Ian Waite, a former professional dancer on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, has defended the calibre of celebrities the dance competition has signed up.
After joining the BBC show in 2004, Waite danced with a host of famous faces across his seven series on the show, including Denise Lewis, Zoe Ball, Penny Lancaster, and many more.
Waite was also on hand to lend his expertise to spin-off series It Takes Two, welcoming new contestants every weekday and analysing their performances from the weekend.
And while he may no longer be involved in the pro line-up, the professional dancer still keeps a keen eye on the show, especially ahead of its 20th-anniversary special this year.
However, this year’s Strictly has been somewhat marred by the ongoing investigation into its pro line-up’s conduct in years gone by as well as a backlash to the names that have signed up to perform.
The fury surrounding the line-up dominated online chatter once all 15 contestants were unveiled, with some on online message boards branding it “the worst line-up ever” and others aiming criticism at the Beeb given it’s Strictly’s big 20th-year special.
As a result, some critics have even mulled over the possibility that this may mark the end of Strictly, with bookmakers at fairbettingsites.co.uk telling GB News there’s a 4/6 (60 percent) chance the show will end after 2024.
But Waite has predicted there’s plenty of glitz and glam to come from the world of Strictly despite the ongoing investigation and criticism of its 2024 line-up.
He told GB News*: “I remember in 2004 doing my first series, and that was the second ever series of Strictly. I remember my dad saying to me, ‘Well, you know, if you get two years out of the show before it’s not on TV anymore, then you’ve done well!’
“I was on the main show for seven years, and then the spin-off with Zoe Ball It Takes Two for 10 years. So for me, I was part of the Strictly family for 17 years. So who would have thought before Strictly happened that it would be such a successful format?
“I remember hearing about the first series and I thought, how is that ever going to work? A celebrity beginner dancing with a professional. How, in a few weeks, are they going to get them up to this amazing standard?
“I was actually living in Holland, and I moved back home after seven years in Holland during the first series of Strictly.
“I remember how captivated the audience was straight away. It was Saturday Night Live entertainment, and it was thrilling to watch.
“Even at that point we had Christopher Parker, who was terrible, and he just kept getting through, but it was so entertaining. He had to go through because the audience loved him, and I think that’s the beauty of Strictly.”
Turning his attention to the criticism of the stars’ celebrity status by some, he continued: “A lot of people say they don’t know many of the celebrities when they first come on the show, and, by the end of it, they love them and they’ve fallen in love with their character.
“They’ve fallen in love with the charisma of the couple, and I think that’s what hooks people onto the show.
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“I do think it’ll be here in 10 years time, just because the format is so brilliant and it captures the imagination of the audience.”
This year’s Strictly kicks off with the launch show on September 14 before the first live show of the series the following week.
*Waite was speaking to GB News on behalf of Buzz Bingo.
