Strictly Come Dancing star Greg Wise has revealed he previously met with James Bond producers ahead of his 007-inspired performance this weekend.
Greg is set to channel Bond when he and his partner Karen Hauer take to the floor during Strictly’s Movie Week special on Saturday night, and disclosed during an interview on It Takes Two that this isn’t his first brush with the long-running spy franchise.
“When I was 28 and I was doing a film where I had a big moustache, I met the producers for Bond,” he told host Rylan Clark-Neal.
“And about two weeks later – these are the days of faxes – I got a fax from a journalist at the Sunday Times saying ‘Mr Wise, I understand you’re training with the special forces for your upcoming role as James Bond’.”
When Rylan questioned where he actually was at that time, Greg joked: “Probably in Loughborough.”
Greg then said he was looking forward to playing James Bond “for one night only, which is the best way to be Bond I think”.
The Sense & Sensibility star added that the Bond routine had actually been his own idea, recalling: “I think months ago I suggested to the producers, ‘If I’m allowed, can I do a Paso Doble to the Bond theme?,’ and they said ‘yeah’.”
During Movie Week, the 14 remaining couples will be paying homage to films including Titanic, Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and Chicago, as well as an obligatory Back To The Future tribute from McFly singer Tom Fletcher.
Tom will be returning to the dance floor on Saturday night, after having to miss last week’s live show after he and his partner Amy Dowden contracted Covid-19.
Find out how the stars get on when Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 6.45pm on BBC One.