You are right. Had he been a woman he'd have been off screens years ago. I like Brucie, always have since I was around four and used to watch Play Your Cards Right with my parents, but how much longer can he go on for realistically? Most of his contemporaries are either dead or long since retired.

I assume it was a directorial decision, darlings.

He does it every year...

The best was with Jill Halfpenny, at Blackpool.... it was a relative that ran on, Mum or Gran, Bruce tried to usher them off.

Aww, let it go, he was anxious to get the couple on the floor, and someone was probably frantically telling him to get on with it.

Doesn't matter. My Mum gets like that sometimes.

cut out your comment and save until you are old

What an offensive old fart he is, but tbh I think he's going a bit senile. It'd be much more fun if Claudia had co-presented it with Tess.

Yes, there are some uncalled for and heartless comments, but that doesn't take away from the theme of the thread. I don't personally care about his age. He was very rude tonight, and seemed off kilter all evening.

His problem is that he can't accept that he "isn't in charge" as he was when shows were built around him. So no one is going to take much notice of him at the end of the show, he needed to take a step back and let the floor managers sort out the problem, or "just go with the flow" and the BBC let the naffin' programme over-run a few minutes . It's their No1 programme for crissakes!

He's really only there as the link between the contestants and he never shuts up even when the judges are talking.

I just want him to shut up every Saturday evening. I'd even have preferred Tess and Claudia doing the results for the final, the clothes and make up might be strange but at least they are polite to people.

Probably they'd have joined in the hugging and let chaos reign.

That was rather silly, wasn't it? Aggressively telling everyone to "back off" and essentially shooing them as though they didn't belong up there. I know they're on a schedule, but must he be such an old cantankerous crone about it? Totally lost the plot. Time to put the git out to pasture.

I agree with the OP, I thought it was incredibly rude of Bruce - Louis and Flavia were being congratulated by the others as happens every single year.

I don't care if it was someone telling him in his ear to clear the floor, good manners should have told him to let them be, the winners' dance always happens when the music starts, and having Louis & Flavia standing there alone was pointless anyway as the camera wasn't even on them!

Every year, every week even, I don't think Bruce can get any worse, and every year and week he surprises me

He'll have forgotten about it by tomorrow.

Forgotten about what?

He's quite eccentric in the documentary he did about himself. Some shots he wanted rehersed rather than any improvisation! This is the same on Strictly, he's an old man now and behaves like your grandparents. Some old people can regress back to the child at times and this is evident on screen over the series. It really is time for him to retire now, not good for the show that he can't be controlled, he acts like a cranky old codger now.

Agree.

And at least by doing that, Flavia and Louis were able to do that lift, which was so cool

I agree with you. Very nasty. We all have to get old eventually.

Which I guess, Bruce knew they were going to do.

The guy has always been self-obsessed; that's why he's not as loved as someone like Ronnie Corbett. Time to hang up the syrup.

Exactly.

My issue isn't even with him breaking up the congratulations. I understand if that was the direction or for camera blocking purposes. But the manner in which he proceeded to do so was appalling. "Back off!" What is that?

I felt the opposite! I thought they darn well should stay back for a few minutes. It is the winners chance to shine and to bask in their glory for a few minutes not be drowned by a crowd. It also allowed that wonderful moment when they did the lift again and another congratulations cuddle before they got swamped. There was no way in heck they would have got Louis and Flavia in a shot on their own again if they had let them all come in on them straight away. There are way too many egos to allow that to happen in less than 10 minutes LOL

Yes they need to be swamped and congratulated by all the pros and other celebs, but sheese Louise not immediately.
Well done Brucie for following the orders you were obviously given to keep the floor clear and not letting them ignore them (as much as they tried!). Of course if they had all actually showed some gump to start with they wouldn't have needed shouting at quite so much

Anyone tuning into the last minute of the final would have thought Bruce and Tess had won. He totally misjudged the moment and made it all about him instead of the dancers.

It was just on Sky News that he is leaving Strictly


Hooray! Hope it's true!

He/they obviously learned nothing from last year.

Spot on, Ignazio - I was gobsmacked as Bruce seemed even worse than last year (and that was bad enough). But no sooner had the other contestants duly backed off, than he and Tess just wittered on for ever, standing in front of the victorious couple as if it were all about them and not Louis and Flavia. Embarrassing much.


Yes, some comments related to his age when we should have referred purely to his incompetence. Excellent? I think not and it's not poisonous to express an opinion that his actions were not only unnecessary but disruptive to the overall mood. I like a bit of spontaneous celebration myself and see no reason why I should be ashamed or embarrassed for saying that I believe his actions spoiled what had been a superb final. Freedom of speech 'n' all that...