Strictly Christmas Casting Causes Controversy
Reality television favourite Scarlett Moffatt has found herself at the centre of a brewing storm following the announcement of her participation in this year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special. The 35-year-old, best known for her years on Channel 4's Gogglebox, has reportedly sparked anger among insiders connected to the BBC juggernaut, who claim her inclusion is 'extremely unfair'.
A Hidden Dance History Revealed
The controversy stems from the revelation that Moffatt possesses a significant and previously successful background in dance. Before finding fame on the sofa, she was a gifted competitive dancer, winning numerous ballroom and Latin competitions across the UK. Crucially, it has now emerged that she was even trained as a child by none other than Strictly judge Anton Du Beke.
This history has led to claims that she will have an overwhelming advantage over her fellow celebrity contestants in the festive one-off show. 'Scarlett is a trained dancer, she is so good at it, and spent much of her childhood actually doing ballroom and Latin dancing,' a Strictly insider said. 'Anton even helped her, and now he will be judging her against others – it all feels very unfair.'
Moffatt's Own Admission and Future Speculation
Moffatt herself has previously acknowledged this potential imbalance. In her 2017 autobiography, My Life Story: Sofa, So Good!, she wrote: 'I'd love to go on Strictly but I just don't think they'd let me on. I'm basically a ringer, as I've danced against some of the professionals in competitions when I was younger.'
Despite the criticism, friends of the County Durham-born star, who won I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2016, say she is excited to take part. She will be paired with professional dancer Vito Coppola and compete against other celebrities including former All Saints singer Melanie Blatt and ex-Westlife star Brian McFadden.
There is now significant speculation that the Christmas Day special will serve as a 'test run' for Moffatt to eventually join a full main series, possibly in autumn 2026. The insider added: 'She will surely be the runaway winner and then the BBC will be desperate to sign her for the 2026 series.'
Following her jungle victory, Moffatt became a prominent TV personality, appearing on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and a I'm A Celeb spin-off. Her career also included the controversial Channel 4 documentary The British Tribe Next Door, which faced accusations of racism and perpetuating colonialist stereotypes.
