Wonderful news! Bruce tells the Royal Television Society he has no plans to retire!

Wednesday, 18 March 2009 09:24

Bruce Forsyth said he had no plans to retire as he collected a lifetime achievement award from the Royal Television Society (RTS).

The veteran entertainer said performing still made him feel like a young man and he was happy to carry on at the helm of Strictly Come Dancing.

Collecting his lifetime achievement award, 81-year-old Forsyth said that when his agent told him he had won the prize he initially thought he had already won it before.

He observed that David Attenborough was the only previous recipient of the lifetime achievement award and joked: "That's great but the standard is going down."

Forsyth dismissed the idea that he might rein in his presenting duties. "It's getting to be an old question - I'm nearly as old as the question.

He said that since meeting his wife Wilnelia he had spent six months of each year doing virtually nothing and this had helped him keep his energy for performing.

http://strictlydancing.utopian-total...to-retire.html

Oh dear, so the BBC won't save their 5% then.

I'm glad he is staying.

Im glad hes staying it wouldnt be the same without him

So the 6 months he does nothing is during Strictly then Its a joke....I am joking........I admire Brucie he has been a TV legend.....however series 6 of strictly will go down in my book as the worst for several reasons and the severe decline of Brucie is one of them. I wish he had gone out on a high after series 5 and his 80th birthday bash rather than dragging it out.

Despite what he may say (and he would say he was not retiring when asked until he has made his decision) I personally doubt he will be back for series 7 and it may not be by his own choice.

I'm glad that he want to continue, and wants to sta with SCD (despite what the naysayers keep on stating).

I have to say I think the same...

We stopped watching the last series because he was so awful, and we know others who did the same.

At our evening class, the theme of our conversation used to be how good/bad the dancing was on SCD. However, during the last series it was about how cringeworthy he was.

We really thought he would leave with what little dignity he had left, but obviously not. I hope he won't still receive his hugely inflated salary. His mediocrity just doesn't deserve it.

Since they seem to be cutting every other presenters' inflated salaries, I'm sure they will cut his salary too. What he gets paid is ridiculous compared to what the pro dancers get who actually do all the work.

I actually hope he decides to retire gracefully as he was definitely struggling at times last year.

I'm pleased that Bruce wants to stay, and hope he isn't forced out.

His salary is pretty outrageous though, when compared with what the very hard working pro dancers get, so perhaps if they are talking pay cuts, Bruce would be a good place to start.

I groaned when I read that he wants to stay. I get RSI from pressing the mute button when he's on.

He was very good in his day, but that was a long time ago.

I'm thrilled to hear that Brucie is staying - he's a real professional, and a perfect gentleman (I've met him) and I don't see that there is anybody who could really fill his shoes in SCD as he is an all-round entertainer with his dancing and theatrical backgrounds to name a few .

Oh for goodness sake stop it. SCD hasn't started yet and some are moaning about Brucie. When he is dead and gone everyone will be saying how good he was and what shame. Just remember how people slagged off Jade now those same people are saying AAAH. Come on a bit of the old British respect please. As another poster said there is always the mute button:yawn::yawn:

I've got it ...they could halve the time he's on air ...and pay him half as much

Respect has to be earned, as does a huge salary. If and when Bruce gives a professional perfomance, then I might begin to respect him. So far, he has just demonstrated his incompetence, and that he can't cope under any sort of pressure.

If he was ever any good (my mother says he was always dreadful), then he might have earned his salary, now he doesn't.

How can you possibly compare him to a young mother dying of cancer? That is just crass and insensitive. By any standards, BF has lived a long and seemingly happy life. I've never seen Jade Goody in anything, but 27 is too young to die so, for that reason, she and her family have my sympathy.

Bruce is long past his sell by date and should say he's retiring now rather than wait to be told that his services are no longer required. That way he can say that the decision to go was his and not the BBC's.

I have never been one of Bruce's fans, even in his heyday I thought him tiresome and attention seeking, but as someone who HAS seen him at the top of his game, his decline over the last couple of series (and particularly in the last one) has been very noticeable and the difference in him between series 5 and 6 was glaringly obvious.

Those who think he isn't past it should watch clips from his Generation Game days and even series 1 & 2 of SCD and see just how much he's gone downhill. He certainly is not worth the grossly inflated fee he gets and should be first in line for a paycut.

Why the mere presenter of the show is deemed to be worth nearly half a million pounds of licence payers money, when those who do all the hard work get less than 10% of that figure has always confused me.

Mrs harry

Sorry, I think you missed my point! What I was saying is how we are all so soon and keen to moan and be horrible about people then when they are taken ill and die we suddenly say all the nice things that should have been said when they were alive!! I was neither being crass or insensitive in fact I have the greatest sympathy for Jade's family as I too lost my mum at an early age. Perhaps we should ALL think before we speak.

I have to say I've wanted rid of him for six series, I'm with those who've never liked. But during the last series my Gran's, both in their 80's (one is a day younger than Brucie) and they started saying it was time for him to go. I don't think anyone wants to see him go downhill, he should quit before he's told to go.

I want him to stay! To me, he is part of what SCD is all about - light entertainment that is not to be taken too seriously. He may not be as good as he used to be (not that I think this is the case) but he is considerably better than a lot of presenters or comedians who are more 'fashionable'! I just can't see that he is so bad that people say they have stopped watching SCD.

I agree with this.

Bruce might not be everyone's cup of tea, but then again his replacement won't be either. Like it or not he is part of what makes SCD so popular.

I do however think his salary is too high compared to everyone else on the show, although perhaps not compared to other shows.

He might wanted to do series 7, but who knows what the BBC wants?

Well I love him and to me Mr Bruce Forsyth IS Strictly Come Dancing ......the show just wouldn't be the same without him. I'm over the moon that he's doing another series and I hope if there is a SCD8 he does that too

I really don't think Bruce would have expressed his desire to stay at the helm of Strictly Come Dancing if there was any serious possibility from within the BBC that he would not be invited to.

I hope so as I'd hate for him to be humiliated like that.