Jaime Winstone was close to tears as she emotionally discussed how close she was to being the first celebrity to be voted off this year’s Strictly Come Dancing algonside Carlos Gu
Jaime Winstone on It Takes Two
Strictly’s Jaime Winstone was seen holding back the tears as she opened up on the stress of the first dance-off of the series. The actress found herself in the bottom two on Movie Night following the public vote.
Thankfully for the daughter of Ray Winstone, the judges were all on her side, unanimously voting to let her return to the dance floor next week. But speaking to host Ellie Taylor on It Takes Two, Jaime, 41, was clearly emotional as she opened up on the experience alongside her professional dance partner Carlos Gu.
She revealed her emotional rollercoaster after narrowly avoiding the chop. Instead, celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton was sent packing alongside Amy Dowden.
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Jaime said: “It has been really emotional, there were certain things that Chris said yesterday – you really do go back to that child in school going ‘I don’t fit in’ – when actually some of the greatest things about you are what make you stand out.
“Yeah, a lot of insecurities happened yesterday. But you know, it’s not how you fall, it’s how you get back up again.” Carlos was caught in his first dance-off in three years. And he revealed the situation had left him heartbroken. But he claimed his feelings were more for his partner than himself.
He said he felt the decision was “unfair”, with his words leaving Jaime to well up. As she clutched her partner’s hand, he went on to praise how much she had grown as a dancer in such a short space of time.
In the dance off, Chris and Amy performed their Cha Cha to I’ll Be Ready from Baywatch, before Jaime and Carlos performed their Cha Cha to Oh, Pretty Woman from Pretty Woman.
Carlos also recently shared his heartache at friend Amy’s early exit or the second year running. Speaking out about the early elimination, Carlos took to Instagram on Monday. He said: “My heart is broken!!! To my sister from another mother @amy_dowden, to @chrisappleston1, I wish people could [have] had more chance to see what a beautiful human you are!”
On Sunday night, Strictly aired it’s first results show of 2026. According to ratings data shared by Digital i, Sunday’s show drew in 4.5million viewers, compared to 6.2million last year.
This comes after it was reported that the first live show of this year’s series peaked at 5million viewers. This dropped by more than a million year on year, as 2025’s first live show attracted an average of 6.2million views.
But a Strictly spokesperson said: “Strictly was the most watched programme of the night, with a peak of five million viewers. As ever, overnight ratings do not give the full picture of all those who watch in an on-demand world.”
Fans of Strictly Come Dancing made their thoughts clear after the first dance off of the series sent one emotional couple packing after just two weeks
20:16, 04 Oct 2026Updated 20:16, 04 Oct 2026
The first dance off left one Strictly couple heading for the exit(Image: BBC)
Strictly Come Dancing fans were shocked as the first celebrity was sent packing after Movie Week. Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton was emotional after he was cut from the hit BBC competition after losing in a dance off against Jaime Winstone.
The stylist, 43, who has worked with the likes of Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, was near the bottom of the leaderboard with a score of 33 after two weeks of dancing.
And it was the end of the road for Chris and his pro partner Amy Dowden, who were tearful at the decision They performed their Cha Cha to I’ll Be Ready from Baywatch, before Jaime and Carlos Gu performed their Cha Cha to Oh, Pretty Woman from Pretty Woman.
Jaime was unanimously saved buy the judges and lives to dance another day.
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Viewers took to X to say: “i so wish amy and chris’ partnership could’ve lasted longer 🙁 , a partnership i wanted from the very beginning.”
Another said: “SO sad to see Chris and Amy go. I don’t think they deserved to this week. Imo it should’ve been Melanie and Aljaz. But the public vote how they want to. And honestly I do still think Chris would’ve done MUCH better in a same sex partnership, but it was his choice. #Strictly.”
And a third said: “God I can feel myself crying for Chris and Amy. It’s so unfair.”
It’s the second time in successive series that Amy has been dumped at the first hurdle. She also got the boot alongside The Apprentice’s Thomas Skinner in 2025.
Chris said he had felt a “whirlwind of emotion” and said: “I’m 43 and got good at doing what I did which is hair. So to come into something like this, I felt so out my comfort zone.
“I saw myself in a way I’d never seen myself and challenged myself in ays I never knew I’d be challenged. But I’m very grateful for everyone who’s been involved.”
