Strictly Come Dancing will be waltzing its way back onto our television screens this autumn and the words on every fan's lips at the moment is "who will the celebrities be this year?" Directors usually sign up a varied list of actors, comedians and sportspeople, with the occasional social media star and politician, and usually announce the line-up over the summer months.
But for the first time ever, bosses involved in the hit BBC series are reportedly looking to sign up two very special celebrities - none other than the Queen's granddaughter, Lady Louise Windsor, 18, and 43-year-old England rugby star Mike Tindall, husband of Princess Anne's daughter, Zara, reports the Mirror.
With this year marking Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, and Strictly's 20th series, directors are said to want to make the celebrity line-up the strongest it's ever been - and feel that adding a Royal to the mix would do just that. To get the latest What's On newsletters from WalesOnline, click here
Read more: BBC's Strictly Come Dancing to bring in massive changes for 2022 series
"The team are doing all they can. In the year of the Platinum Jubilee, it has been a real priority," a source told The Sun. "It would be an incredible coup to secure a royal."
And with Mike Tindall being part of the royal family and a former World Cup rugby player, he would potentially draw in even more viewers as he'd appeal to both fans of the Royal family and sports fans too. Whilst Lady Louise Windsor could potentially attract the interest of younger viewers to the hit BBC show. Who would you like to see on Strictly Come Dancing? Share your suggested celebrities in the comments below this article.
Another Royal reportedly being discussed by Strictly bosses is Lady Amelia Windsor, granddaughter of the Duke of Kent. The 26-year-old is 43rd-in-line to the British throne but is perhaps best known as a successful fashion model.
The news follows talks of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, being "open" to Strictly Come Dancing filming a special episode at Buckingham Palace. The Duchess is said to be a "superfan" of the programme and keen to give her blessing to the series - though her official representatives at Clarence House did decline to comment on rumours an episode would be filmed at the royal residence. A new series called Becoming Elizabeth, which was filmed in Wales, has started - read here about how to watch it and where in Wales it was filmed.
A source told The Sun that the royal couple were "very much driving" the chance of Strictly coming to Buckingham Palace and said "the BBC couldn’t quite believe what was being offered." The source added that, if approved, the episode - thought to be the quarter-final or semi-final of the series - would make a "wonderful spectacle" and would be "TV dreamland".
This year's series will see Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman return as hosts, with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton du Beke making up the judging panel. Fan favourite Bruno Tonioli has left the BBC show and will not be a judge this series.
Last year's series of Strictly Come Dancing, which ran from September to December, 2021, saw EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, 27, and her professional dance partner Giovanni Pernice, 31, lift the glitter ball in the series' final. The pair had been praised by viewers throughout the series for their musicality and beautiful dancing - and were particularly celebrated for the way they incorporated Rose being deaf into a poignant and moving dance number. The pair were also praised for receiving the earliest perfect score in the show's history, scoring 40 out of 40 in week six.
This year's line-up has not yet been shared. But alongside Mike Tindall and Lady Louise Windsor, other famous names rumoured to be appearing in this year's series are TV chef and presenter Gino D'Acampo, TV presenter Helen Skelton, Olympic diver Tom Daley, presenter Emma Willis, comedian and actress Dawn French and TV presenter George Webster, who made history last year by becoming CBeebies' first presenter with Down's syndrome.
Find out about things going on where you live:
