Breaking news: Alesha Dixon has left Strictly Come Dancing, it has been reported and the Strictly fans are going wild!

The BBC has confirmed that judge Alesha will no longer be taking part in Strictly Come Dancing,“We wish her all the best. She has done three very successful series with us and we look forward to announcing our new lineup in due course.” a spokesperson said.

Poor Alesha never had a chance after replacing the beloved Arlene Phillips amidst the BBC ageism row in 2009.

The news has put Strictly fans into overdrive as to who will replace her! Karen Hardy gets my vote; take my poll to have your say on who should be the new Strictly judge.

Take the poll

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Kelly Brook has fueled speculation that she is being lined up to become a judge on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing as a replacement for Alesha Dixon.

Kelly, 30, said: “I’d love to (be a judge). I love dancing and from a judging point of view, you have to approach it from the viewers’ point of view as well as a technical one.

“More often than not you have the ones that aren’t the best winning, because they put on such a performance and are charismatic. People underestimate that.”

She added: “That’s why I did Britain’s Got Talent and Dirty Dancing – because I recognise what it takes to be a performer and what it takes to to make something go from being a normal dance to something phenomenal.”

Alesha Dixon famously crashed and burned as judge last year and got a lot of flack for her juding style- will Kelly be any better?

Kelly Brook was in series 5 and danced with Brendan Cole but had to withdraw in week 8 becuase her father passed away.

Let the speculation continue…

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Oh. My. God. Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan have been crowned Strictly Come Dancing 2009 Champions in an amazing final!

Chris looked shocked when Tess announced them as winners, and Ola burst into tears. They had scored marginally lower than fellow finalists Ricky and Natalie but came out on top with the all important public vote.

I am actually really really happy for Chris and especially Ola as she has worked really hard this series and been great to watch.

Chris really performed amazingly. First with a top notch Foxtrot, then a perfect scoring Charleston and they topped it off with a Dirty Dancing inspired showdance.

Runners up Ricky and Natalie put up a good fight with a tanalising Quickstep, a sexy cha cha and a “liftastic” showdance. I thought they might have edged it with the showdance but Chris and Ola proved to be just too popular.

Len said earlier in the show that Ricky might be beaten but he was the better dancer.. I’m sure that won’t be much comfort for him.

Did the right couple win? I think so yes.

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It seems the BBC bosses have finally buckled under the pressure and changed Strictly Come Dancing’s time slot to 6:50pm to 8:45pm, thereby reducing the X Factor overlap to 45 minutes.

The dance programme will move to an earlier slot from Saturday October 31 when the overlap will be 45 minutes with X Factor, which starts at 8pm.

The ITV show has won an average 10.9million viewers on Saturdays compared to Strictly’s 7.8million.

The X Factor drew its biggest-ever audience on Sunday with a peak audience of 14.8million when Cheryl Cole performed her debut solo single Fight For This Love. The same night saw Strictly peak at just just 8.5million.

The overlap is set to steadily decrease in the run-up to Christmas as more contestants are voted off.

A BBC spokesman said it was to make way for impressionist Jon Culshaw’s The New Impressions Show and rejected claims it was ‘running scared’ of the X Factor, adding that Strictly is a ‘key part of our Saturday line-up’.

Why do they even bother saying this stuff..just admit the truth it’s not so hard BBC and no-one

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Lynda Bellingham and Darren Bennett were also in the dance off.

I’m so bloody glad that Lynda was saved as she did dance so much better in the dance off and really deserves another chance.

Well done Lynda!

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STRICTLY Come Dancing’s newest judge Alesha Dixon has confessed she wants a rear like curvy Jennifer Lopez.

The 30-year-old, who found herself in the middle of a controversy after she was picked to replace Arlene Philips, 66, on the show, said she thinks big bums are the best.

“J.Lo’s got a great bum.

“I think my bum’s OK, but you know what would be really cool? If you could rest a teacup on it,” the ex Mis-Teeq singer told Scarlet magazine.

Alesha, a former winner of Strictly Come Dancing, added: “I think that women who have backsides look wicked – it’s more voluptuous and womanly if you’ve got shape and curves.”