And he said having a friend in Amy is something he is thrilled with, before saying he wished he could have helped her go further. The professional dancer added she is “heartbroken” but her heart is only breaking because she doesn’t get to dance with Chris any more.
Fans were shocked after Melanie and Aljaz avoided the dreaded dance off despite being rock bottom of the judges’ leaderboard. One user said: “melanie must have got more votes than loads of people to get through over jaime who was much higher on the leaderboard #Strictly.”
The show was a huge success with fans tuning in too. A Strictly spokesperson said: “Strictly’s movie week was the most watched programme of the night, with a peak of 5.6 million viewers. As ever, overnight ratings do not give the full picture of all those who watch in an on-demand world.”
The Celebrity Traitors got under way in dramatic fashion this week and traitor Richard E Grant admitted he ‘just went mad’ with one of his decisions.
Richard E Grant has spoke about his Traitors experience
Celebrity Traitors star Amol Rajan has said Richard E Grant told him that he “just went mad” when he decided to remove him from the game.
Writing in his newsletter Amol said he asked Richard why he chose to eliminate him and the actor replied: “To protect myself. And that’s a compliment!”
Amol replied: “But if you really wanted protection, you should have recruited me. That would have been a compliment!” He says Richard told him: “Ah yes, that makes sense. But I think I just went mad.”
Traitor Richard gave away the game almost immediately in the show’s second series when the actor admitted he was a traitor, despite the aim of the game being to hide the fact.
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Richard was picked by Claudia Winkleman to be one of two contestants picked to be a traitor – a player who attempts to “murder” others on the show while pretending to be an ordinary participant.
But rather than go under the radar, Richard announced his role as a traitor. And he has now admitted to Amol Rajan that he doesn’t know what came over him.
Richard and fellow traitor, Love Island host Maya Jama, chose to murder the former BBC presenter in episode two.
Amol explained: “He said: “I was so thrilled to be chosen as a traitor that, in my unguarded excitement, I said, ‘Of course I’m a traitor.’ I clearly need to diffuse all the heat that’s coming in my direction.”
Richard added: ““Well, the game had actually started, I was so relieved that it started because I had been so blatant about saying I came into this thing and it’s called Traitors, because I wanted to be a traitor.
“So when I walked into the bar, somebody said, ‘so you’re a faithful or a traitor?’, and I said, ‘I’m a traitor’, of course.”
While Amol admitted he would have liked to have been recruited to be a traitor, that accolade fell to comedian James Acaster.
The decision left Amol being murdered from the game and speaking on The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked on Friday, he said: “It’s hard not to watch it and think I, obviously, with 20/20 hindsight, I played the wrong game. That was a crazy, crazy once-in-a-lifetime [opportunity].”
He went on: “I think I would have been quite a good traitor because I’d actually known what it was like to be a faithful.”
And in advice to Richard he said maybe the star should have tried to stay off the radar a bit more rather than confess so blatantly. Amol said: “I think the one tactic that you should try to abide by is to keep a little bit, you know, fly under the radar a little bit for the first few days. Just shut up for the first few shows.”
After the second episode left fans wondering what was to come in a tense cliffhanger, viewers have to wait until Thursday to find out. Celebrity Traitors isn’t on again until Thursday (October 8, at 8pm), with the show once again doing a Thursday-Friday double.
The Celebrity Traitors airs on Thursdays and Fridays on BBC1 at 8pm.
Model Jerry Hall will tonight find herself in some uncomfortable situations on Celebrity Traitors – but she should be used to navigating awkward social situations after her string of controversial romances
Jerry will make her debut on Celebrity Traitors tonight(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/BBC Creative)
Model Jerry Hall will need to put her acting skills to the test on Celebrity Traitors tonight if she’s cloaked up and hoping to deceive her co-stars.
But the 70-year-old is no stranger to navigating awkward social situations after her numerous high-profile and controversial relationships. The Texas-born star was a long-term partner of Rolling Stones icon, Sir Mick Jagger, with whom she shares four children.
She was also married to American businessman Rupert Murdoch, who owns numerous newspapers worldwide and previously owned Sky. But why did she split from arguably two of the most powerful men in the public eye? Here, we look at Jerry’s relationships and the reasons they broke down.
