Apologies in advance if the title of this thread seems a bit pretentious!

I've seen quite a few comments on here regarding Mark Wright and Peter Andre being 'reality TV veterans/whores' and saying that we don't want 'their sort' on Strictly Come Dancing anymore. So, are there any particular categories of celebrities you would like to see SCD steer clear of in the future, and any others you'd like more of?

I don't mind the reality TV regulars especially - I enjoyed Mark Wright and liked Lucy from TOWIE on Tumble, as she worked hard and came across pretty well. By contrast I thought Peter Andre was dreadful, so to me I'm happy to give people a chance and judge them individually.

As for ones I'd like more of - following on from Steve Backshall I'd like to see more wildlife presenters on the show. Music stars are common but I don't think they've had any actual musicians as opposed to singers bar Harry Judd, so that's an area I'd like them to explore. I'm also surprised there haven't been any comedians yet (to my knowledge anyway)!

BIB - There have been a few - Jason Wood, Julian Clary, Rory Bremner, Jan Ravens (although Jan in particular I don't remember being very funny) but not for a while. I would like to see more comedians as I thought Julian was great, especially on the tour.

I'm not keen on very 'media-trained' people - reality TV stars and young pop stars - as they tend to be very aware of their image and spout platitudes and say everything's amazing etc. I think some older contestants can be more interesting contestants for this reason, because they're often less concerned about their image.

I'd like to see more people with a natural wit who could actually have an exchange with Claudia - someone like Richard Osman, although I know he's said he'd never do it.

People who have done something - anything reasonable.

Main thing is to have a variety - comedians, writers, opera singers, chefs, darts players as well as the usual singers and actors. Don't mind the occasional reality TV person as long as they've done something otherwise.

I know Strictly needs to attract viewers, but the PTB should be a bit braver and ask one or two who used to be famous - as long as it was for something good.

Think they overdid the Ringers a bit this year - a couple make the early weeks interesting, but not half a dozen! Though in dance terms some Ringers like Peter didn't ring very loud whilst Jay didn't look that good in the Launch Show.

Peter Andre had some popular records in the 1990s so was a justifiable choice.

Judy Murray could be said to be there in her own right as well as being Andy and Jamie's mother. Look how popular she was.

Loved Julian Clary in Series 2 - he tried so hard for Erin. He wasn't the best dancer and matched Jay for nervousness but he really did improve.

Unlikely people can become popular or do (comparatively) well.

Personally, no trained dancers. By which, I mean - nobody who has studied dance as an adult as more than part of the curriculum at a stage school along with acting.

If they specialised by studying just dance for three years + as an adult, or have stage school + a lot of professional dance experience in musicals then I'd rather see them in a Strictly Come Dancing Ringer Special - where everyone has a similar boost.

I've no problem with them having a bit of experience, but there's 'a bit' and there's "shouldn't they be auditioning to be one of the pros?"

Other than that, I like a range of different celebs, as then the show stays popular with a broad appeal. My personal desire is for intelligent, interesting celebs like journalists, antiques experts, and documentary presenters, though chefs are also good.

I don't watch soaps, or heavily scripted reality TV, so I won't be tempted to watch by the inclusion of anyone from that kind of field, but I can be persuaded to support them as the competition goes on if they capture my interest or admiration with their skill or work ethic.

I would prefer nobody with an obsessive following, as it leads to deeply unpleasant verbal attacks against other competing celebs and pros in what is, after all, just an entertainment show.

I don't actually care what kind of celebs they are. I'd rather avoid ones who are problematic in a violent sense (I saw that Mel Sykes was on a few wish lists this year but she's a domestic abuser and that wouldn't sit well with me at all.) but providing there is a nice mix, I don't mind if we get the odd reality star thrown in.

I'm hoping for a couple of really well known athletes (or give Tim Henman or Greg Rusedski a call) and I'd love a really well known older veteran actor/actress.

What I most hope for next year is that the ~funny nicknames like Pondscum & Pondrey etc are kept to the threads that appreciate that sort of ~humour and doesn't infect the rest of the board. It left a really bad taste this year to see certain celebs treated like that and no one deserves that, no matter what their profession was before the show.

Do like your idea of documentary presenters or other experts. They would provide a good choice!

David Attenborough would have been brill back in the day

But think the PTB would struggle to avoid Ringers with training altogether. They'd have to exclude virtually all actors as most have done a lot of Dance as part of their training and continue to practise. Many singers also have a lot of dancing as part of their act.

But being a Ringer is not necessarily the biggest advantage. I liked Helen, but she was the biggest of the Ringers with the most and best dance training - and had had lead parts in musicals. But she went out before Anita and Katie.

The problem this year was too many Ringers so it was difficult for the viewers to get hard-working beginners like Anita past the dance-offs when there were only a few couples left. As the judges make their decision on 'dance' a beginner is more likely go out if they fall into the dance-off. Only if two Ringers are against each other - like Helen and Georgia - does a Ringer go out (mostly).

I personally do not at all mind someone who starts on a "reality" show, as long as they have "done something" with their fame and made something of themselves doing something "proper"

Alison Hammond is a classic example, former child actress went on Big Brother, now works as a TV reporter on "This Morning"
Mark Wright has a National radio show.

Everybody has to start somewhere on TV, but it is where they are now that matters.

However the likes of Geordie Shore etc - Simply being famous for being on TV and getting drunk, swearing and sh*ging, are not qualities that the Strictly Producers will be looking for.

