Darcey Bussell has shared her excitement at Shirley Ballas’s appointment to the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ panel, as it means there’ll finally be a gender balance on the show.
Ever since ‘Strictly’ began in 2004, the judging panel has always had three men and one woman, with Arlene Phillips and Alesha Dixon both appearing on the show before Darcey’s arrival in 2012.
However, Len Goodman’s departure has paved the way for Shirley’s arrival, and Darcey has now revealed that she’s looking forward to having another woman on the team.
Speaking to The Mirror, Darcey said: “I don’t know Shirley Ballas but I am very excited to meet her and I am very supportive that there is another lady on the panel.
She continued: “She will be a great addition to the panel - very much indeed - she’s a great champion and her son is a great champion as well, so it’s all in the family. All good.”
‘Strictly’ previously won praise when Claudia Winkleman took over from Sir Bruce Forsyth as Tess Daly’s co-host, as the show became the first prime-time Saturday night entertainment show with two females at the helm.
Shirley’s first series on the ‘Strictly’ judging panel kicks off later this year, with a host of stars already rumoured for the line-up.
Among the celebs tipped to be taking part are ‘Gogglebox’ couple Steph and Dom Parker, ‘One Show’ presenter Angela Scanlon and record-breaking runner Paula Radcliffe.
