Last dance looms for Strictly Come Dancing unless it can become less 'strict'

It is perhaps a minority opinion but there are those who have always believed there was something wrong with Strictly Come Dancing, right from the start.

For some of its critics, the hit BBC show turns dancing from an act of joy that revels in freedom of movement into a discipline in which every step is tightly controlled, the smiles are fixed, and there’s simply way too much Spandex. Dance like nobody’s watching? Strictly’s contestants perform in the full knowledge that they are under scrutiny by a sizeable proportion of the UK population.

That said, the fact that last year’s finale was watched by 8.8 million people shows there are legions of fans for whom the show is something truly special – a regular source of entertainment and, indeed, joy. And there is no denying that there are some amazing dancing talents on display and also that the celebrity guests can sometimes be surprisingly good.

However, as the latest in a string of allegations about unpleasant behaviour behind the scenes emerged – with former production staff telling BBC News that they were shouted and screamed at, insulted and bullied – even the most avid viewers may find the atmosphere created by the show has changed, fundamentally and for the worse. Unless Strictly can find a way to be more pleasant, and less ‘strict’, its last dance may be nigh.

Then again, changing the magic formula could be risky. People like Ann Widdecombe and Ed Balls, whose salsa to Gangnam Style was charming, funny and not half-bad, have provided some welcome comic relief. However, if the show were ever to turn into a weekly display of ‘dad dancing’, the audience numbers would likely drop dramatically. It would be quite funny, but it would most certainly not – as they say in the business – be “prime-time viewing”.