Dan Walker tells Strictly fans to 'get on Google'

Dan Walker on Strictly Come Dancing — Dan Walker has stuck up for the Strictly Come Dancing casting. (BBC)

Dan Walker has slammed Strictly Come Dancing fans who moan about the star quality of the line-up each year, telling them "get on Google".

The former BBC Breakfast presenter who recently joined 5 News was a contestant in the 2021 series of Strictly, where he danced with Nadiya Bychkova.

Read more: All the cast announced for Strictly Come Dancing 2022

Now, he has stuck up for the new batch of celebrities being announced for the 2022 series after the usual complaints that people aren't familiar with some of the names.

Dan Walker and Nadiya Bychkova on Strictly Come Dancing — Dan Walker danced with Nadiya Bychkova in 2021. (BBC)

Walker, 45, wrote on Instagram: "Will never get my head round the 'never heard of them' crew when you see someone announced on #Strictly who you don’t know much about.

"Get on Google, learn a bit about them. Looking forward to seeing the full set of this year's bunch."

He also shared an emoji of an exploding brain to express his frustration at the moaning.

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Celebrity contestants announced so far for the BBC One series are actors Will Mellor and Kym Marsh, radio presenter Richie Anderson, journalist and Loose Women star Kaye Adams, comedian Jayde Adams, and Paralympian Ellie Simmonds.

Jayde Adams is the fifth celebrity named for the cast. (BBC) — Jayde Adams was the fifth celebrity named for the cast. (BBC)

Each year as the Strictly cast is revealed, it is common for fans of the show to complain that they don't know who some of the celebrities are - although it is not necessarily the best known names who end up doing well in the contest.

Recently, former long-standing judge Bruno Tonioli admitted he is often in the same boat, telling Mail Online: "I never know who anybody is. I go 'who the hell is that?' It's actually better because you don't have any preconceived ideas of what they should [do] or what they can [do] and you look at it as if it was you. For me they are all the same."

In 2021, Walker reached the quarter-finals of the competition which was eventually won by EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis and her partner Giovanni Pernice.

Richie Anderson will dance in an all-male partnership for Strictly Come Dancing. (BBC) — Richie Anderson will dance in an all-male partnership for Strictly Come Dancing. (BBC)

The 2022 series is due to begin when the launch show records on 7 September, which will air shortly afterwards and reveal which couples have been matched.

Strictly will include four new professional dancers this year - Vito Coppola, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley and Michelle Tsiakkas - while cast favourites Oti Mabuse and Aljaz Skorjanec have both bowed out.

Anton Du Beke is set to return to the judging panel alongside Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood.

Watch: Will Mellor 'terrified and excited' to join Strictly cast

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