There are two vacancies over at Strictly Come Dancing after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman quit as hosts. And, after Alan Carr’s triumph on The Celebrity Traitors, his name has been in the frame to take over.
However, one former Strictly pro has told ED! that she can’t see Alan replacing Tess. Although Ola Jordan has admitted that she could see the TV funnyman stepping into Traitors co-star Claudia’s shoes…
Why Alan Carr won’t take over Tess Daly’s Strictly role
Speaking on behalf of Mecca Bingo, Ola weighed in on who she thinks could replace Tess and Claudia.
Asked about Alan taking over, fresh from his Celebrity Traitors win, she told us: “I’m not really sure, to be honest, but I think he’d be fun. He’s very funny and full of personality, so I could definitely see him fitting into the show.
“Maybe not taking Tess’s role, but perhaps doing something in Claudia’s area, backstage with the celebrities, I think that would really suit him,” she added.
Ola weighs in on Couple’s Choice backlash
Talk also turned to this year’s competition, and growing backlash over the Couple’s Choice routines. This coming weekend, La Voix will be performing hers, with viewers claiming it’s been timed so that she makes it through to Blackpool.
So what did Ola think of Balvinder Sopal’s, which was accompanied by a moving story about her late mum?
“When I heard that Balvinder was going to do a Bollywood-style Couple’s Choice, I had a feeling she’d be safe. Those routines tend to go down really well with the audience, they’re upbeat and emotional, so people love them,” she said.
“And of course, with the VT about her mum, that really touched people’s hearts. I do think that helped her. I wasn’t surprised at all that she wasn’t in the bottom two,” Ola added.
However, Ola doesn’t think Balvinder will make it through this week. “I think it’s probably her time to go next,” she said sadly.
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Vicky and Kai ‘earned those marks’
Ola also launched a defence of Vicky Pattison and pro partner Kai Widdrington, after some said her 10s for her stunning Tango weren’t deserved.
Ola told us: “I think she did deserve her scores. You have to remember, there are a lot of contestants with dance training this year, and Vicky isn’t one of them. Considering that, she did an amazing job. You could really see how hard both she and Kai worked on that Tango, and it paid off. So yes, I think she earned those marks; it wasn’t over the top for me.”
Strictly Come Dancing is on Saturday (November 16) at 6.25pm on BBC One.
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