I actually like the current configuration of the show, no matter how much I may moan at times!

I think having three ladies running the roost of a prime time tv show is a welcome sight.

If I had to change anything, I'd boot Len off. His catchphrases have lost all meaning after tedious overuse and his self-indulgent rants leave me with a bad taste in the mouth.

Thats a great idea Skyrah, it would also be a chance to fid a solution to the over gushing problem.

Any honest person can see Tess could easily be replaced by a robot. The fact she doesn't do any other programmes shows what the BBC think of her presenting qualities

Would it also be sexist if it had 3 male presenters and a female poster was asking for a female to replace one of them

She's no Clarence Balding

Yes yes yes....quite happy thankyou.
Interestingly, people who go to live shows have nothing but praise for Tess who is professional , warm and friendly.

Think that is Tess's talent - running a live show.

It's very difficult to do.

Tess keeps Strictly to time - much earlier finish than when Bruce did it, doesn't lose her nerve, stays calm, keeps control - she got it all straight back on track when Bruno put his foot in it.

Most other TV shows aren't live so they don't need Tess's skills.

Apart from the small size of the dance floor, Tess was the biggest surprise for me when seeing the Final live!

The speed at which the production moves, the level of audience noise that she (and Claudia) are having to speak through, the way she is working and preparing while the dances are being performed before running down to meet the couples as they come off the floor - well - it all left me breathless.

I can't bear trying to have a conversation in a noisy room,never mind presenting live to millions while the audience are still applauding and whooping to a level where you couldn't hear yourself think. I could see a steely professionalism that belies the soft persona that I thought she was. I mean that as a great compliment!

As far as Len goes I think he is being done a disservice by the production team. The audience is encouraged to express their feelings by booing the judges and it is clearly his 'role' to respond in the grumpy way he does. Off camera he was the friendliest and jolliest of the judges who made the effort to connect with the audience in a way that the other three judges did not. I don't see why we need him to be grumpy, that's Craig's role and Len should be able to go back to being a technical judge without the audience having to boo him for his comments.

All the above is my personal opinion, of course.

I think the Tess/Claudia combo works really well.
Tess is an absolute pro who has always driven the show (Bruce wouldn't even wear an earpiece) and she presents competently without trying to make it all about her.
The whole show feels smoother and pacier now and I really enjoy that.

There's two things I would change, and they'd both take the show back a few seasons.

Firstly, yes, a theme night is fun, but we've reached saturation point now and if you have a 'Special' every other week, it ceases to be special.
Props and extra dancers are fun on an occasional theme night, but they're being overdone and distacting.

Second, stop manipulating and micromanaging.
I won't go as far as using the f*x word, but there seems to be a concerted effort to show some people in a particular light in order to keep them in longer.
The 'comedy' VTs show that pros and celebs alike have their personalities tweaked and caricatured by the scripwriters who decide who's deserving of our sympathy/admiration etc.
It'd help if producers released judges from the straitjacket of the panto personalities they've been given.
More honest appraisal of dances rather than dancers, fewer puns and histronics would be great.
And a bit less creative camera work and more focus on whole body shots (that includes feet!) would be fantastic.

It's how it used to be, a little more simple and back to basics, and as a result, a more open and spontaneous show with a bit more integrity than it currently demonstrates.

Tess, Claudia and Zoe are the perfect combination, we don't need anyone else.

Tess has been working on this show for over a decade now, and STILL people say she is out of her depth, should step down, etc, etc. She is a very professional and competent presenter. We don't need everyone to be funny or have a big personality, it would be too much in fact. I think Tess is a lot better at her current role than Bruce was (although I do like him).

Claudia is simply hilarious. I always loved her on ITT and it's great to see her on the main show now.

And Zoe is just perfect at was she does. I love her enthusiasm and energy and she is a natural at live TV.

The effects of "being on camera" are particularly evident in respect of the judges.
They like being the centre of attention and in this respect the three men are always competing with each other.
Len as I said earlier, likes to be considered the "elder statesman," and a "figure of authority."
Unfortunately, his inconsistencies in marking over this series has shown him up to be a bit of a fraud on occasions and the studio audience won't have it.

He thinks it's still "Come Dancing" not as it really is a bit of a pantomime based on ballroom dancing. He gets annoyed and that's clearly certainly not an act, when there's any sort of "audience participation," when he's giving his critique.
It's a symptom of his age.

First of all, if it ain’t broke don’t mend it. Please, producers don’t make changes for changes sake. Good pros have been chucked out in the past when us viewers were NOT tired of them.

Main Presenter. Tess is OK, but not great, Anton or Zoe Ball might be better bets, but NOT Graham Norton

Find music to match the dances

Judges Keep all of them. Tell Craig to go on being critical but not to give ridiculously low marks to dances which are at least average and get his 10 paddle out with excellent dances that may be very slightly imperfect

Introduce group dance, as per DWTS.

Give Joanne Clifton a decent partner, the poor girl was dropped without being given a fair chance and she is British, we need more home grown talent on the show; although I do like all of the foreign ones anyway. I don’t mind three Cliftons on the show. Get another British woman in to replace one of the departing dancers (?Emma Slater, if willing) I’ve seen Anya Garnis live, she is terrific she is another one that’s only had one go, would love to see her back.

Lastly (This is purely self indulgence) get Ksenia Parkhatskaya to do a demo Charleston/Swing dance either solo or with a partner, she is awesome. Bet she’d be quite a good teaching pro as well, if not too busy.

Loose Claudia. She can come back when she grows up.

Ok. I like the Tess/Claudia combo (and Zoe), so for me it would be leave well alone please.

I'm ambivalent about the judges - I did feel the attempted manipulation in the final, but it didn't work anyway, and I can't think of better replacements.

Two changes I would make:
Allow the pros to choose the music.
Get the audience to quiet down during dances - they have ruined a couple of pro dances for me.

Finally, I agree that the semi final should be public vote only.

I think she's pretty tight

A suggestion for a possible theme week: "Music Icons" where each couple dance to a piece of music by a different icon of the music industry i.e. one couple dances to, say, a song by Elvis Presley, another couple dances to Michael Jackson, someone else to David Bowie etc. What does anyone else think?

if it aint broke don't try to fix it

Totally agree - especially about the audience noise.
Some people say that they've been in studio audience and that they are made to whoop and cheer. But they are adults, surely, and can refuse to take part in such shenanigans.
Thank goodness this show is not run with any reference to the DS forums!

So you might see a whole show danced to music as inappropriate as Chubby Checker (very big in his day) like "Let's twist again" !!!

LOL

This sounds very XFactorish...