Alesha Dixon and Jordan Banjo confirmed as hosts of BBC1's new talent show The Greatest Dancer
The brand new entertainment series marks Alesha's return to the BBC – and is the first series produced by Simon Cowell for the corporation
Alesha Dixon is returning to the BBC alongside Jordan Banjo, with the pair being confirmed as the hosts of new BBC1 entertainment show The Greatest Dancer.
Produced by Simon Cowell's TV production company, it will be the first Syco/Thames co-production for the BBC.
- Simon Cowell’s BBC talent show The Greatest Dancer will be airing in 2019
- What is The Greatest Dancer? Everything you need to know about the new dancing talent show
Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007, and went on to replace Arlene Phillips as a judge on the show before quitting to star on BGT.
Speaking about returning to the BBC for The Greatest Dancer, she said, "I can’t wait to be a part of The Greatest Dancer and work with Jordan. As a massive fan of dance I’m so excited about the prospect of finding amazing new dance talent."
Former Britain's Got Talent winner Jordan, meanwhile, was a backstage presenter on the revamped series of ITV's Dancing on Ice earlier this year.
He said, "I’m so excited to be a part of The Greatest Dancer. Coming from a talent show myself with Diversity has shown me how much a show like this can change your life, so to be on the other side hosting is going to be an awesome experience."
Speaking at a press launch for The X Factor, Cowell hinted at what viewers could expect in the upcoming series – which has yet to have a confirmed air date. "Very soon we’re going to be announcing another show and you’re going to see just how much trust we have in the public in making these shows," he said.
Kate Phillips, Controller Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC, said of the new show, "Alesha and Jordan are the perfect pairing for The Greatest Dancer. Their love of dance is clear and I know they’ll be great hosts to the huge array of talented hopefuls coming to Saturday nights on BBC One."
Airing in 2019, the show has been earmarked for Saturday nights early next year. That could mean that the BBC show goes up against The Voice in the schedules – a show which originally aired on the Beeb before moving to ITV.
Also, with Dancing on Ice traditionally airing at the start of the year, it could potentially cause a clash in presenter Jordan's schedules.
A pilot for The Greatest Dancer was filmed earlier this year, with tabloid reports suggesting that former X Factor judge Cheryl was on board in some capacity, while Glee star Matthew Morrison and Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Oti Mabuse have also been linked to the show.
The Greatest Dancer will air on BBC1
