According to the the TV News section here on DS - Brucie is undecided about another series of Strictly.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s104/...ly-future.html

Not sure how much truth is there in the story.

Oh please, let it be true!

Hear hear.

That "doddery I am not" thing really gets on my wick now.

well as much as i want it to happen, personally i think that the reason the show isnt doing so well is because the younger viewers dont want to see an unfunny old man. if they wanted to bring in a younger audience so much then why not sack the 80 year old presenter.

My old Mum is nearly 80 and she doesn't want to see him either Mind you, she's felt that way since about 1975

Lmao. That made me laugh.

More like they're undecided on him. I hope that will push them into finding a new host, they should get rid of Tess while they're at it. Two birds with one stone and all that.

My 86 year old mum is the same Stu.....she thinks it was high time he retired.

I think Tess has a contract that takes in at least another series.

This is a quote from the article

I'm still having fun making people laugh."

Well mate that means you should have given up quite a while ago.

I think he's referring to his agent and his accountant tbh, Jan

If Bruce retires/isn't rehired I think they should give Tess first refusal on the main job; after all, she proved last year that she is more than capable of the main show. It would also give them the chance to revampp the show slightly; bring in a new cohost, maybe make the backstage area more like the new DWTS one, yet retain enough elements that it's not a massive change - like the main studio layout, judging panel, that sort of thing.

As cohost, I actually don't want Claudia to do it - I want her to stay on ITT and I dount she'd be willing/able to do ITT, main show, Radio 2 show, and Film 2010. If they were to go for split-gender hosting, I actually think Anton would be okay in the backstage reporter role (but definitely not as the main host!); he has a certain chamn about him that I think would work quite well backstage. it would llaso get him off the dancefloor except for special occasions like the final, and the odd-demonstration routine (like how, again I think DWTS) has on-competing pros from other seasons do some of the pro-routines.

Hear hear indeed

And get rid of Tess as well - I didn't think she did a very good job at all when she had to present out front in Bruce's absence! And backstage she's just awful!

That's what i thought aswell.

No Anton please! anyone but Anton. We can barely stand watching him "crack jokes" in the few minutes he speaks to Tess. Having him as a cohost would put us off SCD for good.

I have to say that Tess as the main host was fine....( and I am suprised I think that) ..that show would have been nearly damn perfect if they hadnt had Ronnie Corbett foisted on them.

I worry about Anton in any 'live' role......he cant control his mouth sufficiently for me.

I can't see Tess getting it and don't think it would work. I really think they'll go for a guy hosting it.

I mentioned on another thread if they do get a replacement and they go for a younger guy I think it could be that Steve Jones who does the celeb dancing shows for Sport Relief.
Personally I would rather have Lionel Blair. He's a dancer and a choreographer so knows what he is talking about. This means he can stand up for the contestants when the judges give them a hard time.

If they wanted to go for a name, someone that is popular and won't offend people I wouldn't rule out them offering it to Dale Winton. He would certainly add to the campness of it all.

Steve jones !!!!, he works on the BBC, fairly popular and looks like gething. BAM were onto a winner

If they were to offer it to him they would be better off asking Bruce to do one more series and have Steve as a contestant. The viewers who don't know Steve would get to know who he is so it's not such a big deal when he takes over. It would also allow Bruce to give him advice etc before he takes over. Kind of passing on the baton sort of thing.

No, please not Steve Jones. I think I'd prefer Brucie to Steve. He works ok on Let's Dance because it's not such a dramatic show. I don't think his jokes would work on Strictly - especially not front of house.

I'd like Tess to be given a chance at the main role - how about Chris Hollins as backstage reporter? He's relaxed but has experience at interviewing.

another vote for Brucie to go!

He was just unbearable last year!!

I remember thinking "How can young people be persuaded to switch over from Cowell when we have THIS as the presenting on the BBC's main competitor show!!?"

I realise that after the Arlene storm last year them BBC might feel a bit sensitive about letting him go, but isnt Brucie 82 this year or something?? Im all for fighting ageism but that takes the biscuit for prime time TV on a saturday night!

The BBC could always take a leaf outta Lenny Henry's & Dawn French's book, and announce his "retirement" on 7th May!!

At the risk of it kicking off, I can't see them letting a woman present the show as the main host. If they did I can't see it being Tess as she's not a great main presenter.
If they were to give it to a woman to present I can see it being Christine Bleakley. Before you rightly point out that she isn't a great main presenter either, I think they could offer it to her to keep her at the BBC if she's leaving The One Show.

I think Tess is the best female main presenter around - simply because no one else has been given a chance in that role (bar Kate Thornton on The X Factor - I know she does the Strictly tour, so she's another possibility). I think Tess did a good job when Bruce was sick so think she'd be compotent front of house and at least she wouldn't try to foist a load of 'jokes' on people.

Not Tess. Tess is Bruce's baggage and has no other distinction. And you've got to have someone who can poke fun at it all. It doesn't deserve to be taken entirely seriously. This would just kill it all off again. Bruce is hard to replace because he is a real Variety man. They need someone who can deliver a joke, who can either sing or dance... Graham Norton could be amusing but I doubt he will have enough empathy for the thing.

I think I'm alone in wanting him to stay

Why do you need someone to deliver a joke, and sing and dance? You need a professional presenter with a sense of humour not a jokesmith. If you watch Tom Bergeron on DWTS, he is the perfect host and doesn't crack stupid jokes all the time. It's not a comedy show it's a dance competition which comes under the umbella of entertainment, not comedy.