Strictly Come Dancing is nearly back on our screens for another year of glitz and glam - and they've broken one big rule with their newest contestant. It's been confirmed that the BBC show has signed up reality star Zara McDermott as one of their celeb contestants for 2023, making the 26 year old the first Love Island star to ever appear.
Strictly Come Dancing has seen the likes of soap actors and sports stars compete for the glitterball trophy, but reality stars are a different ball game. With the BBC previously thought to have a rule against reality TV stars appearing, Mark Wright was the first to break the mould in 2014, before Made In Chelsea's Jamie Laing solidified his fame on the show in 2020. Now, Zara is following in their footsteps.
Opening up about appearing on the show, Zara admitted she was 'scared' but 'excited' to get dancing.
'I've been rewatching last year's in detail, analysing everything, every dance,' she said, adding 'There is gonna be challenges. I'm excited for the slower stuff. It's such a far cry from my day job... this is live, you cannot make a mistake! You get one take and one take only. This is so far out of my comfort zone.'
She also shared how, like many, the dance show was a huge part of her childhood. Zara said, 'I grew up watching it with my nan and she was the biggest Strictly fan. We would dance around the house and I have such fond memories of that time in my life.'
According to MailOnline, the show's signing of Zara could be a bid to attract a younger audience. A source told the platform, 'Zara is the perfect signing for Strictly. Not only is she beautiful and glamorous, but she is hardworking and will take being on the show very seriously.'
'She's absolutely loved the experience of documentary making and is over the moon to further her relationship with the BBC by signing up to Strictly.'
Why did the BBC previously hold a strict policy when it came to reality stars appearing on Strictly Come Dancing? Well, it was believed they may have an unfair advantage over other contestants by already having a huge online presence.
But this isn't to say the show has totally shunned reality stars. TOWIE's Mark Wright paired up with Karen Hauer in 2014 and fan favourite Jamie Laing took to the stage with Karen in 2020.
Zara's appearance on the show will go down in history as Strictly's first ever Love Island signing. Following in the footsteps of ITV's Dancing on Ice, this could pave the way for far more islanders on the dance floor.
Since rising to fame on the ITV dating show - in which she famously coupled up with Adam Collard before being dumped from the island - Zara has added plenty to her TV resume. The star appeared on Made In Chelsea alongside boyfriend Sam Thompson, as well as starred on The X Factor: Celebrity and presented a new dating show. Zara is also busy branching into the world of documentaries - having just announced she'll be fronting yet another BBC Three documentary focused on Ibiza.