The BBC has hit back at the criticism the full Strictly Come Dancing line-up has faced after it was confirmed in full last night.
On Monday's The One Show, Sam Quek, Nick Knowles and Paul Merson were unveiled as the final three celebrity participants taking to the ballroom.
They followed in the footsteps of 12 other celebrities already announced, meaning the final line-up comprised of nine male stars and six female.
The famous female faces hoping to impress Shirley Ballas and the rest of the judging panel are Quek, Montell Douglas, Sarah Hadland, Tasha Ghouri, Punam Krishan, and Toyah Willcox.
Meanwhile, the male celebs are Pete Wicks, Wynne Evans, Chris McCausland, Tom Dean, Shayne Ward, Merson, Knowles, JB Gill and Jamie Borthwick.
Rumours have been rife as to why more male than female stars were selected, with some theorising it's to do with the ongoing investigation into professional dancers' conduct on the show.
BBC Strictly: Paul Merson was unveiled as a contestant on Monday's The One Show
BBC
So far this year, BBC Strictly bosses have already axed Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima due to allegations raised by their respective partners.
Amanda Abbington raised concerns about Pernice after just three days during her stint with him last year while Di Prima reportedly "kicked" Zara McDermott during their time on the 2023 series.
Pernice has denied any claims of "threatening or abusive" behaviour while Di Prima has defended himself following the allegations and his sacking from the show.
However, the BBC has claimed the loss of Di Prima and Pernice isn't what resulted in a male-heavy cast, insisting there is "no hard and fast rule" when it comes to picking the number of men or women in the line-up.
Reacting to criticism about the gender split, a BBC spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: "We are really excited about this year’s line-up and look forward to the series starting.
"There are many factors that influence the casting process to ensure we have a good mix of celebrities from a broad range of backgrounds.
"There is no hard and fast rule regarding the gender split on the show and it’s never been about ticking boxes."
The statement will be little consolation to those who've publicly criticised the "disparity" between the number of men and women in the celebrity line-up.
The inclusion of Merson has also caused a stir with some fans due to the fact he was once arrested for alleged domestic assault - something fans branded "tone deaf" given the nature of the allegations the show is investigating.
Taking to Instagram to slam the balance in the cast, one fan fumed: "9 men and 1 of them with a caution for domestic assault not sure who is casting but they did an awful job this year."
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BBC Strictly: Sarah Hadland is one of just six female celebs taking part
BBC
"It’s a shame there’s such a disparity between the numbers of men and women," a second added before a third hit out: "Such a lack of females, makes me sad to think of how many male pros will be shelved this year."
Elsewhere, a fourth argued: "Only 6 women this year... could it be more women turned down the invite due to recent events? I hope I won’t get bored watching this year’s show."
And another complained: "Only 6 women and 9 men? Thats not very fair really going to be alot of the male dancers without partners."
Some did jump to the show's defence despite the imbalance, however, including one Strictly fan who penned: "The women seem really outnumbered this year? Still a great line up and can’t wait to watch x."
And a second hit back at the criticism: "Chill people there's literally two more men than there is women. TWO!" (sic)
