Olympic swimmer Tom Dean has confirmed he will participate in the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing, making him the first official contestant announced for the 2024 season. Following his success at the Olympics in Paris, where he reached the men's 200 metres individual medley final, Dean expressed excitement about taking a break from swimming to embrace the dance competition, citing inspiration from fellow swimmer Adam Peaty's previous appearance on the show. Despite his swimming accolades, including a gold medal at Tokyo 2020, Dean admitted he feels less confident in dance, stating, 'I don’t do too well out of water in gravity sports.' His announcement has raised eyebrows, as it breaks the usual BBC protocol of keeping contestant identities confidential until the official launch. Dean plans to seek guidance from Peaty, who finished ninth in his season, as he prepares for this new challenge. The series is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary and will premiere in autumn 2024.