Who will replace Len Goodman? Anton Du Beke addresses Strictly Come Dancing judge rumours

Speaking on ITV's Lorraine, the 50-year-old professional dancer added that he hoped the BBC1 show would maintain the "balance" of the judging panel, paying tribute to Goodman's time in the Head Judge's chair.

“No-one can replace Len," Du Beke said. "Len took a long time to be Len and he’s unique so no, no-one can be the 'new Len'… I don’t know who’s going to take the available chair.”

Asked by presenter Lorraine Kelly whether he should be the new Head Judge, Du Beke replied: “From my own personal opinion, I think it’s important that they have a ballroom person on the panel. Just for balance.

“You’ve got Bruno [Tonioli] and Craig [Revel Horwood] from musical theatre or the commercial world, and you’ve got Darcey [Bussell] from classical ballet world, so I think they would require a ballroom person for balance. And also the technicalities of what we’re trying to do, you spend a week trying to teach your partner how to do the technicalities of ballroom dancing, and if nobody points it out, it’s important really.”

Goodman stepped down from the role in the Strictly Christmas special last year, and bowed out of the programme after 12 years as Head Judge.

As well as Du Beke, former Strictly star Karen Hardy and fellow professional Brendan Cole have also been rumoured for the top job.

Asked by Kelly what he thought of Cole becoming a judge, Du Beke said: “I think he’d be hilarious!”

Du Beke has previously stepped in for the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel when he replaced Craig Revel-Horwood for The People’s Strictly for Comic Relief in 2015.

Meanwhile presenter Tess Daly recently told RadioTimes.com that the fourth judge would be announced “by the end of April”.