BBC executives are facing mounting pressure to axe the pre-recorded Sunday night results show of Strictly Come Dancing, as they battle an elusive mole who consistently leaks the dance-off outcome online.
The Leak That's Rocking the Ballroom
According to The Mail on Sunday, senior figures within the BBC believe the flagship entertainment programme should revert to its original format. This would see viewers voting live during the Saturday night broadcast, with the results announced immediately afterwards.
The current arrangement, which has been in place since 2007, involves filming the results show on Saturday evening after the main live broadcast. However, this recording is not screened to the public until Sunday night. This delay has created a critical vulnerability.
Within an hour of filming concluding at Elstree Studios, the so-called 'Strictly Mole' leaks the results online. By Sunday morning, the identity of the eliminated contestant is widespread across the internet, spoiling the surprise for millions of loyal viewers.
A 'Complete Farce' and a Thorn in the BBC's Side
One insider described the situation as a 'complete farce', noting that everyone watching on Sunday knows the events unfolded the previous night. More significantly, the result is available online almost instantly.
'It's fair to say that this mole is a thorn in the BBC's side,' a source revealed. 'You can find out by 11.30pm on a Saturday night what happened. A full readout appears on social media and they have no way of stopping it.'
This forces dedicated fans to actively avoid spoilers throughout Sunday to preserve the suspense, a task that is becoming increasingly difficult.
The dilemma for BBC bosses is clear. While the Sunday results show consistently pulls in an impressive audience of over seven million viewers, moving the results back to Saturday would likely provide a significant boost to the Saturday night viewing figures.
A Time for Change: Hosts Depart and Scandals Mount
The departure of long-standing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the end of the current series is seen as the perfect opportunity to implement a major format change. A show source stated, 'With Tess and Claudia going, it is the ideal time to change things.'
The Sunday results show was instigated in 2007 by the then BBC controller, Peter Fincham, largely in response to ITV's The X Factor scheduling its results in a similar slot.
This internal pressure comes amid rumours that the show's executive producer, Sarah James, who joined in 2019, could be leaving following a series of behind-the-scenes scandals. Another source commented, 'Shows like Strictly need a shake-up every now and again, the BBC know they have to move with the times.'
Who Could Replace Tess and Claudia?
As speculation swirls around the future presenting lineup, professional dancer Katya Jones has thrown her support behind her colleague, Janette Manrara. Jones believes Manrara, who currently presents the spin-off show 'It Takes Two', would be a perfect fit.
'I think Janette would make a better Claudia... She knows the dancing, she knows what we are going through,' Jones said. This endorsement is reflected by bookies, who currently have the Cuban-American dancer at 3-1 to step into the coveted role.
