If he were able to work the audience I would say yeah let him stay, but by his own admission in his interview with Piers Morgan the other week, he finds it hard working to a camera as he can't see the crowds faces and reactions.

That is why I was thinking Lionel Blair. He has a long career in variety and is an established choreographer so knows what he is talking about thus can stand up to the judges when required and have the experience to back it up.

Can you imagine them going more serious and hiring the ITN voice over instead of Alan Dedicott in that monotone voice and a dull ITN newsreader hosting the show.

Serious is boring.

[quote=Force Ten;39501563]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.[/QUOTE]

I agree taht it isn't a comedy show but it is an light entertainment show. The minute you make it a "serious" competition the show is pretty much dead. One of the biggest criticisms of the last series was there were too many good dancers on it. They are now putting more and more young people and sports people on it.
Where is the fun factor of the show? Where is the long prepare for the dreaded word......"journey" that the total novices go through.
It was also said that as soon as the celebs knew they were on the show a couple started take a few lessons before they got their pro partners.
I think you'll find the highest rating this show got was when John Sergeant was on the show, He was a rubbish dancer but he provided a bit of light relief.
One of my friends love wrestling and gets annoyed on the rare occasion taht they have un-PC term, midget wrestlers.
As I pointed out to him. You may get one of those matches every few months. if the wrestling business can't cope with 6 or 7 matches out of about 4000+ matches a year then maybe its time wrestling ended as it's taking itself way too seriously.

Bruce doesn't make me laugh. His "doddery" catchphrase does nothing for me. If he stays and does another 5 series it wont bother me. I'm prepared to switch off my brain or attention for a minute or two and wait for the next act when watching live. If I record the show I actually forward fast through his bits already.
If they went and got the worst presenters ever (for my taste) I would just stop watching live and FF through all their stuff.

This show does have room for and needs the rubbish dancers to add a bit of light relief in the early stages. They'll be gone by the final. This show also has room for someone who tells jokes. We aren't talking an 15 minute routine. We aren't talking about trying to steal the show here. You're talking one joke every 7 or 8 minutes. If the show really can't cope with an joke every 7 or minutes then it's a very sad state of affairs and time to start sharpening the axe.

From today's Broadcast website:


Not sure how much in here is completely new but some interesting details added ...

Personally I'd go for Chris Hollins to do the backstage job, as I think he'd be very enthusiastic about all the contestants and having some dance knowledge he could ask more pertinent questions than Tess does at the moment. I don't think the BBC will risk Anton in a live role, but Tess and Gethin as joint presenters might work.

If Steve Jones was offered either the host or as a celeb on strictly and he took it then he is a bloody hypocrite after all the stuff he has said about strictly and reality shows in general in the past.

Anyway why go for the pale imitation when you could have Gethin instead.

Please not Lionel Blur or Terry Wogan or anyone who is almost as old as Brucie for goodness sake.

I agree with the last poster.......we dont need a comedien on Strictly just a professional presenter......the show is about the celebs and pros not the presenter and thats what Brucie just doesnt get.

He has even less dance knowledge than Alesha..

I said Chris has some dance knowledge,not how much but more than Tess of that I'm certain.

Hence why no-one's suggesting he becomes a judge! Dance experience isn't a qualification for presenter, they just need to be competent, quick-thinking and not cracking too many utterly unfunny jokes - Bruce doesn't fall into any of those categories at the minute....

Chris Hollins in any sort of role would be enough for me to switch over to the dark side. Sorry but I just find him so irritating. Mind you, the Beeb have done sillier things so I wouldn't be surprised...

Why shouldn't the presenter be old(er)?
If you want an "professional presenter" that can be open to anyone that has that as their job history.
Michael Aspel is a presenter, but then again so is the idiot on CBBC that's do the equivilent role of Philip Schofield, Andy Crane and Andy Peters when they used to be in "The Broom Cupboard." Just because he's on CBBC doesn't make him an less of an "professional presenter."
The days of pure presenters have long since gone. An old celeb gets roped in to be a presenter for ratings. I remember when Ross Kemp was an actor. Now he's a presenter/documentary maker. Maybe he would like to do Strictly?

