BBC are not helping themselves with the 'ageism' claims, when they are actively recruiting much younger dancers as their replacements and a judge with no qualifications other than her looks.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that folk over 35 are unable to learn to dance. The "Proper" competitions probably have more seniors (Over 35s) than they do younger competitors.

But generally, in the normal run of things, someone of 45/50 (particularly in the Latin dances) will seldom look as good as someone who is 20/25. Sad, maybe, but that's how it is.

It is also, of course, why "Proper" competitions are split into the various age groups: juveniles (under12); juniors (under 16); youth (under 21); amateurs (under 35); and seniors I, II & III - over 35, over 45 (or sometimes over 50) and over 60.

As for the celebs, some people just can't dance period, no matter what their age - and in that situation it is possible that someone older may look a darn sight better than someone younger.

There now seems to be some back-tracking since all the uproar about ageism...


I can see this one going on for a while- its all working in Strictly's favour anyway, they're getting so much publicity from these stories.

I know it's ridiculous. tonnes and tonnes of publicity for them! Have they backtracked or is it just heaps of spin-doctoring from the BBC?

I agree that the dancing world seems to be very age conscious. There are some people (not me) who think that people should not be dancing latin once they pass the age of 35. I also remember Cherie Lunghi getting a lot of criticism on here because people thought her cha cha was inappropriate for someone of her age.

So, it could be a consideration for the BBC, although I doubt if age came into this particular decision, and we still don't know how much of the decision was the BBC's and how much was down to Karen. I actually think Karen shows little signs of aging, having a body most women (irrespective of age) would die for, and so I'd been surprised if age was a factor. Also Karen reached the very top of her profession in her competitive career, and I suspect that a lot of people would rather see someone who was older but a high achiever, than someone who is younger but hasn't had such an illustrious career - might be wrong though.

It would be nice if she continued to be involved on the main programme, rather than just through ITT. I guess it's not possible for her to take the same type of role as Chris and Jayne do for DOI, given that the pros do their own choreography, but something with a similar profile would be good.

It seems not. I have read about her new studios which seems a high octane corporate orientated kind of set up and also I know she does dance weekends for Warner Leisure hotels which is obviously lucrative. As someone else has pointed out SCD is not the be all and all, (25K for 4 month work isn't that much) and probably Karen feels she has gained enough exposure as she can out of it in the last few years in order to make a successful go of other enterprises.


Oh how I wish! That would certainly repair a lot of bad feeling if we could have Karen as a judge to impart ballroom knowledge but I don't think so.

Some of the dancers have a personality of a paper cup, certainly not a charge that can be levelled at Karen.

I thought she had said she was finding it hard...she seemed happier "presenting" last year - her Breakfast time appearances etc.

She only gets 25k for the show?!!!! How much do the presenters get? Stupid amounts. That's insane! The dancers do so much more work!

Disgusting isn't it- the judges get paid for opening their mouths- the pros do the work- whay should get more than they judges

The pros don't necessarily do all the choreography themsevles, they can get 'outside' help.

Camilla, for example, hadn't a clue how to put a decent ballroom routine together, and always had someone else in to teach her and her celeb partners. Karen Hardy had to do a lot of ballroom training when she first started on the show, as her ballroom was (at times) worse than her celeb partner's! Other's, who have only danced ballroom, Anton, Erin etc., can get help with their Latin routines.

I was hoping they might get Nicole back, but she has a couple of years on Karen, so maybe not.

Well they are going to have to be quick- training starts in ten days time

I agree with the second part if she wasn't coming back as a dancer why wasn't she asked back as a judge which she's done before being a marmite personality would actually help her there. If they wanted Alesha why wasn't she brought in to replace it doesn't seem like many people particularly like Tess or at least not as much as they do Alesha.

Yes. Karen can actually dance. Alesha wasn't bad, but she just doesn't have the knowledge or discipline that Karen has from dancing and competing.

Unless she's going to do the voice-over analysis? The one we didn't have last year.

Maybe, just maybe the BBC's plan is to have Karen on ITT talking about the training and performances instead of having any of the judges on as a way of making sure they don't run off at the mouth in the way they did last year i.e. the only comments we hear from the judges is when they are actually on the show. I'll bet the judges' contracts this year will say no speaking to the media about the show whilst the series is on.

A kind of preventative damage limitation!

Ah, I didn't realise. I thought it was just the AT and salsa they had help on. Even so, since most of the pros are latin specialists, I guess, they're less likely to want help from Karen.

There's also the issue of her perhaps wanting to spend more time with her family (the ITT behind the scenes with her showed her being unhappy about having to leave her son early on a Saturday) and it sounded like she was considering quitting after having lost her temper with Gary Rhodes last year.

The real issue is if the beeb were aware of it why wasn't she offered Arlene's job when she was much better qualified to do it than - is that her choice or is she not young or famous enough in the stupid opinion of the Powers That Be.

If they want to stop all this ageism 'hoo haa' why don't they just tell us what Karen's new role within SCD will be?
Or are they just saying that because they want to seem that they are not 'firing' her (whether she left due to mutual agreement seems to still be under debate) and have not actually decided what she is doing yet?
They are just backpedalling!!

All these brickbats SCD management are gratuitously bringing upon themselves are a continuation of the 3-3-1 farce. Having learnt nothing from it, at the recording of the Christmas compo they had 7 couples tied on the same points and took an hour to deliberate on what to do.

The Beeb cannot walk and chew gum at the same time.

Your paddle please -- out of TEN, for SCD management.

It's come out today that Hayley Holt's been sacked. By e-mail. Ouch!

Minus 5.

Well you see in our house Karen was THE favourite! Camilla was a close second. With a non professional on the panel it seems that the BBC are lowering the standard in order to sell the show to less discriminating audiences.

Have we any news on this year's vote fiddle yet? there must be one, there has been for the last couple of years.

You mean we may actually get to vote- risky giving the GBP this amount of power isn't it

I never really took to hayley, yes she was lumbered with Mark Foster, but seemed to lack any spark or personality. I dont think she was actually sacked, more just not asked back. Like the rest of the pros she was no doubt on a one year contract which would have expired at the end of the last series.

Shocking idea.

They might even vote for the best dancers to win in the end.