Helen Flanagan has revealed the surprising reason why she turned down BBC's Strictly Come Dancing during a recent podcast - but she's open to joining the dance competition now
Helen Flanagan has opened up about the unexpected reason she declined a spot on BBC Strictly Come Dancing and why she's now reconsidering her decision. The former Coronation Street actress has previously featured on multiple reality TV shows such as Celebs Go Dating and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.
In a candid conversation on the Elle Sera podcast with host Elissa Corrigan, Helen delved into topics ranging from motherhood and her career to her diagnosis with her long battle with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).
The star shared her desire to return to acting and also expressed an interest in participating on BBC Strictly, saying she feels more ready and mature this time around.
Host Elissa asked Helen if she would ever do any reality TV again, to which Helen replied: "I don't think so. I mean I'd absolutely love to do Strictly at some point. Yeah, I mean I'd be a rubbish dancer, don't get me wrong."
"I remember actually I was offered to do Strictly Come Dancing when I think I was 22 and I was offered Strictly Come Dancing or the jungle and I for some reason chose the jungle. I mean it worked out well for me in the end," she revealed.
"I actually think though sometimes, I mean I was very young, I think the older the better when you do reality shows. "I think sometimes when you're really young, you don't deal with things the same."
"I'd love to do Strictly Come Dancing at one point. I'd absolutely love to, but it's such a popular show. You know there's so many people that would love to do it," she continued.
Back in 2012, Helen appeared in ITV's I'm A Celeb - the same year she left Corrie - at the age of 22. Although she revealed she was "absolutely destroyed" after her first appearance in the jungle, admitting she was "horrified".
In 2023, she opened up about her time down under for the show, she said: "I just got absolutely destroyed. It was just ridiculous. I was just like, ‘Oh, I’ll be fine. I’ll chill in my bikini, make some friends, it will be good for me'…"
"I’d watched a few episodes but I didn’t watch it in detail. I was only just YouTubing things when I was on my plane, then I was thinking, ‘It won’t be that bad," she admitted.
She added: "I was horrified. I’ll never forget it. When I arrived at the camp there were rats everywhere.
"I’d never seen a rat. I was just absolutely thrown. I felt sick. I was so scared. I was just horrified by everything."
