What have they done to Strictly?
WHAT has the BBC done to Strictly? I have enjoyed it for years, but the launch on Saturday night was so awful I had to switch it off after 20 minutes. When the nondescript celebrities were announced, I had feared that it would be mundane this year, but it was worse than I contemplated. It started with the painful squawking of Kylie, followed by the phoney, whipped-up squealing of the audience, and increasingly embarrassing ‘performances’ by Tess and Claudia. The judges were saccharinely false, too. The professional dancing, which was once super to watch, has become acrobatic, while the costumes are tawdry and vulgar. The BBC seems intent on reducing this programme to the lowest common denominator. I really don’t know what audience they are looking for. What a turn-off. HELEN PENNEY, Longborough, Glos. BRUCE FORSYTH did more than anyone else to make Strictly Come dancing a hit. He was an entertainer, but he has been replaced by Tess daly and Claudia Winkleman, who are presenters. They should stick to presenting the show and drop their unfunny, awkward comedy routines. I suppose being the highest-paid female presenter on the BBC softens the blow, allowing Claudia to behave like an idiot. In Bruce’s day, he would introduce the contestants as the stars of the show, but now the judges are regarded as the main attraction. On they prance, embarrassing themselves as well as the viewers with their childish antics. Bruce would introduce each couple with the words ‘Let’s see them in training’, which was a good opening before the dance routine began. But now we have the mostly unknown celebrities performing comedy skits that are squirmingly uncomfortable to watch. As a long-term fan, I am saddened by the changes, and the decision to have single-sex partnerships in future series. I’m going to have to find something else to do on a Saturday evening.
R. METSON, Braintree, Essex. STRICTLY Come dancing should be renamed don’t You Just Love Me! (If You Know Who I Am).
MIKE PETTY, Waterlooville, Hants.