Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Danny Mac has backed his ex-dance partner, Oti Mabuse, to take over from Dame Darcey Bussell on the judging panel.
Dame Darcey announced her departure from the BBC One dancing series in early April, after seven years on the show.
Speculation has been rife over who will join remaining judges Shirley Ballas, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood for the next series later this year.
Mabuse is one of the names in the running for the job, and Mac – who was partnered with her in 2016 – has said he thinks she should be a judge.
The former Hollyoaks star told Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch: “I know she wants another year, she needs to win it, so if everyone can vote for her this year.”
He said: “She’s amazing, I adore her, and she’s got that personality and the love and the passion and the drive for it, and I think all the other dancers really respect her as well.”
On how the other dancers would react to Mabuse taking a step up, Mac said: “I think they would still quite happily take criticism from her.
“I think it’d be a really good dynamic actually, she’d be fab on it.”
Its @dannymaconline time!! 😁😁😁 #SundayBrunch pic.twitter.com/79M9AfZfng
— Sunday Brunch (@SundayBrunchC4) May 26, 2019
Mabuse, who appeared on the BBC’s The Greatest Dancer earlier this year, has previously ruled out the possibility of taking Dame Darcey’s seat.
The dancer said she would prefer to continue her choreography and performance work and working alongside the other Strictly dancers, rather than become a judge.
Other runners and riders for the Strictly judging panel include Strictly professionals Anton Du Beke and Kevin Clifton, former Strictly star Karen Hardy and previous winner Caroline Flack.