Strictly Come Dancing fans have furiously slammed this year’s lineup as ‘the worst to ever exist’, after the latest two stars taking part were announced on Wednesday.
Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and TOWIE‘s Pete Wicks were both unveiled as part of the new series, joining comedian Chris McCausland, JLS singer JB Gill, 80s rocker Toyah Wilcox, Morning Live’s Dr Punam Krishnan and singer Wynne Evans.
Despite the fact that this year’s lineup is still being announced, many fans have already made their feelings known, complaining that they ‘don’t know half’ of the stars taking part.
The BBC show is currently embroiled in controversy over how the professional dancers teach the celebs, with multiple accusations emerging of bullying and abusive behaviour.
Posts to X included: ‘That finalised Strictly lineup may be the worst to ever exist. I can’t sit through 10 weeks of Sam Quek and Pete Wicks. I can’t;’
Strictly Come Dancing fans have furiously slammed this year’s lineup as ‘the worst to ever exist’, after stars including Morning Live’s Dr Punam Krishnan were confirmed
Love Island star Tasha Ghouri was one of the latest stars confirmed for the BBC series on Wednesday, with fans already making their feelings known about this year’s lineup
‘Is it unkind to think perhaps quite a few high profile people have dropped out of Strictly this year…? The line-up has the unmistakeable feel of a b-list;’
‘This Strictly lineup so far is really giving last minute replacements of bigger celebrities who have dropped out because of all the allegations…;’
‘Wow! The new strictly line up screams boring…I don’t know half of them. Reality tv stars shouldn’t even be allowed.
‘And there’s a trained dancer taking part?? Why doesn’t strictly learn; we want bill baileys, we want to see ppl have fun, the underdogs.’
It’s also been reported that the recent scandals that have ungulfed the show may have put off some female stars from taking part after a leaked lineup implied this year’s Strictly would feature nine men, as opposed to six women.
Tasha has become the first Love Island star to appear on the show with a cochlear implant, which is an electronic device she had fitted aged five.
The model is passionate about raising awareness for the deaf community.
She appeared on ITV‘s Love Island in 2022, and since then has amassed a following of over 2.2 million across her social media network.
Despite the fact that this year’s lineup is still being announced, many fans have already made their feelings known, complaining that they ‘don’t know half’ of the stars taking part
On Wednesday, Pete Wicks became the seventh person confirmed to be taking part in this year’s Strictly
Tasha has worked with Number 10 Downing Street, The Department of Education and MED-AL to champion issues close to her heart. She is a published author with her debut novel Hits Different and has her own podcast, Superpowers with Tasha.
Announcing the news on the KISS FM Breakfast Show on Wednesday Tasha gushed: ‘Pinch me, I can’t believe I’m going to be on Strictly Come Dancing!’
‘I’ve been watching the show since I was little – it’s a firm Ghouri family favourite – so this is a total dream come true. I know it’s going to be an unforgettable experience and I hope to represent and make everyone proud out on that dancefloor.’
Pete also called into Kiss FM to confirm his signing on Wednesday morning.
He told the show: ‘its a mixture of excited and petrified, generally petrified. I’ve been telling people, can you really imagine me really doing this and their like, yeah your right you wouldn’t.’
‘I’m going to have to switch my phone off now I’ll have a load of messages.’
He revealed that he had already spilled the news to his best friend Sam Thompson, who ‘cried.’
‘I’m not joking he screamed jumped up and down and cried. He has already planned that he is coming every Saturday and hes making T-shirts and he is my number one fan in life, he is already making T-shirts. He’s a bit like Martha in Baby Reindeer.’
Strictly also faces being embroiled in a new fix row following the signing of Tasha, who is a trained dancer.
Last year’s series was tainted by accusations that actor Layton Williams, an experienced West End performer, had the upper hand over his opponents due to his extensive dance background.
And Tasha’s participation on the BBC One show could be equally controversial, given she’s been dancing since the age of five and taken part in competitions.
