Entertainment
8 celebrities who said no to Strictly Come Dancing
Not every famous face jumps at the chance to fight for the glitterball trophy… (Pictures: PA)
Strictly Come Dancing 2021 is just a few short weeks away from crowning its winner, with the series dishing up the usual sparkle, sequins and dance moves – not to mention its fair share of romance rumours.
With the glitterball trophy and a hefty payday at stake, it’s little wonder why celebrities sign up to battle it out for the top prize every year.
However, hard as it may be to believe, not every celeb who gets asked to be on Strictly says yes.
As the finale approaches, here’s a look at some of the celebrities who have turned down a shot at the glitterball trophy over the years.
Piers Morgan
Piers hosts Good Morning Britain (Picture: ITV)
Piers Morgan, 56 spoke in 2018 about turning down Strictly, telling The Sun: ‘Dancing is not for me.
‘They’ve offered me vast sums of money to go and humiliate myself on national TV. But I prefer to do it with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in the privacy of my own home.’
From Bake Off to dance-off? (Picture: by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Fortnum & Mason)
Mary Berry
At 86, Mary Berry would be the oldest contestant ever to take part – but it doesn’t look as if we’re going to see that happen – as she previously turned down the chance to have a spin on the Strictly dancefloor
Speaking to Radio Times in 2016, Mary explained: ‘My husband and children would kill me. I have two left feet and would make a terrible fool of myself.’
Nadiya Hussain
Another Bake Off star said no to the glitterball trophy (Picture: Rex Features)
Bake Off champion Nadiya Hussain, 36, was offered the chance to join the 2018 line-up of Strictly but said no, telling Heart: ‘I love Strictly but a rule I’ve set for myself is never do anything that you love because it can kill the magic,’ she explained.
‘If I was a part of it I wouldn’t be able to sit on the couch with my husband and daughter and [watch] and I couldn’t take that away because it’s our thing.’
Noel Edmonds
Dance or no dance? (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)
Noel, 72, told The Sun in the past that he had turned down Strictly on several occasions, saying: ‘They approach me every year.’
He added that his wife Elizabeth Davies thought he should take part saying: ‘I said: “Do you really want to see me spending eight hours a day for four months draped over some half-naked woman?”.’
Sir Patrick Stewart
A national treasure (Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire)
Speaking on Have I Got News For You, the X-Men actor, 81, said: ‘It’s a wonderful show, it’s delightful. I wanted to [do it] at the beginning.
‘And then the tone, it changed somewhat, and I thought… Yeah, I’ll pass.’
Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Ballroom Dancing? (Picture: Mauricio Santana/Getty Images)
The musician, 54, said no to Strictly when he was approached after Oasis broke up – telling BBC Radio 6 listeners: ‘It was just when Oasis split up and I didn’t do anything for like a couple of years.
‘There’s obviously someone there going, “You know what? He’ll be up for it now. He’ll be desperate now”.
‘My manager called me up, saying “I don’t really want to, legally, I have to inform you of this. Are you aware of Strictly Come Dancing?” ‘‘EEE”, the phone goes.’
Maya Jama
Maya Jama has been tipped for the show in the past – but passed (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)
In 2018, Maya said on Good Morning Britain that she turned down a spot on the show, saying: ‘I don’t think now is the right time’
She added: ‘I think I want to let people know who I am a bit more. I don’t want to be the one where everyone goes, ‘Who’s that?”‘
Mel C
Melanie C you later dancefloor (Picture: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
Sporty Spice, 45, did not mince words when explaining why she said no to Strictly, saying to the Daily Star: ‘The problem is if you do Strictly it’s so high profile and you’ll find yourself in the [news] every day. And the money’s shit.’
Strictly Come Dancing continues tonight on BBC One at 7.20pm.
