Strictly Come Dancing bosses are considering replacing Len Goodman with not one, but TWO judges
Professional dancers Brendan Cole, Anton Du Beke and Karen Hardy have all been tipped for the head judge's chair
EVER since LEN GOODMAN announced he was quitting Strictly Come Dancing the battle to replace him has dominated conversations about the show.
But while the shortlist for Len’s head judge job grows ever longer, so too could the number of jobs they’re battling for.
I’m told that the BBC are considering the option of replacing him with not one, but two new judges.
Dancers KAREN HARDY, ANTON DU BEKE, BRENDAN COLE are all tipped to replace Len, who is leaving after ten years on the show.
One plan discussed at top secret “succession” meetings could see a new man and a woman join the panel.
It would mean that any hints of cheating or allegations of a fix would be eradicated as they would always have a clean vote due to the odd number of judges.
A Strictly source said: “Replacing Len is proving a real headache because he has such experience and is so well respected.
“Dancers like Anton and Karen might be good in the role - but they are inexperienced and might not battle to keep BRUNO TONIOLI and CRAIG REVEL HORWOOD in check like Len does.
“Someone like ARLENE PHILLIPS or HELEN RICHEY, from the Australian version of the show, would fit the role perfectly.
"They also fit the mandate of using more mature women in key television roles.
“However there is a feeling without Len’s calming measured influence the panel might need a fifth judge to stop there being a deadlock and casting vote. It is an idea that has been discussed privately.
“The plan would be for Anton - or the other judge - to join the panel and the other judge to join for the results show to stop there being a need for a casting vote currently used by Len.”
The BBC have flirted with a fifth judge idea before.
In 2009, DARCEY BUSSELL joined for the final few weeks of the series, and DONNY OSMOND also joined the panel as a guest judge in 2014.
The latter was not well received though, with fans blasting him as “inconsistent” and “stupid.”
Donny coming back is as likely as ED BALLS lifting the Glitterball trophy.
Janette: Daisy is too Lowe on fans
ED BALLS’ dad dancing trouncing of model DAISY LOWE’s natural rhythm is a Strictly scenario the politician would never have predicted.
Dance fans were fuming when Ed escaped the bottom two yet again and landed Daisy in the dance-off for a second week running.
But while Ed’s clumsy and wacky routines have won the former shadow chancellor an army of unlikely fans, Daisy is still struggling for votes.
In an exclusive interview, Strictly pro JANETTE MAN-RARA, the wife of Daisy’s hunky dance partner ALJAZ SKORJANEC, says it is just because Daisy is not famous enough. She said: “The Strictly fanbase is such a different fanbase to what Daisy normally does.
“Hopefully after two dance-offs people will really get to know her.”
Daisy, above with Aljaz, was awarded an impressive 33 points out of 40 for her paso doble on last week’s spooky-themed show.
Ed’s generous score of 26 still left him at the bottom-end of the leader board but the public vote let Daisy down.
The model, who has walked the runway for some of the top fashion houses, will now be praying she is not walking out the door this week.
It's hard to bear for Kate
FROM polar bear attacks to avalanches, there’s a long list of things that could go wrong on BBC’s Arctic Live.
And now host KATE HUMBLE has admitted that her latest job to capture footage of polar bears setting off on their winter hunt has her terrified for the first time in her career.
In an exclusive interview, the telly star said: “This is kind of unpredictable with claws and teeth . . . We don’t know what’s going to happen.
“It’s the production team I’ve worked with a lot. We did Lambing Live together, Volcano Live . . . so every single time we up the ante. This is kind of the ultimate.”
Kate, who co-hosts the show with SIMON REEVE and GORDON BUCHANAN, is particularly fearful of polar bears because she was warned on arrival in Canada that the beasts hunt human beings.
Speaking about Arctic Live, which airs tonight on BBC2 at 8pm, Kate explained: “The first thing we had when we got here was a safety briefing telling us not to walk while it’s dark, polar bears can pop out and they will eat you. Do not walk down the street at night unaccompanied, do not walk down the street at night. Take a car. Even just across the road.
“Gordon interviewed the last girl mauled here by a polar bear in the middle of town at 4am. If you think about it too hard you think, ‘Should we just pack our bags and come home?’”
Sounds like a good plan.
Michael a shop star
MICHAEL BUBLE decided to prank his fans for a BBC show – by performing in disguise.
In a sketch for Buble at the BBC, the singer gets made up to assume the identity of shop assistant “Dionne” and belts out a song.
CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN, who hosts the BBC1 show tomorrow at 8pm, revealed: “He transformed into a South African guy who was having his first day on the shop floor.
“He started singing and it was so moving. There was one girl who didn’t stop crying for two hours.”
“He didn’t look like him but he looked like a version of him. They’re brilliant, the make-up artists – he even had a man bun, always charming.”
I disagree.
Soapbox
ZEEDAN is chuffed on CORONATION STREET when Rana agrees to marry him and his thrilled gran Yasmeen immediately starts planning an engagement party.
But Yasmeen’s excitement is very short-lived when she overhears husband Sharif telling her best friend Sonia that it’s time to end their affair.
Meanwhile, crimper Maria is shocked to see police searching her flat above the salon – and ends up in more trouble with the law when Fiz gives them a statement. And she could really come unstuck as they start delving into her sham marriage to Pablo.
In EMMERDALE, Emma’s worst fears could be realised as Ashley starts to remember seeing her standing on the bridge on the night of the car crash that killed James.