I think the better viewing figures are more down to the show slowly overlapping less and less with X Factor - I tuned into X Factor after Strictly and had only missed 2 performances (the two who were in bottom 2, strangely enough - which adds a bit of credibility to this theory!)

I agree pretty much everyone on here. I don't remember using the mute button at all on Saturday.

I used to like Tess before Strictly and on Saturday I remembered why, she's a good TV presenter. She's not good at spontaneity, unlike Claudia who was fabulous on Saturday.

If Claudia did move to the main show they could get someone else to do ITT a couple of times a week.

I'd have to agree with Monkseal (who is pretty much God for me these days anyway ) and say that the show had far too much going outside for anyone to work out whether Tess and Claudia were actually a viable combination. Maybe in a less incident-packed week we'd have been able to get a better measure of them.

That said, Tess was better than I expected and Claudia worse. I didn't think her style worked all that brilliantly in the Tesspit, because she needs a more sustained length of time to develop her enthusiasm and style of questioning. (And I say this as someone who has wanted the great CW to adopt her for years.)

Doesn't Claudia also do "House of Tiny Tearaways"? Maybe both Bruce and Tess should be canned, with the incomparable Dr Tanya Byron of HoTT brought in to partner Claudia again.

Tanya could do the "front of house" bit, with dancers and judges not allowed to perform unless they've had a full 8 hours sleep and eaten their greens. The bottom two couples after the phone vote would be sent to the "Naughty Step" rather than the Dance Off, with the first pair to apologies properly given passage into next week.

I don't think the programme suffered at all, Claudia Winkleman is brilliant !!! and she's funny ! which is more than I can say for Brucie.

Oh, it's only Arlene wittering on trying to keep in the public eye. Ignore her - she'll give up eventually.

Tess and Claudia for me!

Far from thinking the show suffered without Brucie, I thought it gained immeasurably. Well, it did when they'd hustled RC into the audience to sit vacantly clutching his moby.

I fear I will look back on last Saturday nostalgically when Bruce is recovered and he's wittering on ad nauseum while I scream "OH, GET ON WITH IT!" at the telly.

I thought Tess did a fine job as host, and I think if she was given the opportunity, she could develop nicely. I disagree that she lacked authority, she managed fine, and didn't get into any stupid fights with the judges, which is always a plus.

Claudia was as fab as ever backstage but I can understand why she wouldn't want to do it all the time - if they could find someone else like her, that would provide the 'comedy' element and Tess could avoid the rubbish jokes altogether.

Overall, given everything that was thrown at the production team and presenters in a short space of time, I thought they coped very well, and we did not suffer from a lack of Bruce at all. I don't think Ronnie Corbett added anything.

I watch on a delay of about 10 minutes, so I can ff all of Bruce's rubbish on normal weeks, and then I only have to put up with him from when the lines open!

Think Arlene was just being tactful! Couldn't see the point of Ronnie C on the show - a waste of licence payers money imo! Thought Claudia did a great job, but I'd hate to see her leave ITT.

Totally agree - I too thought it gained enormously. I haven't enjoyed the show so much for years. How wonderfully refreshing it was to watch a show about dancing rather that The Bruce 'me, me, me' Show!

Knowing how great Tess and Claudia were, knowing how despite the injuries everything seemed more natural and relaxed, knowing that the judges were able to state their opinion without interuption, knowing the dancers (and audience) didn't have to smile and laugh after unfunny and often humiliating jokes, made for one great show. I'm actually dreading Bruce's return and, yes, that dreadful, dreadful wittering...

..if only TPTB would listen to the majority of their audience and make Tess and Claudia permenant...sigh...

Agree with this post , i like Tess as a person but she wasnt to sharp at the bigger job imo she was a bit wooden and not much charisma came across for me. But Claudia was pretty good once she got into it i thought.

The only thing it suffered from was Ronnie Corbett and some rubbish dancing.

Arlene trying to keep in Bruce's & Beeb's good books maybe

Arlene, what are you on about? He may be a crony of yours of something but IN NO WAY did that show suffer because of his absence. I actually thought it was better than usual, less of Bruce's 'jokes' (:yawn and I'm sure the judges had more time to speak as a result, but that last part could be my imagination!

Tess and Claudia were a great team! And why shouldn't there be two women presenters? Ant and Dec host plenty programmes together don't they?

It's even more desperate than that. She has a contract to provide the Sun with some column-inches, and so by God she's going to write 'em, even if they are full of witter.

I think the viewing figures speak for themselves.... both moving the show away from X Factor and the absence of Bruce has given them their highest rating yet.... a perfectly respectable one at that....

So the figures speak volumes by themselves... thing is... do the BBC have the courage to give the boot to one of their icons??

If Brucie wasnt as old/revered he probably would be on his way out...

i thought it did actually...first time i have agreed with arlene in a long time.
there was no doubt claudia was excellent, but i just cant like tess.

thats the reason why he IS there. if he wasnt revered he wouldnt be there in the first place.