Sir Mick Jagger
Jerry and Sir Mick first met in 1976 at a dinner party. At the time, she was engaged to British singer and Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry. Sir Mick was also married to Bianca Jagger at the time.
Just a year later, the couple began an affair, and Jerry eventually left Bryan. Later that year, Jerry seemed to be a positive influence on Sir Mick, encouraging him to quit both heroin and LSD. By 1990, they had tied the knot in a traditional Hindu wedding in Bali; however, they were not legally married.
Just two years later, though, their relationship was plagued by allegations of infidelity on Mick’s side. Despite working through their differences, things came to a dramatic end in 1999.
It emerged that Mick was expecting a child with Luciana Gimenez Morad, who later welcomed a son Lucas Maurice Morad Jagger. Jerry subsequently filed for divorce, with British courts declaring their 1990 marriage void due to a lack of legal registration.
The pair later came to a “mutually acceptable legal and financial settlement”. She later said that she found annulling their relationship rude, but remained on good terms with Mick. These days, the pair have a very close blended family.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2010, Jerry said: “Getting a divorce is always horrible, because you feel you’ve failed. Everyone hates to give up on a marriage. You think your family’s broken up.
“But we managed to keep the family quite strong and to still be friendly. Divorce is not the end of the world. It’s worse to stay in an unhealthy marriage. That’s a worse example for the children.”
Rupert Murdoch
In 2015, Jerry started dating Rupert after his sister and niece introduced them. By October of that year, the pair went public and were seen attending the Rugby World Cup final together in London.
Their relationship went full speed and they got engaged in January 2016. Rupert announced their news in the Births, Marriages and Deaths page of The Times newspaper, which he owns. He popped the question with a staggering 19-carat marquise diamond ring.
Just three months later, the pair tied the knot at Spencer House, followed by a bigger celebration at St Bride’s Church on Fleet Street, with Rupert saying he felt like “the luckiest and happiest man in the world” as their friends and family gathered to witness their big day.
But despite their relationship going from strength to strength, including the purchase of a sprawling $200 million cattle ranch in Montana in December 2021, things soon came to an end.
Fast forward to June 2022, and their marriage was over. Rupert emailed Jerry, informing her that the marriage was over and that she should now contact him only through his lawyers. The divorce was later leaked to The New York Times.
Just a few days later, Jerry officially filed for divorce in Los Angeles, citing “irreconcilable differences”. The divorce was finalised just a few weeks later, with legal representatives for both parties saying that they ” remain good friends and wish each other the best for the future”.
While details about their settlement haven’t been disclosed, it was reported that Jerry received tens of millions, as well as an £ 11 million Oxfordshire mansion, as part of the settlement.
Jerry Hall might be one of the most recognisable faces in modelling, but tonight, the Celebrity Traitors star has claimed her uncle was responsible for the capture of Bonnie and Clyde
20:15, 01 Oct 2026Updated 20:16, 01 Oct 2026
Jerry Hall is ready for her latest role as Traitor catcher(Image: Laurent VU/SIPA/Shutterstock)
Jerry Hall insists being the perfect Faithful is in her blood as she joins the cast of The Traitors – but just how accurate are her claims?
The fabulous Texan supermodel tells the cast of the BBC show that her uncle was responsible for capturing infamous American outlaws Bonnie and Clyde. The couple roamed the United States with their gang during the Great Depression between 1932 and 1934 indulging in a spree of criminal acts kidnapping, bank robberies and even murder.
They were eventually ambushed and killed by a law enforcement posse, led by retired Texas Ranger Frank Hamer. Jerry, 70, proudly tells her co-stars her uncle was in the group that finally caught the on the run lovers.
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“My relations were all law enforcement officers,” Jerry says. “My uncle was a Texan Ranger – he caught Bonnie and Clyde. So beneath this dumb blonde is a smart brunette.”
Bonnie and Clyde’s reign of terror came to a dramatic end on May 23, 1934, when law enforcement killed them in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. The six men who were responsible for the capture of Bonnie and Clyde were Texas Ranger Captain Frank Hamer, Texas Ranger Maney Gault, Dallas County Deputy Bob Alcorn, Dallas County Deputy Ted Hinton, Bienville Parish Sheriff Henderson Jordan and Bienville Parish Deputy Prentiss Oakley.
