Strictly Come Dancing contestant Delta Goodrem has told producers she wants a partner who is taller than her. The Australian singer is one of the names confirmed for the 24th series of the BBC show, which returns next month with a new presenting line-up.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have been replaced by Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe. Goodrem will be competing alongside Dani Dyer, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jaime Winstone for the Glitterball trophy.
A simple request
Speaking to The Independent, Goodrem explained why she has one clear ask for bosses.
“I love the glamour of it! My music has always been very piano-driven so this is my opportunity to learn something new and then I can take it on tour with me,” she said.
“I'm quite tall, so I'd love to have someone taller than me! I really don't want to be the one that has to lift people.”
The singer, who finished fourth at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, is also due to close out the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Sunday, August 2. She described this period as her year of saying “yes to everything”.
Will Mellor's verdict on the new hosts
Former Strictly contestant Will Mellor, who finished fifth with Nancy Xu in 2022, has offered his thoughts on the new presenting team.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mellor said: “Change can be good sometimes, and I think it's always going to be different, so people will have an opinion.”
He praised Emma Willis, saying: “I've known Emma Willis for a while, and I've met her on a few things; she's a phenomenal presenter. She's great at what she does, so I wasn't surprised when I heard her name.”
Mellor also complimented Johannes Radebe, calling him a “beautiful man” and one of the favourites, before turning his attention to Josh Widdicombe.
“Josh is probably the surprise of the three because I don't think I've ever seen him present anything,” Mellor said. “So whether he's just there as a fly-on-the-wall or what, I don't know. We'll have to wait and see, but he's the wildcard for sure.”
He admitted he had expected Rylan to get the role instead, given his Strictly experience. “That's the one that I didn't expect because I thought it was going to be Rylan. He did Strictly It Takes Two, he knows the show, and he's worked behind the scenes. He was always there when I did it, and he's interviewed me a lot of times. He's fantastic at what he does.”
