EXCLUSIVE: Corrie’s Jack P Shepherd reveals why he’ll never appear on Strictly — as the soap star admits the BBC dance show is completely out of bounds
Coronation Street favourite Jack P Shepherd has hinted at the real reason why fans won’t be seeing him showing off his moves on Strictly Come Dancing.
The actor — who has portrayed David Platt on the ITV soap since 2000 — admitted he’s open to certain reality TV projects, but the BBC’s glittering dance competition is completely out of bounds due to TV rivalries.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star at the National Television Awards, Jack revealed: “I wouldn’t ever want to do Dancing On Ice, but that’s finished now. Strictly Come Dancing though, no — that’s on BBC, and you’d have to leave ITV for that.”
That means viewers hoping to see the soap star swap the cobbles for the cha-cha will be left disappointed. Jack explained his loyalty to ITV — along with the fact that Strictly sits across the ‘enemy’ network — keeps him firmly rooted in Weatherfield.
Jack isn’t the only Corrie star to come up against the BBC vs ITV battle. Over the years, some soap favourites have had to leave Weatherfield behind before signing up for Strictly — with stars like Catherine Tyldesley (Eva Price) and Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor) moving on before slipping into their sequins. For long-serving cast members such as Jack, choosing loyalty to Coronation Street means the glitterball dream is firmly out of reach.
The actor has become one of the show’s most familiar faces during his 25 years on the cobbles, with David Platt at the heart of countless explosive storylines — from heartbreaking family tragedies to shocking villain arcs.
And although Jack has made it clear Strictly is off-limits, he hasn’t completely closed the door on other projects in the future. For now though, his attention is firmly on life in Weatherfield, where his character remains a much-loved favourite with fans.
Jack shared his gratitude for the ongoing support from Corrie viewers, saying he’s more than happy to keep entertaining audiences on the cobbles — even if it means missing out on the sequins, sambas and spray tans.
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