A show insider said: ‘Tasha’s signing has certainly raised a few eyebrows. She’s a dancer by trade as well as a reality star and model, so it feels like she’s too qualified to appear on the show.
‘Tasha is certainly no novice and will always be so far ahead of her co-stars before training has kicked in.
‘There is a feeling her being on Strictly is a touch unfair on everybody else competing, especially those totally new to dance.’
Blind comedian Chris McCausland was the first celeb contestant of the 2024 series, to be uveiled, appearing on This Morning on Monday to announce the news
Later on This Morning JLS star JB Gill was the second celeb confirmed
Wynne Evans is best known for his operatic skills. Throughout his 25-year career he has had two number one classical music albums
Toyah Willcox has amassed thirteen top 40 singles, recorded twenty-five albums and appeared in over forty stage plays, and was the fourth star confirmed
The BBC mainstay has been plunged into chaos in recent weeks as a number of allegations of abuse from professionals have come to light.
The scandal erupted when actress Amanda Abbington quit the show last year before claiming that her partner Giovanni Pernice was abusive towards her – later leaving the show.
Soon after it emerged that Graziano Di Prima had been sacked for ‘kicking’ his partner Love Island star Zara McDermott.
There has since been a number of accusations against pro dancers old and new, leaving a dark cloud over the much-loved show on what is its 20th anniversary.
It comes as Laura Whitmore accused BBC bosses of ‘gaslighting’ her over her Strictly Come Dancing experience with Giovanni Pernice.
The TV presenter, 39, who was partnered with the Italian dancer, 33, on the show in 2016, recently confirmed she’d spoken to the show about Giovanni’s ‘inappropriate behaviour’, following her claims that she initially raised concerns to the BBC six years ago.
And in a dramatic new statement, the star has shed more light on her Strictly experience, telling how it’s ‘all coming out now’ amid the flurry of accusations against the show and its professional dancers.
Speaking to The Irish Post, Laura told how she believes that the industry has changed for women since she found fame, noting that women are ‘louder’ and are now ‘pulling people up on things.’
She added of her Strictly situation: ‘The stuff I’m not going to talk to you about now, because it’s under review, that’s all coming out now, the stuff I tried to speak about eight years ago.
When asked if she wasn’t ‘listened to’ when she first raised her complaints, she shared: ‘Or [I was] gaslit to make it seem normalised.’
Laura went on to add: ‘It’s a shame that it has to come out in such a victim-shaming way, which it always does. And being the first person to speak up about anything is always hard.’
Strictly has faced a string of claims of abusive behaviour surrounding its professionals, beginning when actress Amanda Abbington quit the show last year
The presenter’s words comes days after she broke her silence over the Strictly scandal and confirmed she’d spoken to BBC bosses about Giovanni’s behaviour.
Although she hasn’t made a formal complaint, Laura hopes to get ‘just an acceptance’ of what happened to her in the rehearsals room.
Laura admitted she has discussed with six former Strictly stars about their time on the show and took their information to the BBC.
On an Instagram post, Laura wrote: ‘I was trying not to comment on recent press speculation until the BBC review is complete but feel there is a lot of misinformation in the press and I want to help and show support by setting the record straight.
‘I was asked to speak to the BBC along with six people that I know of (who deserve anonymity as they don’t want to be dragged through the press), about inappropriate behaviour they experienced similar to mine with the same individual.
‘I initially raised concerns back in 2016. I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong.
‘The aim of this is to show a pattern of behaviour that I believe needs to stop. My evidence is to support other people’s experience. It’s a shame it takes this for someone to be heard.
‘I am not looking for anything just an acceptance that what happened to me in the rehearsal rooms during my time on BBC Strictly was wrong and that it won’t happen to anyone else again.
‘Because I have not made an official complaint, and am providing evidence of my experience to support the investigation, not all the communication will be passed on to all parties involved.
‘Misinformation is being put into the press so I want to set the record straight. Victim blaming must stop or we will never get better.
‘I’ve tried to speak up in the correct way. I know the BBC and all outlets continue to do their best to be better, but for that to happen we must speak up.’