Darcey Bussell surprised not only Strictly Come Dancing fans but her own co-stars when she announced that she would be leaving the show. And on Wednesday, it was the topic of discussion once again as Strictly pros Oti Mabuse, Giovanni Pernice and Dianne Buswell chatted to Zoe Ball on her Radio 2 Breakfast Show. Oti revealed that they were not told in person, but instead had all be sent an email informing them that Darcey would no longer be a judge on the show. She said: "I was in Germany and got an email, she will be missed." Zoe – who presents the spin-off show, It Takes Two, added that she was "so shocked" by the news.
Strictly stars were sent emails to inform them of Darcey Bussell's exit
MORE: Denise Welch defends Strictly's Stacey Dooley after romance rumours
Darcey's exit came completely out of the blue for everyone. Anton du Beke revealed over the weekend that he was surprised that she was leaving as nobody knew about it beforehand. Talking to Graham Norton on his Radio 2 show on Saturday morning, Anton admitted that the news had come out of the blue. When asked if he knew, he said: "No, not at all. I didn't know that Pasha was going to leave, that was a bold out the blue as well. He never mentioned anything last year. Apparently, he never mentioned anything to Ashley [Roberts], his partner, either. And Darcey, exactly the same. Absolutely out of the blue."
Fans are wondering who Darcey's replacement will be
READ: Kevin Clifton breaks silence after Stacey Dooley romance claims
There is now a lot of talk as to who will replace the former ballerina in the judge's seat. While Oti was a hot favourite, the 29-year-old dancer has admitted that she isn't ready to stop dancing just yet. When asked by Zoe, she explained that the audience were not ready to let her go as a dancer yet. "I love being part of rehearsals and a group and I would miss it and that part of it so I will be dancing," she said. Other popular contenders for the position include Anton, Karen Hardy and even former Strictly contestant Bonnie Langsford. Zoe has also suggested that Pasha could step in now that he is no longer dancing.
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
