Jake is a Football and Entertainment betting expert, with a Man City season ticket and a deep knowledge of reality TV betting angles
- Olympic swimmer Tom Dean is 4/1 to win this year's Strictly Come Dancing after announcing his participation
- The BBC usually keep everything under wraps when it comes to celebrity announcements
- Previous odds have been offered on various politicians appearing on the show
Olympic swimmer Tom Dean is 4/1 to win this year's Strictly Come Dancing after announcing his participation
Strictly Come Dancing is getting closer and closer and we've had our first celebrity signing announced unexpectedly this week with Olympian Tom Dean self-confirming his appearance on the show.
Dean made the announcement after reaching the final of the men's 200m individual medley on Thursday evening with the swimmer telling PA News, "naturally you want to take a break after you’ve had a full Olympic cycle and the opportunity arose." in regards to a Strictly appearance.
Despite reports always releasing around potential contestants on the show, it's rare that there are early announcements before the BBC themselves confirm and Strictly bosses may be furious with the leak.
Dean though will be looking to do one better than his Team GB swimming teammate Adam Peaty who finished in 9th place when appearing on the 2021 series, with Peaty partnered by Katya Jones.
Early odds suggest a 20% chance that Tom Dean wins the show this year with Betting Sites expected to have their full market up in the coming weeks once the full line-up has been confirmed.
What the expert says...
The BBC usually keep everything under wraps when it comes to celebrity announcements
Unofficial announcements about Strictly Come Dancing before the BBC's confirmation are extremely rare and producers will be frustrated that one of the contestants has self-confirmed before they could.
Previously Scott Mills told The Sun how BBC bosses are that worried about leaks that "they give everyone code names every year" to hide their identities ahead of the launch show.
The BBC's very own Shows and Tours site confirmed that the launch show will be recorded on Wednesday 4 September this year with the celebrities finding out who they are partnered with on the show.
Other rumoured celebrities who will be on this year's Strictly include Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham and YouTuber GK Barry.
Place Your Best Bet on Strictly Come Dancing 2025: Contestants and Betting Insights
Previous odds have been offered on various politicians appearing on the show
Ladbrokes have continued to offer odds on various politicians appearing on Strictly this year with retired MP's featuring heavily in the betting market.
Michael Gove tops the betting odds at 5/1 after stepping away from politics back in May 2024, announcing that he wouldn't be running in the General Election.
Over big names include Matt Hancock who has big Reality TV experience after being a campmate on ITV's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! back in 2022.
| To Appear on Strictly Come Dancing 2024 | Odds | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Gove | 5/1 | 16.7% |
| Nadine Dorries | 8/1 | 11.1% |
| Penny Mordaunt | 8/1 | 11.1% |
| Matt Hancock | 10/1 | 9.1% |
| Grant Shapps | 12/1 | 7.7% |
| Johnny Mercer | 16/1 | 5.9% |
| Liz Truss | 25/1 | 3.8% |
| Steve Baker | 33/1 | 2.9% |
