Former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan has called for a dramatic overhaul of the BBC One competition's judging panel, demanding that at least two current judges be replaced in a major shake-up.
Strictly's Turbulent Times
The beloved dance show has been rocked by multiple crises in recent months, creating what many are calling the most challenging period in Strictly's history. The programme has faced the departure of professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima from the line-up, alongside allegations about Wynne Evans' behaviour.
In a further blow to the show, two unnamed stars from previous seasons have been arrested on suspicion of rape in separate investigations. The turmoil deepened when hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced their decision to step down in a shock statement just weeks ago.
Jordan's Demands for Change
James Jordan, who appeared as a professional dancer on Strictly between 2006 and 2013, has now added his voice to calls for reform. Speaking exclusively to Reach PLC on behalf of Freebets, where he works as an entertainment betting expert, Jordan didn't hold back in his assessment.
"Shake them up, get rid of some of them," Jordan stated emphatically. "You need to get rid of at least two of them to shake it up a bit."
The former pro, who danced alongside his wife Ola Jordan with celebrities including Alex Jones, Vanessa Feltz, Gabby Logan, and Denise van Outen, hinted that he might be a suitable replacement for one of the departing judges.
Call for Honest Judging
Jordan emphasised the need for more straightforward criticism from the judging panel, suggesting that current feedback has become too watered down. "Maybe get someone on there that's quite honest and outspoken, and not afraid to say the truth for fear of offending the 'woke minority' that write in," he proposed.
He elaborated on his vision for more direct feedback: "I used to prefer it when they were a bit more honest and not saying something and then going, 'But I love you and I think you're doing an amazing job'. It's ok to say, 'Actually, I didn't enjoy this dance, I didn't feel your technique was correct.'"
Jordan stressed that honesty doesn't require meanness, explaining: "You don't need to be mean, you don't need to be horrible or get personal, but I think it needs a bit of honesty on the panel."
Rule Clarity Demanded
Beyond the judging panel, Jordan also called for greater transparency in Strictly's competition rules, particularly following La Voix's withdrawal from Blackpool week due to injury. The contestant received a bye through to the next live show, a decision Jordan questioned.
"In my opinion, I've got nothing against La Voix and Aljaz Skorjanec, because I love them, I think they're brilliant, but it's still a competition at the end of the day," Jordan noted. "There needs to be more clarity on what the rules are."
He proposed a clearer approach to injury-related withdrawals: "What are the rules? Tell us what the rules are? At what point can you not get a bye through to the next round? Or maybe next year, for example, make it a proper competition and say, if you get injured and pull out, you're out of the competition."
Jordan's personal preference would see injured contestants automatically eliminated: "My personal feeling is it should be that if you don't dance one week, you're out the competition, and there'd be no elimination that week which means it stays exactly the same."
As Strictly Come Dancing continues tonight at 6.35pm on BBC One and iPlayer, Jordan's comments add to growing speculation about the show's future direction amid its most challenging period to date.
