Official - Aleisha replaces Arlene as Strictly Judge - how depressing...

[extremelychocolateymilkroll]

It's now been confirmed that Arlene Phillips is being shoved aside for Aleisha Dixon - here. Darcy Bussell will be a guest judge later in the series. Replacing a very experienced choreographer with a pop singer who dances a bit and a ballet dancer. They're obviously following the X Factor trick of getting rid of Sharon Osbourne and bringing in Twiglet Cole. But Strictly appeals to an older age group than X Factor - and revamping it by adding Aleisha won't bring in a younger audience and will only annoy the older element - i.e. over 30. So we have Len Goodman, about the same age as Arlene, and Bruce who is old enough to be her father. I feel like not watching the show in protest but that's not going to change anything, is it? Couldn't we organise a mass revolt?

I'm surprised there's been such a limited response to this topic. I did find another thread buried in AIBU. Hopefully the word will spread.

I have complained, and replied to teh stupid reply I got, too...lol...

thing is, there is a lot of young blood on the show anyway as well as those beautyfully sexy proffessional dancers in their skimpy outfits...surely if they don't pull in a younger audience, than a younger femal judge isn't....
it's not like they don't do well anyway....

Couldn't agree more...

I posted on another thread regarding this topic as i am really angry about this decision and we can change this decision if we lodge a complaint . The BBC have proved to be both ageist and sexist and we cannot allow them to get away with this .

How will the pro dancers feel? Won't it all be a bit strange. I loved Arlene and listened with respect to her comments. As long as Alesha doesn't over do that awful fake laugh I just might be able to watch it.

indeed multitaker.....can just see Brandan reacting not so well should she criticise him

tbh I don't think Alesha will be commenting on the pro dancers just the celebs and saying how hard it is for them and what a good job they are doing etc. Good article by Mariella Frostrup in - sorry - DM - here.

oh, and just going back to Op...it would be a good idea to organise a boycott...I mena, I thought first, oh am not going to watch it now, but than thought I was cutting off my nose to spite my face...because just me not watching it would make no difference...
but on a bigger scale...they's have to listen

I complained to the BBC yesterday and received a reply which was basically a 'copy and paste' of their official statement.

I have replied to their 'reply' in the most 'polite' way.............but I am genuinely sick to death of this ageism and sexism - judging females by their looks, youth and 'complicity' rather than their experience and knowledge is really really getting on my tits.

GivePeas - had exactly the same response as you so called to speak to someone to insist I had a reply to the points raised in my email about sexism and ageism. Totally agree with you and feel that surely there are loads of people out there who feel the same. I don't know if there have been any interviews on the BBC to discuss this. It seems to have been shunted into a trivial/reality show slot ignoring the important principle involved. Here is Jay Hunt's most recent response on BBC website: BBC One controller Jay Hunt said, on Thursday, that the decision to drop Phillips had been made as part of an overall refresh for the hit dance show.

"It's not about bringing in a younger audience. The average age of the BBC One viewer is 52, so why would I take older women off the channel? Hunt admitted Phillips was "disappointed" to be leaving the show, but looking forward to her new role on The One Show.

"When I looked at the four people we had, Bruno is the joker, Craig is the Simon Cowell of the show and Len is the head judge. Arlene has elements of all of them, but when you look at it, Arlene was the obvious one to change," said Hunt. "

Hasn't she heard of the success of Mamma Mia?

well..bu the proff dancer tend to feel very protective over their celebrety....
it's just fecking wrong...wrong...wrong

So wrong but we definitely do need to protest loudly and together. Maybe we should all email our friends to complain to the BBC? Set up a template complaint?

It makes me laugh that only 5 weeks ago the BBC did an ok programme about the discrimination suffered by women at work and the glass ceiling etc.........and then the BBC go and do something to enforce the glass ceiling and women's place.

THe lack of interest in this shows just how ingrained this discrimination is within our culture. People accept it for being normal and don't even recognise it when they see it under their noses.

Really?? Arlene, brilliant????

I hate Aelene, she ruined the judging panel for me with all her badly delivered 'lines' and flirting with the male celebs. It was tiresome.
Cant say Im that fussed on Aleesha either, but at least she'll look nice, and wont be bugging the shit out of me every saturday

YET bruce is 81 and thats ok

God it's depressing, everything is so dumbed down these days ...broken Britain!

I was under the impression that Alesha would not be silly enough to judge on dance technique, but on musicality, effort, overall impression from a non-pro etc. As someone who has been through the process, she is more qualified that the other judges to say what is good and bad based on the time given to train (I sometimes feel the other judges overlook this). I realise I speak for the minority clearly, but I'm not particularly bothered - I liked Alesha when she was on.I hate watching Arlene drool over Ramps, and other assorted bums and washboards when she is judging.

Irrespective of how you feel about Arlene doesn't the trend to disappear older women depress you?

Not really, t the end of the day shes there to be looked at and the view isnt nice.
Ditto Bruce, give it up, its over!
Luckily I am in a job where what my face looks like makes no difference to anyone

...because Bruce's lines are all so brilliant.......yeah....

I know I am a bit late to this thread, but I am glad to have found it as I am appalled at this decision. I have just rung the bbc to complain, I know there is a statement on the website but I want to be part of the statistics that say "no I am unhappy about this"

Please give them a call if you dont like this!

03700 100 222 (normal charge though)

and press 3

very cross

so...I have complaint via e-mail...should I also complain via phone...if we all do that, than it will look even more...won't it?

I think that as they already have 3 experienced dance judges, they can afford 1 celeb with more recent performing experience. But it's no coincidence it's the older woman that's gone, is it? that is depressing.

Having said that, I found Arlene very irritating and will not miss her one little jot.

I suspect they are trying to avoid a 'john sergeant' situation in the future - have one judge who is more blatently on the side of the celebs, so that the overall impression isn't of the judges being totally down on someone - which was a big reason why john sergeant got votes.

But I disagree with it!

well...tbh, if that was the case, than Craig should have gone....