Strictly Come Dancing is struggling to hold onto its audience, but the BBC's biggest mistake has nothing to do with the new presenting line-up. The broadcaster has proved it doesn't know what to do with its biggest show.
Celebrity Traitors returned with a triumphant bang last week, bringing in 9 million viewers for its debut and breaking records with ease as some of the UK's biggest stars headed to Scotland. In just one episode, The Traitors is all anyone can talk about, with Richard E. Grant's awful Traitors slip-up easily becoming one of the best TV moments of the year.
Strictly's Waning Viewership
As Traitors' star is rising, Strictly's is waning, with viewing figures for the first few weeks slowly dwindling after losing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. This is no doubt sending a wave of panic behind the scenes as the show scrambles to save itself from the same fate as other once must-watch series that got axed.
The fresh presenting line-up, consisting of Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe, and Josh Widdicombe, has so far failed to inspire people, as the show continues to hurriedly move their positions around the studio in a bid to try and save face. While Emma has been an incredible addition, inexperienced Johannes remains wobbly and repetitive as a presenter, while "comedian" Josh looks like a fish out of water, and seems like a bizarre choice for one of the top presenting jobs in the TV world. Even extra time for him to squeeze some gags in fell flat this week. He could still come into his own, but Strictly is running out of time to keep people hooked.
The Winning Formula
There is one easy way that the BBC could save the show, and it has nothing to do with Strictly itself. It feels a shame to have just two episodes of Celebrity Traitors each week, with a lengthy wait between Thursday and Friday to see how the latest cliffhanger plays out. People are clearly hanging onto every minute, and it would be a smart move for the BBC to make the most of the impressive viewership while they have it.
They have a great opportunity to bring back the occasion of Saturday night TV watching, simply by adding an episode of Celebrity Traitors after Strictly finishes. In the old days of X Factor, Pop Idol, The Generation Game and Stars in their Eyes, Brits used to order takeaways and settle on the sofa for a whole night of family TV. Putting Strictly and Traitors together could be the winning formula that brings it back and gives Strictly the boost in viewership it so desperately needs.
One thing is for sure: Strictly bosses need to act now, or one of the BBC's once biggest shows could end up on the cutting room floor.
