Real reason why this year's Strictly line-up is so weak and could spell the END of show as ratings plummet

The Sun

a day ago

THE annual Strictly line-up unveiling usually means bookies pinpoint their favourite contenders, rank outsiders and some potential dark horses.
But this year, in a move likely to rock BBC bosses, betting giants are offering odds on this being the show's final outing.
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Within an hour of the 15 celebrities being confirmed yesterday, Ladbrokes said there was an 8/1 chance the competition would NOT be back.
It cited the 'underwhelming' line-up, and falling viewing figures for the bleak prediction.
The final three names — former Lioness Karen Carney, Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn and showbiz reporter Ross King — clearly didn't impress.
But other worrying trends in the line-up emerged too.
For a second year running just six women have signed up, compared to nine men. Previously the split had been roughly 50/50 between the sexes.
Negativity still lingers
Last year the phenomenon was attributed to the Giovanni Pernice scandal, with some fearing it had put off women from joining.
The Italian prof had been accused of bullying behaviour towards Amanda Abbington on the 2023 show.
Amid that investigation it emerged fellow professional dancer Graziano di Prima had kicked his 2023 Strictly dance partner Zara McDermot t, and he was fired last July.
No doubt the Beeb hoped those dark clouds had dispersed, not least because blind comic Chris McCausland's 2024 triumph helped bathe the show in a positive light.
But this year's lack of participants from big TV programmes suggest negativity still lingers.
Conspicuous by their absence are any non-BBC soap stars.
In previous years there has been a peppering from Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks.
Similarly other shows that normally offer up their big talents — BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, This Morning, Loose Women — have kept their distance ahead of the 23rd series starting next month.
Pop stars, fashion icons and politicians have also steered clear.
A TV insider said: 'There's an air of caution among big stars and big shows, who all seem to be biding their time to see if there's still a whiff of the scandal that tainted the show last year.
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'That's been borne out in some of the payments made to stars this year, even those who you wouldn't consider to be A-listers.
'Rumours are that savvy agents have bumped up their fees knowing the talent pool has shrunk.
'There are even whispers that big stars were toying with taking part, then decided against it after careful consideration.
They haven't condemned the show to history quite yet, they've just adopted a 'wait and see' approach
TV insider
'The fear seems to be that the Giovanni saga, combined with the Gregg Wallace affair on MasterChef and the Huw Edwards debacle, have left Auntie Beeb looking more like a weird uncle.
'They haven't condemned the show to history quite yet, they've just adopted a 'wait and see' approach.'
Strictly previously landed huge stars and popular household names, particularly in the early years — from fashion icons Jodie Kidd and Jerry Hall to Spice Girl Emma Bunton and Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh.
Politicians including Ann Widdecombe, Ed Balls and even former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith have all donned their dancing shoes.
Other belters who have taken part are Kym Marsh, Jason Donovan, Sus­anna Reid, Gillian Taylforth, Denise van Outen and Holly Valance.
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This year there is just one soap star, EastEnders' Balvinder Sopal. As with Gladiators' Nitro, both were selected from Beeb programmes — making them safe bets for the broadcaster.
The rest are made up of reality TV stars Vicky Pattison and Dani Dyer, three sports figures — Karen, Chris Robshaw and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Then there's George Clarke, who is virtually unknown outside of YouTube, and drag artist La Voix.
The only other actress is ER and Doctor Who star Alex Kingston.
And Thursday's reveal of former Apprentice candidate Thomas Skinner — known for his outspoken ­political views on social media — caused instant controversy.
The show faces a particularly tough challenge to win over audiences this year too, with viewing figures on the wane.
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In 2021, Strictly's first episode had 9.1million views, and its second had 10.6million. By last year that had fallen to 7.4million and 9.3million respectively.
That's an average fall of 1.5million views over three years — or 500,000 annually.
Few other shows could justify continuing at that rate of decline.
'Odds against them'
Adding further to its woes is the fact BBC stablemate Celebrity ­Traitors is expected to air this autumn, which could not only confuse viewers but make Strictly pale by comparison.
Both are hosted by Claudia ­Winkleman and feature a large group of famous faces competing with each other before someone is voted out.
But Celebrity Traitors boasts an A-list line-up including Stephen Fry, Alan Carr, Tom Daley, Jonathan Ross and Clare Balding.
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It's better, some would say, than the new selection of Strictly stars.
If the two series air during the same weeks, viewers might feel forced to choose just one — and the hugely popular newcomer's first star-studded outing is more likely to triumph.
Then there are inevitable comparisons with other celebrity-based shows, such as Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity, both on ITV.
This year Big Brother had Hollywood's Mickey Rourke topping the bill.
While over the past four years A-listers including Coleen Rooney, Nigel Farage, Matt Hancock, Boy George and David Ginola have competed in the jungle smash.
It seems the days when the appeal of the show alone could bring in huge stars may have passed.
TV insider
An insider said: 'Of course the BBC can't be seen to splash cash on huge names in the same way that commercial channels and streamers are able to.
'The irony is that this year they haven't splurged on big names, but in some cases they ended up pay­ing over the odds for talent anyway.
'It seems the days when the appeal of the show alone could bring in huge stars may have passed. Now bosses will be praying they can one day bring them back.
'But the odds are, literally, against them.'
A BBC spokesperson said: 'We're delighted with our Class of 2025.'
My View
By Rod McPhee
LIKE many BBC shows, Strictly has become a casualty of other people's bad behaviour and mismanagement - but it still remains one of Britain's best loved TV programmes.
And as we've seen in the past, star-studded line-ups don't always provide the greatest entertainment or, indeed, the most inspiration.
Only EastEnders fans would have known who Rose Ayling Ellis was back in 2021.
But the deaf actress had the nation crying tears of joy with her 'silent dance' which helped her win that year's contest.
Remember Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher was brought in from the show's reserves bench after Jamie Laing injured his ankle?
He proved such a dazzling sensation he also took home the glitterball in 2019.
Does the fame level of the competitors matter? Yes, it does, certainly in terms of gauging how the show is viewed in the showbiz world.
But it isn't everything - and it certainly doesn't diminish its ability to consistently thrill and surprise us all.
So let's not be too quick to kill the one thing so many of us love by seizing on every sign that its star might be fading.
Few programmes that have been on our screens for 21 years are going to have a constantly smooth ride, let's not derail it prematurely.