Former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan has revealed the one thing missing from the BBC series' makeover. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk on behalf of WhichBingo, the 48-year-old said the show needs to inject some comedy.
This series has introduced several new changes after its glow-up following the departure of long-standing hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. At the start of the year, BBC bosses announced a mass cull of pro dancers to bring new blood into the show, in addition to three new hosts taking the helm. The sister show, It Takes Two, has also had a shake-up, with hosts Janette Manrara and Fleur East replaced by new host Ellie Taylor.
Mixed reviews and harsh judging
The first two weeks of the BBC show have received mixed reviews from fans. Many have shared disappointment at the hosting line-up, while others are taking longer to warm to the new format changes.
Jordan insisted that since the judges are scoring more harshly, viewers find it less enjoyable when there is no comic relief. He told Express.co.uk: "I do think the judges seem to mark much lower this year than they have done in previous years, because I just think they want to show that everyone is getting so much better.
"But some of them were amazing in week one. I thought the contestants were brilliant. The only thing that it’s missing is your John Sergeants, your Ed Balls, your Ann Widdecombe's. Where are those people? They’re the people who make Strictly what it is. That’s what they’re kind of missing. They’re trying to get all these amazing dancers. The public wants to see the s**t ones as well."
Criticism and ratings dip
The comments come after BBC presenter Alex Dyke accused the broadcaster of attempting to "flog a dead horse". Joining Duncan Barkes on TalkTV, Alex said: "We do tend to, in Britain, on TV - we've seen ITV do this with X-Factor - they flogged the dead horse until there was nothing left, no life left in it.
"You've got a programme here, first of all, you lose Bruce Forsyth a few years ago, but the girls [Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman] come in, and they do a fabulous job. They've gone now, so you've got new presenters who apparently aren't as lovable and as good as the BBC hoped," he added, referring to trio Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe. "And the other thing, Duncan, is that it's the 24th series. How many more people can you see that you don't think can dance, can actually dance and say wow? It's an old, tired format. Put it out of its misery."
Alex's comments come just days after Strictly suffered a noticeable dip in viewers. Last Sunday (27 September), The Independent reported that the show had drawn in an average of 4.8 million viewers during the first two-and-a-half-hour live show on Saturday (26 September). As the publication pointed out, Strictly's first live show of 2025 had been watched by an average of 6.2 million viewers, suggesting a potential decline in popularity.
In another hit to the programme, it was revealed this week that The Celebrity Traitors, presented by ex-Strictly host Claudia Winkleman, had garnered a much higher 8.9 million viewers during the season two premiere on Thursday (1 October).
