LOVE Island’s Iain Stirling has had secret talks with Strictly Come Dancing bosses, HOAR can reveal.
The witty dating show narrator, 32, is looking to fill his schedule up after ITV announced Love Island won’t be back until next summer.
And he fits the bill perfectly as the BBC dancing competition looks to put together a bumper line-up for when it returns later in the year.
A TV insider said: “Iain’s had a few talks with the show and the ball is in his court.
“It’s early days but bosses are really keen to get him on the dancefloor – he’s a great name who would be popular with the audience.
“There was some talk about whether he had a golden handcuffs deal with ITV which could scupper things but if not, he’d be a real catch for the show.”
Representatives for Strictly and Iain had no comment.
If the comedian signs up he will be able to pick up tips from fiancée Laura Whitmore who took part on Strictly in 2018.
While she loved the dancing, Laura was less keen about spending long days with her partner Giovanni Pernice.
Speaking on Private Parts podcast in April, she said: “What I didn’t like was being removed from everybody and having to spend 12 hours a day with this one person.
“It did not become about the dancing. I just wanted to dance.”
This week ITV bosses decided they will not air a winter version of the series, which was previously shot in South Africa and hosted by Laura.
Instead, they are planning on showing an extended version of the summer series a year from now.
A source said: “ITV want Love Island to be a huge success so have decided to put all their energy into making next summer’s series a bumper run, and not trying to force a Winter version given the uncertainty in the television industry still at this point.
“January 2021 seems a long way off but the process would be starting imminently and with certain restrictions still in place they don’t want to approach anything half-baked.”
Last month it was confirmed this year’s summer edition of the show would not air.
ITV boss Kevin Lygo said: “We have tried every which way to make Love Island this summer but logistically it’s just not possible to produce it in a way that safeguards the wellbeing of everyone involved and that for us is the priority.
“In normal circumstances we would be preparing very soon to travel out to the location in Mallorca to get the villa ready but clearly that’s now out of the question.
“We are very sorry for fans of the show but making it safely is our prime concern and Love Island will be back stronger than ever in 2021. In the meantime Love Island fans can still enjoy all six series of Love Island on BritBox.”
It came despite a record number of Brits applying to appear on the show.
More than 12,000 wannabes sent requests to ITV to be in the Mallorca villa and the chance to win £50,000.
Meanwhile Strictly has implemented new rules to keep cast and crew safe when it returns to screens.
BBC bosses are having to put a stop to any additional bodies at the studios in Elstree London.
A TV insider said: “Strictly’s the biggest show on TV so it’s like a party every Saturday night when the show is on.
“Guests of judges, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli are usually invited to enjoy drinks before watching the show. The celebs and some of the dancers will often have guests too.
“It means the studios are always jam packed. But because of the on-going pandemic, it’s going to have to stop.
“This year guests are being kept to an absolute minimum. There will be no entourages or endless guests anymore. Even the glam squads are getting the boot.
“Make-up and hair for the judges will be done off-site, with touch ups being done by a smaller team during the show for them and the celebs.
“Of course it’s not the best news for those super fans of the show but ultimately, the safety of everyone who works on Strictly, and those performing, is the priority.”
It was previously revealed how Strictly would also be scrapping the usual rows of chairs in favour of tables to make sure the audience would be at two metre distances at all times.
