Anyone else with me on this one?

How is that ironic.

Alanis Morrisette has a lot answer to.

Better at what?

They each do a different job.

Ironic that someone doesn't know the meaning of ...... ironic.

Ironic in the sense of them being better presenters, but not getting the main gig and being paid less maybe?

I'm an English Literature student, I think I know what the meaning of ironic is, please do not insult me.

I meant ironic in the sense that Tess has the top job out of all the females and yet Claudia and Zoe are so much better than her.

But w/e. I get relentlessly sick of some of the vitriol that I have to face on here.

They each have their strengths and weaknesses.

Tess is best in the 'Bruce' role, and if/when he retires she should be promoted to the main role. I do think, however, that the reason she seems 'worse' than Claudia up in the Tessanine is because it's up to her to keep the show on schedule wherever possible - so if she seems disengaged/robotic/etc. it's because she's trying to get the show back on track time-wise because the antics on the floor (which Bruce should be controlling, but he isn't) have run over. Claudia seems better in that role, but part of that is possibly due to the fact that Tess runs things more smoothly than Bruce does down on the dancefloor.

It would be interesting to see how Tess would do in the Tessanine with someone like Tom Beregon (sp?) downstairs, who can keep things running smoothly instead of it spiralling out of control.

As for Zoe - well, I watched Live and Kicking during her era, listened to her on Radio 1 and now on Radio 2. She can never do anything wrong as far as I'm concerned.

I like Claudia - genuinely witty and funny; can't stand Zoe - too shouty and like she's on a noisy hen night out all the time.

Better than Tess....?? Zoe definitely not (just a pain, in my opinion). Claudia - well I don't think she'd suffer duffer Bruce the way patient Tess can so not sure. Claudia does handle the upstairs very well though - but just differently than Tess, not necessarily better.

Hi Mr James,

I think when Bruce eventually leaves, it might be better to have two new presenters. Tess is ok and she does try to move Bruce along.

Like Zoe and Claudia they are both very bubbly characters.

I think Doghouse Riley is right - they do a different job. I'm not entirely sure that being Bruce's sidekick is such a great gig - at any moment, I keep expecting him to ask her to do a twirl... I'm no fan of Tess (her utter inability to pronounce Ola's name correctly speaks volumes about her intelligence), but she does a very good job of keeping things moving along nicely in the results show, and when she stood in for Bruce the other week as the main presenter. She can, at least, read the autocue...

Claudia is a kooky delight and excels at the off the cuff stuff, so is ideal for the role of interviewing the couples after the dances. Zoe is like an half-trained Labrador puppy - all enthusiastic and energetic, but not entirely under control, which I'd argue is just about the best balance for her role on ITT.

All in all, I think the three women do a great job and would be even better if Bruce weren't around - then their respective roles would work perfectly.

Oh, and I'm sorry if the OP feels the board is vitriolic - perhaps it would appear less so if forum members didn't feel the need to start threads with quite such provocative titles as if they were facts rather than a matter of taste and opinion.

We've never seen Claudia or Zoe present the main show on a sat. evening .
I've always liked Tess and think she does a great job in her usual role . I prefer Bruce as the main presenter.

Where is the irony exactly ?

I think I'd take Zoe over Tess in any of the presenting roles tbh. I know it's a minority opinion but I've never thought Tess did very well in the main host role any of the times she's done it. She just seems to get plaudits in comparison to Bruce - for me she's not got the natural wit for it.

Tess does ok. She quite often has to play an old fashioned 'straight man' from a comedy double act and there are not many of those around nowadays, not with the skill to also lead a live TV show in front of a large studio audience, and keep Brucie in line, and do good interviews with the dancers. She makes sure the dancers are the stars of the show and that's an underestimated quality.

I've often criticised Tess for not having much personality, for inconsistent use of over-emphasised northern vowel sounds and on occasions, an appalling fashion sense.

But she's good at what is her job, she keeps the show moving when Bruce's antics, showboating and "look at me" nonsense, puts the show behind the very tight schedule.
So I marvel sometimes at her faultless "speed reading" and verbal delivery of the instructions to viewers regarding the voting process and phone numbers on her auto-cue, so necessary for making up the time the old fool wastes. I don't think Zoe could hack that.
I think she's under-valued by some on here.

Claudia used to get more on ITT than Tess on the main show. That was for series 4 iirc. When there was a big leak of BBC presenter salaries.

Yeah I think Tess is underrated. I saw Zoe solo present both Soapstar Superstar and Grease is the word for ITV and I thought she was pretty bland tbh.

Good answer.

I've always liked Tess, but now I admire her more and more. As time has gone by she's learned to cope with Bruce getting worse at his job. I hope she gets his job when he steps down.

How great would it be for the BBC to take a risk and have two female presenters on its flagship show?

Claudia is also the consummate professional and often under appreciated. Before she left ITT, the producers crammed more and more into the half hour show and not once did the show over run.

Zoe is okay-ish now on ITT, but I'd have Claudia back any day. Also, these days more and more segments are pre-recorded which must take the pressure off Zoe a bit. I hate it when she talks a hundred to the dozen, which she still does sometimes and is clearly thinking of what she's going to say next (instead of listening to who is talking). She's a good presenter now though and I'm glad to have her involved with the show..

We're lucky to have three talented women involved with the show. Wish I could say the same about Bruce.

Much as I agree and would like Tess and Claudia to take over next year, (surely the BBC can't let the current state of affairs continue much longer? Sadly the criticisms of Bruce's abilities and behaviour are increasing from all quarters), I'm not sure it will happen.

I've said elsewhere, that as the obsession with ratings are the prime factor driving the constant changes with this show, they might want another "well known face" to attract even more viewers away from X-Factor or whatever else is scheduled on ITV at the same time.

I fear with the two women, the BBC are taking them for granted, knowing that they can be relied on to "hold the fort" in any eventuality.

The trouble with Tess is she's rapidly becoming a caricature of herself, her exaggerated Northernness is irritating to say the least, and she is about as warm as a fridge with the contestants in the Tess pit.......! (I am Northerner by the way......before racism raises it's ugly head)................

BIB: I really think this is a case of people seeing what they want to see. When Tess was hosting, Claudia managed one quick word with the couple (hello!) before announcing "the scores are in".

And the show still overran

Did it really! If so it did not feel like it and the judges all had a say. So I dread to think how bad it would have been with Bruce. Most of the judges comments would have been missed I suspect.

But likely far less than if the old codger was in charge?

In the early shows with so many contestants, the chances of an over-run are more likely.

It's noticeable by Bruce's reaction to the floor manager off-camera, when he's being told to stop waffling and wasting time.

Tess for the most part, just reads what's on the auto-cue and her cue cards.
Conversely, Bruce goes into "one of his routines."

Until last week, all the shows had overrun (not counting the launch show, no idea about that one). I think it is great that the BBC are seemingly allowing a few minutes leeway, meaning we are able to get through the show without any obvious omissions. This may always have been the case in the past and once the audience figures are consolidated they may tighten the scheduling further in.

Last week they were under running, as made apparent by Tess's waffling during the last couple's interview - adlibbed comments or on-the-spot questions isn't something she excels at and the time-wasting was painfully obvious. The show is actually much better when allowed to overrun (or run at a natural pace), but that pretty much goes for any live show.