Former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan believes the show's judging panel should have been overhauled alongside the other changes made for the current series. He also addressed whether he would ever consider returning to the BBC programme.
Panel 'a little bit wishy-washy'
Speaking via WhichBingo to Express publishers Reach Plc, James said the judging panel should have been strengthened. Asked whether fans might see him back on the dance floor in a potential all-star series, he replied: "No, I would go on the judging panel."
He added: "I think the judging panel should have been shaken up a little bit as well, if they're going to make all of these changes. I find the judging panel a little bit wishy-washy for me. I think that could be a bit stronger."
New presenting lineup praised
Turning his attention to the presenting lineup, James praised the trio for doing a 'great job', describing Emma as 'amazing'. He added: "I'm not 100% sure why they have three presenters, but hopefully once the show actually starts, it'll start to make more sense.
"I felt in the launch show, I didn't really get why they needed three. I didn't understand why they needed three presenters. We'll see, but Emma at the helm of the show, she's perfect for the job."
Handing over to younger pros
Regarding the rotating roster of professional dancers, James, who is currently in rehearsals for his forthcoming tour, Legends of the Dancefloor, acknowledged it's simply something viewers must accept. He said: "You have to let the younger generation come and take over, you hand the baton over to these new pros. People are getting better at dancing.
"It's great having pros on the show that you know and can relate to, but at some point, you have to hang up your dance shoes and go, 'you know what, let someone else have a go' cause at some point you've taken someone else's position. When I came on the show, someone was obviously not asked back, and I took their position.
"So my feeling is at some point I have to accept that I'm no longer going to be on the show and someone else is going to take over, and hopefully they do a great job. I'm sure the pros this year are all going to do a fantastic job. If you just look at Alexis (Warr) last year, what a brilliant addition to the team."
James went on to say that while all of the professionals do an 'amazing job', he suggested that people must recognise when the moment comes to 'hang your dancing shoes up'. Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday, September 26, on BBC One from 6:15pm.
