Yahoo News Ben Shephard launches campaign for Cat Deeley to join Strictly 2024
The This Morning host said Ben Shephard has started a campaign to get her to compete in the celebrity dance competition.
Ben Shephard launches campaign for Cat Deeley to join Strictly 2024
What did you miss?
Cat Deeley is being put under pressure by Ben Shephard to sign up to compete in this year's Strictly Come Dancing.
The This Morning presenter revealed her co-host is campaigning for her to take part in the BBC dance competition now that she has moved back to the UK. Strictly judge Anton Du Beke was a guest on the ITV daytime show and claimed he had aways wanted Deeley - who has presented US show So You Think You Can Dance since 2006 - to be his dance partner.
Shephard agreed he thought Deeley would be "perfect" for Strictly.
What, how, and why?
Du Beke was a guest on This Morning to discuss his UK live tour An Evening with Anton and Friends and confessed he had always wanted to dance with Deeley.
Asked who his favourite partner had been on Strictly she said: "My favourite was always a lady I haven't danced with yet - called Cat. Absolutely sublime!"
Shephard jumped in: "She's back and she's ready, and we think she would be perfect for this year's Strictly, don't you?" Deeley laughed: "He's starting a campaign, there's going to be T-shirts printed..."
Du Beke told her: "You would be magnificent on the show I'm sure." He joked that he would be jealous to watch her dance with one of the other Strictly professionals, now that he has become a judge, saying: "I would be furious actually if you didn't do it. I've wanted you to dance with me for many, many years. But now you go and get one of the young ones who's firm to the touch."
Deeley claimed: "You have not seen me dance. I have no rhythm. I am completely unflexible. It's no good." Shephard quipped: "That hasn't stopped half the people he's been dancing with over the years. Did you see Kate Garraway dance?!"
What else happened on This Morning?
Du Beke dodged a question as to who had been his favourite partner on Strictly Come Dancing.
The 57-year-old dancer competed on the BBC show for the first 18 series, since 2004, partnered with the likes of Garraway, Loose Women's Ruth Langsford, TV presenter Esther Rantzen, EastEnders star Patsy Palmer, supermodel Jerry Hall and MP Anne Widdecombe.
Shephard revealed he had been to see Du Beke's live show with Garraway and Langsford and the dancer had been put in an awkward situation during his Question & Answer session. The Good Morning Britain presenter explained: "The night we went to the Palladium, it was sensational and I can't tell you how much fun you have't. But I was sitting with Kate Garraway and Ruth was there, there was a few of his ex-partners there and someone texted and said, 'Come on, then, Anton, who is your favourite?' And he went through all of the and he had to name and shame his favourites in front of everyone. So you can properly stitch him up if you want to."
This Morning airs on ITV from 10am to 12.30pm on weekdays.
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