Will Young has quit Strictly Come Dancing… the nation weeps

In surprising Strictly news, the singer and blossoming dance king Will Young has announced he has quit Strictly Come Dancing 2016 for ‘personal reasons’. Let’s all take a moment to process this news.

In a statement issued by the 37-year-old singer, the former contestant said that he left with ‘joy in my heart that I have been able to take part in one of the most loved shows on British television’. The singer, who was fast becoming a favourite to win the dancing show has shocked the nation with this news, with some speculating this decision was a direct result of him taking on judge Len Goodman on Saturday’s show. In an awkward on-screen panto row, Will challenged the judge after he called out the singer’s Salsa routine, with Len telling Will to ‘turn up, keep up and shut up’.

In the statement, Young said: ‘To be a part of Strictly has been a long-time ambition of mine.

‘As a performer, a viewer, and a fan of the show, to dance as a contestant was an experience I always hoped for.

‘I have made some great friends, and am in awe of their performances week in, week out.

‘I have found a creative partnership with Karen that has been the most wonderful thing to experience.

‘Unfortunately, I am leaving the show for personal reasons. I leave with joy in my heart that I have been able to take part in one of the most loved shows on British television.’

On August 19th we wrote…

You know Autumn is coming when Strictly Come Dancing 2016 and the XFactor start… and by the time you’re stopped voting obsessively for your favourite to win the finale, it’s Christmas.

So the sunshine might be on the way out, but the warm comfort of easy telly is a pretty great trade off. And with this line up, we reckon we’re going to be quite happy spending Saturday night curled up on the sofa. OK, with Strictly and a selection of the best Netflix shows of the year (look, we love sofa time).

So what do we know about the Strictly Come Dancing 2016? Well, it’s a star studded mix of music, TV presenting and politics, and we’re very, very excited.

27 year old Daisy Lowe started modelling when she was 15, since then she’s appeared in campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabanna. Daisy doesn’t reckon that her modelling grace is necessarily going to translate to the dance floor though, telling the BBC, ‘I’m so clumsy, so I’m sure I’ll fall over a lot. I think the most embarrassing thing that could happen would be that I just freeze up and forget everything.’

Louise, 41, was a member of girl band Eternal. She’s got some basic dance background from her time at theatre Italia Conti, but she claims she doesn’t have any kind of advantage, saying ‘I left [Italia Conti] at 16 to join Eternal and then spent most of the 90’s doing hip hop moves and wearing knee pads!’ She might maintain she’s not prepared but we like Louise’s chances.

37-year-old Will Young is no stranger to reality TV, having won the first ever series of Pop Idol. Since then he’s has a career both in pop and musical theatre and won two Ivor Novello awards and two Brits, as well as releasing six albums. Will did a term at musical theatre school, and he’s starred in Cabaret, so he should have some dance skills.

29-year-old Ore has proved he knows everything worth knowing about sports, but what about the art of ballroom dancing? Ore is going to be trading his Saturday night slot presenting the lottery for lycra and shimmies, and it doesn’t sound like he’s entirely calm about it, saying ‘When I got the call I became a jibbering mess…I’m more competitive with myself than anyone else. Always strive for perfection, even if it’s completely unrealistic.’

Laura is 31 and has enjoyed a stellar career in TV presenting. Her background is in music journalism, but she also took up the mantle of presenting I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here Now, braving snakes and spiders. Laura told the BBC, ‘I never went to dance school but I love dancing. Anyone who has ever met me knows this, I just love the endorphins it releases and it ties in to my love of music. I am a bit of a silly dancer so I’m looking forward to a bit of discipline.’

49-year-old Ed doesn’t have much of an artsy back ground, in fact he was pretty busy being the Shadow Chancellor between 2011 and 2015. He’s a smart cookie, having studied at Oxford and Harvard, but we’re a little bit worried about his levels of co-ordination. Still, we’re very willing to be surprised.

28-year-old actor Danny has some background in theatrics. Before he was a star member of the Hollyoaks cast, Danny starred in Les Mis and Wicked. Danny has been too nervous to do much prep for the show, telling the BBC, ‘I wouldn’t know where to start. I don’t want to start learning the wrong things. I’m waiting for my partner to whip me in to shape!’