I'm the biggest Strictly Come Dancing fan but the show needs to be changed

Strictly Come Dancing is marking its 20th anniversary this year.

The beloved BBC programme has been a mainstay on our televisions for the past two decades, bringing sparkle and glamour to our Saturday and Sunday evenings as winter draws near. Nothing heralds the onset of Christmas quite like Strictly broadcasting live from the iconic Tower Ballroom in Blackpool each November.

This year's Strictly competition has been particularly close to call. With only a few weeks remaining, any one of the remaining contestants could clinch the title.

Some contestants, such as Love Island star Tasha Ghouri, are natural dancers, while others may not have started as dancers but have made significant progress since they first joined the show several months ago.

Last week's dance-off sparked considerable controversy, with Gladiator Montell finding herself in the bottom two once again, alongside EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick.

Ultimately, Jamie was the one to leave the competition - a decision that left fans (and myself!) heartbroken to see such a gifted dancer exit the show. Jamie's unexpected departure got me thinking: Strictly needs a shake-up - and the voting system should be the first thing to change.

It's tough to watch a talented dancer like Jamie leave the competition, but Montell also performed well and deserved to stay. While some might believe it's time for Pete Wicks to depart, he clearly enjoys the support of both the judges and the voting public.

There's a growing sentiment that Strictly needs to reconsider its voting system. The judges deliver their verdicts after each performance, basing their scores on what they've just seen. But how can these scores be relevant to performances they haven't yet witnessed?

The first slot in each live show has been dubbed the 'death slot' by avid Strictly fans, who believe it's a strategic move by the show's producers to eliminate certain contestants. However, with the voting process being a combination of both judges' scores and public votes, surely this wouldn't be the case?

Over the years, we've seen some fantastic dancers exit the competition after finding themselves in the dreaded 'death slot'. Perhaps it's time for BBC bosses to revise the voting system, making it solely reliant on public votes. This could potentially ensure the longevity of the show for another two decades!

Strictly Come Dancing is broadcast every weekend on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer.