STRICTLY legend Anne Widdecombe has blasted people criticising the show.

The politician hit out at claims some have made about the programme “not being a level playing field”.

She told GB News: “I’m very angry about this. The whole point of it is that you didn’t start on an even keel.

“If you have everybody starting evenly, then you wouldn’t have pensioners, which I was when I showed up. You wouldn’t have pensioners and young dancers in the same competition. It just would be unheard of.

“It’s supposed to be family entertainment, and the joy of it is that you have got this range of dancers, and some will be utterly useless. Some will be useless but funny, which is what I was.”

Commenting about her inability to dance and understand the beat of a tune she continued: “I can’t hear music, I’m tone deaf in the literal sense. I couldn’t pick up a beat and Anton would say stuff right at the beginning like, you know, go off on the fourth beat and I would say what’s that? I couldn’t hear it!”

Her comments come as this year’s intake get set to start training for the show.

Pictures yesterday showed the latest crop of celebrity contestants giving the first glimpse at their fancy footwork.

The BBC show posted a sneak peek video to its Instagram page after Strictly’s 2023 celebrity line-up was confirmed.

GB News presenter Angela Rippon is among those taking part. Comedian Les Dennis is also in the show.