Strictly Come Dancing '24 Thread 1 : Who will be our celebs and Pros?

[EineReiseDurchDieZeit]

Starting a new SCD thread for chat prior to the series as the last is about to fill.

These threads are usually helmed by @PolkadotsAndMoonbeams and I normally deputise, but I haven't seen her around in a while

This thread will discuss who has been chosen for the show, but not who has been paired with who as that's a spoiler for the first show.

This is a NO SPOILER thread

Get Ready To KEEP DANCING.

I'm so bloody fed up how much white men can fuck up and still be forgiven, especially if they put on a dress or talk about mental health.

It could be a trap for the BBC tbh.

If the tabloids think that "New Storm as Strictly Hire Domestic Abuser" is a good lever then that's what they'll print, even if they had a story last week about "Courageous England Legend Works To Save Men by Opening Up About His Victory Over Demons".

And another story about "Free Flutter on Paddy Power for Every Reader! Will You Be The Lucky One?"

There wasn't a whisper of dissent from the press when they hired Phil Tufnell of course.

I didn't know that about Phil Tufnell - it was 1994 and he appeared 2009.
Googlable but perhaps I was less obsessed back then. He got roped into the bollock-eating all stars of IAACGMOOH last year according to wiki and came fourth. I haven't thought of him or seen him on screen in years.
What do they do the rest of the time? After-dinner speeches?

Phil Tufnell has a steady job for life commenting on the cricket on Test Match Special and in Australia. He's very likeable and entertaining at that.

Had it been Amanda Holden and not Ant McPartlin who had almost killed a small child whilst drink driving her career would never have survived

D'oh. I didn't look at radio. So he is. And Ramps.
Fair enough <puts him out my head again>
What does Graeme Swann do now?

Well, quite.
She got flack for dancing at her kid's birthday ffs.

I don't know. I'm grumpy today.

Can’t disagree with this!

Claims that investigation result out today?
If cleared, Gio doing the jungle/taking up opportunities with ITV. Never going back to
I'd have thought, even if not cleared, they'd have him on the jungle anyway as the resident bollock-eating baddy.
Swanny nearly got done for drunk-driving back in the day but the positive test was overruled as possibly contaminated. He was dashing out for screwdrivers to rescue his cat!?! They missed out there, he could have done Caroline's Rescue Me routine. I can imagine Oti as a firefighter. Graeme licking her, on the other hand, would also have needed the eyeball-bleach for.

The fake full Strictly list on Reddit nearly had me going for a minute. Nearly.
Then I saw it had nine (nine!) slebs I'd already heard of. so it can't be true
Some good shouts, mind. Stefania should use it as a guide for next year.

Its been a long investigation...be good to have the results out and everything settled. Hopefully everyone will accept the findings with good grace.

EXACTLY. When you can be posthumously shown to be a paedophile but because you sold many records in your lifetime, you can still have a best-selling musical in the west-end... Maddening. Women can just be cancelled for anything. Oh, the misogyny.

Funny you say that, I heard Michael Jackson on the radio for the first time in ages last week. Just looked up the musical, lots of Tony nominations including Best actor in a musical. Set in 1992, it looks at the preparation for the Dangerous World tour, you know, the one he ended in November 93 after becoming addicted to painkillers following the Jordi Chandler lawsuit filed in the September...

Not one musical but TWO! Thriller was in the West End before MJ.

Wholeheartedly agree @MrsJamin

I think Michael Jackson can be classed as too big to fail. Doesn't his music still rake in over a billion dollars every year?

Amazed they haven't released the anodyne statement/findings now to hide behind Southport then Huw.
Someone must have decided that was too brazen a move.

The Daily Mail isn't letting it go, there's another article today about toxic culture, they will definitely print results

Is it actually expected that they will announce the outcome of the investigation?
I read that it was due to come to a close yesterday 🤷🏼‍♀️

I think it was.
I guess it depends on the official nature of it all. Eg is it a disciplinary and therefore confidential? They might just release a statement?
Or potentially theyre all going through lawyers to agree on wording of a statement or similar.

Whatever the outcome, Amanda will be slated. It'll be awful, I think.

A report will have to be drawn up it won't be instantly ready as much as people clamour for it

Yes I guess you're right!
I'm finding it hard to believe it won't go in her favour based on the information that's been presented to the public, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Well, both sides have been feeding info to the papers I think for some time: his, the Mail. Hers, the Sun.
If she hasn't specified precise details of what the bullying entailed then it's subjective unless proven on the footage they've taken. One man's taskmaster-to-success (Michelle) is another's bully-to-breaking point (Amanda/Laura).
Both things can be true.
If she has given precise details (that comment, that joke, that foot, that tone etc) it should be on tape if he never changed when the camera was on/off (iirc she said he was the same throughout/didn't care).
What is the burden of proof for creating a toxic workplace or allowing one to continue if brought to the producers' attention?
They need to apologise for how practises made their contestants feel - how they do this without opening up claims for damages is beyond me. On top of which, how they do this, having let it go on for so long, without Gio having a case for defamation is also going to be a challenge.
They need to admit that there were errors made/lessons to learn without causing more injury. Too late for NDAs now. Perhaps they need to settle with both parties out of court for Loss of income/not protecting either by having no chaperone or psych eval. Win-win. Both winners. Both victims.
I think, on the balance of probabilities, that there is a case there on her part. She was sold a sequinned dream and the reality was a nightmare for her. But our expectations are subjective, what we take from an experience. He is adamant he'll be vindicated. Neither seem like they were ever going to drop it or give in so then it comes down to, who's got the money to sue/take on a big corporation?
Maybe the leaving it so long was to see who folded first? Lawyers are deadly at £700 an hour or whatever the fees are which is why often cases are dragged out deliberately. This hasn't gone to court but ten months has felt like an eternity.

Tom Dean, the Olympic swimmer, has been signed on. Which seems like a good signing. I don't know much about him.

Craig R-H was on BBC Breakfast this morning to talk about his new musical, but inevitably was asked about SCD.

He said that he was totally unaware of the issues as the Judges are kept apart from the pros and celebs. He admitted that his own ballet teacher used to hit him (and classmates) with a cane on their calves during practice but says lots has changed since then. He said that dancers often teach in the same way they have been taught as it is what they know.

I remember watching this year's Olympic-themed Great British Menu and one of the guest judges was, the now retired taekwondo medallist, Lutalo Muhammad. The general consensus was he was rather lovely, rather easy on the eye and should be made to do Strictly. Given all the rumours, though, there don't seem to be many male spots left. I also want Max Whitlock. As for Tom Dean, I am always a bit worried when current athletes do Strictly. It doesn't seem worth the risk.