The bosses seem to be intent on making the show "bigger than ever before" every single year. I personally think the show has peaked this series. It can't get any longer, and there is no room for more than 16 couples.

I would love for them to strip it back down to 14 couples AT THE MOST (12 would be preferable), but something tells me we'll get even more. 18 couples? Maybe even 20?!?!?!

20 couples are revealed to the public. 10 female, 10 male.

week 01 - all 10 men dance. The 2 couples with the least votes leave
week 02 - all 10 women dance. The 2 couples with the least votes leave
week 03 - all 8 men dance. The couple with the least votes leave
week 04 - all 8 women dance. The couple with the least votes leave
week 05 - all 7 men dance. The couple with the least votes leave
week 06 - all 7 women dance. The couple with the least votes leave


week 07 - all 12 couples dance together. 1 leave
week 08 - all 11 couples dance together. 1 leave
week 09 - all 10 couples dance together. 1 leave
week 10 - all 09 couples dance together. 1 leave
week 11 - all 08 couples dance together. 1 leave
week 12 - all 07 couples dance together. 1 leave
week 13 - all 06 couples dance together. 1 leave
week 14 - all 05 couples dance together. 1 leave
week 15 - all 04 couples dance together. 1 leave
week 16 - THE FINAL. All 3 couples dance for one last time.


16 weeks, 20 couples. I can well see it happening unfortunately

Maybe even a fifth judge added?

I can see them having a 18 couple series with a double eviction in the quarter and semi final stage, in an attempt to prevent a two person final which has occured in the last two series.

They'd need two more professionals, but in reality they'll be easy to find.

It'd be awful IMO if they had any more couples. I hope they cut it back to 14 because this year's competition felt like it took for ever to get going.

Really, really, really hope there is a three person final next year though!!

I also thought that if they were going to have a fifth judge, they would either go down the "hip, sexy, young" route like bringing in Cheryl to the X Factor, or have a guest judge each week, of ex-contestants? Jill, Aleesha, Matt, Kelly, Mark etc?

Don't think it'll get any bigger TBH...they would have to start adding more dances to the programme to account for the extra weeks.

Regarding a contingency for drop outs, they so could have done it this year if only they'd shortened the run by one week (but still one week longer than SCD5) and had a double eviction up their sleeve if they needed it.

They didn't even need to do that - all they had to do was not evict someone this weekend just gone, but no that'd be too simple even for the BBC!

It seems unfair when the women are just up against each other and the men the same. It makes it not only possible but quite likely that reasonable dancers will have to leave because they haven't been given the chance to compete fairly against all the dancers.

I really wouldnt watch the first few weeks of an 18 couple series, it would put such a huge strain on the show and we'd have so many nobodies on there.

I think most people if you ask them feel there are too many couples this year,I'd love to see it streamlined next series maximum 14,preferably 12...16 are too many.

Ellie

I think that there are too many couples in this series and really hope that the BBC don't add even more next series. I hope they go back to 12 couples and drop the stupid men only/ women only opening rounds

The BBC should remember that bigger does not necessarilly mean better

I think one week of boys/girls only each is actually good - it acts as an intro to the couples and gives the least known person a better chance of going through. When you've got 12 couples dancing in the first week it's very easy for someone to be forgotten by the public because they were quiet or weren't the best known in the first place.

Four weeks of this was way too much though and they need to cut it back next year.

12 couples was the perfect length for me; more is not always better as we've found.

OP.... God I hope not.

12 or 14 couples max please.

OP please dont give the Beeb ideas....
although I do quite like the thought of ensuring a 3 person final by having enough couples in at the very end (say quarters) to do a double elimination. I dont watch it but isnt that what XF do? (or used to do?)

But would that have been fair? For example, whoever was bottom of the leaderboard that week might've been top the next and got a reprieve on their worst dance (although I don't think that happened in this case).

I suppose they could've either done the same dances the following week or carried the scores over, but even then it's still not the perfect solution.

I think most people would want to see 12 couples max. This series just seems to have dragged on forever *sighs*

Although I suppose they should really have 13 couples, so there's an extra couple for back up, as has been suggested. If no one drops out, then they have a double eviction at the semi-final and a 3 person final. If someone drops out, then without the double eviction they still have the 3 person final.

It happened on Dancing with the Stars this year, when one of the female celebs crocked her ankle.

The judges did the scoring, the public did the voting, the person who would have left that week revealed ... but then given a reprieve with the votes carried through to the following week. Come the next week, and the chap who was the saved evictee the week before was the actual evictee that week.

I would actually like to see the couples do a Ballroom and a Latin before anyone is evicted, for completeness.

I agree with you - I hope they don't make it bigger next year although I suspect the difficulty in finding them more dances to cover the sheer number you need to evict down to a three person final will stop that. An extra judge would be a good idea too as would everyone doing one latin and one ballroom although I suspect that was scrapped to give the older guys (who can't really do the latin) more of a chance.

Perhaps carrying the votes (and scores maybe) across to the following week might work then.

I agree about doing a latin and a ballroom. I don't know how the dances are picked in the early weeks, but it seems unfair to go out because you were unlucky enough to get a dance that doesn't suit. However, usually in the early weeks, it doesn't matter too much I guess.

Will teh show be bigger next year?

Lets hope not

Over to you Tess.

I hope not. I hope they don't go bigger than 16 (though I preferred it when there were 14).

I agree that this is too much - 12 or even 10 couples would be better.

And, ideally, we could see everyone dancing, right from the start of the series.

I wish they'd go back to 12 or 14 couples, Phil & Flavia leaving seemed to be about five years ago now.

The only thing to get bigger (if that's possible) will be the egos of the judges

Is that possible? Surely the studio won't be large enough if they get any bigger!

I cant see them adding any more couples they might even knoeck it back to 14 couples prfrably without single male female weeks