SCD 2024 #2 : First slebs announced, warm up continues - No Spoilers Please (added by MNHQ at request of the OP)

[EineReiseDurchDieZeit]

KEEP DANCING EVERYONE

Hopefully this thread will see some closure to the unpleasantness in the form of findings; as well as the build up to the beginning.

He was also on Celebrity MC, so I have seen him there. I've never heard of him before that.

The name means nothing to me but if he was on celeb MC I will probably recognise him (unless he went out early in a week I was away/busy.

They usually take it in turns 8 men 7 women then 8 women 7 men.
It's often alternated and then in more recent years you've had same sex partnerships too.
This year should have been 8 women 7 men plus it was time for a third same sex female partnership (as we've had John Richie and Layton, but only had Nicola and Jayde).
If the rumours are true and we've got 9 men and 6 women, and no same-sex relationships, it's gone a bit awry - especially as so far across 21 series, you've only had

9 female celebs winning, compared with
12 male celebs

It's quite nicely alternated the last four years so maybe a male winner would keep up that pattern but if they do lose female contestants early, it becomes Last Woman Standing far too soon.
You can argue it's nice for the current female pros' odds as only two have won from the current roster (Jowita and Katya) except only two of the current roster of male pros have won: the defending champion Vito (who I think will be paired with SH) and Aljaz.

Having 50% fewer women than men feels too imbalanced. It's a bit like they've said, 'Right, the solution to female celebs complaining about poor treatment is to not have so many of them. We can't trust the male pros to behave themselves around them.' It's not as if the rumoured male cast is so stellar that there's no-one they could have passed by. I could understand them saying, 'OMG, Andrew Garfield has actually agreed to do it. We'll drop White Dee.'

Hopefully the Sun has got it wrong, because it's all a bit off.

Maybe they're short of male pros with all the scandals.

They're not. At the time of confirmations perhaps they were two down (which would make sense why 8 women went to 2) if it were not for the fact that Aljaz was signed up and you still have Neil.
Even if Jojo is off doing Kinky Boots, you still have enough pros given the benched don't always substitute anyway.

They've got eight male pros. Ten female.

Aljaz, Johannes, Neil, Nikita, Kai, Carlos, Vito, Gorka.

Lauren, Michelle, Nadiya, Nancy, Karen, Amy, Jowita, Katya, Luba, Dianne.

Plus, I remember reading about pro dancers auditioning for Strictly. They are overwhelmed with applicants even for backing dancer slots. If they needed extra pros they would have no trouble finding them.

Love Pete Wicks. His podcast with Sam Thompson is great, he is very naturally and funny and doesn't take himself seriously. Plus he is involved with animal charities

So the 8 women who should have been this series could have been catered for - e.g. 7 male pros used from the 8, one sub, 1 same sex partnership.
Sub could have been Jojo (or Neil - who I really did/do want to have a third shot. He knows the doctor already) plus you have the lovely Josh in the troupe from DTWS Australia (partnered Courtney Act).
So either they panicked initially then went with who they had, or no lesbians/allies available or women have been put off from doing it because of all the press. The latter is harder to believe (Where are you Michaela Strachan, Scarlett Moffatt, Chyna Mills, Lisa Scott Lee and Claire from Steps?!)

I'm confused- where Have you got the info that there will be way more men than women celebs?

It comes from an "official final list" published in the Sun. The Sun does sometimes have the straight goss, but has also sometimes confidently declared people to be in who actually weren't.

On this occasion there is some evidence (Instagram follows etc) that they've got some solid leaks, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they've got all 15 names right.

To be honest, I'm a bit sceptical about those complaints. It's a live show with a hell of a lot of potential complications, and it involves a bunch of exhausted contestants way out of their comfort zones. It's inevitable that sometimes people will get impatient and bad-tempered. You'd have to be stupid to go into that not expecting to have to grow a thick skin very quickly. There's also a distinct whiff of people jumping onto a bandwagon and telling reporters what they think reporters want to hear.

Sorry - we don't know 100% - we're speculating on a Sun article, which personally I hope is incorrect. That list has been referred to on Tattle, Digital Spy and Reddit but we're spoiler-free here so we haven't gone into massive detail as to who else is on it, but easily googlable.

Two more announcements this morning on GMB .

Sorry on Lorraine so will be after 9.

Shayne Ward is the latest announcement. He looks vaguely familiar. <goes off to Google>

Sarah Hadland confirmed!

And Sarah Hadland!

I feel like I know Shayne Ward too, but not sure why. Possibly confusing him with Shane Warne.

Pleased about Sarah Hadland but it's looking increasingly likely that the Suns's 50% more men than women list was right.

No one I'm thrilled about yet. Shayne Ward does seem to be scraping the barrel 😔

Shayne Ward won X Factor in 2005. He's one of the people I've actually heard of this year.

Wow so weird they want more men than women.

I don't watch Corrie,but Shayne was in that for a while.

Did none of you watch the Good Ship Murder he was in last year? It was really poor but oddly entertaining 😆

I only saw it on Gogglebox but it looked hilarious.

Yes I'm pleased about her, but worried that it's further evidence that the Sun is right.

Not only a strong male bias but as Monkseal pointed out on Digital Spy, no out LGBT contestants after a year that was notable for homophobic abuse.