Only two of Jerry’s uncles are publicly named – Walter Zane Sheffield and Gerald W. Hall. However, it is possible that Jerry had more uncles on both her maternal and paternal sides, who were not publicly shared. Jerry was born and raised in Texas, where Bonnie and Clyde ran their crime ring. But while no direct link is known, Jerry and her sister, Cyndy, made a cameo appearance in the 1980 movie Urban Cowboy, which featured southern culture associated with the area.
Although The Traitors is filmed well in advance, in the Scottish Highlands, Jerry recently revealed that her children, daughters Georgia and Elizabeth, as well as sons Gabriel and James, with former partner, Mick Jagger, expressed their concerns.
Jerry said they told her age was not on her side if she participated in the show, which often involves gruelling and tiring challenges. “I did tell my four children, and I told Mick that if any of the children had a problem, they were to call him because I was busy,” she said.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Jerry went on to add: “They worry. They’re like, ‘You think you’re younger than you are. You and Dad are always doing things that you did in your twenties that maybe you shouldn’t be doing now.'”
However, while her children have warned her to slow down, Jerry is not taking any notice. Instead, she says she is “very competitive” and always wants to win during family games, as does her former husband, Mick, with whom she maintains a close relationship.
Presenter Sara Pascoe has claimed she was ousted from her role on Great British Sewing Bee and said the BBC chose to replace her with a younger woman.
18:28, 23 Sep 2026Updated 18:28, 23 Sep 2026
Sara Pascoe no longer appears on Sewing Bee(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Love Productions Ltd)
Sara Pascoe has claimed she did not leave her job on the BBC‘s Great British Sewing Bee role saying she was “replaced me with a younger woman”.
The comedian, 45, had presented the BBC contest in 2022 and 2023 before taking a year off after welcoming her second child. But shortly after returning, it was announced that Sophie Willan, 38, was to take over the year’s Christmas special and series that followed.
She’s now made it very clear it wasn’t a decision she was part of. She was asked on Harry Hill’s podcast: “There’s The Great British Sewing Bee, do you still do that?”
Bluntly, she responded: “No. They replaced me with a younger woman. Showbusiness is harsh.”
Harry went on to ask: You gave it up, right?” But she hit back: “No I didn’t, absolutely not. I’m, I’m very lucky for the work I’ve had, I’m very gracious, I have bought a house, I send love and light to everyone.”
When Sophie was announced, the BBC said: “Sara has been a brilliant, witty and much-loved presence in the sewing room and both the BBC and the Bee team thank her for three wonderful series.”
Commissioning editor Cal Turner added: “We are delighted to welcome Sophie Willan to The Great British Sewing Bee. With her boundless enthusiasm and energy, Sophie will bring her own unique spark to the sewing room alongside Patrick and Esme.
“We’d also like to thank Sara Pascoe for three brilliant series – her humour and charm have been a joy for viewers and stitchers alike.”
And Tom Davies, Executive Producer Love Productions said: “We are so excited to have Sophie join the Sewing Bee team and we cannot wait to see what she brings to the Sewing Room.”
Earlier this month it was confirmed the new series was already being filmed. Judge Patrick Young praised Sophie for her hosting skills and said the show is kept ‘fresh’ by bringing in new presenters.
“Sophie is amazing,” Patrick said. “I was a massive Alma’s Not Normal fan. Quite often, we get told who is going to be coming on, and I had to pinch myself. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I loved Alma’s Not Normal’. She’s brilliant, she’s so fun.
“Esme loves her. She just helps create the most amazing atmosphere on set. We’ve been making the show for a long time. A lot of the crew and everybody behind the scenes are the same, but it’s lovely having somebody come in and give it a little zhuzh.”
EXCLUSIVE: Strictly Come Dancing legends Vincent Simone and Brendan Cole have had their say on the divisive new presenting trio of Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe.
Strictly Come Dancing’s Josh, Emma and Johannes hosted for the first time on Saturday(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Guy Levy)
Strictly legend Vincent Simone has branded one new host of the hit dance show ‘lost and nervous’ after their debut showing on Saturday. He didn’t hold back as he laid bare his thoughts – but he did hold special praise for another, admitting they pleasantly surprised him.
All eyes were on the new trio of presenters on Saturday night prime time as Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe took centre stage after the exit of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. But Josh felt the wrath of Vincent, who labelled him a “lost lamb” before saying he hopes it’s just first show nerves.
