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The BBC1 show has trounced X Factor for three years - but now producers fear the return of Cheryl and Simon Cowell could win their rivals the ratings war
Fight: Strictly Come Dancing bosses are worried about Cheryl's return to X Factor
Strictly Come Dancing bosses have sent an SOS to hunky telly stars to help them beat off the Cheryl peril , reports the Sunday People.
The BBC1 show has trounced X Factor for three years.
But now its producers fear the return of Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Simon Cowell could win their rivals the ratings war.
So Strictly is cheekily transforming itself into the Pecs Factor - by entering talks with Mark Wright, Ross Kemp, Dave Berry, Gregg James and Joey Essex to lure their female fans.
While the cross-over between the two shows will be minimal - around 15 minutes - it’s important to the Beeb to beat off Cowell’s show.
Last year more than 12 million watched model Abbey Crouch take the Strictly crown, while 9.7 million saw Sam Bailey win X Factor with Gary Barlow, Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh starring as judges.
However, with Cowell, 54, and the immensely popular Cheryl, 31, back on the judging panel, the BBC fears the show will return to its glory days.
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Competition: Mark Wright
The 2010 final, with Cowell and Cheryl starring for the last time, pulled in a staggering 17.7 million - making it the most watched TV show of the year in the UK.
Strictly attracted just under 12 million.
A source close to the show said: “Strictly wants to get the females in in their droves, hunky men are the key.
"Women love the show, especially if there are men who look good and come across nicely, it’s been proved to be a winning formula in the past."
This year, there won’t just be the token hottie but lots of them.
The line up is still being finalised but there will be lots of handsome, fit male celebrities. The game is now on.”
Long-serving judge Bruno Tonioli, 58, told the Sunday People: “I know who is going to be on the show this year, just wait and everyone will be very pleased.
“I’m very excited, the ladies will be very pleased as well.
"It’s going to be a brilliant show this year, we’re all really looking forward to it.”
The ratings war between Strictly and the X Factor is the most fierce on television. For more than a decade they’ve competed to be the top Saturday night prime time shows.
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Strictly ratings: Dave Berry
Dismissing his rivals last year, Louis, 61, said: “The X Factor is the biggest show, it has no competition, it’s the best show on TV.
"Who wants to see old people dancing anyway?”
But in the past celebrities such as former cricketer Mark Ramprakash, Ricky Whittle and McFly’s Harry Judd have all appealed to Strictly’s female audience.Last year rugby ace Ben Cohen was the women’s favourite.
BBC executives are also optimistic the new line-up of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will work very well following the departure of Sir Bruce Forsyth who announced his retirement this year.
Tess, 45, will replace Brucie while Claudia, 42, will take Tess’s role. Zoe Ball will host Strictly’s weekday sister show, It Takes Two.
It is the biggest change since it launched 12 years ago.
Other changes have seen James Jordan axed, while fans’ favourite Artem Chigvintsev left to star in the US version, Dancing With The Stars.
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Dream team: Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole
Last year head judge Len Goodman waded into the ratings row, promising if Simon Cowell would go on Strictly, he would apply for the X Factor.
Len, 70, who commutes between the UK and America where he also judges Dancing With the Stars, said: “The dream person on it would be Simon Cowell.
"If he came on it, I’d go on X Factor.
“I’d sing Oh What a Beautiful Morning or something like that. I’d probably be as good at singing as Simon at dancing.”
In 2011, the BBC and ITV changed scheduling to allow fans of both shows to watch them uninterrupted.
Cheryl agreed to return to X Factor in May after three years. She was sacked from the US version by Cowell in 2011 and replaced with Nicole Scherzinger.
He has been begging her to do the UK version ever since and she eventually went back in a £1.5million deal.
Former Spice Girl Mel B also joined as a judge this year after a stint as a guest on the panel last year.
