Strictly could axe Sunday night show because spoilsport mole keeps leaking dance-off result: KATIE HIND
Bosses are certainly under pressure to cancel the pre-recorded Sunday night results after they failed to stop a mole leaking the result of the popular dance show.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that some BBC chiefs believe the program should revert to its original format as viewers vote after the Saturday episode in which The National Lottery aired.
This was followed by a live results show where the contestant with the least public support was evicted.
Unlike the current incarnation, which was filmed on Saturday night but not shown until Sunday evening, there was no dance competition so the judges had no chance of saving anyone.
But now, an hour after filming finished at Elstree Studios, ‘Strictly Mole’ leaked the results online and on Sunday morning news of who had been sacked began circulating all over the internet.
Bosses appreciate that Sunday’s results attracted more than seven million viewers; However, if the results are shown on that date, it is certain that the viewing figures on Saturday night will increase.
The BBC’s Sunday evening show is now considered ‘perfectly wholesome’, thanks to Antiques Roadshow and Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles, hosted by former Strictly winner Hamza Yassin.
A source said: ‘This has become a complete farce, everyone watching knows it was filmed the night before; But more importantly, the result is published almost instantly on the internet.
A source said: ‘With the departure of Tess and Claudia (Strictly’s presenters, pictured left and right, who leave at the end of this series), it’s the ideal time to change things up.’
‘It’s fair to say that this mole has been a thorn in the side of the BBC. You can find out what happened until 23.30 on Saturday night.
‘A full disclosure appears on social media and there is no way to stop it. Fans have to spend all of Sunday trying to avoid spoilers online or listening to who joins the dance at lunch on Sunday.
‘With the departure of Tess and Claudia (Strictly presenters who leave at the end of this series), it’s the ideal time to change things.’
Strictly speaking live on BBC1 on Saturday night. After an intermission during which the judges and presenters change their outfits, they begin pre-recording Sunday night’s results show.
Presenters, judges, celebrities and professional dancers talk about what happened ‘last night’ as it is revealed who is in the bottom two and will face the terrifying dance challenge despite it having taken place just minutes ago.
It was former BBC controller Peter Fincham who launched the Sunday night results show in 2007 after ITV rival The X Factor scheduled its own results in a similar time frame. It comes as there are rumors that executive producer Sarah James, who joined the show in 2019, could leave after a series of Strictly scandals.
A program source said: ‘Shows definitely need a change every now and then, the BBC knows they need to keep up with the times.’
Katya: The next presenter should be dancer Janette
By Codeie Bullen
Russian professional dancer Katya Jones said her colleague Janette Manrara would be the perfect replacement to fill Tess and Claudia’s vacancy as hosts of the show.
Janette currently hosts the spin-off series It Takes Two. The oddsmakers currently have him at 3-1 to step into that role
They are among the most prestigious job openings in show business: two presenting roles on Strictly.
Fans have been buzzing with speculation that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman could be replaced by Holly Willoughby, Alan Carr or Zoe Ball.
But Katya Jones, one of the show’s longest-serving professionals, has revealed she wants her colleague Janette Manrara to get one of the coveted slots.
Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, the 36-year-old Russian dancer said Ms Manrara (pictured) ‘can understand what the dancers are going through’.
Miss Jones, who is favorite to win this year’s show alongside Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope, said: ‘I think Janette would be a better Claudia… She knows how to dance, she knows what we’ve been through.
‘Then Alan would be very funny to the judges.’
Ms. Manrara, 41, was a dancer on the show until 2021 before hosting the spinoff show It Takes Two. If she lands a top job, it would see her following in the footsteps of Ms Winkleman, who spearheaded the side project before taking the big job in 2014.
Betting companies currently have 3-1 odds on Cuban-American dancer Ms. Manrara to step into the role.