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Vincent went on: “Emma, professional as always. But I’m sure she was probably as nervous as everybody else. There’s a huge amount of pressure on their shoulders to hold a show together which is essentially new but old.”
And he admitted Johannes’ style shocked him. “Johannes surprised me in a good way,” he said. “I thought he was going to be all flamboyant, running around, talking about himself.
“I don’t know the guy, I’ve met him a couple of times but I thought he seemed really professional and seemed like he was doing a really good job as a host. I heard he was just going to be roaming around, talking to the couples and what have you.
“He would have been as nervous as hell. They all would have been. Given that, I think he did a good job.”
The opinion was matched by Brendan Cole, who also had his say on the new hosts, admitting he would have hoped for a Bruce Forsyth vibe to take the hot seat. He said: “I wanted the old-school class of the likes of Brucey [Bruce Forsyth].
“There aren’t many around that good that you could choose from, but it’s a big world out there. I’m sure they could be found. I want somebody old school. I want somebody triple threat – actor, singer, dancer. Somebody who, when they’re at the helm like Brucey was, absolutely knows showbiz like the back of their hand.”
But despite his disappointment, he held out praise for Johannes too. “I liked Johannes, actually. He did really well for the first show. I didn’t know what his role was going to be, and I think he held himself very, very well.”
Fans also had their say shortly after the launch show on Saturday and were divided in their opinions. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan said: “I know it’s only the first few minutes, but I just cannot gel to there being three hosts #strictly.”
Another defended the line-up, adding: “3 presenters was an interesting choice by producers but Emma, Johannes and Josh really do work together. Natural already.” And it was also backed by no-nonsense judge, Craig Revel-Horwood who branded the new trio “fabulous”.
Vincent and Brendan were talking to the Mirror on behalf ofSky Vegas.
Strictly Come Dancing has finally confirmed which professional dancer each celebrity will be taking to the dancefloor each week, following weeks of speculation
19:59, 19 Sep 2026Updated 22:20, 19 Sep 2026
Strictly threw a major spanner in the works for the celebrities this year(Image: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)
It was all cha-cha changes at Strictly Come Dancing as the celebrity and pro dancer partnerships were finally revealed amid a big show shake-up.
This year, though, there was a twist. While the celebrities often find out who their professional partner is ahead of the series, they actually found out while recording the launch episode. They each rehearsed with a dancer in the lead-up, but this didn’t mean they were paired with the professional for the rest of the series. Instead, they rotated partners throughout the day.
Dani Dyer said the twist had “thrown a spanner in the works” after she danced with Nikita Kuzmin during their training day, before the pros rotated once again.
EastEnders favourite Lacey Turner has former champ Vito Coppola as her teacher. Lacey said she felt “amazing” after being paired with Vito, and the Italian dancer added that he was “very, very happy” before saying he would cook for Lacey.
Dame Sarah Storey has been paired with Julian Caillon. She told Josh and Johannes that she was excited to be working with Julian. Meanwhile, returning star Dani Dyer, who had to leave the 2025 series early following an injury to her ankle before the live shows began, is back dancing with Nikita Kuzmin.
“I’m so happy, I can sleep now, I’m over the moon,” Dani said about making history. Nikita said he had “tears of joy” hearing the audience react to the news that he had been paired with Dani again. The reality star said she was hoping to make it to week one of the live shows after having to withdraw last year.
Gavin and Stacey actress Melanie Walters has teamed up with show veteran Aljaž Škorjanec. “I’m absolutely thrilled, on the very first day when we had to dance with everyone, you put me in a practise hold, I said it’s like steering a tractor,” Melanie said of dancing with Aljaž. The dancer said that the twist was one of the “funnest” experiences on the dancefloor.
Actress Jaime Winstone has been partnered with Carlos Gu. Speaking of working with reigning champ Carlos, Jaime said: “I’m so excited, I feel like we match energies. I’m super ecstatic.”
Former Manchester City midfielder Shaun Wright-Phillips is with American dancer Alexis Warr. Shaun said of wanting to excel on the show: “I like to enter things and be as good as possible, the pros are the margin, and that’s what I’m aiming for.” Alexis thinks that Shaun is already at a professional level.
House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia is part of this year’s same-sex pairing with Nancy Xu. The actress credited Nicola Adams and Katya Jones, who danced as a same-sex couple on the show, with playing a huge part in her coming-out journey. She said she was incredibly excited to follow and lead with a woman.
