Sequins and spray tans at the ready because the most fabulous show on TV is officially back. That’s right, Strictly Come Dancing is returning this month for its 20th series as 15 brand new celebrity contestants take to the dancefloor in the hope of winning the coveted Glitterball trophy.
Among those taking part this year is X Factor runner-up and Hits Radio presenter Fleur East, who has been spilling the tea about the Strictly WhatsApp group – and it sounds LIT.
Chatting exclusively to heat ahead of the series premiere, Fleur revealed the group chat is “popping off”.
She told us, “It’s very active. Honestly, if you keep your eye off it for ten minutes there’s, like, sixty messages. We’re all just in it. It’s so funny.”
According to her co-star Matt Goss (of 80s boyband Bros fame), Fleur is the “leader” of the group.
He said, “I don’t do anything. I just watch it. It’s like watching one of those novels.”
“He’s like a bystander,” Fleur added. “Every now and again you get a little voice note.”
So, what’s the topic of conversation in the Strictly WhatsApp group then? Whose outfit is going to be the most bedazzled? Which celeb will get partnered with Italian stallion Giovanni Pernice? Well, according to Paralympian Ellie Simmonds, it’s actually, err, ice…
“This morning we were chatting about ice because we don't have a bath up here and some of them do. We were jealous! We were shaking ice in the bath for recovery because we’re all really sore. It’s day one!”
Fleur, who has been tipped as an early frontrunner, also opened up about whether being a popstar gives her an advantage. She explained, “Usually when we’re on stage, we’ve got a mic in our hand, we’re freestyling, we can move how we want. There’s no rules. Whereas now, we’re going to get in the ballroom and we have to know our steps and we have to have the correct posture.
“We have to point our toe and we have to spin and we’re going to be judged, so that level is quite scary. Someone told me the other day, even the beat in the bar is not going to help us apparently. There’s some dances where the counts are weird and they don’t even do it to an eight.”
Strictly Come Dancing starts on Friday 23 September at 7pm on BBC One before the first live show on Saturday 24 September.