Strictly Come Dancing bosses are reportedly keen to secure the Queen's son Tom Parker-Bowles who is known for his award-winning food writing. Pictured here at the launch of one of his cook books alongside Strictly host Tess Daly
Summer is in full swing and yet many are already looking forward to the onset of the cooler months. When sunny FOMO has subsided and it again becomes acceptable to spend Saturday nights in front of the TV, there is one legendary show that captivates the nation, Strictly Come Dancing.
As such, the rumour mill of who may partake in the upcoming series has already begun - and we have one member of high-society on the list - Tom Parker-Bowles. The eldest son of Queen Camilla is in the running to participate in the Beeb’s dance show.
According to the Daily Mail, the award-winning writer has already been approached for previous series with the show’s bosses particularly keen to see the Queen’s son in sequins and a fake tan for the newest series.
Having worked as a food critic for both The Mail on Sunday and The Sun, Tom has previously appeared on the BBC show, MasterChef: The Professionals. Alongside restaurant critic Grace Dent, he acted as a guest judge for the quarter-finals in 2020.
Tom’s other connection to the BBC is through his father, Andrew Parker Bowles. He is currently dating journalist and presenter Anne Robinson, who is best known as the snarky host of game show The Weakest Link - you could say she at one time was the Queen of the Beeb. So surely it is not too outlandish to believe that the royal adjacent, with Anne’s encouragement, could take to the dance floor.
Of course, if Tom did don a leotard for the Strictly stage, royal watchers’ eyes would be fixed on the audience, hoping for an appearance from Queen Camilla and King Charles. Again, not as far out of the realm of possibility as one may assume. Strictly Come Dancing is reportedly a favourite for the Royals, including for Tom’s mother, Queen Camilla.
Queen Camilla is reportedly a big fan of the BBC flagship series, pictured here with Strictly Come Dancing’s professional dancers, judges and former contestants at Buckingham Palac
A regular watcher of the series, which has been running for 20 years, the Queen has hosted a palace tea party for Strictly, been in the audience, and even filmed a video message for one memorable final in 2020. A keen dancer, the Queen attends Silver Swans – classes for elderly ballet dancers run by the Royal Academy of Dance – and professed herself earlier this year to be ‘one of Strictly's greatest fans’. No wonder Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood (with whom Camilla has even shared a dance) has said that he would gladly welcome her onto the judging panel.
But the Queen is far from the only royal who is a fan of the hit show. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Zara Tindall have also been spotted at recordings and last year, a rumour emerged that Princess Anne had expressed a desire to appear on the series. One of the show’s dancers, Nadiya Bychkova, has claimed the Princess royal told her that she had an itch to appear on the programme.
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Bychkova said that Princess Anne mentioned her fancy during a ballet event. Bychkova told The Sun: ‘She is a Strictly fan, and she wants to go on the show – she told me. She did say that. I think she would be good – there’s a lot of personality there, isn’t there?’
No one can dispute that there is a lot of personality there! Equally, there can be little doubt that the public would relish an appearance from the Princess Royal on the dancing show. But it must be admitted that an appearance seems unlikely.
When Queen Camilla met Johannes Radebe, at a visit to Meadows Community Centre in Cambridge she again expressed her love of dancing. When the Strictly star presented the Queen with a pair of bronze tap shoes, she said ‘I have always wanted to tap dance’.
Perhaps the Queen’s son will fulfil his mother’s dreams and make it all the way to Blackpool Tower. In the meantime, Tom has been speaking candidly about their relationship. Sitting down with White Wine Question Time’s Kate Thornton, the writer gave an unfiltered portrait of his life adjacent to the throne.
Giving a behind-the-scenes look at the monarch, Tom said, ‘I’ve never seen her tipsy in my life. She doesn’t drink gin - never has. Gave up fags 20, maybe 30 years ago.’ Instead, she favours something a little more civilised. According to her son, the wife of King Charles is a fan of red wine which she drinks sensibly. ‘Literally a glass and a half,’ Tom adds.
Decidedly unflappable, when Tom was asked how he felt about his mother becoming Queen, his stepfather becoming King, and his father dating Anne Robinson? He answered with typical Parker Bowles nonchalance: ‘These things happen.’ And isn’t that just the type of collected poise one would need to cope with Craig Revel Horwood every week, darling?
