The Strictly Come Dancing 2024 line-up will feature fewer female celebrities than ever before, according to a report.
Famous names signed up for this year’s BBC One dance contest include comedian Chris McCausland and singer JB Gill.
But The Sun reckons the final, confirmed list of celeb participants could be lacking in terms of female representation by comparison to how many men are involved.
Furthermore, the tabloid suggests that could be due to the scandal that has dominated showbiz headlines recent weeks.
Strictly Come Dancing 2024 line-up
Amid various reports about who else will be taking part in Strictly 2024, the news outlet also names Gladiators star Fire – also a former Olympic sprinter and bobsleigh athlete – and Miranda actress Sarah Hadland as participants.
Others linked with a spot on the show include Morning Live contributor Dr Punam Krishnan, Love Island cast member Tasha Ghouri, Toyah Willcox, and Sam Quek.
The Sun also claims this means there’ll be a total of six women celebs on the show – and nine men.
The tabloid indicates Strictly usually aims for a 50-50 split when it comes to casting male and female celebrities.
And they also quote an unnamed insider as singling out “controversy” concerning the investigation into conduct on the show as a probable reason for the change.
Strictly scandal
The source is said to have told The Sun: “Looking at the figures, it’s hard to see how the ongoing controversy over bullying could not have affected the recruitment process for this year’s Strictly.
“At no point in the show’s history has there been such a small proportion of women.
At no point in the show’s history has there been such a small proportion of women.
“It probably wasn’t the landmark number they wanted, given the show is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.”
Additionally, the insider is quoted as saying there were indications fewer women might be involved.
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They suggest this is evidenced by sacked Graziano Di Prima not being replaced with another male pro.
And it is also claimed this means the chances of a woman making it to the final are also slashed.
The last time only six women were cast on Strictly was in 2020, during the pandemic. But that tally was equal to the number of men taking part.
ED! has approached representatives for Strictly Come Dancing for comment on The Sun’s story.
Read more: Strictly 2024 contestants: Tasha Ghouri and Pete Wicks latest stars to join the line-up
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