The class of Strictly Come Dancing 2024 may have already been decided but Shirley Ballas has warned stars about what they need to take part in the BBC One dance contest.
The sparkly and much-loved dance show returned with a brand new series on Saturday night (September 14). The pre-recorded launch show aired with hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman officially kicking off proceedings as they returned to the iconic ballroom for the first time since last year.
Shirley was seen back behind the glittering judges desk alongside her co-stars Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke but their official job doesn't begin until this Saturday (September 21) when the new couples perform their first routines of the series.
Shirley has now said that you need a "great sense of humour" and stealth "work ethic" to compete on Strictly. The head judge of the Latin and ballroom show has spoken out on how challenging the programme is for the celebrities, who have very little time to rehearse their routines before performing them in front of millions of viewers, amid the behaviour scandal surrounding the long-running show.
Speaking to OK! Magazine, she said: "What people need to understand is that you have a short space of time to get this routine out in front of a live audience of 15 million. It's not like we can have a cup of tea and a sandwich for four hours of practice. We need to dedicate our time for these short three months, be focused and put our best steps forward.
"The teacher will be there for you, but the teacher's got a job to do. That teacher has to have you ready within a week with a brand new dance, and later on in the competition, possibly two dances if you're going further."
She warned: "You need a great sense of humour, then you have to come with a great work ethic and really be able to pay attention to the teacher. Any competition is never always about technical fundamentals, it's about the joy that one can bring to a TV show like this. Whether it's simple, whether it's complicated, the audience will pick up on that soul. I hope everybody brings a dash of sparkle to our Strictly screens."
Strictly was rocked by alleged misconduct claims, with Graziano Di Prima dropped from the show after being reported for his behaviour towards Zara McDermott, while Amanda Abbington and others have complained about Giovanni Pernice's teaching methods.
However, Shirley is hopeful the show will continue to bring "joy" to viewers for many years to come. She added: "I hope it runs forever and ever and ever, and that the next generation of people get to experience what I've experienced. Whether it be a professional or a celebrity or a new panel of judges, I hope they have the same joyous feeling I've been able to have in the last eight years."
