[Nicky91]

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entert...ye-newsupdate/



The next series of BBC One juggernaut Strictly Come Dancing is creeping up and the latest rumours have named former rugby star Ugo Monye as the first celebrity on the line-up.

The ex-athlete, who played for the Harlequins across a successful 13-year run, has recently become a big name at the BBC, announced as one of the new team captains on long-running quiz show A Question of Sport.

That high-profile new gig makes him a very plausible inclusion for the Strictly Come Dancing 2021 line-up, with The Sun claiming that he is officially signed up for this year’s competition.

The tabloid states that Monye’s friend Jamie Laing, who placed a respectable third in last year’s edition, talked him into doing the show, despite his lack of dance experience.

“Ugo can’t wait to get out on the dancefloor and show off his moves. He’s not known for his dancing, but he isn’t afraid of a challenge,” an inside source allegedly told The Sun.

They added: “Ugo became friendly with Jamie when they worked on a travel show together in 2019 and after seeing how much he loved the experience, Ugo jumped at the chance.”

Strictly Come Dancing declined to comment on the rumour when approached by RadioTimes.com.

Several rugby players have competed in Strictly Come Dancing since it began on BBC One, including Austin Healey, Gavin Henson and, most recently, Thom Evans, but none have been able to lift the glitterball trophy.

Recently, it was announced that Anton Du Beke would be taking Bruno Tonioli’s place on the Strictly judging panel as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to make regular travel a safety concern.

There’s no confirmation yet on exactly how long this year’s Strictly Come Dancing will be, following last year’s shortened run as producers worked around the constraints of a national lockdown.