You might be surprised to learn who’s hoping to take over from Strictly’s Len Goodman

Strictly Come Dancing's Len Goodman announced he will leave the show after this year's series yesterday with the news coming as a disappointment to many fans.

There's already two main candidates ready to take over, both of whom have worked as professional dancers on the show. According to The Sun, it appears that Brendan Cole and Anton du Beke are eager to get a spot on the judging panel for the 2017 series. Apparently, Brendan thinks that his experience as a judge on the New Zealand version of the show will stand him in good stead while Anton thinks he has Len's backing to succeed him. A source told the publication:

"Anton and Brendan have been with Strictly from the start and have been waiting for this opportunity".

However it's not all sewn up and there is every chance show bosses could introduce someone else into the mix. Other names rumoured for the job include former judge Arlene Phillips, professional dancers Erin Boag, Ian Waite and Karen Hardy and former winner Tom Chambers. Interestingly if a little random, TV presenter Zoe Ball, who fronts Strictly's sister show, It Takes Two, is also in the mix. The insider went on to say:

"Everyone knows Anton and Brendan want it desperately. This year’s series will be seen as an audition and they’ll be out to impress".

There's every likelihood the chosen judge could be someone new entirely and unfortunately, it's likely to be some time before the announcement is made.