Strictly boss exposes what it’s really like to work there - with revelation about show host

ok.co.uk:

It’s hard to believe the first ever episode of Strictly Come Dancing hit our screens 20 years ago, with eight celebrities and their professional partners sashaying into the nation’s hearts and igniting a love of ballroom that has burned brightly ever since. “When it started, there was nothing else like it,” recalls Alison Maloney, author of the official Strictly annuals since 2008. “It brought this sprinkle of glitz and glamour to Saturday nights, and just made people smile.

Whether it’s good dancing or bad dancing, it’s a show that makes you feel happy, and even the sound of the theme tune cheers you up.” Over two decades, more than 200 celebrities and 62 professional dancers have donned the glitter and sequins to grace the dance floor, and the BBC show regularly attracts up to 12 million viewers.

In 2010, Guinness World Records named it the world’s most successful reality TV format, and it has thrived in more than 60 countries, under names such as Dancing With The Stars.

On home soil, an array of spin-offs include companion show It Takes Two, 19 standalone Christmas editions and 18 charity specials, while millions of fans have flocked to the sell-out Strictly Come Dancing Live!