Strictly Come Dancing will be celebrating its whopping 20th season this year, and naturally the hit competition series will want to ensure it has a stellar cast of celebs to mark the occasion.
Considering this, The Sun is reporting that the show’s bosses are hoping to sign up celebrity chef and TV personality Gino D’Acampo, who entertained viewers on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! back in 2009, winning the show.
The publication cites an apparent insider who praised D’Acampo’s “universal appeal”, and described him as someone who is “more than capable of keeping audiences entertained”.
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D’Acampo told the Daily Star on Sunday in 2019 that he was asked to appear on that year’s season, but said: “That show would require a lot of time and training. Who has got time for that? Not me…. not at the moment.”
RadioTimes.com has reached out to the BBC and Gino D’Acampo’s representatives for comment.
The series has already confirmed its cast of professional dancers this year, which will be made up of Giovanni Pernice, Johannes Radebe and Dianne Buswell amongst others.
Two professionals who won’t be returning are Oti Mabuse and Aljaž Škorjanec, both of whom have left the series after seven and nine years respectively.
However, after announcing her departure, Mabuse has seemingly left the door open for a return, saying: “Strictly has been everything to me and has given me this amazing platform that I have. No, I’m not done – it still has a place in my heart.”
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2022. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.
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