Strictly Pros Reveal The Two Key Questions They Ask Every Celeb When They Get Matched

The moment the Strictly Come Dancing pros find out who they are being matched with is always one of the most exciting (or cringiest, depending on your mood) moments of each year’s series.

But whoever each pro gets, they all have the same two questions they need answered pronto.

And no, one of them isn’t ‘are you single?’.

The dancers attending the Strictly Come Dancing Professionals UK Tour at Elstree Studios, London. 

The revelation is made during the documentary Strictly: The Professionals, which airs this Saturday on BBC One.

Strictly pro AJ Pritchard says: “When the names get released it’s a quick search — for me, their height and probably where they live.”

Still confused? We’ll let comic Brian Conley, who took part in 2017’s Strictly, explain: “Everybody’s coming up to you, saying, ‘Where do you live? Where do you live?’

“I thought, ‘Why does everybody want to know where I live?’ It’s because they know they’ve got to rehearse with you and they don’t want you too far away.”

AJ Pritchard at the Strictly Come Dancing Launch at BBC Broadcasting House in London. (Photo by Keith Mayhew / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)

Newsreader Katie Derham, who took to the dancefloor in 2015, added: “What they really don’t want is somebody who lives in the middle of Dartmoor or ­something, and in panto and really busy.”

Note to future Strictly stars: find out where Alijaž lives – and move there.

Also in the doc, Kevin Clifton reveals that fellow Strictly pro AJ Pritchard tried to ‘steal’ his 2018 dance partner Stacey Dooley when the couples were initially being matched up.

Kevin and and the documentary maker went on to win the 2018 series of the BBC dance show, but it could have all turned out very differently if AJ had got his way.

He said: “You’re like, ‘Are they gonna kick me off the show?’ Because they’re just staring at you. But they’re seeing the chemistry.”

Strictly: The Professionals will look at how the current crop of professionals made their journey to the Strictly ballroom, revealing how they discovered dance and the sacrifices they made to get to the top of their game.

The programme will also offer viewers an exclusive backstage pass to Strictly HQ, revealing some of the show’s most guarded secrets – including how the celeb and professional pairings are decided by producers.

Strictly: The Professionals airs on BBC One on Saturday 14 September at 7pm.

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