But people liked them together - just cant see it with Norton.


Have you seen some of the people who front LE shows? Bland and blander - Tess would not be the only one and not the worst either.

You call Claudia irritating and then suggest Alan Carr, really? BIB - The important things *rolls eyes*

Claudia loves the show and Strictly audience know and like her so she's the clear choice. Another point in Graham Norton's favour is how well he worked in the Lloyd Webber shows, he was the main reason those shows worked so well (it's a shame ITV had to poach ALW and strip all the warmth/charm out of the format, as it was by far my favourite talent show format of the past decade.)

The more I think about it the more certain I get that it has to be Claudia.

That's why this and other things are being stirred up. Commercial media wants Clarkson and Top Gear (possibly under a different name) on commercial TV.

All the ad quota has been used up earlier in the evening. The Americans has a sponsor and I assume a decent slot has been guaranteed.

Talent's repeat slot is 75 minutes that weekend, though.

Today, BBC One stayed with snooker until 3pm. Then an hour of Bargain Hunt, followed by Final Score at 4pm. BBC Two had Animal Park to replace snooker. The Coast cupboard key was missing.

Harsh but so very true.

The Metro also reporting that Claudia's got the job, plus the Jake Shears from the Scissor Sisters is being lined up to replace Louis Walsh:
http://metro.co.uk/2014/05/03/scisso...actor-4717240/

Wouldn't co-presenting anything be a bit of a comedown for Graham Norton? I can't recall him presenting with anyone before.

Thanks. They don't even try now when replacing programming - would have been more appropriate to air something sport related on BBC1 at least - and they've got the 1985 documentary and 50 Years of BBC2 Sport which aired just a couple of weeks ago which would have been quite appropriate filler.

I think Alan Carr would make the best host beside another female for "Strictly Come Dancing" on BBC one.


However it looks like BBC one is going for Claudia Winkleman as she is a tried and tested candidate.


Norton would be an excellent and very skilled host. Another perfect choice. And was great at Eurovision so could easily take another iconic show over

Alan Carr is fun, and brings the laughter. BIB was just to just to suggest she's not a total loss if she was hired, it would surely bring in the men to watch, but not me given that I'm gay.

I really think Alan Carr would be the perfect host.

I thought Lloyd Webber went to ITV because BBC turned him down, given that they had bought The Voice.

Yes, the boat analogy was asking for that!

There are so many combinations here from which to concoct a number of conspiracy theories:

JC writes for The Sun, a direct rival to the Mirror

JC if a close friend of Cameron, the Mirror is a Labour-supporting paper

Piers Morgan used to be the editor of the Mirror

Piers Morgan & JC have a long-running dispute between them

JC is a supporter of the Conservatives, supported/admired Thatcher

One for the existing BBC conspiracy theorists - the BBC is supposedly a Labour-loving, left wing organisation.

Leveson and this Government vs. the papers



Why has no section of the media asked how the BBC clip ended up in the hands of the Mirror, what did the Mirror pay for something that was probably obtained or offered illegally, and who within the BBC would have had access to such archive cutting-toom floor material?



So many options here - manna from heaven for a conspiracy theorist

Well, they are simply re-reporting the Sunday People article.

Tolerate more than like. They don't really present together on the show, they do separate things.


I have and they are rubbish. Competent presenters rather than competent & entertaining presenters.

Norton being asked to present BBC1's top light entertainment show and take over from Bruce? How could that be a comedown?

And a two to two and a half hour, 14-week show at that

Claudia is too annoying. Watch ratings decline. Marmite

I believe that outside the semis & final, the highest rated shows last year were those presented by Tess & Claudia when Bruce had his weeks off.

Didn't the BBC give Tess a National Lottery gameshow to front in 2008? It was called "This Time Tomorrow" and based around holidays as prizes. It was awful, bland fare that lasted a few weeks and, thankfully, did not return - started with about 5m and dipped to 3-4m by the end of its run. I'm sure the BBC were hoping for better things, given Tess' success on Strictly, but she came across badly on that show - just pure autocue reading blandness.

As for Graham Norton fronting Strictly - an interesting choice but is this realistic? What would be the impact on his Friday night chat show? I know that's recorded on Thursdays but would he tolerate the increased workload? I'm assuming he'd probably opt to do one or the other - or expecting a huge pay rise, which is not going to happen at the BBC in this day and age.

He also has a BBC Radio 2 show on a Saturday morning. Graham could find himself burnt out or just simply overexposed which could lead to viewer fatigue.

Ah yes... forgot about the radio show. If Norton does get the Strictly gig, something will have to give elsewhere - no autumn run for his Friday chat show and no Radio 2 show, presumably. Michael McIntyre chat show on Friday nights on BBC One in the autumn? Oh dear.

*shudders at the thought* - I still don't understand how Michael McIntyre managed to get a chat show on BBC One.

Pointless: 3.69m (19.9%)
Lottery: 3.02m (14.3%)
Casualty: 4.68m (23.6%)
The Guess List: 3.29m (17.8%)
Match of the Day: 3.58m (27.4%)