It might not feel like it thanks to the hot weather, but it’s very nearly ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ time and the first line-up announcements are expected in the coming days.
As the show continues to go from strength to strength, it’s no surprise that the rumour mill has been in overdrive about who will be hitting the dance floor this year, with the usual mix of stars from the world of music, film, TV and sport all tipped to appear.
While model and TV personality Katie Piper has already been the first celebrity confirmed, here are all the other rumours we’ve heard so far…
Faye Tozer
Who? One fifth of the group we’d be calling our biggest guilty pleasure if we believed in such a thing, Steps.
Where did the rumour come from? With weeks to go until the line-up was announced, The Sun reported that Faye had been “signed up” to appear on ‘Strictly’.
How likely is it? Steps are insistent that they’re not splitting up, and with Claire Richards currently promoting her debut solo album, an appearance on ‘Strictly’ from another member of the group would be the perfect way to keep them in the headlines.
Graeme Swann
Who? Former England cricketer.
Where did the rumour come from? It was The Sun who first reported Graeme was the latest sports personality to sign up for ‘Strictly’.
How likely is it? We’d say pretty likely, especially after broadcaster Jenni Falconer posted a tweet congratulating him on his spot hours before the first of this year’s ‘Strictly’ announcements was made.
Maya Jama
Who? TV personality, radio presenter and one half of one of our fave celeb couples.
Where did the rumour come from? Back in March, a show insider told The Sun that Maya was being “lined up” for the show, which they claimed bosses were hoping would help them appeal to a younger audience.
How likely is it? Sadly, in the lead-up to the series she told ‘Good Morning Britain’ that she wouldn’t be taking part on the show, hinting at having turned down an offer from producers.
Joe Sugg
Who? YouTube personality and brother of Zoella.
Where did the rumour come from? Metro.co.uk were the first to report that Joe would be breaking new ground as the first professional vlogger to make it onto the ‘Strictly’ dance floor.
How likely is it? If, as previously mentioned, ‘Strictly’ is looking to rope in a younger crowd then bagging a YouTuber is the right way to go about it, and if they can’t get the Queen Bee herself, then at least signing up someone with a link to the vlogger most people will have heard of is probably a smart move.
Ashley Roberts
Who? Pussycat Dolls singer turned ‘I’m A Celebrity’ star and ‘Dancing On Ice’ judge.
Where did the rumour come from? The Sun claimed in August that Ashley had been “handpicked” for the show by produdcers.
How likely is it? We had been under the impression that a PCD reunion was on the cards, but perhaps Ashley is using an appearance on ‘Strictly’ to drum up interest in the UK, now Nicole Scherzinger is no longer on ‘The X Factor’.
Samantha Womack
Who? TV actress, best known for her role as Ronnie Mitchell in ‘EastEnders’.
Where did the rumour come from? After bowing out of ‘EastEnders’ in 2016, both Samantha and her on-screen sister Rita Simons were rumoured for ‘Strictly’, with Samantha’s name coming up again in July 2018, in an article published by The Mirror.
How likely is it? Sadly, not very, by the looks of things. Samantha denied all involvement in the show as soon as the rumours started, tweeting simply: “Not doing Strictly.”
Joey Essex
Who? One of the cast members who helped make household names of the ‘TOWIE’ cast, whose past credits include ‘The Jump’, ‘Celebs Go Dating’, ‘Splash!’ and ‘I’m A Celebrity’.
Where did the rumour come from? Intriguingly, professional dancer Oti Mabuse started this rumour when she tweeted a photo of Joey alongside a ‘Strictly’ casting producer on her Instagram, and swiftly deleted it.
How likely is it? Joey never denied his involvement in ‘Strictly’, which means he’s still a definite possibility, but given Craig Revel-Horwood’s dislike for reality contestants taking part, we still wouldn’t bet on it just yet.
Gemma Collins
Who? The GC, queen of “memays”, reality TV repeat offender and woman who once fell down a hole on the telly.
Where did the rumour come from? Gemma herself, of course. She’s never been shy about expressing her love of ‘Strictly’, and after falling down a hole at the Radio 1 Teen Awards in October 2017, she said she’d be willing to let the whole thing slide if the BBC bag her a spot on ‘Strictly’ this year.
How likely is it? Remember a second ago when we said that Craig Revel-Horwood didn’t want reality stars on ‘Strictly’? It was Gemma he was talking about. So, we’re going to say… not very.
Chris Hughes
Who? The breakout star of last year’s ‘Love Island’, who has since lent his name to various causes, and been at the centre of plenty of drama.
Where did the rumour come from? Like Gemma, Chris became associated with ‘Strictly’ thanks to talking about it in interviews, revealing he’d turned down ‘Dancing On Ice’ because he was hoping ‘Strictly’ would come knocking.
How likely is it? Despite the fact Chris started the rumour himself, we could still see ‘Strictly’ bosses wanting to shake things up and bringing in a former ‘Love Island’ star. That being said, whether they’d ever actually go for a ‘Love Island’ star remains to be seen...
Nadiya Hussain
Who? Probably the most famous contestant to ever do ‘Great British Bake Off’.
Where did the rumour come from? The Sun reported at the end of last year that the BBC were hoping to snag Nadiya for this year’s series, after she was spotted in the audience of one of the live shows.
How likely is it? Sadly, Nadiya told Heart back in June that she’d turned down ‘Strictly’, claiming she would be scared of “killing the magic” as a huge fan of the show. To find out just how firm that “no” was, we’ll have to wait for the full line-up.
