Anton Joins Judging Panel

Anton du Beke will join the judging panel for the first time tonight.

Motsi had to unexpectedly return to Germany this week following a break-in at her dance studio in Frankfurt. She has since returned to the UK, but under government guidelines she must quarantine for 14 days.

Motsi had initially hoped to 'work from home' via a live link-up, but it emerged later in the week that Anton had been drafted in to judge instead.

Why this decision has been made is unclear. Either the production didn't have to ability to facilitate Motsi, or they decided that they would rather have an in-person judge to maintain the feel of the show. We already have a remote Bruno on the Sunday show, so perhaps a remote Motsi was a step to far.

I am inclined to agree with the decision to replace Motsi and keep things feeling a little more normal. But is Anton the right choice?

From a practical point of view, he's the obvious choice. He is already part of the production so is already following BBC protocols. He was going to be at the studio anyway, sitting at a table like Billy-no-mates.

I don't have an issue with Anton being a judge per se. He's auditioned for the role in the past, but was beaten out by both Shirley and Motsi, and I'm kind of glad he was because I like both women. If they had drafted him in at the start of the series to replace Bruno, I'd have been OK with it.

What jars for me is the fact that two weeks ago, Anton was a participant, and now he's a judge. He is going to be judging the very contestants he was competing against.

Imagine if this was Drag Race UK, and Alan Carr had not been available for a week. Would they have drafted in Gothy Kendoll? Of course not!

 It just all feels a bit weird.

As a judge, I think he'll do a fine job. He is a mix of Craig and Shirley - he knows the dances but also understands showmanship. I think he'll be fair in his marking, and he'll probably give the type of critiques he would have liked to have had himself.

Shirley said her her autobiography (review coming soon) that it took a little while to settle into the role of judge. And we forget how awkward Darcey was at the beginning, yah?

Good luck, Anton!