Sir Bruce Forsyth is stepping down as
presenter of BBC1 series Strictly Come Dancing after a decade fronting
the show, the BBC said on Friday.
He said it was the 'right time to step down from the rigours' of hosting the live shows which have become Saturday night ratings winners.
However he will continue to work on pre-recorded Strictly shows for Christmas and Children In Need as well as one-off BBC specials, and said he will also be performing in theatres.
The future of Sir Bruce, 86, on
the show had been a cause of speculation for some months. He had
already scaled back some of his commitments, stepping down from the
weekly results show and writing occasional rest weeks into his deal with
show bosses.
The presenter - who has been in showbusiness since childhood - had also talked in interviews about how he would liked to spend more time abroad to avoid the cold winters in the UK.
Sir Bruce said today: 'After 10 wonderful years and 11 series, I believe it is now the right time to step down from the rigours of presenting the Strictly live shows.
'I am very proud of what the show has achieved and confident it will entertain the nation for many years to come. I am also delighted that by presenting the Christmas and Children In Need shows I will continue to have a strong association with Strictly.
'In addition, I am looking forward to the specials planned with the BBC as well as some live theatre shows, so before anyone asks, I am not retiring quite yet.'
Head judge on the show Len Goodman called him 'the driving force' of the show, and praised his 'warm and cuddly' personality while speaking to BBC news.
He did however agree it was a rigorous schedule, particularly for the hosts: 'He's done Strictly for 10 years, so he deserves to put his feet up a bit.'
BBC1 controller Charlotte Moore said: 'Sir Bruce Forsyth is one of the great showbiz legends of our time and Strictly's success is due in vast amounts to him. I am so pleased he will continue to be part of the Strictly family and promise viewers that we haven't seen the last of him on BBC1.'
He said it was the 'right time to step down from the rigours' of hosting the live shows which have become Saturday night ratings winners.
However he will continue to work on pre-recorded Strictly shows for Christmas and Children In Need as well as one-off BBC specials, and said he will also be performing in theatres.
Farewell: Bruce Forsyth is stepping down from hosting Strictly Come Dancing
The presenter - who has been in showbusiness since childhood - had also talked in interviews about how he would liked to spend more time abroad to avoid the cold winters in the UK.
Sir Bruce said today: 'After 10 wonderful years and 11 series, I believe it is now the right time to step down from the rigours of presenting the Strictly live shows.
Ten triumphant years: Bruce has presented the show for ten years alongside Tess Daly
'I am very proud of what the show has achieved and confident it will entertain the nation for many years to come. I am also delighted that by presenting the Christmas and Children In Need shows I will continue to have a strong association with Strictly.
'In addition, I am looking forward to the specials planned with the BBC as well as some live theatre shows, so before anyone asks, I am not retiring quite yet.'
Head judge on the show Len Goodman called him 'the driving force' of the show, and praised his 'warm and cuddly' personality while speaking to BBC news.
He did however agree it was a rigorous schedule, particularly for the hosts: 'He's done Strictly for 10 years, so he deserves to put his feet up a bit.'
BBC1 controller Charlotte Moore said: 'Sir Bruce Forsyth is one of the great showbiz legends of our time and Strictly's success is due in vast amounts to him. I am so pleased he will continue to be part of the Strictly family and promise viewers that we haven't seen the last of him on BBC1.'
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