I know it could be a load of guff but here's the newest rumour.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/...medium=twitter

Tess isn't my favourite presenter but I do think technically she does a good job of Strictly. I find Bleakley nice but a bit sickly sweet.

I'm sorry but I wish the BBC would think beyond empty-headed arm candy for the Tesspit.

Claudia was great, they need someone like that. Not someone who's just going to say 'ooh the judges were mean, I thought you were great, let me see your biceps'

As far as I recall, the BBC announced last year that they had signed a two year contract with Tess which would cover this year's Strictly, so I think as usual, the story is a load of rubbish.

You recall quite correctly - the deal is even referenced at the end of the article, therefore making this 'report' even more ridiculous!

The only grain of truth in here is that the BBC desperately doesn't want to lose Christine and is looking for other options for her.

Beyond that, everything is fiction. Especially the bit about Alesha, who is confirmed for SCD8 (according to her manager - and he should know ... ).

They should keep Bruce and Tess as the hosts, and when Bruce does eventually quit then bring Tess out onto the floor and have Claudia back stage. That worked really well last year imo and would make it feel fresh yet recognisable.

The BBC need to understand that they will never have a massive young audience for the show, so they need to stop with the silly Cheryl Cole obsession. That was their excuse last year too for Alesha. They ought to tailor the show for their potential audience, not chasing after an audience they'll never have and losing viewers in the process.

I'd be happy for Alesha to go but i quite like Tess. Bruce is the one they need to get on with and think of a replacement for.

if tess is to be replace i would like claudia in

Agree 100%.

I do hope this doesnt happen i cant stand Christine Bleakley now nif CLaudia was to come in that would be differant

Succinctly put and totally spot on, I think.

Christine wont be there this year unless they break the contract they made with Tess which guaranteed her for last year and this year, however I can see this happening unless Christine jumps to another channel in a handcuffs agreement.

7 million people watch The One Show and if people didnt like Christine that wouldnt be the case. Her water ski across the channel single handedly raised over a quarter of a million pounds for comic relief, she is guaranteed gold in the eyes of the BBC and their premier Saturday night show seems the logical place for her. However I am not convinced that she wont go to another channel for big money.

In the mean time Vernon Kay has signed an agreement with American TV and after the textsex scandal I cant see Tess letting him go alone.

I reckon Christine would be good, but then again, so would Claudia.

I wish they put Claudia on the main show, and Christine on ITT, but there would be issues with timings for it and TOS.

The BBC needs to look within if it wants to start revamping!
The show looks very lame compared to the X factor and Dancing With The Stars....
It needs a cash injection...change the set. Funk up the music. Make it sexier,its targeted towards the blue rinse brigade,bring in sexier dancers and contestants......Apart from James and Brendan the male dancers all queen around. Bring in some real men for us women to ooooogle!!!
As for the host's there aint nothing wrong with Tess and Bruce.
Infact it's Tess that holds the show together guiding the old man around...
Why not use some of Allan Yentob's expenses to bring Strictly to life again!!!!

Presumably an under-21 audience would prefer to see qually young couples with whom they identify. Very young celebs have appeared before, in 16yo Luisa and 20yo Matt di Angelo, but it was very noticeable that the pro partners were much older.

Luisa was reported by Vincent to have cried for weeks after her eviction. Matt made the Final but his entire season was upstaged by the meltdown foxtrot, after which his older partner stroked his face like a puppy run over by a car. The following year the Beeb let in no celeb under the age of 30.

Can Strictly hold a big young audience? If so I believe a teenage celeb will need a teenage pro dancer.

From where?

i'm no fan of tess but its outrageous the tabloids printing stories like this - imagine how worried tess must be - at the end of the day its her job.

Outrageous is a bit of a strong word.......its called show business......Its only Tess's job if she gets a contract to do it, which I understand she has already got for this coming series anyway, once her contract is up for renewal its only 'her job' if the BBC choose to employ her again. TV Celebs are more than used to the fragile nature of their popularity and their futures, I doubt Tess takes Strictly for granted, unlike Bruce who from earlier tabloid stories seems to think it belongs to him.

I don't belive the story

As much as I'd like to see Claudia hosting SCD she'd be missed on ITT. What is the obsession with changing the show? They might as well just ditch it and replace it with something else.


I wonder would Christine wait a year and a half to get SCD? I'd say she's not long for the one show, was she not rumoured to be heading to the xtra factor?

I wonder which other of Matthew Cutler's celeb partners will be tipped to appear in Strictly in some capacity... will Carol Smilie take over from the Winklemen?

Aside from the fact that the story patently isn't true in the first place, why on earth would CB leave The One Show for The Xtra Factor?

That's a demotion - not a promotion ...

I just can't understand the obsession with this horse-toothed woman tbh; her voice and inane presentation skills irritate the heck out of me.

I agree. I'm not a massive fan but I do feel sorry for her, She's had the worst time lately and has kept a very low profile since the revelations about what Vernon had been getting up to came out ... Like other have said I think last years episode where Tess was out front and Claudia backstage was one of my favourite Strictly shows to date. Probably helped by the fact it was a v dramatic episode what with Laila and Jade ...

I like Christine too, but the BBC are a bit obsessed with atm like they were with Natasha after she won Strictly. They need to drop it because it just leads to unpopularity.

x x x x x

As long as Bruce fronts the show, the Tess is going to be a feature. He's obviously attracted to her in some way that eludes most of us.
Christine is beyond criticism, but is her best place on this show, and is it worth thinking 18 months ahead??

They announced earlier this year that they want to "break America" (lol)

JJ

Maybe they got their wires crossed and actually Christine will replace Alesha on the panel? She was a dancer on the show after all.