Text pest Vernon Kay is being lined up by canny BBC bosses as the replacement presenter for doddery Bruce Forsyth, should the 84-year-old Mr. Showbiz decide to retire from Strictly Come Dancing.
It would mean, of course, Vernon Kay teaming up with his wife, Tess Daly, to host the beeb’s flagship weekend show and senior bosses think that it would be a perfect combination to move the show forward. "Tess and Vernon is our dream line-up. It would completely refresh the show," a senior BBC source reportedly confirmed. "They're young, good looking and there's obvious chemistry. We're desperate to get Vern."
But don’t worry, Brucie isn’t being given the TV elbow. Aunty’s head honchos would need cahunas the size of Mexico to swing the axe in his direction. Instead, Bruce is politely asked whether he would like to continue presenting Strictly Come Dancing, shortly before filming for each series is due to begin. They’ll be doing the same again next year but the belief is that, given he cut his time on the show this year, he is likely to call it a day.
"Brucie has been very good to Tess, and Vern looks up to him. He must be ready to go," says a BBC insider, keen to stress that Brucie isn’t in danger of being axed. There is a feeling though that it’s time for a change, and the insider when on to confirm that, "Bosses want to revamp Strictly so it appeals to younger viewers while not alienating older fans. He [Vernon Kay] fits the bill."
So, what do you think of Vernon Kay being touted as the new Bruce Forsyth? If you’re not keen, then who else would you like to see hosting Strictly?