Strictly 2023

I think they need to mix up the pros a bit, I'm sure Giovanni will be gone before then. Nadiya is still too dull to me, Luba too.

Neil needs a partner, Lauren someone good - and maybe another new pro.

Giovanni wouldn't be a good judge, he's lost his presence on the show I think. I agree with Karen too.

I would cut Giovanni, Karen, Luba and Nadiya.

He said he would step down at 60. So next year would be his last

Gio once he decided he wasn't going to do the main tour was probably never going to get a really good partner so he was lucky to get Amanda and if they clashed that could be a black mark against him. I wouldn't see him as a more likely judge than any other pro although he might have been more like for like replacement for Bruno than Anton was.

I think Anton does try to be Bruno OTT and flamboyant too much sometimes, we need him to be himself or more like Len was to be honest.

Neil and Karen are in their 40's now so could move on, Karen though seems to enjoy being a pro and IMO would have seemed more likely TV presenter than Janette was. Neil seems pretty happy with his role in the group numbers and we never know why he rarely gets a partner yet has been on the show a fair few years. I'd hope it isn't image based and I'd say not personality based, could he almost be the "swing" who could easily step in if required.

But he probably gets the same money as other pros, has his exercise spots on Morning LIve, can do the group numbers and isn't tied down with a pro which is likely ideal given he and his partner have a young baby. Like the two big guys on the end in Boyzone singing a few harmonies he does less for his money.

Nadiya sometimes seems a bit dull in the personality department and but she is the hottest female dancer IMO and I like to see as much of her on screen as I can. So if she doesn't have a partner is it a personality thing, it wouldn't be imagewise. I could understand the Lockdown year as she has a daughter so that made coupling and bubbling impractical. Press rumours she'd eat her male celebs alive are just gossip plus she and Kai are a steady item.

If it wasn't for Kai I could well see her moving on, she'd have lots of earning streams and could make a bomb doing social media promotions etc.

There is Robbie Kmetoni and Jake Leigh as additional male pros and Michelle Tsiakkas as a spare female pro so they could be promoted up to have a celeb partner.

Luba has danced n a number of Gio's tours so already has work outside of Strictly I'd agree that along with Nadiya she is likliest to move on.

I'd hope Johannes will hang around but his tours are hugely popular and he'd have a load of offers if he moved on.

A lot could depend on Amy's health as if she doesn't or chooses not to return that means a replacement is needed.

Might the producers even look at moving Shirley Ballast on, she has had a fair bit of press criticism and has never filled Len's shoes. I know she does her best but they moved Arlene on at a similar age and she has a lot of outside work streams too.

I think the pros for next year tend to be confirmed once the tour is over. Brendan said he had heard nothing by March the year he was dropped so likely nothing done whilst they are all on tour in case there is any fallout. 

Has anyone from the christmas special ever gone on to the main contest? Serious question as I don't know.

Ah Thanks. I don't watch the Christmas specials as, to put it simply, there's no 'journey' so I don't get attached to the celebs. I find the first couple of weeks of the main programme a chore for similar reasons but I know I'll get a payoff eventually.

I didn't get beyond the headline in the supermarket, but there's a concerning story in one of today's tabloids. Would explain why one of this year's celebs withdrew.

Lots of support for Layton and Nikita on the tour.

They have 13 wins versus five for Ellie and Vito.

I went to see the tour on Friday.
The group dances were badly choreographed for an arena, with the dances facing the thin end as forward most the time, and the spacing meant that they only went half way down the arena, so almost half the arena had the backs of the dancers for most the show.

Bobby was a real surprise, full of charisma, danced well, personality came through much more than on TV.
Where Ellie was the opposite and just faded into nothing.
Layton was great as expected and seemed to have the most support in the crowd.

Angela Rippon was difficult to watch and her smugness was as present as on TV. Kristian was having a blast. Annabelle was great but got loads of low scores and every interview with her was about Johannes not being there, he was mentioned more than any dancer who was present. Angela S had one so so dance and one gorgeous one.

I left before the result, didn’t want to have to queue in the rain for the tube.

Layton & Nikita are doing their own theatre show together, two nights only, one in Manchester & one in London.

www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Layton-Williams-and-Nikita-Kuzmin-Return-in-LAYTON-NIKITA-LIVE-in-Manchester-and-London-20240417

They are doing dance workshops together too. Love that this friendship/collaboration has extended beyond Strictly.

Not surprised, I expect it was a mutual decision.