Strictly Come Dancing 's head judge Shirley Ballas revealed on This Morning she is "99.999% sure" Prime Minister Boris Johnson's fiancee Carrie Symonds, who is mother to his baby, Wilfred, will not be on Strictly this year.
Speaking to hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, Shirley, 60, said she is almost certain Carrie will not be taking part, but promised fans will be "mesmerised and surprised" by the line up.
Phil asked: "So you spoke to them this morning, do you know who is on? Because you start quite early, you start in June, July, don't you?"
Shirley replied: "Yes, they are already starting to get the celebrities together and all the professionals have been announced, and the judges were very excited to be back.
"Just when you think it couldn't be any better, with intrigue and excitement, it does!"
"Two words, Carrie Symonds?" asked Phi.
Getting up and dancing, Shirley replied: "With a boom boom boom and a shimmy, no!"
"Oh! So she is definitely not?" asked Holly.
"99.999 percent, it's a family show, it's not a political," Shirley confirmed.
"But you do know who is in?" Phil grilled Shirley, who giggled and did not answer.
Holly tried again: "It's a goodie, we are not going to be disappointed?"
Shirley teased: "It's outstanding, you are going to be mesmerised, surprised, and really intrigued all the way."
Shirley added that she hoped judge Bruno Tonioli would be able to take part this year, after he was forced to pull out of the 2020 series due to travel restrictions as he resides in the US.
"If he has got to fly on the back of a pigeon he will get there, we are hoping he gets back, we love Bruno," said Shirley.
A source had told The Sun that BBC bosses were keen to sign Carrie and claimed they had made her an offer.
“Strictly has become the No1 show for so many political figures and Carrie is one of the biggest names — not only as Boris’s better half but as a campaigner and activist in her own right," they said.
“The offer to take part in the next series is there if she wants to take it.
“Her name has been in the mix for a while and she’d be a brilliant contestant if she chose to take part.”
Other celebrities rumoured to be taking part in the 2021 series include Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van Tam, boxer Nicola Adams, who was forced to pull out last year when her professional partner Katya Jones contracted Covid, and presenter Maya Jama.
* This Morning airs weekdays on ITV at 10am
