No it didn't!!!

It would suffer even less without Tess

JJ

No it definately didnt suffer........it was better without him.....and certainly didnt need Ronnie either.

It was great! Made a refreshing change which was just what was needed. "We" all loved it, didn't we? Sorry Bruce, but enough is enough.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...ed-sickly.html

Amusingly the piece is somewhat undermined by the bit at the end...


I tend to agree with her about Corbett but not Forsyth...and she doesn't make any compelling argument for the show having 'suffered' due to his absence.

I doubt she intended to - sounds more like she was just trying to stick up for Bruce in his absence.

Incidentally I thought the show was pretty abominable at the weekend, but it was more due to a perfect storm of unavoidable (2 dancers crocked by injury, the host being ill, the celebrity guest star pulling out at the last minute) and avoidable (the producers not trusting Tess to deliver comedy on her own, the near-farcical overmarking of certain people, nobody having a dance that really suited them) cricumstances rather than just Bruce not being there.

speaking as someone who is NOT a Tess fan, I thought she was far less irritating on Saturday night, and Claudia was much better in the Tesspit

I would have no problem with giving it a go until the end of this series (without Corbett) but of course the BBC will have to stick to the 'crusty old male with much younger, gorgeous female standing simpering at his stupid jokes' format

huh

Tess, mainly playing it straight, worked pretty well in my view, she doesn't have the ability to be spontaneous which is needed back stage, and Claudia has that in spades. It may be my imagination, but Claudia appeared to work without any sort of notes. They didn't need Ronnie at all, but despite some very trying circumstances, I reckon (and I'm shocked I'm saying this) Tess did a good job, and Claudia was fab backstage.

Thinking about it, maybe, one of the reasons that Claud worked so well back stage was she spends far more time with the couples then Tess does, she interviews them all one on one each week and builds up a relationship with them, apart from rehursals and the show I doubt Tess spends much, if any, time with them.

Arlene was probably trying to stick up for Bruce - my first thought too. She could hardly slag off Tess.

I disagree about the show, though. It had more buzz for me. Ronnie was supposedly there at Bruce's request but was the only fly in the ointment through no real fault of his own. He did his best at 'short' notice, which sums up his conribution, really. Apart from that, loved it.

I agree with most of the posts here......I am not a Tess fan but she was much more suited to the front of house and sticking to a script......Claudia did indeed work without notes and was natural an fab as I expected she would be. As Monkseal said I felt if there WAS any problem it was the injuries that caused the problems and I didnt miss Bruce one bit.

I see that they got higher ratings without Bruce although I accept people might have been tuning in to see what was going to happen.

Oh and Bruce it was lovely of you to say 'well done Tess and Claudia' NOT ...only praise for Ronnie I see.......

I think Tess really came into her own - she was surprisingly brilliant and Claudia did a great job too - this was the first time ever I watched the show in full and enjoyed not being distracted by that annoying old man.

It didn't suffer from Bruce. It suffered because two contestents were injured late in the day, one couldn;t finish the dance and the other we were worried for - still are worried for. It also suffered from Ronnie Corbett cameo role, which was a strange addition.

At first I thought it was a good, funny move to have him presenting, and he could have. Then he didn't! Bit of a damp squib tht, especially as his jokes were.....ummmm...... well, I didn't even understand the first one! I'm also convinced he was in his slippers!

Tess should have been allowed to do it all herself. She wasn't perfect but I thought she did really well in the circumstances and if it were her proper job she'd get even better. She's a good presenter it's just when she makes small talk, she is rubbish - so she is better out front where it is all pretty much scripted stuff. Claudia is a master at small talk and she was really good in the back room.

So, I don't think it suffered at all from a lack of Bruce but it certainly was a very odd programme indeed, and I look forward to it all being back to normal next week and hopefully getting good news on Jade, it terms of her career if not Strictly.

Utter tosh I used the mute button far less on Saturday due to Bruce being absent. I didn't mind Tess/Claudia combo but I think Claudia should FRONT the show leaving Tess in her pit. She's witty, charming and would make a marvelous host.
Now if that happened and Aleysha was removed the show would be near perfect.

I also thought Tess was MUCH better with a script. And who couldn't love Claudia in the green room?

When Brucie sent Ron in his place
The ruse sadly backfired in his face
Tess rose in esteem
So shuddup "Queen of Mean"
Claud and Tess have just proved that they're ace.

Girl Power has now raised its head
And Brucie can please stay in bed
Just for the while
Tess does it in style
And the Tess Pit is Winkleman-led.

It Takes Two, yeah, baby it's true
Two women in fact, toodleoo
To Bruce and to Ron
You've sung your swansong
Now it's goodnight to him and to you.

Brilliant

But why should she have to deliver comedy at all - it's a dance competition not a comedy programme!

Totally agree!

i much prefered tess and claudia presenting, its time for bruce to step down.
my brother and his wife don't watch strictly because bruce forsyth is the presenter, dont like his long drawn out jokes.
I continue to watch but must admit would enjoy it more without bruce

The above post sums it up perfectly for me - and I'm shocked too as I'm not much of a fan of either Tess or Claude but they both did much better than I expected and the show benefitted enormously as a result despite all the obvious last minute juggling.

Ditch Ronnie, leave Brucie in bed and let the gals get on with it . If we can get/keep the remaining contestants fit and well, or else make sure we manipulate a 3 person final too we've cracked it

I thought Tess did quite well presenting and was much better out front with a script. I didn't really see the point of Ronnie Corbett at all. I think Claudia is great and she did a fab job.

I wonder if Claudia would want to do this every week. She's busy 5 days a week with ITT and she does have small children. A bit much perhaps for her to be out all Saturday as well?

I must have been watching a different programme.

Tess has no "commanding presence" as a compere, she had no air of authority as displayed by Bruce.
By comparison she's quite bland, fortunately this wasn't so noticeable simply because Ronnie Corbett was so awful.

Claudia looked a bit out of her depth at the beginning but grew in confidence as the show went on.

Someone posted that they'd read that she doesn't want to work at week-ends on a regular basis.

Not the same without Bruce hurry back soon, I liked Claudia.
i must say though Ronnie Corbett was a waste of time though

I always thought that you got cr*p jokes from Brucie because that's what Brucie did. There's no need for scripted jokes. Claudia did some great one-liners behind the scenes. I can't remember any - other than the reference to loving spontaneous outbreaks of applause - but that was their strength. They were funny just in the circumstances that prevailed when she said them and probably wouldn't be funny if repeated out of context.

You can either do one-liners like Claudia them or you can't. Tess was most wise to play it straight. Although I enjoyed Ronnie Corbett, it was completely un-necessary.

It was a strange night all told and both my favourite couples have now gone, assuming Jade isn't coming back.

me likely - Arlene is doing a pretty good of showing that the only thing the beeb did wrong was replacing her with the wrong person it should have been Karen Hardy.