Sir Bruce Forsyth has pulled out of presenting the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Christmas special due to ill health.
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While Sir Bruce quit hosting ‘Strictly’ in 2014, he has returned to present Christmas and Children In Need specials of the BBC ballroom show as part of his exit agreement.
Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly
However, the legendary entertainer has been forced to cancel his upcoming appearance on this year’s festive addition, following his recent operation on an abdominal aortic aneurysm last month.
A BBC spokesperson said that while he is unable to make the recording of the show on Monday (7 December), he will “still play a part” in the show, with Claudia Winkleman stepping in to host alongside Tess Daly.
“The ‘Strictly’ Christmas Special, which records next week, will be too early for Sir Bruce Forsyth to have made a full recovery from his recent operation,” they said.
“Due to the long studio hours, he is unable to host the show but will still play a part in the production.
“Sir Bruce will record a special video message for this year's celebrity line-up and the viewers at home, which will play out when the Strictly Christmas Special airs on BBC One on Christmas Day at 6:15pm.”
Claudia Winkleman will host the Christmas special instead
Fans of Sir Bruce will still get to see him on TV over the Christmas period though, as he recently filmed a cameo role in the ‘Text Santa’ special of ‘Downton Abbey’, which airs on 18 December.
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