Oh I hope they don't replace him with a guest judge, remember Donny Osmond?

If they have to replace him replace with Anton. As much as I'm not keen on Anton's dancing and also not keen on his partnership this year, too smug for my liking, I think he will be an excellent judge as he has the right personality for it.

Personally I'd love to see Len waltz off in to the sunset! He's been particularly grumpy this year, and doesn't appreciate any modern chorerography, which makes him seem stuck in the past! If he does go, I do hope they don't have guest judges as it takes away the consistency & the marking is all over the place...just think of Donny Osmond!! I think it would be good to have a panel of 2 men & 2 women, so Karen Hardy would be my choice!

Anton is the king of ballroom, it would be a good replacement for Len, I think he would be great.

the only down side to len going would be who would replace him. its hard to imagine the bbc would get that right.

No problem Len going so long as he takes Craig with him and we get two knowledgeable ballroom Latin judges

Daily Mirror has the story now.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/l...rictly-6956975

I used to love Len, but perhaps I bought into the whole cheeky chappy persona. Now he's just a grumpy guts.

Bring back "wafting and fannying about!"

If Len does go they must make sure they replace him with someone who has the right ballroom and latin credentials and not another one like the other three who don't. Anton is not the right fit imo and his king of ballroom is just a BBC PR thing - competent ballroom yes, but King of Ballroom NO.

Karen has the right qualities dance wise but not the right quality in front of camera on the show imo - one of the many distinguished ex world champs would be good Ballas, Stopford, Burns or Hiltons ? but would they have the right style infront of camera

Really if it isn't broke and the show has improved it's ratings they should not fix it - as the Star ran with story first really believe Star Reporter being lazy again read the forums and made story up

Yes, all based upon some online fan forum and a few forum member comments (so more than likely picked up straight from The Daily Star website) - see post 25.

Even the Mirror story is speculative at best. I really cannot see the BBC "responding" to a small number of online calls.

I have really warmed to Joanne Clifton since she stood in for Karen a couple of times. She really knows her stuff.

The cynic in me would suggest that his "mutterings" in the press are just a precursor for contract negations for next year, he may be looking for a rise, given the undoubted continuing success of this show this year.

I mean as a job, "it's big money, for old rope," innit?


I think she's been a revelation this year, you can't find any fault with her. She's attractive, a good dancer, well spoken, able to converse with everyone and is an excellent presenter.
I think she will have a future in TV beyond SCD.

Just read a story with the BBC refuting it all, saying he's not going anywhere. I don't have a link cos I can't be bothered, he's also returning to DWTS next year, according to the article I read anyhow.

I'm sure that surprises very few, he knows when he's well off.

I think his problem is that he thinks he doesn't get as much attention or respect on the show as he believes he deserves.
Being petulant on occasions, isn't the best way to achieve this.

Well it does not surprise me, not least because there were no "mutterings to the press~", and this whole story is manufactured by the tabloids from a few online forum "mutterings" from viewers who have no connection to the show.

A speculative story concocted out of almost nothing at all - what a surprise! The only interesting part of this is that Strictly is leading so many of the tabloids' front pages these days, instead of XF. Where the ratings go, the press will follow! I'd expect a couple more of this kind of story on semi-final and final days.

Then we learn

So who are these "Strictly fans" then?

Well

and



So that's sorted then. A few forumites pass comment and the media manufacture a story with a totally misleading headline

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/strictly/...ge-judge-panel[/quote]

CORRECT It seems to be totally made up by someone who has read things on a forum such as this or maybe even this, Its not a made up story but it is really just someone reporting what they have read. Its a non story really but i guess it creates a buzz about the show, and as the show is very popular it might get a few more copies of the paper sold.

I count the press as my telly mag. (which naturally hangs around for a week in our house) in which he was "muttering," in a two page interview feature a couple of weeks ago in which he mused about how long he was prepared to carry on..
The reason why I mentioned it, I've not seen any other media article, as it doesn't interest me that much.

As I said, the contract negotiations will soon be conducted for next year if they've not already commenced, nothing wrong in anyone attempting to influence their perceived market value, but sometimes it can backfire on them.

I don't like him, he is very smug and uncouth. He is not able to accept others having a different view to him. I think him being the head judge has gone to his big head, probably too many pickled walnuts in there. I don't think him boasting about how much he gets paid for only saying, as he put it, a few words on the show and having a chauffeur driven car to the studio and back is appropriate to swag about.

It's in the Mirror as well. Perhaps Len's walnuts have finally been pickled. Bring back Arlene, please

Part of it is made up though - the claim that the BBC are considering those forum comments. there is no evidence that is the case, and I would be surprised if a handful of online comments in some nondescript forum will have any effect upon the BBC who will be looking at the wider picture.

Yes, by the look of it copied from the Daily Star (certainly not their own work, nought out of ten for copying). Neither article is convincing

Except he isn't muttering the tabloids are shall we be kind and say "speculating" (making things up) based on some online people who find him too old and not relevant to them, well sod them I would say eff off and watch something else and stop being so ageist.

Arlene??? So she can swoon at the hot young men?

It is now in The telegraph - online front page. There is quite often, just a little bit of truth in some of these stories ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/t...nals-live.html

Oh MACTOWIN you make me laugh.
I think a bit of wishful thinking there don't you. There would be more than pickled walnuts if he did take Len's place.

That sounds a plan to me, I have said before that if Anton wins this year he will retire. This could be his next job. Boom !!