I'd be happy with this if it were true. 12 couples is about right and the series won't drag on forever!

The pros I wouldn't mind being axed are Anton and Erin then either James or Vincent and Natalie if they want to stick with male/female equality of numbers (although if James goes then Ola probably will anyway which would solve the problem).

Does anyone think she is a real possibility?

Nope, I don't think they would entertain her. She's certainly not someone I can imagine people would want to tune in to watch.

Not in the slightest - she's only popular with the tabloids, and I doubt most of their readers even like her!

What would it do for the show!! It would surely make many viewers switch off!!

No....I love strictly the way it is. No axes please

It was far too long last year. IMO 12 is the perfect number.

If they're cut to 12

I would guess Anton and Erin going 1st.

The other 2 are a bit debatable really - I could really see them ditching Matt and Aliona - her because he didn't really make a huge impact and that would leave Matt partnerless.

Hope not though.

The Pros safe IMO would be - Brian, James, Kristina, Natalie, Ola, Vincent and Flavia

The rest I would say are unsafe

Saying that though, the ones on tour could be safe, the others unsafe

I don't see them cutting Matt... he's very popular with the viewers, and he's by far the best dancer there.

I wonder if anyone has quit this year but we haven't heard yet?

The only ones i can see them getting rid of are Anton and Erin and any of the new girls. If this story is true and they axe ANY of the remaining males i'll be shocked no matter who it is.

they could get rid of Anton and have Erin as a judge. She was brilliant on It takes 2 last year.

Which would mean Brendan and Katya are the ones to go - they're the only ones other than Erin and Anton who aren't doing either of the tours.....

I don't think they'll ditch Matt - and bad as she was with Rav, Aliona dances well in the pro dances, and she really didn't have much hope of going far in the main competition - she and Flavia were both struck by the curse of the celeb who thinks they're far better than they actually are. And even if they didn't ask her back, Matt would hardly be partnerless - they'll always have an even number of male and female pros.

If last series had had 12 celebrities, Chris Hollins almost certainly wouldn't have been in it, and it may well have gone much worse in terms of being a popular, succesful series. 14 and you probably would have had him in favour of Craig Kelly.

Going back to 12 would mean you had to get the celebrity casting spot on. The show's far more of a big deal than it was the last time it has 12 couples (series 3) and people go over the quality of it with a fine toothcomb. I wouldn't trust the current casting people with any less than 14 personally.

I think 14 worked really - 1 week each of heats then the real thing

the 16 celebs didn't work at all though and it became too long a show really - IMO 14 is the ideal amount

I agree with this and Monkseal - 12 feels too small a number and I think MS has put his finger on the reason why.