Amanda Holden might have said no to the Strictly Come Dancing hosting gig, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have thoughts on who she thinks is up for the job.
When the Britain’s Got Talent judge, 55, spoke to Metro and other press about the hottest job currently going in showbiz, the reported list of frontrunners was given short shrift.
‘Often when I see lots of names attached to it, I’m like, boring, boring…’ the ageless TV personality told us on a call. ‘All brilliant people, but you just go, come on! Think outside the box here.’
Strictly takes up too many weekends for Holden, who’s already juggling a spot on Simon Cowell’s judging panel alongside her radio show, plus her husband and two daughters. But she hopes the lucky successors to Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly’s mantle are again two women.
‘That’s my big thing,’ she said. ‘I think it’s a really amazing job to break two people that we might not know or don’t know that well and push them up into the spotlight.
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‘There are so many women in our industry like that – without getting too political – who’ve put all the work in, all the hours, who deserve a bloody break.’
She wasn’t short of ideas for who that might be, with Katherine Ryan, Daisy May Cooper and Alex Jones all name-checked in our chat. She also had a thought for how the BBC could replace that Winkleman wit.
‘Go and search the Edinburgh Festival,’ she exclaimed. ‘Make it a thing. Make it a prize!’ Holden was incredibly enthusiastic about it all.
It’s not just Strictly that she has counted herself out of. Celebrity Traitors was also a (seemingly reluctant) no.
There are so many women in our industry who deserve a bloody break
Holden prefaced her explanation by sharing that the BBC casting team for the castle ask celebs not to disclose whether or not they’ve been approached.
But (in what is music to any entertainment journalist’s ears), she ploughed on: ‘I’m just gonna say I can’t do it because it would mean I’d miss three Saturday nights on Britain’s Got Talent, and I can’t miss three Saturday nights on Britain’s Got Talent.
‘I was very flattered, but I am not going to be around the table, unless they change the schedule,’ she said, with some rather clear terms for the production team, before she cheekily added: ‘I also don’t fancy staying at a hotel in Inverness airport.’
Holden is now the longest-serving host on BGT, so it’s no surprise she’s reluctant to jeopardise her spot for a fresher show. After all, the ITV stalwart has managed to outlive many of its contemporaries (The X Factor, Dancing on Ice, etc).
The competition show is back this month for its 19th series, with Holden, Cowell and Alesha Dixon presiding over the acts gunning for a spot in the Royal Variety Performance. At the end of the desk, Bruno Toniolo, 70, has been switched out for KSI, 32, in a play for the ‘youth’ of his social media following.
Tonioli was forced to bow out due to scheduling conflicts with Dancing with the Stars, which Holden implied was a score, since ‘everyone’s happy’ about the switcheroo.
As for her own position on the panel, she isn’t precious about it: ‘I’ve always publicly said, I’m very grateful to sit in my judging seat. If that ends, I respect the decision, because it’s always good to keep reinventing.
‘That’s what KSI brings. It was a genius move.’
Holden happily joked about being KSI’s ‘nan’, but also said he’s become the judge she’s closest to on the panel. He doesn’t like to partake of a tipple backstage like Tonioli did, but he’s been trying to get her onto his luridly coloured, highly caffeinated energy drinks.
‘KSI doesn’t drink. He’s always keeping fit and doing protein, Prime, protein,’ said Holden. ‘He brought me a crate of that. I’m like, “Thanks, babe, that’s gonna come in handy when I weightlift”.’ (Imagine this said in the tone of someone who has never weightlifted.)
As for how much of Holden we can expect to see over the show’s 19th season, she had a lively sense of humour, and also referred to herself in the majestic plural.
‘I have yet to decide what we’re going to wear for the live [shows],’ she said. ‘But of course, there’ll be side boob and leg, anything else that I can get out. Bring it on.’
Britain’s Got Talent returns on February 21 at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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