Golden girl Lizzy swaps the skeleton for Strictly
WInTER olympics queen Lizzy Yarnold is being lined up for a stint on Strictly Come
Dancing, with BBC bosses keen to see her swap the skeleton for the salsa. Fresh from her gold medal in Pyeongchang, 29-year-old Lizzy is set to become the first Winter olympian to take part. The BBC entered new territory last year when signing up Paralympic star jonnie Peacock, and sources have confirmed the
Strictly team met Yarnold earlier this month to discuss snapping her up. ‘She has always admired the show but has never had a chance to consider it because of training,’ a source told Sportsmail. ‘She has just made history in becoming the first Briton to win back-to-back Winter olympic golds. She likes making history and being the first Winter olympian on Strictly would be another great accolade. ‘She has met the show’s bosses and looks to be lined up. She is a secret boogier and would love to learn to dance.’ Yarnold, who showed off her gold medal on an open-top bus ride through her home town of Sevenoaks earlier this week, had said she wanted to return to normality. Between Sochi 2014 and the Winter olympics in February, Yarnold took up lampshademaking and did an open University course in book-keeping and accountancy. ‘Learning to dance would be another great string to her bow,’ the source added. ‘Lizzy is passionate about trying to make sure winter sports are on the agenda, not just after a Winter olympics. She wasn’t sure how to react after winning her first olympic medal. now she knows she needs to celebrate and enjoy herself. Doing Strictly would be a way to celebrate.’ As long as her dizzy spells from Pyeongchang do not return with all the spinning and lifting required on Strictly, Yarnold should have a good chance on the show. Sports stars often perform well, with past winners including cricketers Darren Gough in 2005 and mark Ramprakash in 2006 and gymnast Louis Smith in 2012. Double Paralympic champion and world champion Peacock was the first disabled person to take part in the show, which has been on air since 2004. He made it to week nine last year. Contracts for Strictly are not usually signed until june or july, but Yarnold has a strong chance of making the line-up of around 15 celebrities. The BBC said: ‘We do not comment on speculation.’