'Strictly Come Dancing' — Freddie Flintoff reveals he'd only do the show if he had a male partner

Strictly Come Dancing - Freddie Flintoff
Could Strictly Come Dancing could see Freddie Flintoff joining the line up next year? (Image credit: Getty Images)

Top Gear host Freddie Flintoff has revealed he'd be up for Strictly Come Dancing if he was able to be paired with a male professional.

In an interview with The Sun where he was promoting his new book The Book of Fred, the former cricket star revealed he'd love to dance with Anton du Beke, who is currently judging on the panel to cover Bruno Tonioli.  

Freddie revealed: "I can just imagine it, 'Right, Anton, I'll lead you, son'. I reckon I could pick him up as well, no problem."

This isn't the first time Freddie has claimed he'd love to dance with Anton, as he broke the news to Oti Mabuse during an appearance on The One Show. He revealed:  "I was thinking about it and everyone talks... this is more of a reflection on me, I'm quite awkward.

"I think with Anton, I'd be less awkward. One, I know him. I saw him on A Question of Sport, he knows more about sport than anyone else."

Anton Du Beke dancing with female partner

Anton Du Beke has been dancing on Strictly since the first season. (Image credit: Getty Images)

But unless Anton returns to the dancefloor, Freddie might never make it onto the Strictly line-up! So far it's unclear on what the ballroom dancer's future will be, as he's impressed fans with his judging so far.

Anton originally stood in for Bruno amid the pandemic in 2020, and is also judging for the 2021 competition while Bruno is in America for Dancing With The Stars. Fans are now keen to find out whether Anton will return as a professional dancer, or if he'll be a regular judge going forward.

If Freddie got his wish, he wouldn't be the first all-male pairing as John Waithe and Johannes Radebe made Strictly history by pairing up together for this year's competition. They've done very well so far too, especially their Charleston which scored 38!

Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC1 on Saturday nights.

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.


She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress