34 AM.

This result has left a bad taste in the mouth - don't think Tom won fair and square! Am sure the Vincent and Brendan are furious - I know I would be! What more could Lisa have done - she got a perfect 40?! Also, why didn't people warm to Lisa? I can't understand it as I thought she came across as bubbly, jolly and she loved every minute of it - she definitely made the most improvement of anybody on there! Also, nobody seems to have mentioned she was the only one of the 3 who had a full-time job - getting up every morning at 4.30am and then dancing after that - the girl must have been shattered, but never mentioned it to get the sympathy vote! Shame on you public for being hoodwinked by 'flashy' Tom and his wedding story! Use ur eyes and vote for the dancing and not for the favourite personality!!! Totally spoilt the show for me and it was soooo obvious Tom was going to win...they should have just given it to him from last week!!!

By Sue. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:31 AM.

I jumped with joy when Tom one las night. He and Camilla were a ray of sunshine and boright my family a lot of pleasure. I'm thrilled for him.

He'd make a great Robin Hood and love to see him on Spooks. He'd give Richard Armitage a run for his money.

By erica. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:19 AM.

I couldnt be happier for Tom. The win was so well deserved. I;ve never loved a dance on the show as much as I did the showdance. Tom's a wonderful guy and hsi wife is very lucky to have him.

By holly. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:17 AM.

I was bowled over by how good Tom was last night. He'd be amazing in Singing in the Rain or Chicago. That show dance was spectacular. He'd be a wonderful Dr Who as kids love him as well as women.

By helen. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:15 AM.

I was so happy for Tom. Congratulations. to him and Camilla. I thought he was tremendous last night. Cant wait to see him in new dramas .

By carolyn. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:14 AM.

To deserved to win. He was fantastic last night. loved the showdance. Its my favourite dance of any series..

By ann. Posted December 21 2008 at 11:13 AM.

What a load of moaning viewers some of you are. Tom had been under voted all series, yet no one complained, on the other hand Lisa was over voted. If her Cha Cha Cha was better than Rachel's Rumba then I do think it is time for new judges to be on the show. Lisa had terrible bent legs and her neck went into her shoulders. Three times in the bottom two should have told the judges something of the way the public's opinion, yet they continued to give Lisa high marks. Tom was voted down right from the first show. It is an entertainment show, if you want a dancing contest then I think the BBC should consider bringing back "Come Dancing" with Angela Rippon as compare, or have her instead of Bruce! Lisa would not have got further than the second round in a proper comp. I am a judge!!!!

By RJC. Posted December 21 2008 at 10:58 AM.

How is it a stich up when the public vote the winner :???? Everyone complaining should get over themselves. Its a reality TV show offereing entertainment. Thats it. I was entertained so its hardly life or death who wins is it...

By Jonathan Smart. Posted December 21 2008 at 10:58 AM.

Well done Tom. I wanted him to win from the start.
The show dance in the final ,I thought Tom was superb.
What a nice chap he seems to be , but then he does come from Gods Own County..... Beautiful Beautiful Derbyshire !

By Carol Dawson. Posted December 21 2008 at 10:55 AM.

What a farce! Tom stayed in the competition last week because the 2 girls got the same marks. Where's the logic in that other than the BBC wanted him to win.

By Wesley. Posted December 21 2008 at 10:53 AM.

anyone else think that the final was a stitch up, i feel sorry for Rachel and Vincent they were robbed. Tom would have gone last week in a dance off because the judges favoured the girls especially Lisa and Brendan they scored full marks on both dances what more did they have to do! Tom won because he is a BBC1 paid actor!!!

By nicp. Posted December 21 2008 at 10:51 AM.

Rachel was robbed!! She was the worthy winner but I guess because she didnt have a 'story' like Tom's whole wedding thing people werent as sympathetic to her, or maybe all the female viewers were just jealous and fancied Tom. This was definitely the wrong result as Tom was meant to have been booted off last week. Disgraceful. This year has been an absolute farce.

By Shannon. Posted December 21 2008 at 10:44 AM.

Lol, I love the fact that when it doesn't go the way people wanted it to its immediately a 'fix', grow up! Tom and Camilla DESERVED to win, he's been such great entertainment throughout the show and a true gentleman with the way he is with Camilla and his new wife. Rachel was good of course, but she was a singer and a dancer in a group, so she's going to be good, she had the advantage and I'm so glad the public didn't vote predictably for her to win. Tom's last dance was AMAZING and he deserved to win.

By Beth. Posted December 21 2008 at 10:37 AM.

Rachel was by far the best dancer, not a fan of Lisa however, she should have been in the dance off with Tom last week and she should have been in the last two. It was the worst SCD final with a sense of inevitability. Tom must be the worst finalist yet, even Darren Gough was better. He strategically manipulated the public from day one with his nice guy, how much I love my wife crap. This worked as he got the middleaged women vote. He is very limited he prances about and acts like a dancer but it is not really dancing is it. I will not be watching next year.

By Mags. Posted December 21 2008 at 10:31 AM.

All these reality show "competitions" that include a public vote to determine all or part of the outcome are seriously flawed.
It's outrageous to claim a certain contestant "won" the majority public vote.
Why? Because there's no limit on how many votes (calls) a single individual can make from the same phone number.
Majority used to mean 100,000 people voted for a competitor beat a fellow competitor who only received 90,000 votes.
However, in these shows it can also mean 10000 people voted 10 times for one competitor, beating the other who received 90,000 votes from 30,000 people only voting 3 times.
3 (or less) calls (votes) from a single mobile phone has the same financial impact on the caller as 10 calls (votes) from a single land line number.
Any system with some many flaws and potential voting irregularities cannot claim any competitor truly won the majority public vote and be considered fair, reasonable and credible.

By Robert. Posted December 21 2008 at 10:28 AM.

Well done Camilla and Tom!

This dance was real "Hollywood show time" and you both looked like you were enjoying bing there.

By Valerie. Posted December 21 2008 at 10:25 AM.

I think the BBC were 'damned if they do, damned if they don't'. I imagine last week the public vote for Tom was easily the largest. So if they had allowed him to go they would have been criticised for ignoring the public vote (a la John Sergeant) which they couldn't afford to do given the recent scandals about voting on their programmes. So this week the public still voted in their thousands for Tom, hence his win. On that basis we should have allowed John Sergeant to have stayed in. I think he's the one whose been cheated!

By bella. Posted December 21 2008 at 10:07 AM.

NO SURPRISE AT ALL.AFTER LAST WEEK THEY SHOULD HAVE POSTED HIM THE GLITTER BALL AND CANCELLED LAST NIGHT SHOW.

By merryl. Posted December 21 2008 at 9:56 AM.

I wont be watching next year. Thought they were are too desperate! How many times does Tom have to mention that he is a newly wed! Yes we know.... its boring now!

By Sally. Posted December 21 2008 at 9:55 AM.

What do people think to Terry Wogan and Claudia Winkleman taking over has presenters for Strictly 2009???

By Chris. Posted December 21 2008 at 9:54 AM.

At the end of the day the public voted Tom as the winner so why dont you all stop moaning. I think the British public as lost the point of the show. Its a entertainment show and i think Tom did a really good Showdance and thats what won it for him and Camilla. He may not of been in the same league as Rachel but they should be judge on thier own merits and i think the last 4 are all winners. To round it all up on a good note; I think it has been one interesting series of Strictly Come Dancing. Bring on Strictly 2009. Can i say something else too whilst i'm going on. lol. I would like to thank the BBC and ITV for not putting on Strictly Come Dancing and X-Factor on at the same time. I love Strictly and like X-Factor and it use to irritate me when they put the shows on at the same time. Remeber to Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeep Dancing!!!! Merry Christmas everyone

By Chris. Posted December 21 2008 at 9:53 AM.

Lisa was breathtaking and how well did she take having to leave after scoring top marks. Classy and gorgeous and no previous dance background. Well done Lisa!

By andyb. Posted December 21 2008 at 9:34 AM.

I thought Tom deserved to win. The biggest farce of the programme was allowing Bruce Forsyth to host it! He mumbled and stumbled with his words the whole way and is completely unable to present without the help of an autocue which was so obvious. Even as the winners were having their minute at the end he couldnt help but finish with a so called joke about Denmark. The word retirement springs to mind. It was awful, cringe worthy tv. Come on strictly, new presenters for next time?

By TRACY. Posted December 21 2008 at 9:24 AM.

Tom and Camilla, you were fun, fun, fun - well done. Lisa and Rachel are good dancers, but took themselves FAR to seriously, which I found boring to the extreme. They both overdid their final show dances, and were disjointed, whereas Tom and Camilla were Hollywood entertainment. So glad for Camilla, because she is fabulous always, and deserved this win.

By MShannan. Posted December 21 2008 at 9:21 AM.

This was a blatant fix.I feel sorry for those who wasted money voting thinking their votes would make difference!I love Tom but even Steve Wonder could see Rachel was a much much better dancer.

By enny. Posted December 21 2008 at 9:05 AM.

Stich up Tom should have gone last week..
or was it camilla's turn to win!!!!

By Darren. Posted December 21 2008 at 9:03 AM.

didnt all of you say about the john fiasco,its an entertainment show??? well look who gave the public entertainment.TOM...yes he was nervous,sure he made mistakes,but he was still a good dancer,well done tom and camilla...

By angie wilds. Posted December 21 2008 at 8:38 AM.

How strange that the phone lines were too busy for Lisa and yet open for Tom. Lisa was far and away the best dancer on the night until the show dance when to be fair Tom was fantastic.

By Bish. Posted December 21 2008 at 8:38 AM.

It was a stitch up.How could they have dropped Lisa from the last two when she achieved full marks.Tom should have gone last week and the final should have been between Rachel and Lisa. I thought both of the girls were super! This has spoiled the whole competition for me. Tom had been in the public eye because of Holby, and I feel that is why he got so many public votes. His dancing last week was nowhere near as good as the girls' and he should have gone out then.Rachel and Lisa must both feel robbed by the results.

By Den. Posted December 21 2008 at 8:37 AM.

Tom won because the majority of the public who voted chose to vote for him. No fix, no conspiracy just popularity.

Yes he made mistakes but so did the girls - the judges chose not to comment on THEIR mistakes (and there were plenty of them and more from Lisa than Rachel) though and gave them silly marks.

If you wanted Lisa or Rachel to win you had to pick up the phone and put your money where your mouth was like Tom and Camilla's fans did. It has been clear from previous leaks and last weeks votes that Tom was the public's choice, so the Rachel and Lisa fans can't say they didn't realise they needed more than just verbal support.

It also helped that Tom was matched up with a very popular professional dancer who has a fan base of her own.

By Carolyn. Posted December 21 2008 at 8:31 AM.

the final scores for the final was the same as last week
lisa 3
rachel 3
tom 1

the same as last week,so what was the difference to last week?same scores different result!!

By phil. Posted December 21 2008 at 7:46 AM.

I am so disappointed with the SCD result! At some point during the series the BBC decided that they wanted Tom to win and they broke the rules to ensure that happened.
I don't think the public voted for Tom, I think the BBC fixed it!
While I didn't want Lisa to win I firmly believe that her TWO perfect 10 scores should have kept her in.
Tom should have been voted off last week, you cannot have a semi final where no one leaves the competition, the BBC basically went from the quarter finals to the final...what is that all about?!
I am sure the BBC will make another series cos they really don't have any other money spinners on the go and I definately won't be watching this show again, this has also put me off voting on any other programmes.

By Janine Chivers. Posted December 21 2008 at 7:36 AM.

This is the first series i have ever watched and i realy enjoyed it with the exeption of the the last two saturdays. I, in my ignorance thought that it was a dance competition and did not realise that the final was a public popularity competition. Both of the girls were fab u lous and i feel that they were robbed. I will not now watch it again. Very SAD...

By Eric. Posted December 21 2008 at 7:35 AM.

A complete stitch up!
John Sargent had to leave because he was popular and would have won the public vote.
Tom won becaue he was more popular than Rachel when she was the better dancer.
He should have been eliminated last week.

By David. Posted December 21 2008 at 7:53 AM.

What a complete farce. Tom should have been in the dance off last week or the week before. End of... Rachel and Lisa were both better dancers and either of them deserved to win. Felt cheated for them both.

Tom's showdance was great but that was the only dance he's won all series.

By Andy. Posted December 21 2008 at 8:24 AM.

The judges deliberately scored Tom low so this week he ended up in the position he was last week. Rachael and lisa fans had the opportunity to vote for them to win. The result showed that despite what the judges did, the public prefered Tom's dancing. His final show dance, was the most enjoyable dance I have ever seen on strictly.

P.S I agree with another comment, Rachael was boring, but I did think Vincent brought out the best in her. Credit to lisa for improving so much, pity she had the smug and arrogant Brendan, who doesn't seem to be able to get the public to warm to him.

By polly. Posted December 21 2008 at 8:20 AM.

Its not right, he didn't deserve to win, i wanted Lisa to win, i think she was the true winner. Rachel or lisa should have won.

By lisa. Posted December 21 2008 at 7:14 AM.

any one who really watched last night could see that Toms mistakes in the dances and down scoring were due to mistakes from nerves.... craig was not having any nonsense and gave rachel a lower score for the hidden mistakes in her footwork during the dances that were hidden by her long dress...

I love strictly and firmly believe their voting decisions were done in the best way for everyone and tom and camillas free dance was amazing absolutely I keep watching it over and oer it was my favourite part of the whole series have to say though jill half penny you've still got it girl.... you were amazing!!!!!!

By kim wright. Posted December 21 2008 at 6:54 AM.

this win left a nasty taste in the mouth. Is it one rule for Tom and a different rule for the others...whichever way you look at it he should have been in a dance off last week and taken his chances as all the others have had to do..I have never missed Strictly but I shant watch it again between the judges harrasment of John and now this...no thank you

By pat. Posted December 21 2008 at 6:11 AM.

I DO think Rachel should have won but thats what happens when its left to the public to vote they vote for everything BUT the dancing IMO

How gorgeous Tom is, they dont like Rachel so lets vote for Lisa etc etc

The final should be left to the judges to decide afterall thats their speciality and ISNT THAT what they are there for?

By Sofi. Posted December 21 2008 at 6:05 AM.

I've supported Tom all the way and voted for him. Rachel is technically good but boring. I did like Lisa though, she has loads of personality. But Tom and Camilla's show dance was fabulous!! He can really dance and has lots of natural rhythm. Surely it in the semi final and the final it should be the public vote only anyway? That would avoid a repeat of last weeks shenanigans.

By Lottie. Posted December 21 2008 at 3:04 AM.

what a cop out, what a fix he should have gone last week and let the true good dancers fight it out tonight what a fix

By julie. Posted December 21 2008 at 2:38 AM.

I really think it was a fix, he was the worst , lisa should have won, I can't understand why the BBC wanted to fix it but I am sure they did, last week proves that. I shall never watch it again everything in this country is becoming sordid. nothing is straight anymore, I have followed it every year but not anymore, what they should have done is nocked tom out for getting the lowest points two weeks running

By maria. Posted December 21 2008 at 2:36 AM.