The first trailer for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing is here – as head judge Shirley Ballas and the pros strip down to skimpy swimwear for an eye-popping poolside routine.
It’s the annual sign that fans must kiss goodbye to summer as they get ready to cosy up to weekly episodes of the hit reality dance competition.
The 30-second clip sees Strictly’s professional dancers and head judge Shirley enjoying one last burst of summer at a fabulous pool party, held in the grounds of a glamorous mansion.
The trailer gives an early taste of a sizzling full-length routine that will form part of Strictly’s hotly-anticipated launch show, airing on Saturday September 20.
With bright colours, inflatable flamingos and barely-there swimwear, the party is in full swing.
And it soon turns into a dazzling group number, that will feature appearances from fellow Strictly judges Anton du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse.
Fans will also see the debut of Strictly’s brand new pros, Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon, whose arrival makes a big splash.
Strictly Come Dancing: The Launch Show will reveal who this year’s 15 celebrities will be paired with, as they each come face-to-face with their pro dance partner in a series of specially-filmed, surprise-packed sequences.
The launch show will also feature a spectacular group dance where all 15 celebs and their partners take to the floor for the first time.
It comes amid fears that some celebrity contestants on this year’s Strictly may have been using weight loss jabs ahead of the new series, which has reportedly caused a ‘heightened state’ among production.
It has now been reported that some of the celebrities have been or still could be using injectable weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy, in order to slim down ahead of the show.
The drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists, were initially developed to treat diabetes and work by mimicking a hormone to make users feel full.
However, Strictly bosses are said to have become concerned that if any celebrities are using the medication they will not be eating enough, and could risk not getting the vital amount of calories needed to take on the intense and gruelling competition.
According to The Sun, ‘talk is rife backstage’ over which stars are using the jabs.
And the BBC has also reportedly been left in the dark as contestants do not have to reveal what medications they are on.
An insider told the publication: ‘The BBC will continue with their normal protocols which see them closely monitor the health of the contestants throughout the time they are on the show, with any sign they’re unwell or struggling physically acted upon immediately.
‘Beyond that they are powerless to intervene in any way, and not just because the stars aren’t obliged to tell them, it’s also because the medications are prescribed substances which they are entitled to take.’
Strictly stars often find that they lose weight just from the constant exercise and gruelling rehearsals, that take place over at least five days a week, for up to 12 hours a day, with a number of celebrities reporting to have shed several pounds by the end.
But another source claimed that one reason that stars could start taking up the jabs in the lead up to the show was that many worry about looking good from the start, especially wearing the signature revealing and skintight outfits.
They said: ‘A number of them will have known they are in the line-up for some time and may have started preparing months ago.
‘And they’ll be wanting to do everything they can to look incredible right up until training begins.’
