Amanda Holden has urged Strictly Come Dancing's executive producer to avoid 'boring' replacements for Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly and instead consider a left-field choice – her Heart Breakfast co-star Ashley Roberts.
Speaking on Friday's showbiz segment, Holden said: 'I think what they need to do is think left-field, rather than half the people they're putting in the papers today, because they're just boring.' She added: 'Think of somebody that can dance, that's been on the show.'
Roberts, who was a runner-up on the 2018 series, laughed and said she would 'absolutely love' the role, though bosses have not yet reached out. Holden then addressed executive producer Sarah James directly: 'Sarah is listening. I know she listens to Heart Breakfast, so give Ashley a call.'
The call for fresh faces comes after Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly announced they would be leaving the BBC flagship show and sister series It Takes Two after more than 20 years. They said on Instagram: 'We loved working as a duo... we were always going to leave together and it felt like the right time.'
Other names rumoured to be in the running include Stacey Dooley, Kevin Clifton, Zoe Ball, Holly Willoughby and Roman Kemp. Holden's suggestion of Roberts, who described her Strictly experience as 'magical', offers a different direction for the show's future.
