Former shadow chancellor Ed Balls has been confirmed as the first contestant on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Ed appeared on Chris Evans’ Radio 2 Breakfast show to announce the news. The official Strictly Twitter account also confirmed the news by simply tweeting ‘Ed Balls’, recreating Ed’s infamous 2011 mishap when he accidentally tweeted his own name whilst searching for himself on the social media site.
Ed Balls
— BBC Strictly ? (@bbcstrictly) August 8, 2016
Speaking to Chris, Ed described it as “a dream come true” but that he was “scared to death”.
“I’d like to say I’m just really excited about learning to dance on TV, but the truth is I’m also scared to death. Making a speech in Parliament seems a piece of cake compared to this, but hopefully I can stick around for a couple of weeks, and have a lot of fun in the process,” he said.
Strictly is a firm favourite in our living room, and it feels like a dream to be going on myself, especially for Len’s last series. I’m just hoping it doesn’t turn into a nightmare too quickly!
Ed also declared that he was going to shower his midlife crisis with sequins. He said: “I’ve taken the view that if you have a midlife crisis, make sure you plan it well and enjoy every minute.”
The former shadow chancellor’s wife, MP Yvette Cooper, who was a tap and ballet dancer as a teenager, shared her envy on Twitter.
So, so envious #Strictly @BBCRadio2
— Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP) August 8, 2016
This is the first announcement of many, with presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman teasing that this year’s line up has something for everyone. It is certain that Strictly will go all out this year, as it will be head judge Len Goodman’s final year on show.
Who else are you hoping to see on the line up? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @CelebMix.