Strictly celebs must pass a dancing test before they're signed up
One does not simply sashay into the ballroom...
If you thought the Strictly Come Dancing celebs simply decided it was about time they donned the glitter and waltzed into the ballroom, think again. They have to pass a dance test before they can take part.
"It's a little tester to see if they are able to get on with a partner, if they’re able to cover basic moves, all the rest of it. They just have a little shimmy about," a source close to the show told us after new unveiling, DJ and presenter Melvin Odoom, revealed he'd turned up to his test wearing a Rumba outfit ("I thought it would be funny," he said on the KISS Breakfast Show).
"It’s a session that he would have done to see if he’s good enough," said the source.
"It’s not about the ability to dance, it’s about chemistry and being able to learn things... whether they can learn. Whether they can count steps in their head."
It's not clear whether the pro dancers are there during this trial in front of execs, but we're told it's not part of the pairing up process and that that is "completely unrelated".
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This is all done before the full final line-up is confirmed. Which means there are those in the past who haven't made the cut after this toe-tapping trial. This might come as a bit of a surprise, given some of the stars who have made it onto the show. Shifting wardrobes comes to mind. So clearly willingness to give it a good go and an ability to laugh at oneself do count for something.
As for who has been chucked onto the Strictly scrapheap, that we're yet to discover.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC1 later this year
