Strictly Come Dancing hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess DalySwimmer Tom Dean and EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick have become the newest additions to this year’s Strictly Come Dancing line-up.
Of course, the Olympic gold medallist’s placement on the Strictly cast has been known for some time, after he accidentally let slip he’d been cast on the show following his wins at the games in Paris.
Since then, he’s remained tight-lipped about the BBC dance show when quizzed about it in interviews, but finally confirmed he was taking part on Thursday afternoon.
“You may have heard me accidentally say it poolside first,” he joked. “But now I can officially talk about how excited I am to get stuck into something new, meet some brilliant people and get dancing. Bring it on!”
And of course, fans were all saying the same thing on social media after the news was finally confirmed.
“This is brand new information!” one viewer joked in the Instagram comments, referencing the iconic Friends meme, while another wrote: “Worst kept secret that mind!”
“This is a total surprise,” another sarcastically commented, while a fellow fan agreed: “What a shock.”
(acts shocked) but also yay!! exciting :) https://t.co/QqkeDmsY6N
— Bethan ???? (@congotsja) August 8, 2024
what a shock! ???? https://t.co/tDRfZG4Oiz
— Corey Terrett (@terrettcorey) August 8, 2024
Another of the worst kept secrets https://t.co/QxeppT2T5a
— SadieTrent_92 (@sadietrent_92) August 8, 2024
https://t.co/dtIDfxhLYspic.twitter.com/tkpIt3w44x
— Nick Walker (@nickw84) August 8, 2024
https://t.co/0dbJTIPeeypic.twitter.com/PfNUg3voRt
— Steven Perkins (@stevenperkins) August 8, 2024
Jamie, meanwhile, is best known for his portrayal of Jay Brown in EastEnders.
He’s no stranger to the Strictly ballroom, after performing in last year’s Christmas special and even scooping the coveted Silver Star trophy (an accolade that fellow Strictly 2024 contestant JB Gill can also boast about).
“I had a ball doing the Strictly Christmas special last year, so when I was asked to join for this series it was the easiest yes!” Jamie said.
“This is a fresh challenge and it will be so different to be learning a new dance every week and for the public to have their say. I’m hoping to be Salsa-ing around Albert Square in no time and I’ll be asking my Walford Strictly alumni for some words of wisdom. See you on the dance floor!”
Nine more Strictly celebs were announced earlier this week, including stars from across the world of music, TV, sport and beyond.
The full line-up is expected to be confirmed later this week, although it looks like it may have already been leaked in the tabloid press.
