Welll no-one's shot down my Zoe and Ian yet!

But I agree that Bruce should stop when he wants to or physically has to. The above would merely be my heirs apparent.

Bruce is supposed to be the doddery, old, bit grumpy, cheesy-joke telling presenter.

That's what he does. Its his act.

He may read autocue badly but I'd rather someone who was able to ad-lib read autocue badly than just another 'generic' younger TV host who can ONLY read autocue, despite how good they are at it.

If something goes wrong, even if it's fluffing his own lines, he can make something of it. That's the advantage of a host like Forsyth who is trained as an all round entertainer and has that experience working directly with audiences, handling heckles.

It isn't supposed to be a straight forward dancing show. It's an entertainment show with dancing. It'd be very bland, in my view, with just a 'straight' autocue reading presenter.

Brucie is the 'face' (the old one at that) of the show and the BBC wouldn't do that if they didn't believe and know through research that he wasn't a hugely popular figure.

Frankly, I don't know what people today complain about. It seems as if anyone who is seen as eccentric or slightly 'off centre' is dismissed in this 'everyone must be Ant and/or Dec' world. Where if something doesn't get read off of an autocue its somehow a sign of 'unprofessionalism'.

Some presenters, the aforementioned Geordie lads included, probably only sneeze and fart when they read instructions to do so off the teleprompter.

Bomolad I agree. Challenge have been showing old Play Your Cards.... and he is doing age jokes on that. A true star of the olden days presenting a huge hit now. It's wonderful.

I could accept Graham Norton.

But if the choice was between Bruce and John Barrowman, dear God, keep Brucie until he pegs.

Given his "performance" at today's ceremony at Buck House and when speaking afterwards to the media, I guess he'll have won a few more fans who won't want to see him go.

I like this post!

a) I agreed with it and b) it made me laugh!

Thanks BomoLad!

So very well said. I enjoyed reading this and agree.

Excellent post!

Bruce has the experience and the popularity the show needs. The fact is that no-one, and I mean no-one, can work an audience like Bruce does.

True. So many just stand and gawp at the camera and ignore what is going on around them. Bruce is a pro and he DOES understand dancing.

What I have never liked about him is that he doesn't really do anything. He is supposed to be a dancer but we never see him dancing. He is supposed to be a singer but we never see him singing. He is supposed to be a pianist but we never see him playing the piano. He never does anything that needs the slightest bit of work. All he does is wink, giggle, catchphrase, look comically at the audience, and start the sequence again. He is a dinosaur, but I am afraid he is going to be there forEVER!

Does he? Tapdancing perhaps, although he never does more than two seconds at a time, but ballroom certainly not, and probably not stage dancing either.

If you are talking about Strictly - when you go to the actual show, he does an awful lot - he does a lot of linking, holding it together - very very professional - he is very much in charge on the floor.

His role on the programme is not to dance, his role on the programme is not to sing, his role on the programme is not to play the piano.

His job is to present the show.

And I think he does what he does best - providing the presenting skills for old-fashioned Saturday night entertainment.

I always think he is at his best when things actually go wrong - he deals with those things brilliantly I think.

Good post.

Err...

You're missing the point.

You could say, if he had more stuff to do it would be in danger of becoming, The Bruce Forsyth Show!

Yes he can sing, yes he can dance, yes he can play the piano, but why would the producer want him to do any of that on this show? (although I seem to remember a rare occasion when he sang with the band).

He's doing the job he's been asked to do. I think he does it well, we're used to him. We know what to expect, anyone new would want to stamp their personality on it and it ain't about them.

He already does think its the Bruce Forsyth show - he hogs the camera with his so called "jokes" and fillers to the detriment of actually giving all the judges time to comment on each couple. I would much rather hear what the panel have to say about the performances than listen to Bruce coming out with another of his so called "gags" (which by the way - he writes himself - check out the script writing credits at the end of the show - his name is listed as one of the writers!)

He was tiresome and dated when doing the Generation Game in the 70s and Play your Cards Right in the 80s - and he's regurgitating all the unfunny material he was doing back then. Nothing is new or topical, and he has to practically plead with the audience to laugh at some of his offerings.

Tom Bergeron on DWTS manages to present the show with dry (and very funny) humour without attempting to hog the limelight. He at least realises that the show is about the dancers and judges - not him!

He will of course retire before long (either this year or next is my guess) but I reakon the Strictly fans who constantly call on him to quit will be shocked at how the show misses him when he's gone.

Forsyth is a hugely professional entertainer and his charisma is a massive part of SCD and the sucess of the show. When he goes it will leave a massive hole (just look at how medicore and low-key the results show is compared to the Saturday show) that may never be filled - I suspect the show could very easily go into a long term decline without Bruce Forsyth and I suspect the BBC agree, which is why they have been so desperate to keep him presenting to the bemusment of the fans on here.

This show is starting to look tired now, if the BBC had anything better it would have gone, each year they mess with it and I don't think it is improved.
When Bruce goes, despite the few complaints on here, whoever replaces him will not be as popular and I think the writing will be on the wall for this show.

We agree. Is this a first?

I wouldn't know, sorry, but I rarely look at posters names (unless they are deliberately being unfriendly) . it's only what they say that I may think might be worth reading, not who they are.

I'm quite happy if people ignore what I say about programmes and scroll down, I find it easy enough.

We've had a few debates over "the weather show" Thats all.

Really?

There you go, done and dusted, I really don't commit much of what I or other people have said on here to memory.

When he was ill in the last series - he was missed about as much as a hole in the head.....

Tess did a perfectly competent job in the main presenter's role, and Claudia was a breath of fresh air in the Tess Pit - Ronnie Corbett was swiftly parked in a ringside seat and not allowed to play any part in the proceedings. You know what - I for one wouldn't mind seeing that happening again - preferably every week. The girls did a fabulous job, and Tess showed what she was capable of if only she was given the chance!

Not one of the other Strictly/ Dancing with the Stars hosts in all the other versions around the world think the show is about them - the stars of the show are the dancers, and to a lesser extent the judges and their comments - its not about how many stupid catchphrases and crusty jokes an old has been can deliver.

The presenter's job is to present the show - not dominate it to the exclusion of everthing else.

Now he's got the dratted knighthood - let's hope he decides to call it a day

Great minds think alike - you, CaroUK, I and countless more, so don't change your mind!!

Bruce's face looked so empty at times towards the end of last Saturday's show, I'm wondering if he is actually going to make it to the end of this series. He really should pack it in after that for his own health's sake. Off to an island in the sun with Winelia, and to hell with TV cameras, judges, dancers etc. For his own health's sake, not for the audience, not for the loyal fan viewers, he should retire while his health is still good.

I presume that he rushes the judges, or skips one, when told to do so by the gallery. Indeed, judging by what I have seen happen on other "behind the scenes" shows, the production team will have already worked out the relevant timings and links (which will include Brucie's patter), all that then has to be accounted for is the fact that it's a live show with pros and celebs who might want to say something, where judges might have more to say than has been allowed for, and where things might go wrong technically. At which point judges have to be cut short in order to keep the running order and timings.

He has years of experience of all types of dancing. Get your facts right. He cannot DO them all but he knows masses about nearly all of them.