Kara Tointon has emerged as a frontrunner to replace Alesha Dixon on the judging panel of the UK's 'Strictly Come Dancing' after Dixon gave up the role to jump ship and head to Itv where she'll be on the panel of the Simon Cowell-created 'Britain's Got Talent'. Tointon, who is known best for her portrayal of the 'Eastenders' character Dawn Swann on the soap between 2005 and 2009, won the competition back in 2010 beating out current 'One Show' host Matt Baker in the process. In a successful series for her she also found love, going on to form a relationship with Russian professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev.
Now the UK's Metro newspaper reports that Tointon is favourites with one of the country's bookers Ladbrokes quoting a price for her at 9/4, this year's runner-up Chelsee Healey also reportedly in the running with odds of 5/1; rather more surprisingly is that the show's former judge Arlene philips is also being taken seriously for a return after she was axed from the show in 2009 and replaced by the now departed Dixon. She's being priced at 6/1. Ann Widdecombe is at 100/1.
Whoever joins the panel will have a tough act to follow after what many claimed was 'Strictly Come Dancing's' most successful series yet; though the final was a little down on ratings from the previous year, overall it was hailed as a triumph, beating it's bitter Saturday night rival 'X Factor UK' to the viewings top spot on more than one occasion during the run.