Strictly Come Dancing bosses have responded to fans’ major complaint about this year’s celebrity line-up.
And no… before you ask… it’s not the fact they barely recognise anyone on it.
Earlier this week, the BBC confirmed the final three celebrities taking part in the upcoming series of Strictly, with competitors from across the world of music, TV, sport and beyond having signed up.
However, many have taken issue with the fact that there’s a bit of gender imbalance among the famous contestants, with nine men having signed up compared to only six women.
Responding to fans’ comments about this, the BBC insisted that the team was “really excited about this year’s line-up”.
“There are many factors that influence the casting process to ensure we have a good mix of celebrities from a broad range of backgrounds,” a Strictly spokesperson told Metro.
“There is no hard and fast rule regarding the gender split on the show and it’s never been about ticking boxes.”
Comedian Chris McCausland was the first contestant to be confirmed for the new series, making history as Strictly’s first ever blind competitor. He was quickly followed by JLS singer JB Gill, opera singer and “Go Compare man” Wynne Evans, music legend Toyah Wilcox and daytime medical expert Dr Punam Krishan.
Olympic swimmer Tom Dean, reality stars Pete Wicks and Tasha Ghouri, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, chart-topping singer Shayne Ward, athlete-turned-Gladiator Montell Douglas, better known to viewers as Fire, and Miranda’s Sarah Hadland were the next to be announced for the new series.
Completing the line-up are former Olympian Sam Quek, TV favourite Nick Knowles and footballer-turned-pundit Paul Merson.
Strictly is celebrating a landmark year in 2024, as it marks 20 years since the first episode aired back in 2004, with the BBC having already announced special plans to mark the occasion.
Of course, the show was already massively in the public consciousness also thanks to an ongoing BBC investigation sparked by complaints from several former contestants, including Amanda Abbington, who bowed out of last year’s series early.