Pete Wicks and Tasha Ghouri join Strictly Come Dancing line-up

The popular television personalities Pete Wicks and Tasha Ghouri have been revealed as the newest additions to the star-studded lineup of the next season of Strictly Come Dancing.

Information about the 2024 participants has been announced daily this week. The lineup includes Go Compare's Wynne Evans, singer/actress Toyah Willcox, TV doctor Punam Krishan, comedian Chris McCausland, and JLS star JB Gill.

The recent news comes as the popular BBC series is embroiled in controversy, with an inquiry into claims of mistreatment occurring backstage.

Wicks, known for his appearance on The Only Way Is Essex, received congratulations from his pal and future 2023 Strictly contestant Zara McDermott. McDermott is among the well-known figures who have spoken out about their experiences on the show.

But, she expressed that she had never felt as thrilled before when she announced his news on social networking sites.

Wicks and Ghouri appeared on the Kiss FM morning show, where Wicks expressed feeling a combination of excitement and intense fear, truly scared.

Talking about his main concern about participating, he mentioned: "The most common fear is probably the possibility of making a big mistake, like falling down."

There are many stairs, and it's not just about dancing. People rush up the stairs to talk to Tess and Claudia, but I'll likely just end up sliding back down.

Explore further: Dancers share their experiences of intense training at prestigious schools. An ex-Strictly Come Dancing contestant confirms witnessing potential trouble ahead. Another Strictly star claims that 50 hours of footage is being prevented from being shown.

Ghouri, born with hearing loss and wearing a cochlear implant, became well-known after appearing on Love Island in 2022 and connecting with her boyfriend, Andrew Le Page.

Based on news reports, she was in a relationship before with ex-Strictly dancer Giovanni Pernice, who is involved in the scandal. He exited the show earlier in the year and has refuted claims of any "harmful or intimidating conduct".

After her appearance on Love Island, Ghouri has taken on the role of advocating for the deaf community. She has collaborated with officials from Downing Street and the Department for Education.

During a radio interview, the question was posed about which professional dancer she would like to dance with on Strictly Come Dancing. She expressed her desire to be partnered with Johannes Radebe, whom she has yet to meet, saying she would love to work with him.

Ghouri is skilled in dancing, however, she mentioned that participating in Strictly Come Dancing would be a fresh and exciting adventure for her.

"I haven't danced in a long time. Since appearing on Love Island, my career has taken a different path," she explained. "I may not excel at ballet like some, as my training is in commercial dance. I'm looking forward to expanding my skills and mastering new dance styles."

Ghouri is inspired by the example of the show's initial deaf participant, Rose Ayling-Ellis, who secured Strictly's sought-after glitterball prize while dancing with Pernice in 2021.

McCausland, the initial famous person revealed for this year, is the program's initial visually impaired competitor.

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Who else is anticipated to attend?

Additional famous individuals will be revealed in the upcoming days.

More celebrities rumored to be part of the line-up are Nick Knowles from DIY SOS, Paul Merson, who used to play for Arsenal, Jamie Borthwick from EastEnders, Shayne Ward, winner of The X Factor, and Sam Quek, an Olympic athlete.

Montell Douglas, who rose to fame as Fire in Gladiators, and Sarah Hadland, known for her role in Miranda, have both joined the lineup, as reported by The Sun.

Unofficially, professional swimmer Tom Dean has hinted that he will be competing on the dance floor as well.

After the recent uproar surrounding the reported mishandling of participants on the program, the BBC has revealed fresh measures to enhance care and assistance for the next season. This includes the inclusion of minders to supervise rehearsals in the training room consistently.

The findings of the inquiry initiated after the accusations have not been disclosed yet.