We won’t get our next instalment of Strictly Come Dancing until September, but there’s already a queue of celebrities longing to take part.

Advertisement

However, we can strike Ben Shephard off the list, after the Good Morning Britain presenter joked that his wife of 15 years, Annie Perks, wasn’t so keen for him to waltz onto the dance floor.

Shephard, 44, made the admission on GMB when he hosted alongside former Strictly alumni Susanna Reid, Richard Arnold and Kate Garraway.

“Three quarters of us have unashamedly busted out our moves on national television,” Reid announced. “Ben Shephard, it is time for you to get onto Strictly.”

“You know why I can’t do it?” Ben replied. “Because my wife doesn’t want me to have an affair.”

More like this

“Oh, because of the curse of Strictly?” said Reid. “Actually that’s a really good point, it has been pretty bad recently.”

“Really bad,” added Shephard.

The so-called Strictly ‘curse’ has doomed several relationships over the last few years, the most recent casualty of the ballroom being winner Stacey Dooley – who reportedly split with her boyfriend of three years, Sam Tucknott.

Elsewhere, Seann Walsh and then-girlfriend Rebecca Humphries, broke up after he was spotted kissing his partner Katya Jones.

Shephard’s claim comes days after TV historian Lucy Worsley ruled herself out the Strictly 2019 line-up.

"I love Strictly Come Dancing , but my husband made me sign a 'pre-nup' to say I would never take part," she said to The Mirror.

"Partly because they always run off with their professional dance partner and partly because he thought it would be really bad for me – I love sequins and showing off a bit too much already. He hasn't specified anything about about Dancing On Ice, however."

Advertisement

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC 1 in Autumn 2019

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement