BBC series Strictly Come Dancing will be returning this autumn with more glitz and glamour to keep audiences entertained as the nights draw in. Strictly Come Dancing fans are already speculating about who will be taking part in the ratings buster this year. With the line-up set to be announced over the coming weeks, Express.co.uk spoke exclusively to one celebrity chef about whether they could be joining the show this year.
In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, veteran chef and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! star Rosemary Shrager opened up about whether we could see her doing the Foxtrot come September.
Previously celebrity chefs on Strictly Come Dancing have included James Martin, Simon Rimmer and Gregg Wallace.
“No. Me? No, not me. You’re not going to see me there,” she admitted.
However, the 68-year-old professed her devotion to the Saturday night staple, revealing: “I love it, I go watch it. I went to the semi-finals last year. It was great fun, I love it. It’s glitzy, it’s fun, it’s sort of over the top.
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Strictly Come Dancing 2019: Rosemary Shrager has ruled herself out (Image: GETTY)
“It’s lovely, it’s on a different level. But what I think is so amazing is – I like to see the people who can’t dance really improve.”
She stressed the most important thing for any celebrity taking part in Strictly was to embrace the experience wholeheartedly.
“It’s like when I did I’m A Celebrity, I actually decided when I did it, I would not do it half-shot, I would go for the jugular and it wouldn’t matter how embarrassing I was, I would just do it,” Shrager said.
On who she’d like to see on the show, Shrager teased: “There’s all sorts of people.”
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Even though Shrager won’t be strutting her stuff on Strictly Come Dancing anytime soon, she said she was very busy at the moment with a raft of projects.
She teased: “Well, I’m talking to one of the channels at the moment. I can’t tell you about something. But I’m still carrying on.
“You’ll see me on telly still. I’m going to be around! I’ve done lots of filming lately, odds and sods. It’s still cool.
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Strictly Come Dancing 2019: Rosemary Shrager has ruled herself out (Image: GETTY)
“Actually, I have to pinch myself to think I’m still around. It’s fantastic, I love it, I love what I do. I’m very lucky.”
Shrager is currently fronting a campaign on kitchen safety for charity Electrical Safety First calling on people to check their electrical items to prevent fires and accidents.
According to analysis of government data by the charity, there were over 7,067 fires last year caused by the misuse of electrical kitchen appliances such as falling asleep while cooking using a hob or microwave and leaving tumble dryers and washing machines running unattended.
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Strictly Come Dancing: Gregg Wallace previously took part (Image: GETTY)
The figures went on to reveal, the fires resulted in either injuries or deaths with an estimated 72 each month.
In a bid to educate people, Shrager has teamed up with Electrical Safety First to make a series of short videos on avoiding accidents involving electrical kitchen items.
Reflecting on why she joined the campaign, Shrager explained her home was a “deathtrap” before she found out about the dangers of electrical fires.
I hadn’t realised. I had a look and I thought, ‘Oh my god, I’m living in this danger zone.’ So I’ve done all sorts of things and put in place. So really, it was a no-brainer to be honest with you and now I’m supporting them like mad.”
Rosemary Shrager is currently supporting a campaign promoting electrical safety (Image: GETTY)
She said since she joined the campaign she was no longer overloading any adaptors with plugs and becoming more aware of wires creating a trip hazard.
The star stressed there were so many sources where a fire could happen – not just the appliance itself but also a faulty plug socket.
“For me, if we just save one or two lives doing this, it’s fantastic. It was shocking and the awareness is so important,” she said.
Strictly Come Dancing will be starting on BBC One later this year