Frank Bruno's up for Strictly - and he thinks he could ace it
The former heavyweight champ thinks he’d be a knockout in the ballroom
Here’s a potential Strictly Come Dancing celebrity casting we think would get a ’10 from Len’ – Frank Bruno.
The former professional boxer doesn’t just fancy a half-hearted spin around the ballroom, either – he thinks he’d do pretty well.
“Frank Bruno would love to do it,” a source close to the star told RadioTimes.com. “Firstly, he’s athletic. Secondly, he thinks he could do quite well in it and thirdly it’s great profile.”
“The public would enjoy him on it – he’s a funny person," the source added.
A glitterball trophy would certainly sit nicely alongside all those heavyweight boxing belts.
It would be Bruno’s first foray into reality TV, which would be tempting for Strictly bosses who don’t like to pack their line-up with familiar faces from similar shows. It’s certainly not the first time the sportsman has been asked, though. Our source says he’s had more than one conversation with the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! team about a stint in the jungle. But it seems like now would be good timing to embark on a celebrity competition.
Bruno – who has a history of mental health issues, including bipolar disorder – is “mentally and health-wise in a great place” and family, friends and his management are confident this will be the case for the next few years, said the source.
He wouldn’t be the first boxer to don the rhinestones, either. In 2009, Joe Calzaghe partnered up with Kristina Rihanoff, while just last year London 2012 boxing bronze medalist Anthony Ogogo gave it his best shot – although he was the second to be voted out of the competition, so Bruno would be looking to better that score.
As for whether Bruno’s in with a chance of appearing among this year’s “eclectic” line-up, Strictly bosses continue to be tight-lipped, reminding us they “do not comment on speculation”. But a famous sports star is a regular fixture in a Strictly line-up alongside familiar soap actors, presenters and singers and Bruno is the kind of big personality viewers would no doubt warm to, so we can definitely see it happening.
As it stands, Birds of a Feather’s Lesley Joseph and former Eternal singer Louise Redknapp are the hot favourites to appear. Doctors-turned-presenters Chris and Xand Van Tulleken are also tipped for a spin on the dance floor as is This Morning’s Ruth Langsford.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC1 later this year
