Good for Brian. I'm hoping the others have the guts to do the same. I might have respected the BBCs decision more if they'd just sacked them but to offer them a demotion is a bloody insult.

These pros have been instrumental in making the show a success. They have given their talent and expertise as well as their blood, sweat and tears and all with an unparalled loyalty and dedication to the SCD 'brand'. And what do they get in return?????

Sidelined in favour of Anton, James, Brendan and Vincent (who as much as i like them have all in one way or another brought negative publicity or controversy to the show at some stage) an amateur from SYTYCD and a HSM extra

You couldn't make it up!!!

I hear Brian played this song to them....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnhhj...eature=related

I think Brian is a nice guy and a talented dancer but my first reaction was that he is cutting off his nose to spite his face.

I can't see where else he would be able to get the level of exposure that Strictly gives, even if it's as part of the dance troupe. By quitting so publicly he has also blown any chances of being brought back to dance with a contestant.

I wish him success with his new ventures though.

That is so funny

I read the news on the BBC website before I read of Brian's decision on here, and tbh I am not surprised.

If the other pros who have been sidelined have anything about them, they would do the same. Brian, Matthew, Ian, Lilia and Darren are the most popular dancers on the show and to relegate them to a filler group dance is an insult ...... let them get Brucie and Tess Woodentop to do the filler, make them earn their dosh.

These three newbies will have to be something really special, to compensate for the tedious antics of Brendan :yawn:and Anton :yawn: (somebody really needs to give that man latin dance lessons, and quickly )

Not one of the list of pros makes me enthuse with excitement. What are the BBC thinking? ...... gun > foot > shoot!!

The telling point in that announcement was .......'Positions in the professional dance group have been offered to:' Not even accepted eh, and I doubt they will be able to cobble together a dance troupe as I suspect more will quit sooner rather than later.

Kudos to Brian for having the guts to tell them the shove their poxy dance troupe. Wooo, Go Brian, and good luck to him .... shall really miss him this year you, that is if I bother to watch.

I thought it was appropriate.

Maybe someone should do a Latin arrangement of it and get the dancers to set a dance to it for the first show.

I'm not sorry about Brian going. His dancing was a bit too jerky for my liking. But Matthew, Ian and Lilia!! That's just madness. They must be the most popular dancers there surely?

Good on Brian. More should quit and then maybe the beeb will reconsider their ludicrous decision.

Have they ever??? Not likely.

I'll miss Brian. I really liked him and his pro dancing was fab. Why they're keeping Anton over him, well your guess is as good as mine

Brian i love him and mathew culter and i am gutted that these two are being replaced i have loved every single dance i saw from brian and kristina and i think the bbc have lost their minds they have lost one viewer now

Tbh I don't think that Brian, Ian, Matthew, and Darren and Lillia particularly need SCD anymore, and I can't see any of them ending up working at McDonalds or busking in the street for a living if they all decide to tell the beeb to poke it, which a big part of me hopes they do

None of these guys took up dancing because they might get to end up on telly one day or make a fortune out of it - they did it cos it's their passion and as long as they're able to do it I suspect they'll be happy enough with whatever life throws at them in future

Brian, Matt and Lilia are 3 of my 4 favourites

My other favourite is the lovely Ola. Is she still going to be around?

I really warmed to Brian. Great personality, lovely man and a fantastic dancer. He'll be missed - I think last series really gained him loads more fans.

I am so gutted for Brian. I really hope that he did not make the decision in haste & regret. I know He would dearly loved to have taught a celebrity to dance. That is what he loves to do & is pretty good at it I may add. So I don't think he had a choice. He must be really sad. I really hope that something else wonderful comes his way after BTF & He can stay around these parts for a while longer. Time will tell..

Yes, Ola is partnering a celebrity this year (Although she's defending champion, so if anyone's going to get a dud it's likely to be her )

I found it odd that we heard he'd quit after the news about the troupe, including him, had come out.

This was a very strange decision by the BBC. Sideline some of their most popular dancers? Shove Brian away from the main point of the show?

And no Derek Hough.

It seems strange to have included Brian in this idea - why would an American commit to spending three months here to make the odd dance troupe appearance? The others can, if they like, grit their teeth, take the (no doubt reduced) money and carry on as they would anyway with their teaching and other commitments. While Brian has interests over here, much of what he'd otherwise be doing wouldn't be possible, I'm assuming.

Dance troupe? Is this a suggestion that the dancers were overloaded by doubling up with celebrity partners as well as doing the pro-dances? They never cared about it before.
I noticed a sleazier vein to the choreography of the group pro dances in the last year. Maybe Arlene is coming back to choreograph something so disreputable the professionals could never look their celebrities in the eye again, after