Strictly fans believe they’ve cracked this year’s pairings

We’re only weeks away from the start of the 20th anniversary series of Strictly Come Dancing, and fans are already buzzing with predictions about who will be dancing with whom.

The celebrity line-up was recently revealed, and among the famous faces competing are comedian Chris McCausland and X Factor winner turned actor Shayne Ward.

Now, eagle-eyed fans are convinced they’ve worked out which professional dancers these two stars will be paired with.

Funnyman Chris may have dropped a hint on social media when he responded to a fan’s prediction that he would be paired with Lauren Oakley.

He playfully wrote: “If it was, we’d have to do some Black Sabbath.”

This led fans to speculate further, with one pointing out: “Lauren’s from Birmingham, like Ozzy [Osbourne].”

As for Shayne, many fans believe he’ll be dancing with Luba Mushtuk, who was paired with Adam Thomas last year.

Their reasoning? Shayne’s height.

One fan noted: “I think Shayne is around the same height as Adam Thomas. So no rules would be ‘broken’ for that pairing.”

Other stars on this year’s Strictly cast include EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, actress Sarah Hadland and DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles.

Meanwhile the pro line up will welcome back Aljaž Škorjanec after a two-year-break.

The new series will launch in September on BBC One and iPlayer.