Just a few years ago, Strictly Come Dancing was the BBC's crown jewel of reality TV, regularly bringing in millions of viewers every week. A ratings powerhouse, the long-running show had celebrities lining up around the block to participate in the series each year. Stars were dying to undergo the dramatic Strictly transformation and develop a new skill in front of the nation.

It quickly became the nation's comfort watch, delighting viewers with showstopping routines whilst also giving fans an underdog to fight for. But it's fair to say the ballroom competition has had quite the fall from grace in recent years. The dance competition has weathered numerous scandals, TV controversies, cast injuries, and BBC leaks for years. And after 21 years on the airwaves, I think it's about time that broadcasters shelve the BBC show for a few years so that it can come back bigger and better than ever.

1. New Hosts

Back in October, long-standing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced that this would be their final year hosting the dance competition. In a surprise announcement video, the presenting duo appeared in their dressing rooms, where they confirmed that their final episode would be part of the 2025 Christmas special.

And they are certainly set to go out with a bang, promising to deliver one final routine on the BBC dancefloor. Since their announcement, fans have been speculating about who can replace the dynamic duo, and I think it's fair to say that no one will match their TV magic.

I'd even argue that Claudia and Tess are irreplaceable. The pair couldn't be more opposite, but they worked together beautifully. Tess brought the glamour while Claudia added some much-needed humour to the show, and they didn't need to work hard to deliver excellence week on week.

It's going to be a tough job for whoever is in charge of replacing the pair, but after all the scandals the show has faced, and now losing the two broadcasters at the helm, it would be the perfect time to put the show on hold for a while.

Personally, I will mourn the BBC show with Claudia and Tess at the helm, possibly more so than when Bruce Forsyth stepped down. When Brucey left the show, it was expected, and Claudia was gradually integrated, allowing the public time to warm to her at their own pace.

It will be make-or-break for the long-running show as the new hosts attempt to fill their shoes, which will undoubtedly bring back that spark of interest among viewers. But if BBC bosses pair the wrong hosts, that renewed interest will die off very quickly. I think they need to take a little more time than eight months to make the right decision that will ensure the ballroom competition continues to be a comfort watch for millions of people across the country.

2. Cast injuries

Over the past three years, there has been a significant rise in contestant injuries to the point where this series alone has seen five stars withdraw from the competition before reaching the halfway point. As the years have passed, each batch of celebrities has been pushing themselves to the limit, with their supportive professional dancers desperate to get the very best out of them for the show.

However, I'd argue that in the last few years, we've been pushing these stars too far, especially considering the numerous injuries the celebrities are sustaining. In order to keep viewers coming back year on year, the dances have been getting bigger and bigger, and increasingly more complex and intricate.

Although the number of stars with previous dance experience has gone up in the past 10 years, I believe the difficulty level has gone beyond a reasonable level. This makes it almost impossible for couples to win over the judges each week without doing something extreme. I think the show needs to return to its roots, training complete novices on an equal playing field by honing the craft of the core dance skills required in Latin and ballroom styles.

This series has been an absolute nightmare for the cast, with couples pulling out for three consecutive weeks in a row at one point. It can't be enjoyable for the celebrities to put in all that work just for their time on the show to be cut short because they tried a new lift that many pros would struggle to nail in a week.

It's also brought the structure of the show into question, meaning some contestants have found themselves in the dance-off because injured stars have either pulled out or been given a free pass through to next week's show. During Blackpool week, Strictly didn't even eliminate a contestant because La Voix was forced to withdraw after injuring her ankle the previous week.

What is the point of the show if the stars are too injured to compete? It's completely unfair to the other dancers who haven't been injured, who have to fight even harder to secure their place in the competition when injured contestants are given a week off. By taking a few years off the airwaves, BBC bosses can establish proper rules and regulations around safety, both physically and mentally, for the celebrity line-up and make the show overall a lot more enjoyable to watch.

3. BBC scandals

In addition to the numerous injuries stars are suffering on the ballroom show, the programme has been marred by numerous scandals, which have taken the shine away from the once-golden show on the schedule. In 2023, former professional dancer Giovanni Pernice's training was called into question when his former celebrity dance partner, Amanda Abbington, made bullying allegations against him.

