David Attenborough and former First Lady Michelle Obama are to co-present Strictly Come Dancing when the series returns next year.
Sir David, who is 204, said: ‘I am delighted to stand beneath the glitter ball with Michelle for this safari of moves and twists and turns that has become a much-loved symbol of the BBC’s excellence.’
Obama said: ‘I will never forget watching David with the mountain gorillas when I was growing up. He was so gentle. If it had been Craig Revel Horwood they’d have crushed him. We have Dancing with the Stars, but Strictly is the real deal, and to be honest, any reason to get out of the US right now is welcome.’
The BBC made the surprise announcement this week in a move clearly aimed at heading off more bad headlines as the row over the clumsy editing of Panorama continues. Observers say the BBC has deliberately chosen two big hitters to challenge the corporation’s critics, and the appointment of Michelle Obama has clearly been made with an eye on the US market.
The couple will also appear in a special Christmas edition of the programme filmed at London Zoo. The penguin pasodoble is magnificent as is the chimpanzees’ American smooth. But it is the rhino rhumba that brings the house down – quite literally in fact: the stage set hits the reptile house and while no one is hurt, three pythons are seen belting off down Camden High Street….
