This is not a drill!

By Lauren Morris

Published: Wednesday, 04 August 2021 at 12:00 am


BBC One is set to announce the first three celebrities to join the Strictly Come Dancing 2021 line-up on tonight’s episode of The One Show.

The long-running BBC One series shared the exciting news on Twitter today, writing: “We are so ready to reveal the #Strictly class of 2021!

“Meet our first three celebrities, tonight 7pm @BBCTheOneShow.”

We are so ready to reveal the #Strictly class of 2021! Meet our first three celebrities, tonight 7pm @BBCTheOneShow ???????? pic.twitter.com/GQVegnAtbd

— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) August 4, 2021

The Strictly Come Dancing 2021 line-up has been kept tightly under wraps thus far, however, the upcoming series is rumoured to feature Strictly’s first all-male same-sex couple.

According to the recent rumours, professional Graziano Di Prima will be paired with a male celebrity, with the show reportedly approaching Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley and comedian Alan Carr.

Other rumoured contestants include Gordon Ramsay’s daughter and social media influencer Tilly Ramsay, Death in Paradise’s Josephine Jobert, Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn and boxer Nicola Adams, who was paired with Katya Jones last year but dropped out after Jones tested positive for coronavirus.

The likes of BBC Breakfast host Louise Minchin, The Masked Dancer’s Tamzin Outhwaite, Olympian Eddie the Eagle – who told RadioTimes.com he wants to do Strictly – and This Morning’s Holly Willoughby have also made the list of potential contestants on the BBC One show.

The show’s cast of professional dancers has been confirmed however, with four new Strictly Come Dancing pros making their debut this year after the departure of Jannette Manrara (who’ll be taking over It Takes Two) and Anton Du Beke (who is taking Bruno Tonioli’s place on the judging panel).

In June, Strictly Come Dancing announced that longtime professional dancer Anton Du Beke would be replacing Tonioli as a permanent Strictly judge on this year’s series due to COVID travel uncertainty.

Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One later this year. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide. Visit our Entertainment hub for all the latest news.