Reflecting on working with Nancy, Bethany said that the pair instantly bonded when they first met. Bethany later explained that she was a “perfectionist” and Nancy had been “amazing” at reassuring her. “My nanny’s name was Nancy, and she passed away at the start of the year,” Bethany said, adding that it was “special” to be dancing with the star.
Olympic gold medallist Tabby Stoecker will be working with one of the show’s five newbies, Mark Karmalita. “I’m so happy, and I get to be your first partner on Strictly,” the Olympian told Mark.
She added: “That’s sort of amazing.” Mark said: “I’m going to try and be fun, caring and supportive,” he said of his teaching skills. The sports star went on to reveal she’s keen to learn the rumba – and score a perfect 40 for the dance!
Songstress Delta Goodrem is dancing with Kai Widdington. The singer said she was “honoured” to dance with “incredible dancer” Kai.
Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb and Jowita Pryzstal will dance together. Speaking of dancing with Jowita, Lawrence said that fans will have to “stand by” to see more excitement from him. “Now we’re into hard work mode, what a feeling, what a rush,” he joked. Jowita said she was “so nervous” before being paired with Lawrence.
Kim Kardashian’s hairdresser, Chris Appleton, is dancing alongside show legend Amy Dowden. Chris said he was overjoyed to dance with Amy. “Over excited, I’m that little kid that used to watch this show on a Saturday night,” he said. Amy, however, said that her hair would get bigger every week if Chris were her partner.
Love Island winner Cach Mercer with Maddie Ingoldsby. The reality star said he was “pleased” to have Maddie, adding that she was “strict but cheeky” and that she’s able to cut the “banter”.
But Maddie said she was a “little bit strict” depending on the day. Cach’s family have also vowed to provide honest feedback, which is making him “doubt himself even more”. “This is a whole different playing field,” he said.
Football interviewer and former air traffic controller John Nellis is partnered with Katya Jones. The pro star revealed that John “messed up” in the lead-up to being partnered with the social media star. John later explained that he had “worked out” that he was dancing with Katya.
The ‘Dogfather’ Graeme Hall has been partnered with Lauren Oakley. “Tonight, I got four tens getting you, I’ve always wanted Lauren,” he told his professional star. He explained that his pals told him he would be “really lucky” to get Lauren as a partner. And the dancer believes that Graeme is a “dark horse” and will put his “all” into the show. However, she will have to “put a lead on him.”
Big Brother and Hits Radio presenterWill Best is dancing alongside show regular Dianne Buswell. Speaking about getting Dianne as a partner, Will said that when he “gets down it’s difficult to get back up again”.
He added: “I’m already a winner, I feel like a champion already just getting her. We’ve been having so much fun training. We finish each other’s sentences.” Dianne added that they were the “perfect pairing”.
Ahead of the first episode, Emma Willis revealed her nerves over the new show starting. Speaking on her BBC Radio 2 show, she said: “It feels like a very long lead-up to this, but also very quick.”
Talking about being a part of the Strictly experience, Emma added: “It’s very strange having that peek behind the curtain – I mean this in a positive way – it’s a beast of a show. It’s just fantastic. It is so exciting, me and Josh and Jojo are looking forward to it so much…
“I’m excited but nervous. I’m going to turn my phone off and disappear for a few days.” Joining her on the radio show – her last for a while as Ellie Taylor will be manning the fort until Strictly is finished – was one of the show’s judges Anton Du Beke. He told her: “I love it as much now as I did when I first walked in.
“It’s only Craig [Revel Horwood] and I left from the very first show – and that fills me with great pride.” Speaking about the five new professional dancers, Aleksandra, Cristian, Lethabo, Maddie and Mark, he said: “What I love though, there’s no place I’d rather be is in the rehearsal studio with dancers, it’s the most brilliant place.
“These five are as giddy – they can’t believe their fortune.” Giving his verdict on the celebrity line-up, Anton and Emma were discussing British cycler and swimmer Dame Sarah Storey, before he began pitching for his own knighthood.
“Love it when we have a Dame or a Sir,” Anton said. “We don’t have enough of them – we need more of them. If they make me a Sir, then we can just cover that base every year, straight away. I’ve been around long enough to be a Sir. Surely a knighthood should come my way at some stage? Can we start a petition?”