Bruce knows more about the show than you or I do because he knows about TV. You can make the most slick, professional TV show, but if people don't like it they won't watch it. He knew when he did The Generation Game people watched to see the contestants making mistakes and fools of themselves. That is why he "gets it" with people like Fiona Phillips, John Sergeant and Kate Garraway.
Peopel like to laugh, they like to be entertained. Yes Alisha is sexy, yes she is a good/great dancer, but where is the fun and the entertainment?
This show is "light entertainment" and needs to be to succeed.
There is evidence of how little the majority of people really give a toss about a "dance contest" with the low ratings and the disinterest in SYTYCD. It was a "serious" dance contest. There were no celebs and most of all it wasn't fun. The result was people turned over. If ITV hadn't put that awful Paddy McGuinness show on the SYTYCD would have taken a bigger hammering in the ratings.
Of course there are people that are serious about dance and want to see the best and the best win. Eventually that is what happens. But it doesn't mean that it has to be done in one way and without the fun element of the show whether that is from the bad dancers or from a presenter that adds humour to it.

There is humour and there are Bruce's terrible jokes. Slight difference IMO.

My mother is almost 80 (next week) and also has never particularly liked Bruce (or Ronnie Corbett).

I don't find Bruce particularly funny, but at the same time I don't think his presence makes a lot of difference to my enjoyment of the show either way. Most of the time is allocated to the dancers and judges with just a few jokes from Bruce. I think there are a lot of presenters who would be much more intrusive in respect of the show's format.

I certainly wouldn't prefer Vernon Kaye or Lionel Blair (both too smarmy for me). In particular I think Lionel Blair's experience in dancing might actually be a problem, rather than an asset, in that it would be difficult for him to hold back from commenting and generally being more intrusive.

However given this is a family show, I don't see why the presenter has to be any particular age - just has to have the right presenting style for the show. Not too hard edged. Low key, but able to control the judging panel.

The thing I find interesting is that it seems that Bruce has some influence in the changes of the show's format. And judging from what is reported, if he feels that the show should not make any dramatic changes then I think the show is doomed.

Bruce is not bigger than the show. Like or loathe X Factor, it is not afraid of change whether its judges, format, set etc. Thats why it is successful. SCD needs to evolve and change to keep it fresh, modern and relevant.

Bruce has influence in SCD because senior BBC management allow him to - just as they indulge other actors/presenters on other shows.

I agree with much of your second paragraph, but until this culture ends, do not expect the changes many of us would like to see.

It all depends on how much Bruce's agent is expecting and how badly Bruce wants to do the show. There have been changes at the top of the show (new head of entertainment, new executive producer) and that may influence his decision.

What TXF has on Strictly is a LOT more money to play with. It's no wonder Cowell can instigate any changes he likes - ITV give him whatever he wants (they have to - he's effectively rescued the channel from ruin). The BBC, conversely, is in the spotlight over what it spends on top talent - and will be even more so if a Conservative government gets in next month.

Bruce was very much in the firing line last year as he got quizzed by the press about Arlene's exit and then had to make comments about the ensuing 'outrage' (:yawn. If anything major is planned, he may just decide it's not worth the stress ... after all, he doesn't really need to work, does he?

Fearne Cotton should get it.

I think he also got worn by the race scandal - Anton's one of his favourite pros (you can tell because he actually knows what his name is) and he seemed to be get really annoyed and tetchy at having to defend him to the media.

Additionally, from the interview with Piers Morgan he did, you can tell that Bruce always wants to be the first rat to leave any sinking ship. If he thinks for a minute that Strictly is on an irrevocable decline, he'll be out the door lickety-split. He might be getting less and less able to deal with the live show, but he's not senile and he has lasted for a long time in showbiz by doing it.

I've got a feeling the deal breaker for Bruce will be if the show moves away from TVC.

He has described his daily routine in the past and doing an SCD series does take it out of him. A bigger studio and audience in TVC and a one off in Blackpool, etc. will be no problem - but if the show 'goes on the road', I doubt he'll want to continue.

As well as the cost, Bruce might be another reason (or excuse) for the BBC to keep the show at TVC.

If Bruce goes then I'd give Tess a chance, as I was pleasantly surprised how well she did when Bruce was ill - totally unexpected. Claudia was fabulous in the red room, so she could take over from Tess.