Surely Zoe won't be able to carry on standing in for Claudia for much longer?......... I think if Claudia wont be back for a while (if at all this series?)....... They will have to sort something else out for who stands in!.....

As Zoe already works mon-fri on ITT she surely wont have the time of the energy to stand in for the whole time!...............

So what I wonder will they do?...............................

I sincerely hope that doesn't happen. I'm sure that, when they know something for definite, they will then make plans if they have to. Until then there's no need for them to anything. In any case, I doubt that they'd be so insensitive to say what their intentions might be ahead of that and will be hoping, as most people with any compassion will, that Claudia's daughter recovers quickly and Claudia can be back on our screens very soon. Whatever you think of her role in Strictly, it would mean the little girl is fine, which I'm sure we all want.

I'll be very sad if Claudia doesn't come back as it will mean Matilda is very poorly.

Zoe did a great job & I imagine it's in her contract to be available as backup for the series.

I would imagine Zoe will seize this opportunity with open hands! Her kids are growing up and she has had the chance to show how she can take on one of the most high profile live tv spots the Beeb has on offer at short notice and, if she carries on like last week, with great success. Her career stock is flying very high at the moment and I would think her agent would strongly resist the Beeb sorting out anything else other than Zoe's very considerable pay rise!

ITT isn't recorded live every evening, so even with the Sat show Zoe is only going to be in the studio 4-5 days a week tops. Perfectly doable for a professional experienced TV presenter. I wouldn't have thought anyone in The Biz would turn down the chance to have their face onscreen seven nights a week for 4-5 days' worth of work, when they know it's only going to be for another six weeks or so.

I agree.

It's only for another few weeks max. Lots of people have to go through intense periods of work - she'll cope.

Makes sense, and Zoe is obliged to watch the weekend shows to prepare for ITT. I know that travelling to the studio, and being obliged to be there on a Saturday night and doing the rehearsals is different to having the option to watch a recording in your pyjamas on Sunday or even Monday morning, but I think it's manageable, especially in the short-term.

Hopefully Claudia will be able to come back before the end of the series, even if it's not for her full role. It's possible she might just want a bit of privacy, and even if she could technically get back and do the actual work, the scrutiny is an added dimension.

I think Zoe would cope for the money and exposure for her career! ITT is hardly a full time job, and she isn't exactly working up a sweat! I like her, I think she would be fine.

I think Zoe has done a tremendous job presenting the main show, only sad at the situation which led to it.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it rather distasteful that FMs are speculating on what might happen if Claudia does not return, when her daughter is lying in a hospital bed?

Yes. See my message #2. I didn't want to state it quite as bluntly as you because I hope it's not meant to be "picking over her bones", but concern for Caudia, her daughter and the rest of her family.

I thought all the nasty people had migrated to the thread about her cinema programme.

Absolutely. I love Claudia on the show but she should take all the time she needs. If she can't come back, then so be it. Her daughter is much more important and I hope she has a speedy recovery.

I disagree. I think you can express sympathy and sadness for Claudia because of her daughter's accident - and most, if not all of us on this thread have done so on one or other of the other threads on the subject which have been running for several days - while still having an interest in what is going to happen on the show itself. The show is, after all, the reason why we're all posting on here in the first place.

I don't see anything disrespectful or "distasteful" in the OP or any subsequent replies.

Well said Tommo, I rarely comment just read but those were my thoughs when I opened this thread

So well said Janet.


I hear ya.

Mine too.

Not just you.

Thankyou to everyone who has confirmed I am not alone in my thinking.

Just read a post on here saying that It Takes 2 isn't recorded live. I thought it was and that only the Sunday evening results show was pre recorded. So which IT2 isn't live? Can someone enlighten me please.

I thought it was live as well. Obviously some bits like the pro challenge etc are recorded, but I thought all the stuff in the studio with ZB and contestants etc was live. In fact I think it must be. Because when Tim Wonnacot was eliminated, the programme went off air just before he pressed the button to put his light out. If it was recorded, surely it would have been edited to show that.

I agree with you tommo as sometimes you can see the time on their watches are the same as the programme.

I think you can tell from the announcement at the start ... The live shows are announced as 'live' and the other as just 'from London'.

Generally, the Monday is live and then Tuesday recorded on Monday, Wednesday live and Thursday recorded on Wednesday and Friday live?

I believe Tuesday and Thursday are recorded (the day before?) and the announcer only says, "LIVE! From London!" some days not others - I'l have to pay more attention to which ones

Thanks everyone for your comments about IT2 whether it's live or recorded. I will listen out next week.