We may have cracked the Strictly Come Dancing 2019 codenames...
The Strictly line-up is always shrouded in mystery
Sequins at the ready – Strictly season is in full swing.
Show bosses are keeping us on our toes with daily announcements revealing the names of the 15 celebs who will be shimmying onto our screens every Saturday in a bid to impress the judges.
As always, the line-up is one of the most closely guarded secrets in showbiz. Some confirmed names have been rumoured for months (Mike Bushell, Catherine Tyldesley), but those sneaky casting directors have still managed to throw in a few curveballs (Saffron Barker, Chris Ramsey).
So, how do they manage to keep the hapless Strictly cast shrouded in mystery?
Well-placed codenames.
Previous years have seen types of cheese and names of Shakespearean characters and even ancient Gods used to disguise the identities ahead of their big reveals.
A spokesperson for Strictly Come Dancing has confirmed to RadioTimes.com that superheroes is the chosen topic for the 2019 bunch.
Names included in the list are Batman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Mystique, Catwoman, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Bananaman.
We can make a well-educated guess on which codenames link to which hopeful, with their superhero “abilities” matching the celebrity’s appearance or occupation – last year’s winner Stacey Dooley jokingly claimed that her cheese codename was “cheddar” because she was “common”.
For example, EastEnders’ star Emma Barton was unveiled to be Mystique, a shapeshifting mutant who can assume other people’s identities – much like how an actor would.
Elsewhere, David James was dubbed The Hulk due to his vast six foot five stature, while Chris Ramsey’s Bananaman guise is down to his slapstick antics as a comedian.
We can also make an educated guess at Saffron Barker being Supergirl – at 19, she’s one of the show’s youngest contestants.
Mike Bushell is likely to be Aquaman after he famously fell into a pool during a live interview.
Catwoman suggests an animal-loving woman could be in the line-up, while Captain America could point to a contestant from across the Atlantic – with Michelle Visage doing the rounds on the rumour mill.
Wonder Woman could point towards Scarlett Moffatt, who has the same long, dark hair as the character.
Batman is trickier to solve. Sam Alladyce and Jamie Laing have both been bandied about as potential sign-ups, but the caped crusader seems a far cry from either of their characters.
We’ll just have to wait and see if we’ve cracked the codename game…
Strictly Come Dancing returns later this year on BBC 1
