1 week Ago By [email protected] (Bethany Whittingham)
is set to be the wildest series yet – as dancers refuse to push their celebrities. Fans of the beloved dance competition have been highly anticipating the return of the reality show, as they gear up for the 20th anniversary special. The star-studded line-up has already been announced, with the likes of JLS hunk JB Gill and beauty Tasha Ghouri set to take to the stage.
Over the past 12 months, the beloved ballroom show has been surrounded by scandal following Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice’s bullying probe. It is understood TV execs are desperate for the investigation to come to an end before the new series starts on September 14. While producers continue to work hard behind the scenes, self-confessed party animal Pete Wicks is expected to bring the fun back to the programme.
Now telly insiders have revealed “the reins are off” as the star-studded cast prepare to take to the stage this weekend. Speaking to the , the insider claimed: “There is a feeling in the camp that the celebrities just want to have fun this year and due to all the dramas of last year, show bosses and dancers aren’t putting pressure on celebrities and keeping reiterating that it’s a fun show, and to just enjoy the ride. “Pete Wicks is known for his wild partying ways and has already been rubbing off on the ither celebrities.
One year, stars self-imposed booze and sex bans but this year the reins are off. If there’s going to be a year where the stars end up partying – this is it.” sources confirmed the new relaxed atmosphere explaining how “there is no standard or expectation to live up to.
It's about learning a new skill. Each celebrity contestant has their own ‘journey’ on the show.” It comes after bosses announced that each contestant would be escorted by a chaperone throughout the series, following the bullying scandal.
This year there are nine men competing in the competition, which features the fewest number of women ever in its history. Speaking about the allegations, DIY SOS star Nick Knowles explained that the cast and crew have been brilliant from the get go. He told press: "The thing is, we're only just starting our journey now so this relationship with the team, this is all we know.
“All I can say from my point of view is that we are so being looked after in terms of our dance partners, the management, we've got psychological support if we need to talk to anybody at any stage, we've got physios that look after us. So from our point of view, it's just an amazing experience." Fans will have to stay tuned to see how the contestants fare in the upcoming show.
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