Meet the first ‘star’ of this year’s Strictly – er, a radio DJ called Vick
SHE has interviewed stars including Harrison Ford and Kylie Minogue, but Vick Hope is far from being a big name herself.
The DJ, who presents a breakfast show on London-based independent radio station Capital FM, drew gasps of, ‘who?’ when it emerged that, according to insiders, she has become the first ‘celebrity’ to sign up for the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The largely unknown broadcaster, 28, has joined the line-up as producers work to sign up contestants before the hit BBC show returns next month.
There have been complaints that recent series have struggled to attract well-known figures, and the news about Ms Hope – who studied modern languages at Cambridge – drew criticism on Twitter.
One wrote of the DJ: ‘Sorry, I thought this was for celebrities? Never heard of her’, while another added: ‘They’ve struggled to get A-listers for ages.’
Some stars may have shied away as the show continues to suffer the so-called ‘curse of Strictly’, which can put an end to contestants’ relationships.
Louise Redknapp ended her 18-year marriage to footballer husband Jamie following her stint on the show, and rugby star Ben Cohen split from his wife before having a baby with his dancing partner Kristina Rihanoff.
Dancer Brendan Cole was also romantically linked with TV presenter Natasha Kaplinsky during the first series of the show. Cole left the show last year.
Sources close to the show said ‘big names’ would appear in the line-up.
‘Sorry – I thought this was for celebrities…’