Shaun Wright-Phillips has said he will refuse to wear two items of clothing when he is on Strictly Come Dancing. The ex-England star is one of the famous faces gearing up to compete on this year's edition of the BBC series alongside the likes of EastEnders icon Lacey Turner, Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters and Kim Kardashian's hairdresser Chris Appleton.
Clothing Refusals
Whilst the show has become notable for its contestants donning extravagant costumes whilst they perform, Shaun, 44, has told bosses that he will not wear anything red, nor will be showing off any flesh. The former Manchester City and Chelsea star said: "I’ve already said I can’t put any red on. And I just hope I don’t have to wear anything outrageous."
Expanding further the sport star said he won't wear 'sparkles': "People ask me about the open shirts, and I’m telling them my belly is not right for that."
New Challenge
Shaun then explained that he wanted to take on a new challenge for himself and even though he knows that he has a tough road ahead of him, he is really just looking forward to what is to come.
Speaking to The Sun, he added: "I wanted to learn something new. I did a cooking show for a similar reason. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really nervous – it’s out of my comfort zone, I know the hard work the dancers put into it, but I’m excited for the journey and want to come out of it as a ballroom dancer."
Career and Previous Shows
Over the course of his career, Shaun played for play for Manchester City, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers and England. He retired from the pitch in 2019, and since then, has carved out a career as a football pundit, appearing across BBC, ITV and Sky Sports.
Last year, he competed on Cooking With The Stars alongside comedian and Outnumbered star Hugh Dennis, former Love Island winner Ekin-Su Culculoglu and This Morning's Kelly Hoppen. Shaun became the tenth name announced to compete when the BBC Saturday night favourite returns this September.
At the time, he said: "Dancing is in my blood—but mainly at family events! Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I’m super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!"
Following the departure of long-serving hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, the BBC announced that Johannes, Josh Widdecombe, and Emma Willis would take over the hosting gig. In yet another change for the 2026 series, as It Takes Two hosts Janette Manrara and Fleur East will no longer be on the show.