Strictly is a LIVE show - and I recall someone in the Spoiler thread one week saying that they had to re-shoot "Lens Lens" as Bruno said something mildly rude.
When he asked what was wrong with that, it was Claudia that told him the show goes out at 7pm on Sunday night - so small children WILL be watching.

Celebs who, when a child asks their parents what that person does, does not cause embarrassment.

I don't mind the ones who have some dance experience beforehand. They make the series more watchable for me. As long as they've not done ballroom or latin then the BBC are happy to invite them on to do the show, and that's enough for me. The ballet training that some of them have can be a help and a hindrance - Jay's beautiful arms / feet and the ability to spot turn and spin helped him enormously yet Helen's stiff legs spoilt her latin numbers. The one thing I don't want on Strictly are the Alison Hammond types and the over 50's. Comedy contestants ruin it for me, and the older ones are there just to pad the show out at the start. This years Final was such a cracker because they were all fantastic and had been from week one or two - any one of them could have won and it made for a nailbiting show.

I agree. The "comedy capers," spoil it for me.
There's too many included. The "bar" is now at such a high level, these "well known faces" (usually their only qualification) makes it all less enjoyable.
I only ever record the show and on playback any that I know will be an embarrassment I fast forward to avoid watching them.
If I want comedy, I'll watch such a show.

I'd like to see a Paralympian on the show, someone like Sarah Storey or Jonnie Peacock.

I know that's unlikely considering Rio is next year, but I'd like to see them considered for 2017.

Otherwise more athletes are always good. I'm surprised more footballers haven't done the show.

What I DON'T want is people who keep shrieking, whooping, yelping and squealing when their scores are revealed.
A bit of decorum, please.

DWTS have taken on jersey shore people and jersey shore is the American version of geordie shore.

Yes, that's why I think that dancing as a kid, or three years of drama school, or some pop videos is OK. It's just lengthy dedicated dance training as an adult that seems to really skew things and make them unfair.

I'd personally be wary of going down the path of anyone with an obvious physical impairment in the regular show, as I think there would be a degree of 'sympathy voting'... likewise the judges would either have to be lenient on account of what they can/can't do, or would get slaughtered for being harsh and increase the sympathy votes even further. Cassidy doing the People's Strictly arguably won because he had a more obvious impairment than the rest, and him competing against the likes of Harry, Abby etc didn't sit that well with me - had he won I don't think it would have been for his dancing, put it that way.

Perhaps a special mini series would be the way forward here?

Some really good points on here. I think people from TOWIE, Geordie Shore etc. can be OK - like you say Mark Wright HAS done other stuff, and I still view Peter Andre as a pop star first and foremost (though 'crap at the jive' is now added to his list of 'talents' in my head!).

That last line is another excellent point. Craig seems to think that Ola's raunchy calendars are inappropriate for someone who features on a family show, but what about the celebrities? Kelly Brook stands out as someone who obviously got a lot of attention for utilising her assets! Would it be an issue if a pop star had done some raunchy photo shoots, or an actor/actress had done one or two nude scenes, for example? I wouldn't see it as a major problem but can see why others might.

Mmmmm I guess anyone over 50 has one foot in the grave huh

Personally I don't want to see anyone from reality shows (TOWIE etc), past or present.
Also no members of boy/girl bands past or present.
Oh why I am at it, they need to be a Celeb in their own right & not just famous for being married to a Celeb etc.

I like to add to my list any Celeb who has had 2 years or more (dance training of any kind not to be picked either. Meaning dance training over the age of 16 years of age.

I like to see people enjoy themselves so I really do hope we get people who get excited about being on the show. There is nothing worse than seeing people who act above it.

Foreign film stars like Vincent Cassel and Gael Garcia Bernal

True, but even the someone like "The Situation" is media savvy enough to know how to behave on Live TV.

Strictly is a pre-watershed, family entertainment show broadcast Live.

You cannot risk having unrestrained, high-risk wannabees.

The difference is easy to define, would you have Sharon Osbourne on Strictly, or Ozzy ???

I just want to see people who will give it their all and are not there for comedy value. For me it is primarily a dance show and I want to see dancing, not capering about.

Being excited is one thing, shrieking and squealing is quite another.

BIB Pamela Stephenson was over 60 when she took part and she was great.

Sorry but Georgia's unbridled exuberance, enthusiasm, excitement & totally unreheased & natural emotion was one of the main things that endeared her to me this series!! Perhaps it was because she was young she could get away with it better than someone older but I would much rather vote for that than someone acting like they weren't that bothered!!
Of course it helped that she was also a wonderful dancer who improved almost every week!!

As regards what type of celebs do I want/not want to see I would love them to get someone from a 'real' band as opposed to just boyband/girlband members!! My choice (as I have said in another thread) would be someone like Matt Bellamy from Muse, unlikely I know but I would love to see it happen

I want the celebs on it I like and don't want the celebs I don't.
<hands over list to The Booking Elves>

I'm not bothered about ringers, not bothered about age, not bothered whether or not I've heard of them before their series ... sometimes the nicest surprises come from the unknowns ... just people who are prepared to put in the work and entertain me. The ones who really irk me are the ones who give the appearance of doing as little as possible for their money. You're on the tele virtually every night of the week for as long as you are in - it shouldn't be easy.

Not all young pop stars are media trained. Jay didn't appear to be. It seems that with him it was a case of "what you see is what you get"!