This year's Strictly Come Dancing line-up will feature more reality stars than any other in the show's 20 year history - amid the growing crisis threatening to engulf the series. Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and Towie's Pete Wicks - a close pal of 2023 contestant Zara McDermott - are the latest celebrity contestants to be announced. Tasha, 25, who finished fourth on Love Island in 2022, is only the second former contestant to take part in Strictly after Zara, 27, was cast last year.
Meanwhile Pete, who joined the Essex series in 2015, is the first Towie star to appear on the dancefloor since Mark Wright took part in 2014. Gemma Collins was rumoured to be in talks in 2017 - prompting judge Craig Revel-Horwood to remark: "She would be fun on the show, but it's not very often that reality stars take to the ballroom. We generally have people of a higher calibre than that.
" But sources told how the BBC casting team - who have also signed less women than in any other previous series - decided to overhaul their previous policy by taking on both Tasha and Pete. One source said: "The Strictly casting team has always tried to avoid leaning too heavily on former reality TV personalities. The aim is always to recruit contestants who are not famous for being famous, no matter how popular they are.
" The source went on: "Previously there was a complete ban on Love Island contestants, but an exception was made last year for Zara because she has established herself as a BBC documentary maker.