Vick Hope
Who? Vick is a Radio DJ who presents the regional breakfast show on Capital.
Where did the rumour come from? The Sun reported shortly before the line-up was due to be announced that Vick was the “first official signing” to have agreed to be on the show.
How likely is it? We’re not saying this to be in any way disrespectful to Vick... but this would be a very strange rumour for someone to just pluck out of thin air, so the chances are, she’s probably signed up.
Piers Morgan
Who? Journalist who now presents breakfast TV.
Where did the rumour come from? It all started when Piers posted a photo of himself with former contestant Ed Balls, joking his “‘Strictly’ training” was in session, and prompting a load of “Piers CONFIRMED for ‘Strictly’” headlines in the process.
How likely is it? Actually, more probably than you think. Piers later told ‘GMB’ viewers he’d be up for taking on the challenge of ‘Strictly’ if he could go up against morning TV rival Dan Walker of ‘BBC Breakfast’. Whether ‘Strictly’ bosses would go for such an obvious stunt when they’re already riding high in the ratings is another matter.
Ranj Singh
Who? TV’s Dr. Ranj, best known as the resident medical expert on ‘This Morning’.
Where did the rumour come from? It was The Sun who claimed in August that the doctor and (their words) “housewives’ favourite” had agreed to appear on the show.
How likely is it? If ‘Strictly’ really is looking to snare someone from the ITV daytime family, we reckon Dr. Ranj is where we’d be placing our bets over someone like Piers Morgan.
Lee Ryan
Who? The controversial singer in the 2000s boyband Blue, who more recently made a headline-grabbing appearance in the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ house, before a brief stint in ‘EastEnders’.
Where did the rumour come from? In August 2018, the Mirror reported that Lee had landed a spot on the show, claiming producers were attracted to his “charismtatic and very funny” personality.
How likely is it? Truthfully, this could go either way. If ‘Strictly’ really is trying to stay away from former reality stars, then signing up someone with such an infamous ‘CBB’ stint under their belt is a curious move. But if they stick to playing up his music credentials and recent acting stint, they might get away with it.
Alex Scott
Who? Retired professional footballer who represented Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics and the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
Where did the rumour come from? In July 2018, the Mirror claimed that Alex had “signed up” for the show, having previously competed in a Sport Relief special, which she won.
How likely is it? Pretty likely, we reckon. Football is the word on everyone’s lips after England’s efforts in the World Cup this year, and we’d love to see ‘Strictly’ shining a light on the women’s squad off the back of the sport’s current popularity.
Lizzy Yarnold
Who? Record-breaking Winter Olympian, best known for her skeleton efforts.
Where did the rumour come from? An insider told the Daily Mail that after breaking records with her back-to-back gold medals, Lizzy is keen to break new ground by becoming the first Winter Olympian ever to take part in ‘Strictly’.
How likely is it? Recent history has shown that ‘Strictly’ is not afraid to look in unusual places for its celeb contestants, so it makes sense that 2018 is the year we get a Winter Olympian on the show.
Anneka Rice
Who? Broadcaster best known for her show ‘Challenge Anneka’.
Where did the rumour come from? In April, The Sun claimed that Anneka was “in talks” regarding an appearance on ‘Strictly’.
How likely is it? Anneka has had plenty of time to deny this rumour, so we can’t say we’d be surprised at all if she winds up on the new line-up.
Coleen Rooney
Who? Media personality and (according to her Wikipedia page) “product endorser”, best known for her marriage to footballer Wayne Rooney.
Where did the rumour come from? Coleen was previously tipped for the show last year, but not long afterwards, announced that she was pregnant with her fourth son, Cass, and her name has repeatedly cropped up in conjunction with this year’s series.
How likely is it? Despite her pregnancy and welcoming a new baby, it’s been a tough old year for the Rooney family, with Coleen finally speaking out about infidelity and divorce rumours towards the end of last year. ‘Strictly’ could be an opportunity for her to finally put all that behind her and step out on her own, but on the other hand, she and her family are about to move to Washington D.C., so perhaps not...
Rick Astley
Who? Singer who topped the charts in the ’80s with ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’.
Where did the rumour come from? Rick himself confirmed that he’d been approached for the show during an interview with The Mirror.
How likely is it? The singer told the newspaper that he didn’t want to take part as he didn’t feel like he was “fit enough”, joking: “Greg Rutherford said they practise every hour of the day. I couldn’t do it. Not a chance.” Rick’s relationship to Greg Rutherford remains unknown, but that’s an unlikely buddy film in the making if ever there was one.
Joe McElderry
Who? Former ‘X Factor’ singer and musical theatre star who has a hat-trick of reality show wins under his belt.
Where did the rumour come from? Joe has been linked with the show for years now, and told OK! magazine earlier this year that while he gets many offers, “Strictly is the one for me”.
How likely is it? Last year featured not one but two ‘X Factor’ finalists, so unless bosses are concerned about repeating themselves, we can’t imagine them turning their nose up at Joe, who has won over the British public on both ‘Popstar To Operastar’ and the ITV talent search.
Kate Silverton
Who? Broadcast journalist and TV presenter.
Where did the rumour come from? The Sun has claimed Kate has been on producers’ wishlists for more than a decade, suggesting this is finally the year they’ve convinced her to say yes.
How likely is it? If there’s one thing we know about ‘Strictly’, it’s that they love getting a newsreader up on their dancing feet. We’d say Kate’s involvement was a safe bet.
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