Amanda Holden has urged Strictly Come Dancing to “think outside the box” when it comes to picking their new hosts. Regular presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman exited the BBC dancing show last year, with speculation sky-high over who will succeed them ever since.
The Britain’s Got Talent judge has already been ruled out for the gig alongside fellow presenter Alan Carr, though has suggested that the BBC needs to go in a bolder direction than some of the rumoured names.
“Often when I see lots of names attached to it, I’m like, boring, boring… All brilliant people, but you just go, come on! Think outside the box here,” she said (via Metro).
She also expressed hope that it will go to two women, adding: “That’s my big thing. I think it’s a really amazing job to break two people that we might not know or don’t know that well and push them up into the spotlight.
“There are so many women in our industry like that – without getting too political – who’ve put all the work in, all the hours, who deserve a bloody break.”
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Among the names she suggested were comedians Katherine Ryan and Daisy May Cooper, and The One Show’s Alex Jones, while also proposing that they search the Edinburgh Festival for talent.
Meanwhile, presenter Bradley Walsh has ruled himself out of the running, though former It Takes Two host Zoe Ball has admitted she would “love” to take over Strictly if offered.
“I love that show,” she told The Sunday Times. “I loved performing on it with Ian, who is one of my best buddies. It’s so joyful – and it’s live telly, which is another thing that people don’t give the girls enough credit for. That show is a beast. Whoever gets to do it has a tough act to follow.”
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“Obviously there’s part of me that would love to do it. But I will still be watching, whoever hosts it. There are so many people who would be brilliant.”
Elsewhere, last year’s winning pro Carlos Gu has suggested that Emma Willis would be a “great host” for the show.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Â Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.