Strictly Come Dancing 2019 contestants get superhero codenames

The Strictly Come Dancing 2019 celebrities have been given superhero codenames to keep their identities hidden.

Every year the celebs who have signed up for the show are banned from using their real names when preparing for the series, such as in meetings, rehearsals and going for wardrobe fittings.

Instead, they get various code names to use to keep their real identities a secret.

Former Strictly contestants Scott Mills explained previously: “They’re so worried about it leaking out as to who’s on it, it’s like a massive secret.

“Obviously the papers try and guess all the time. They try and keep it under wraps so much, that they give everyone code names every year. I felt like I was in James Bond – it was so cool.”

For 2019, the celebs have been given names of superheroes, The Sun reports.

Names rumoured for Strictly in 2019 include Radio 1 DJ Dev Griffin, Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley, Olympic rower James Cracknell, Drag Race star Michelle Visage, Happy Mondays performer Bez, model Vogue Williams, former England manager Sam Allardyce and Blue Peter’s Radzi Chinyanganya.

A source shared: “The code names are a fun way of keeping everything hush hush ahead of the reveal. They try to mix it up every time and this year it will be a load of Batman, Superman and of course, Superwoman.”

Last year saw Cheese-based codenames, including Joe Sugg as Feta and Stacey Dooley as Cheddar.

In 2017, the codenames were based on Greek and Roman Gods. They included Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins being named Aurora, aptly The God Of Dawn while JLS’ Aston Merrygold’s codename was Hermes, “the divine trickster”.

Comic Brian Conley went under the name of Greek God Apollo whereas singer Mollie King was referred to Clio, a Greek goddess of music, song and dance.

For 2016, celebs had Shakespeare themed monikers. Ed Balls used Cicero fro Julius Caesar while Will Young went under the name of Ariel from The Tempest.

And Laura Whitmore chose her own code name: Lady Macbeth.

She told Nick Grimshaw on BBC’s Radio 1: “I didn’t really think about it because when there’s a car outside your house and it’s for Lady Macbeth!”

Strictly Come Dancing 2019 will begin in September on BBC One.