Next year is shaping up to be a busy twelve months for Chris Evans.
Not only is the 52-year-old presenter jumping ship from the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show to Virgin Radio, but he’s also claimed he’s said yes to next year’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
Less than a week since Stacey Dooley lifted the glitterball trophy, Chris has revealed he has been in talks with producers of the BBC dance show about taking part in 2019.
Appearing on Wednesday night’s ‘The One Show’, host Alex Jones asked him: “If rumours are to be believed, Chris Evans, you probably won’t have time to do panto next year. Can you deny or confirm that you will be on Strictly?”
Chris replied: “Well, I have said yes, I have said yes.”
He then joked that he only wants to take part in the show so his wife, Natasha Shishmanian, can have front row seats: “So you and my wife can go and have a great time and I will be terrified backstage.”
While he’s yet to sign on the dotted line, Chris did confirm that he had a meeting with Strictly’s commissioning editor, Joe Wallace, who warned him “it’s not as easy as maybe you imagine it will be”.
Chris added: “I think what’s funny about it, everyone puts it off and tries and keep it a secret. No, announce now, we’re doing it now.”
Chris isn’t the only big name linked to next year’s series. Alan Carr has also confirmed he has been approached by bosses — but there’s one thing stopping him from taking part.
“I will do it but next year I’ve got a busy year, I’m going on tour,” he said during an appearance on ‘Loose Women’.
“They cornered me and they said, ‘Would you do it?’. “I would do it but I hate those VTs where you know, ’We’re doing Salsa so we’re off to a dips factory, you know what I mean?′
Chris also described his Radio 2 colleague Fearne Cotton as “teetering on the brink” of saying yes to getting her dancing shoes on.
“It will ultimately be a huge, massive sequin-covered yes,” he said.