She accused the Italian dancer of being "unnecessary, abusive, cruel, and mean" during rehearsals, which sparked an internal investigation by the corporation. Ultimately, the investigation, which concluded in September 2024, upheld claims of verbal bullying and harassment but cleared the dancer of the most serious allegations of physical aggression.

Meanwhile, former Love Island star Zara McDermott reported that her dance partner, Graziano Di Prima, kicked her during rehearsals. At the time, a spokesperson for Di Prima confirmed that the incident did take place, stating there was "no time when kicking, or any sense of that is right". Both Pernice and Di Prima were removed from the show after these incidents.

But the scandals don't stop with the pro dancers. Less than 12 months later, in 2024, Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans came under fire for his unusual interactions with his pro dancer, Katya Jones. One incident included Evan placing his hand on Jones's waist backstage in the Claudiatorium. The Russian dancer appeared to be visibly uncomfortable with his move and swiftly moved it from her side, which wasn't missed by eagle-eyed viewers.

Later on in the episode, the pro dancer refused to give the GoCompare star a high five, raising further questions from viewers at home. Although the pair reassured viewers that the awkward interactions were simply an unusual joke in poor taste, the singer was struck by further scandal during the Live Tour launch in January this year.

Evans was reportedly caught on camera suggesting a "three-way session" with It Takes Two presenter Janette Manrara and fellow contestant Jamie Borthwick, using the term "spit roast". At the time, Evans issued an apology, stating that his language was "inappropriate and unacceptable," and was forced to withdraw from the tour altogether.

The show is currently facing further scandals involving previous contestants, casting a dark shadow over the once-pure reality show. Strictly used to bring joy to millions of viewers every week. Now, I feel like viewers are simply watching to catch the next scandal unfold on screen.

It needs a well-deserved break from the airwaves to bring back the core values of the programme and return to a more wholesome and humble beginning that viewers fell in love with back in 2004.

4. Strictly 'curse'

While tensions are rising on the BBC show, romance appears to be heating up in the rehearsal studios. Almost every year, we hear about another celebrity coupling up with a professional dancer after growing close on the show. Now dubbed the 'Strictly curse', fans can probably name at least three stars who have found love on the show off the top of their heads.

Winkleman once shared her views on the show curse, telling Digital Spy: "I understand, it's very intense. I don't believe in the curse, but I think lots of people have come in single and they might have met somebody or had a little romance."

One of the more recent cases of the Strictly curse occurred in 2018, when comedian Seann Walsh was caught kissing his professional dance partner, Katya Jones. At the time, Jones was married to fellow dancer Neil Jones, 43, while Seann, 39, was in a relationship with Rebecca Humphries.

However, there are numerous other instances when this has happened backstage, such as with Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton, Kristina Rihanoff and Ben Cohen, and John Whaite and Johannes Radebe, to name a few. As much as we all love a scandalous romance story, these breakups have lasting effects on the couples at the heart of it and detract from the show's real message: to inspire more people to learn to dance.

5. Sunday night leaks

Finally, one issue that has plagued the BBC show for over 10 years is the notorious Strictly mole, who consistently spoils the results show before the episode even airs. Every week, a member of the cast, crew, or the live studio audience shares which contestant is eliminated from the dance competition, spoiling the show for everyone else.

This could be fixed with one simple change: air the results at the end of the Saturday night show. Viewers are allotted around 25 minutes to vote to save their favourite couple from landing in the dreaded dance off each week.

We also know that airing the TV special all in one go will still attract just as many viewers, given the almost 20-year success of ITV's rival reality show, Dancing on Ice. By airing the whole show in one instalment, viewers would be able to enjoy the episode spoiler-free, and it would make for an all the more exciting conclusion to the episode.

Next year's series is set to be the year of change anyway, so why not implement one simple change that would save the show's reputation from spoilers and keep the interest all in Saturday night's show? It's a win-win.

But, like everyone else, we will have to wait and see what BBC bosses decide regarding the dance competition's future on the network. Nevertheless, I, for one, would like to see it take a much-needed break before returning with a bang and incorporating a series of major changes.