Greg Wise: who is Emma Thompson’s husband and The Crown actor joining the Strictly Come Dancing 2021 line up?

Wise met his future wife Emma Thompson on the set of the 1995 period drama Sense and Sensibility
Wise will make his dancing debut on the 19th season of Strictly Come Dancing later this year (Photo: Dillon Bryden/BBC Pictures)Wise will make his dancing debut on the 19th season of Strictly Come Dancing later this year (Photo: Dillon Bryden/BBC Pictures)
Wise will make his dancing debut on the 19th season of Strictly Come Dancing later this year (Photo: Dillon Bryden/BBC Pictures)

One of the latest stars to be announced in the line up for Strictly Come Dancing is Greg Wise, who will join the likes of TV presenter AJ Odudu, Dragons Den entrepreneur Sara Davies and McFly singer and guitarist Tom Fletcher in the BBC competition.

This is what you need to know about the Newcastle born actor - and the roles you might recognise him from.

Who is Greg Wise?

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Wise is a 55 year old English actor, writer and producer who has starred in a number of British TV shows and films.

In 1995, Wise starred opposite Emma Thompson (Love Actually, Saving Mr Banks), Kate Winslet (Titanic, Mare of Easttown) and Hugh Grant (The Undoing, Bridget Jones’s Diary) in the role of John Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility.

Since then, Wise has appeared in TV series including According to Bex as Charles Mathers, Place of Execution as Philip Hawkin, The Crown as Lord Mountbatten and Strange Angel as Alfred Miller.

Wise also produced the 2010 BBC/Masterpiece production of The Song of Lunch, starring Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman (Harry Potter franchise, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street).

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After meeting on the set of Sense and Sensibility, Wise and Emma Thompson married in 2003. Prior to their marriage in 1999, the two welcomed their daughter Gaia into the world, and the same year of their wedding they also informally adopted their son Tindyebwa Agaba.

Speaking about his reasoning behind getting involved in the show, Wise said: “My beautiful sister was a huge disco queen. She left our world almost exactly five years ago in a glitter ball coffin. This is for her. My gorgeous Diva sis, who would have been insane with excitement that her little bro was doing this.

“I will channel her, as her bro can’t dance - but I’m thrilled to be dipping my toes, knees, hips and arms into this wonderful world, and hope to make her proud, and obviously make her laugh.”

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Who else has been announced for Strictly Come Dancing?

The other stars that have been confirmed so far for the 2021 season of Strictly Come Dancing are:

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- TV presenter AJ Odudu

- CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson

- Peep Show star Robert Webb

- McFly singer and guitarist Tom Fletcher

- Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Sara Davies

- 2012 Great British Bake Off winner and chef John Whaite

- Eastenders star Nina Wadia

- Coronation Street star Katie McGlynn

- BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker

- TV presenter Tilly Ramsay

A total of 15 celebrities are taking part in the competition, so more names are expected to be announced in due course.

When does Strictly Come Dancing 2021 start?

Although an official start date for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing has not yet been announced, we can expect the 19th season to kick off at some point in September.

While last year offered up a limited season of the competition, it has been announced that Strictly Come Dancing 2021 will return to its full capacity - however there will be some noticeable changes.

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The iconic trip to Blackpool will be missing this year due to health and safety restrictions put in place in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Four new Strictly professionals will also be joining the new season: Kai Widdrington, Nikita Kuzmin, Cameron Lombard and Jowita Przystal.

The judging panel will also look a bit different, with Anton Du Beke once again taking over from Bruno Tonioli who is unable to take part in this season due to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic. He will join up with regular judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and head judge Shirley Ballas.

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