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Claudia Winkleman says Darcey Bussell will be “so so missed” as judge quits Strictly Come Dancing

Darcey joined Strictly as a judge in 2012

Claudia Winkleman has admitted Strictly Come Dancing’s Darcey Bussell will be “so so missed” after the star announced she was stepping away from the show.

Earlier today (April 10th), news broke that Darcey is quitting as a judge after seven years on the panel.

darcey bussell strictly
Darcey joined Strictly in 2012 (Credit: BBC)

She issued a statement about the decision to her followers on social media, writing: “It has been a complete privilege for me to be part of Strictly, working with such a talented team.

“I have enjoyed every minute of my time and will miss everyone from my fellow judges, the presenters, the dancers, the musicians, the entire back stage team, and especially the viewers of the show, who have been so supportive.

“I am not leaving because of any upset or disagreement at all, I am just stepping away to give more focus to my many other commitments in dance, after seven truly wonderful years that I can’t imagine having gone any better.”

Reacting to the announcement, Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman tweeted that she loved Darcey and would be sad to see her go.

Retweeting the Strictly Twitter page’s announcement, she wrote: “We love you Darcey. You’ll be so so missed. Xx”

Ant McPartlin’s ex Lisa Armstrong also reacted to the news, simply tweeting a string of crying emojis.

Darcey’s fans reacted with sadness and thanked her for her time on the show, while others were quick to offer suggestions for a potential replacement.

Darcey’s fans are gutted (Credit: Brett D. Cove / SplashNews.com)

One wrote: “Awww Darcy will be a real loss on the show. Elegance personified in both her manner and her comments to the contestants.”

Another said, with a crying emoji: “She will be sadly missed. Thank you for seven wonderful years @DarceyOfficial.”

A third tweeted: “Dame Darcey Bussell you will be missed thank you for the laughs on Strictly hope to see you back one day big shoes to fill.”

Someone else commented: “Very sad to see her go but let’s get either @TheAntonDuBeke or @the_karenhardy to step into her glittery shoes.”

“She will be a huge miss,” said another, adding: “After a nervous first show, she was absolutely wonderful. Is Erin Boag available? I think she would be a good judge.”

Commenting on Darcey’s decision to step down, the BBC’s Director of Content, Charlotte Moore, called the judge a “national treasure” and said it had been an “absolute honour” having her on Strictly for seven years running.

She added: “[Darcey] will be thoroughly missed by us all and will of course remain part of the Strictly family in the future.”

Will you be sad to watch Strictly without Darcey on the judging panel? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor

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