BBC bosses want to move Strictly Come Dancing to Salford, Manchester – to make a total clean break from the scandals which have tarnished the jewel in the corporation’s entertainment crown.
Sources say that Kate Phillips, the BBC’s Chief Content Officer, is mulling over the idea of transplanting their top show. I’m told: ‘She is thinking about it seriously’.
The show, currently filmed at a studio in Elstree, Hertfordshire, would move to Dock 10 – the purpose built studio complex in Media City. Many of the staff would not go with it.
There would likely be a new boss as the belief is that long-standing executive producer Sarah James is currently overseeing her final Strictly.
She apparently agreed to stay on to steady the ship after the disasters of 2024 when Graziano Di Prima was sacked for allegedly kicking his partner Zara McDermott. He denies the allegation.
Actress Amanda Abbington also left the show mid-run in 2024 and later complained that her pro partner Giovanni Pernice had bullied her during training.
Some of her complaints were upheld after an investigation, and he left the show.
A Strictly star was arrested on suspicion of rape last month, with the alleged attack happening after a BBC event. In August another Strictly star was arrested, again over an allegation of rape and intimate image abuse.
In January this year, the opera star Wynne Evans was filmed making an inappropriate sexual comment at the launch of the Strictly tour. Evans, who denies wrongdoing, left his BBC Radio show and later said that he had tried to kill himself over the scandal.
This year has been largely scandal-free although there is a running controversy over the extensive dance experience of contestants Lewis Cope and Amber Davies.
The show has also been hit by a run of injuries to La Voix, Stefan Dennis and Dani Dyer, who left before the first filmed show.
The final is this Saturday with footballer Karen Carney, actress Amber Davies and social media star George Clarke vying to lift the Glitterball. It will be the final series for presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman after they announced in September that they are both moving on.
In the new Strictly era there would be a new boss, new hosts with Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman out and new staff. Many of the crew who work at Dock 10 previously worked at Elstree.
A source said: ‘This would be a win win all round. Dock 10 would offer a much better deal for the studio and there would be a cull both front and back of house.’
Production sources in Manchester say that a move North would allow the show to take it’s pick of the stars of Emmerdale and Coronation Street, plus star footballers and their wives from Liverpool and Manchester.
The idea would have a clear political appeal as well as the BBC gears up for negotiations to renew the licence fee in 2027, with culture secretary Lisa Nandy a Mancunian. She could not fail to be impressed by a move of Strictly to Manchester which would represent a huge gesture towards ‘regionalising’ its output.
Strictly Come Dancing was made in BBC TV Centre in White City until 2013 when it moved to Elstree, just outside London.
A spokesman for the BBC did not deny that executives were mulling over the idea of a move to Salford but said that there were ‘no plans’ currently to do so.
Plans would only follow a decision, which would be taken by Ms Phillips and might also have input from the next director-general of the BBC.
Tim Davie quit last month following the row about how Panorama edited a speech by Donald Trump. His replacement is not expected to be announced until January or February at the earliest and Davie will stay in the post until his successor is appointed.
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, The 1% Club and Match of the Day are all filmed in the Dock 10 studios in Salford.
BBC Breakfast is broadcast from a purpose built studio on Salford Quay.
The studios at Dock 10 would be able to accommodate Strictly. Strictly is currently filmed on the George Lucas stage 2 at Elstree which is 15,770 square feet. The largest studio in Dock 10 is HQ1 which is 12,540 square feet and can accommodate a show with an audience of up to 1,000 people.
Dock 10 has an advantage in that it has proper purpose built dressing rooms and enough of them for the dancers, celebrities, judges and presenters, whereas Elstree is an older set up with a number of ‘inadequacies.’
TV presenter Amanda Holden today ruled herself and pal Alan Carr out of the running to replace Tess and Claudia, saying on her Heart radio show that she doesn’t have the time in her diary as she films BGT over a number of summer weekends.
Bradley Walsh is considered a front-runner and bosses are also keen on Alison Hammond, who is seen as ‘very relatable’ and also someone who can bring in a younger audience.
The show has made a number of minor tweaks to its format including the new Instant Dance Challenge. This was a lift from Dancing With The Stars – the American version of the show. That has seen its audiences rocket after executives leaned into the ‘second screen’ phenomenon with lots of TikTok and social media footage of dances and dancers.
