Len Goodman To Leave Judging Panel After 2016 Series

It is being reported today that the 2016 series of Strictly Come Dancing will be Len Goodman’s final series and he will leave the judging panel after this series. Len has been on the panel since Strictly launched in 2004 and has served as head judge on the panel with the casting vote in the Dance Off in the event of a tie. Len has announced that he isn’t retiring and will continue with his radio shows on BBC Radio 2.

Anton Du Beke has emerged as the bookies favourite to replace Len with odds of 2-1 with Ladbrokes. Karen Hardy is 7-1 and Ian Waite 8-1. At longer odds Alesha Dixon is 25-1 to return to dish out 10s like nobody’s business and David Cameron whose diary is “remarkably light” now is 1000-1.

Will you miss Len? Who do you think should replace him on the panel, or should he not be replaced with the panel continuing as a threesome and who do you think should be the new head judge? You can let me know in the comments section below or on Facebook or Twitter. You can also like the Strictly Spoiler on Facebook or follow me on Twitter to keep up with all things Strictly Spoiler as the countdown to the 2016 series gets ever closer.

Strictly Come Dancing 2016 Pro Line Up Revealed

The BBC have today revealed the list of 14 pros who will be participating in the 2016 series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Returning for the male pros are Anton du Beke, Brendan Cole, Kevin Clifton, Pasha Kovalev, Aljaž Škorjanec and Giovanni Pernice. They will be joined by new male pro Gorka Marquez.

Gorka has been dancing since he was 12 and represented Spain in the 2010 World Latin Championships and reached the Semi Finals in the 2012 WDSF World Cup. Since 2014 he has been dancing in the global Ballroom and Latin dance show “Burn The Floor”

Returning for the female pros are Karen Clifton, Natalie Lowe, Joanne Clifton, Janette Manrara and Oti Mabuse. They will be joined by new pros  Katya Jones and Oksana Platero.

Katya’s Latin credentials are impressive having won the amateur Latin World Championships three times and since turning pro in 2013 she has also won the World Professional Latin Showdance Championships in 2015.

Oksana has been dancing competitively since she was just 6 years old and has previously danced on 5 seasons of the US version of Strictly; Dancing With The Stars.

All 3 new pros are pictured below:

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Katya, Gorka and Oksana

What do you think of the new line up? You can let me know in the brand new for 2016 comments section (if you have previously commented in previous years you will need to re login with your social network credentials or sign up for an account with the new comments provider in order to comment). Or why not join the discussion on Twitter or Facebook and tell me what you think!

Strictly Come Dancing 2016/17 Series To Last 52 Weeks

Well spotted everyone. Yes this was an April Fools Joke. Hope you all enjoyed it!

In a move to truly shake up Strictly Come Dancing, The Strictly Spoiler has learned that the BBC plan to run the next series over a whole year.

55 couples will don their sequins and take to the dance floor to become the champion of the longest series ever!

Host, Tess Daly said in an exclusive interview: “The new changes to Strictly Come Dancing will make this the most exciting and adventurous series we have ever done. Sure I’ll be a lot busier and will have less time at home with Vernon and the kids but it’s not like I need to keep an eye on Vernon 24 hours a day”

Judge, Bruno Tonioli said “Due to the exciting new changes to Strictly this year, as well as the usual dance forms such as the Waltz, Rumba and Paso Doble we are having to invent and develop 42 brand new forms of dance for the new format this year. Fellow Judge and traditional dance purist Len Goodman is pickling his walnuts as we speak”

Katie Taylor, UK Controller of Entertainment Production for the BBC said “The exciting new changes means that fans of the BBC’s most successful reality TV format will now be able to enjoy their favourite show all year round. As well as trouncing The X Factor in the ratings we will now be in a position to trounce Britain’s Got Talent, The Voice following its move to ITV, Big Brother and of course The Great British Bake Off……. no wait that’s one of ours”

The new series will begin in early September with a 4 hour launch show where the participants learn which pro (including over 40 new pros yet to be announced) they will be partnered with for the next year. The participants will take to the dance floor for the first time over the course of a weekend a few weeks later during two 6 hour Strictly marathons before all 55 couples take to the dance floor to participate in a Charlestonathon which may shake up the judges table after which they will face the public vote for the first time. A brand new super computer is being brought in by the BBC to combine the viewer votes with the judges table in order to calculate the two couples to face the dreaded Dance Off during the not live results show (or you can read it here first of course).

What do you think of the changes to Strictly this year? Let me know in the comments section. Or on Facebook or Twitter using the links above. Don’t forget to give this post a good old like or share using the links for all major social networks and Google+ above or below!