Strictly Come Dancing is nearly back! The show is returning for its 21st series later this year, with the brand new celebrity line-up finally being confirmed! The group, which has everyone from newsreaders to sports stars, will compete with one another for a chance to lift the coveted Glitterball trophy, but who are our early frontrunners? We sat down with former Strictly pros James and Ola Jordan, who gave their insight into the four celebs that they think will go all the way…
First things first, the pair are convinced that Bad Education star Layton Williams will have a place in the finale thanks to his dance training. The star previously appeared as Billy in Billy Elliot, and as Jamie in Everybody’s Talking about Jamie on the West End.
James said: "Layton Williams will be in the final. Fact! You heard it here first with HELLO!."
He continued: "He'll probably get to the final because at the end of the day, even if the public doesn't support him, the judges will always save him if he’s that good. If you're that good, you're still going to get to the final because you'll be able to beat the person that you're sending next to if you’re in the bottom two.
"For example, how can Les Dennis compete against that? Very difficult. If he ends up in the dance-off with someone like Layton, Les is going home. That's a fact. So that's not an opinion. That's just the way it is."
The pair also suggested that Adam Thomas might make it all the way, with James saying: "I'm gonna go with Adam Thomas as well because people are just going to love him."
Ola added: "Adam Thomas did the jungle with me! I did take a frame with him, a ballroom frame of him. Watch out for Adam Thomas! He’s going to be quite good… I told him when I was in the jungle to do Strictly and that was seven years ago! Their dad was a musician, so they went to stage schools… He’s so adorable. His laugh is going to get on people’s wicks, he laughs all the time! But he’s lovely, Adam is lovely."
Ready for a curveball? At 78, James thinks that we could see Angela Rippon go all the way, saying: "I'm gonna really put one out there and say the oldest person ever [to go on the show] is going to make the final, I’m going to say Angela Rippon!"
He added: "I think she's going to have class. I think she's going to take it seriously. She's going to want to be good, she's not going to be dragged around the floor with Anne Widdicombe! That's not going to be happening. I think it's a great signing and I think she's gonna prove to people that at any age you can still be good. Hats off!"
As for their fourth contestant? They have their eye on TV presenter Angela Scanlon or Corrie star Ellie Leach potentially making it to the finale. James said: "One of the girls has to be a ringer, but I can't work out which one it is! Maybe Ellie will make the finale. She’s going to be popular, isn’t she? I'm gonna go with Ellie [making the final]! It's hard because I've never seen her move."