The BBC received 1,369 complaints about dance expert Arlene being axed in favour of the younger judge.

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Strictly Come Dancing’s Camilla Dallerup has said the show needs the age and experience of Arlene Phillips.

Camilla told the Daily Mirror she will miss Arlene, 66, who has been replaced on the judging panel on the BBC show by 30-year-old Alesha Dixon.

The Danish dancer, 35, said: “I have a lot of respect for Arlene and feel privileged I got to work with her, everyone will miss her.”

She added: “It’s important to keep older people on programmes like Strictly because it was fantastic to have someone with so much experience. You can’t beat it.

“I hate to think her going was to do with her age. That would be very sad. Arlene always got the best out of the dancers. Alesha has big shoes to fill.

(...)
Read the rest of Camilla pays tribute to Strictly’s Arlene but defends Alesha as well (126 words)

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Jay Hunt, Controller of BBC One, announced today that Alesha Dixon and Darcey Bussell will join Strictly Come Dancing for its glittering new series this autumn.

The new series of Strictly will see Alesha Dixon join the panel of judges. As a star performer and past champion of the show, Alesha knows exactly what the dancers are going through.

Darcey Bussell will appear as guest judge towards the end of Strictly’s run, adding her unique world-class dancing take on the performances.

Darcey will also appear on It Takes Two – more details to be announced.

Jay Hunt said: “As a former Strictly champion, Alesha knows exactly what it takes to win. Her eye for great performance and her charisma and charm make Alesha a great addition to the judging panel.

“Darcey has impeccable credentials as a dancer and, as a guest judge, she will bring an exciting new dimension to the last few weeks of the Strictly competition.”

Alesha Dixon said: “I’m honoured and excited to be joining the judging panel. I’ve always felt like part of the Strictly family and really believe in the show.”

Darcey Bussell added: “It is a real pleasure to have been invited to join Strictly Come Dancing. It is a fantastic show and I’m looking forward to getting to know the dancers and being part of the excitement.”

Strictly Come Dancing returns for its seventh fabulous series this autumn.

(...)
Read the rest of It’s all official says the BBC, Darcey Bussell & Alesha Dixon join Strictly (21 words)

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The 66-year-old choreographer’s departure from the BBC1 show after six series provoked accusations of ageism.

She said: “Look, you know – it’s hard.

“Alesha’s lovely and she’s a lovely dancer. What more can I say?

“I’m passionate about dance and I was passionate about the show.”

Phillips will remain under contract with the BBC this year as a Strictly expert on The One Show.

Her pal Richard Stilgoe, Vanessa Feltz, ex-Blue Peter host Valerie Singleton and Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman claim she is a victim of age discrimination.

However, the BBC has said age had “nothing to do” with its decision.

Source: sundaymail.co.uk

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Arlene Phillips, 66, will make way for Alesha Dixon, 30, on Strictly Come Dancing, but take role on The One Show.

The BBC was forced to deny renewed claims of ageism today after it confirmed that the 66-year-old Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips will be replaced by the 30-year-old singer Alesha Dixon for the new series this autumn.

The BBC has been accused of treating older female stars badly before, when 59-year-old Moira Stuart was dropped from her Sunday morning news bulletin and Countryfile hosts Michaela Strachan, Charlotte Smith, Miriam O’Reilly and Juliet Morris, who are all in their 40s and 50s, were replaced with younger hosts.

Jay Hunt, the BBC1 controller, speaking at the launch of BBC1′s autumn season today, denied Phillips had been dropped because of her age, saying that there were other older women on BBC1, such as 60-year-old Anne Robinson, who is returning to front Watchdog.

Hunt said the decision to drop Phillips had been made as part of an overall refresh for the dancing reality show, which will also see former Royal Ballet principal ballerina Darcey Bussell join as a guest judge for the final three weeks and the introduction of a new Friday launch show.

The BBC will also hope that the arrival of Dixon, who won the show in 2007, will pull in more younger viewers and help it compete better against ITV1′s The X Factor in the ratings battle.

(...)
Read the rest of BBC denies ageism as Arlene Phillips shifted off Strictly Come Dancing (461 words)

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