With Strictly Come Dancing set to return on screen later this year, there are already quite a few famous names rumored to be this season's cast of contestants.
BBC's Strictly Come Dancing is a British television dance contest that has been running for 20 years since its screen debut back in 2014. In the show, celebrities will be paired with professional dancers to practice before they take to the dancefloor to compete for the coveted Glitterball trophy. Typically, Strictly Come Dancing kicks off in the autumn/winter schedule on BBC One, with the line-up announced in August.
This year, the 20th season of the show is featuring Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, and Anton Du Beke who will return to the judging panels. It is confirmed by Metro that Bruno Tonioli and Aljaz Skorjanec have left the show for good. Seating as hosts will be regular faces Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. However, the most important and eagerly-awaited part of the show is, undeniably, the group of celebrities who will join as contestants.
Ahead of Strictly's launch in a few months' time, there has been no confirmed information about the line-up, but speculations are already piling up. From football icon Tony Adams to Olympic gold-medallist Tom Daley, here are the celebrities rumored to be joining the dance show.
Tony Adams
For fans of football, Tony Adams is no stranger. The 55-year-old legendary footballer was famous for captaining both Arsenal and England in his prime. A one-club man, Adams spent his entire 22-year career playing for The Gunners and is considered one of the greatest Arsenal players of all time.
According to Metro, the former center-back has been linked with Strictly Come Dancing 2022 and even reportedly signed a contract. A source told The Sun:
‘This is shaping up to be a fantastic year for Strictly. They are thrilled to have brought a footballing legend of Tony’s stature to the table.’
The source added that Tony's presence will attract the audience, saying:
‘Tony is a really good sport and has a great sense of humor, which people will get to see for themselves on the Strictly dance floor. He is also not afraid of a challenge and will get really stuck in it.'
If Adams could make it, he would join the squad of former soccer stars to star in the primetime show, alongside ex-goalkeeper David James, TV pundit Robbie Savage and England's most capped footballer ever, Peter Shilton, as reported by Express.
Kym Marsh
Another rumored candidate for Strictly Come Dancing is ex-Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh. The 46-year-old actress rose to prominence as a singer in the band Hear'Say before becoming a household name with her role in the British soap opera. Since 2020, Kym has been co-hosting the morning lifestyle show Morning Live.
Kym has been linked to Strictly several times but never actually got to the dancefloor. This year, however, the BBC is reportedly trying to sign a deal with Kym. A source told Express:
'They are pulling out all the stops to sign Kym as well. She has been a target for them for years, and while it is not a done deal, they are very hopeful.'
Gino D’Acampo
Italian celebrity chef Gino D'Acampo has been a regular fixture of many cooking shows such as Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip, as well as hosted his own popular programmes, including the Gino’s Italian Escape series. He rose to fame in 2004 when starring in This Morning and went on to win the 2009's I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.
According to Digital Spy, D'Acampo once turned down the offer to join Strictly due to his packed schedule, but he has been one of the names rumored for this season. A source told The Sun:
'He also has serious star appeal, having been on This Morning for 13 years and winning I'm A Celebrity.'
Tom Daley
At the age of 14, Tom Daley went down in history as the youngest ever British diver to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games - the biggest sporting event in the world. The Plymouth-born diver claimed his first Olympic medal four year later, winning bronze in the men's platform at the London Games before securing another three, the most recent of which came from his gold medal in the 10m synchro in the Tokyo Olympics.
As one of the biggest media personality in British sporting world, Tom is a hot pick for TV shows. He's currently caught in a battle between I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and Strictly Come Dancing, according to the Dailymail.
Scarlett Moffatt
Scarlett Moffatt became a household name as she won I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! back in 2016 before starring in the reviewing show Gogglebox. The 31-year-old TV personality once opened up about her interest in dancing as well as love for Strictly, and has long been tipped to become the show's contestant.
Scarlet told Digital Spy back in 2021 regarding the possibility of joining the show:
‘The Strictly people think I’m this pro dancer because I do a few dances on TikTok. I think everyone thinks I’m a professional dancer.
She added:
'I just love dancing. It just makes you feel happy. Anything that makes you feel happy, I would sign myself up for.'
Aside Tony Dams, Kym Marsh, Gino D'Acampo, Tom Daley, and Scarlett Moffatt, other rumored candidates to join Strictly this season include Adam Thomas, Louis Theroux, Mike Tindall and Lady Louise Windsor.
