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As Strictly Come Dancing prepares to waltz back onto our screens, fan-favourite judge Anton Du Beke has confessed that he doesn’t always recognise many of the celebrities taking part anymore.
The 58-year-old ballroom legend, who joined the judging panel permanently in 2021 after years as one of the show’s professional dancers, revealed that age, and the rise of social media stars, means the line-up sometimes leaves him scratching his head.
Speaking about the latest cast of Strictly hopefuls, Anton said:
“When I first started, we sort of knew them, but now as you get older... there are a number of people on the show that I am not familiar with. I mean last year, Tasha? I did not know Tasha. No, I don’t know a number of people on the show.”
Anton admits he had no idea who Tasha Ghouri was - Credit: PA
Anton was referring to model and former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri, who competed in last year’s series. Like many viewers, Anton admits that the growing number of influencers, YouTubers, and TikTok stars on the show can be a bit of a puzzle.
However, he insists that not knowing them doesn’t affect his judging.
“You don’t know who they are, but that is normal,” he explained, adding that it’s part of the fun to discover their personalities and watch them grow as dancers each week.
This year’s line-up is already generating buzz, with contestants ranging from actors and comedians to athletes and social media personalities. Anton joked about being initially confused over one of this year’s stars:
“There is that lovely boy George Clarke doing it this year. I thought it was the buildings fella, George Clarke the architect.”
Strictly Come Dancing continues to be one of the BBC’s biggest Saturday night shows, pulling in millions of viewers and sparking debates in living rooms across the country about who should take home the coveted Glitterball trophy.
While Anton hasn’t seen enough of the celebrities in action yet to predict who might go all the way, he says that’s part of the magic:
“You get to watch them week by week, and someone you think might go out early suddenly becomes a fan favourite. That’s the joy of Strictly.”
Fans have taken to social media to praise Anton for his honesty, with many saying they too no longer know all of the names on the line-up, but still love watching the show for its feel-good entertainment.
A new crowd of celebrity faces will take to the dancefloor in a matter of weeks - Credit: PA
Strictly’s new series kicks off this Saturday, promising glitzy costumes, dazzling routines, and plenty of drama as the latest batch of celebs take to the floor.