Wayne Rooney is reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ to enter the I’m A Celebrity jungle later this year, with sources claiming the former Manchester United legend will be the biggest signing in the show’s history
21:39, 19 Sep 2026Updated 22:13, 19 Sep 2026
Wayne Rooney is reportedly in talks to join I’m A Celeb(Image: BBC)
Wayne Rooney is set to embark on a reality TV career on I’m A Celeb. It comes almost two years after his wife, Coleen, entered the Australian jungle following years of speculation.
Would you tune in to watch Wayne in the jungle? Let us know in the comment section below, by clicking here.
They added to The Sun on Sunday: “Coleen proved to be hugely popular when she took part two years ago, and bosses think Wayne is going to match her success.
“ITV have been in negotiations with him for some time and are thrilled that they’ve reached this stage.” The publication goes on to claim that Wayne’s wife, Coleen, is expected to join him in Australia, alongside their three youngest sons, to offer support to the former footballer.
An ITV spokesperson told the Mirror: “Any names suggested for I’m A Celebrity are just speculation.” It wouldn’t be the first time that the Liverpudlian had shown his love for the programme. When Coleen entered the camp two years ago, he said he was “proud” of her and encouraged the public to vote for her to take on a trial.
While Wayne enjoyed seeing Coleen show a different side of herself in the camp, the couple later joked that he would take part in the show one day. Now, he wants to give his wife of almost two decades a run for her money.
Last year, Wayne said he was “gutted” that he wasn’t part of the line-up, which consisted of the likes of Aitch, Lisa Riley, Ruby Wax, Alex Scott, Jack Osbourne, Martin Kemp and winner Angry Ginge.
After hearing that Mancunian rapper Aitch and streamer Ginge were entering the camp, Wayne said: “I spoke to him last night, and he was still in England, so I don’t know if he is…
“No, Ginge is a great lad, and I’ve seen who’s linked as well, so if he is in there, I’m sure he’ll be really entertaining. If he’s in it and Aitch is in it as well, I’m gutted that I didn’t go in because I think the three of us could have been real fun in there.
“I’d be all right with the food situation, but I get bored, and some of the challenges, you know, the snakes and there was one a few years ago with the big ostrich. I wouldn’t like that.”
He went on to add: “I love the show and obviously Coleen was in it last year and maybe at some point but not this year, unfortunately.”
The news comes just hours after Wayne revealed he’d made a major change in his life. The pundit explained that he had given up booze, and rather than reaching for the bottle, he now opens up to Coleen about any issues he’s facing.
The Mirror has approached Wayne’s spokesperson for comment.
Aussie queen Delta has been working in the music industry for over 25 years, as she was just 15 when she signed her first record deal!
Since then, she’s toured with Celine Dion, Olivia Newton-John, Andrea Bocelli and more. She even competed for Australia at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and in typical Australian fashion, has had a recurring role on Neighbours.
Now, she’s head to the Strictly ballroom. “I feel very much ready to grab my dancing shoes, hit the ballroom, find as much glitter as possible to put on my shoes,” she said. “I am approaching it with a total open heart, and I am just wanting to learn the new skill set!”
Delta will be cheered on at home by her husband Matthew Copley, whom she married in 2025 and has been in a relationship with since 2016. Delta has previously been in relationships with Brian McFadden and Nick Jonas.
Strictly Come Dancing is reportedly getting a new spin-off show, its first new show in 22 years, and it will be led by pro dancer Dianne Buswell
Dianne Buswell at the BAFTAs(Image: PA)
Strictly Come Dancing is reportedly getting a new spin-off show, 22 years after It Takes Two launched. According to TV insiders, the BBC’s dance competition will launch Strictly Pro Dance Off, led by popular star Dianne Buswell.
The show would see Strictly’s pro dancers go head-to-head in dance challenges and would launch alongside the next series, which launches this Saturday.
In it, a ‘teacher pro’ would show a dance routine to two other stars, who would then perform it on the dancefloor, with the ‘teacher’ picking who did it best. The winner would go on to the next week to face another star. Each duel is set to last seven minutes, so the show is short and draws in the social media generation.
According to The Sun, a source said the goal was to appeal to a younger audience. “It’s obviously part of the renewed drive to bring in a younger market to the show, which, along with hiring more influencers to compete, is seen as future-proofing the contest,” the source explained.
They added that there would be “inevitable” comparisons to the US version of Dancing With The Stars, as their series, The Next Pro, also featured professional dancers competing in head-to-head challenges. The source acknowledged that they were “different formats” but said the focus on the pros would still cause some to see similarities.
The source also said that Strictly was putting more of a focus on the pro dancers as they are aware that much of the appeal of the show comes from the public’s love for pros like Dianne.
Another popular pro dancer is Johannes Radebe, but he will not have a partner this year – as he has been announced as one of the three new hosts.
Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe are the other two, replacing Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. Unlike Claudia and Tess, who had fixed roles on the dancefloor and in the ‘Claudetorium’, Emma, Josh and Johannes will operate in a more fluid team.
There are set to be a lot of changes to the hosting roles this year. Emma previously revealed that she and her co-hosts would be dancing as well, which Tess and Claudia didn’t do. “We have to dance in the opening show, the three of us together have some choreography,” she said.
Johannes seemed excited by the plans. “Can you imagine?” he laughed. “For my own mental health and well-being, I need to be shaking my tush. You’ll see me, and not only me, in the launch show — there’s going to be more dancing than you’ve ever seen.”
The three of them also shared that Claudia and Tess sent them good luck messages. Emma said: “They have been in touch with all of us, sending love and congratulations and just saying enjoy it – it’s so fun.”
Experienced host Emma Willis knows what to expect in some ways and just wants to bring ‘joy’ to Strictly viewers in the same way Tess and Claudia did
Strictly has a new trio hosting the show this year with Emma joined by professional dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe.(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Ray Burmiston)
Defiant Emma Willis says she knows the new Strictly Come Dancing series will bring her and the other new hosts lots of abuse and criticism – but she won’t engage with it. Emma, former Strictly professional dancer Johannes Radebe, 39, and comedian Josh Widdicombe, 43, will take over later this month from long-time hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who stepped down last year.
Emma is used to comparisons with other hosts having fronted Big Brother after Davina McCall and Brian Dowling. But she vowed to ignore the haters and just wants to try to enjoy the experience. She said: “I’m ready for the comparisons. I am ready for the negative opinions that can come with these things. Those things I don’t engage with or read, and there are always positives as well.
“At the end of the day, I feel like it’s really simple, right? We we work in this industry, and we’ve been given the opportunity to work on a phenomenal show that is really well loved by the public and also by ourselves. We we aren’t reinventing the wheel, and we’re not rocket scientists.
“We’re working on an entertainment show about dancing that is meant to hopefully bring joy to everybody watching it. So hopefully we can be a small part of that joy and have a really lovely time doing it.”
She added: “There’s obviously a kind of fear that comes with it because of the enormity of it, and you have nerves about being good enough to kind of do the job and step into the role.”
The trio were a surprise choice to make up the presenting team and they admitted they were also a bit shocked to be picked. They gave the impression they were unsure if they were in pole position to get the jobs, saying their final audition was the “very last of the callbacks on a Friday afternoon”. They had also been told it would be a pair presenting and so Josh presumed it was “two weirdos against each other” and he was being pitched head-to-head with Johannes, only to end up working with him and more established host Emma.
Comedian Josh also said that while they would not “reinvent the show”, they would “be ourselves and our personalities will be there”. He added on taking the job: “It’s like you only get one opportunity at this career. We’re incredibly blessed that we’ve got where we are in our careers, and just why not?”
Johannes was initially nervous but after speaking with his agent was more confident. “If anybody was afforded this opportunity amongst my peers[dancers], any one of them would jump at it.”
Emma turned 50 in March, but rather than seeing that milestone as a time to reflect or slow down, is arguably enjoying her most successful stage of her career. She said: “I think maybe there’s more of a reframe needs to be had around 50 and as you’re getting older, you should slow down or change or maybe not do as much. I feel more invigorated at 50, I’m more like I’m more sure of myself. I know what I want to do. I’m not going to apologise for myself and my successes like I’ve done for the last 25 years.
“I’m not about to step down and slow down for anything. So I say, bring it on. You know, life is short. So take these opportunities when they they come your way, because at some point they’ll stop.”
* Strictly Come Dancing will return on Sunday September 19 to BBC One and iPlayer.