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Increasingly, we’re seeing individuals bet on reality competition shows like The Voice, Strictly Come Dancing, and Dancing on Ice, where music plays a central role. This reality has got us thinking: if music-central competition shows are playing such a prolific role in entertainment betting, how many contestants have been musicians themselves? Typically, there are a lot of actors, comedians, sports personalities and even chefs featured, but in and among the rabble, there have also been some notable entertainers such as established singers and dancers. Here are some of our top picks.
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British reality dance contest, which is similar to America’s Dancing With The Stars as celebrities pair up with professional dancers. This year, the competitors have mainly been comedians, actors, and presenters. According to Strictly odds 2021, actress Rose Ayling-Ellis is the odds-on favorite with bettors, as she’s currently priced at odds of 1/10, to win this year’s competition. This optimism comes despite the poor performance of the Paso Doble in week ten, which, according to different Strictly Come Dancing tips, shouldn’t affect Ellis from lifting the Glitterball trophy.
There have been several musicians who have competed in the past including the likes of Max George from The Wanted, HRVY, and Tom Fletcher, the founder of English pop-rock band McFly. The most recent of the contestants, Fletcher was eliminated from the show during week nine of the current season. It’s worth mentioning that Fletcher was the only musician to compete in this year’s Strictly season, which is in contrast to trends seen in previous seasons.
We decided to KeeeEEEEP DANCING! After 11 weeks of dancing with each other every day the idea of not being in the training room this week felt too weird so we booked the studio that we would have rehearsed in for this week’s live show and spent the after… https://t.co/3R5bwH2Cvn pic.twitter.com/5N1vTtT9W1
— Tom Fletcher (@TomFletcher) November 23, 2021
The Voice
It seems strange that established musicians have gone on The Voice, but alas, many have. Two of the biggest names to go on the show with large followings include Christina Grimmie and Cassadee Pope.
Christina Grimmie was an American singer who started by posting covers onto YouTube. She had two million subscribers on YouTube before releasing her debut studio album in 2013; before Grimmie went on The Voice in 2014, she had opened for several artists, including Allstar Weekend. Grimmie was a contestant on season six of The Voice. Her coach was Adam Levine, and she finished in third place. After the show, Levine offered to sign her to his label, however, Grimmie, unfortunately, passed away in 2016, following a concert performance in Orlando, Florida.
Cassadee Pope was another big name in music before going on The Voice. The singer had fronted American rock band Hey Monday for four years before that, touring with the Cab, We the Kings, and Fall Out Boy. Hey Monday also became a staple at music festivals like Warped Tour. Pope won season three of The Voice in 2012 under Blake Shelton. Her win made Pope the first female to win The Voice. Following the show, Pope released her debut solo country album, which debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums. She later released a single called “I am Invincible,” described as an emotional anthem.
More Where That Came From
There are other reality shows that musicians have gone on, including Celebrity Big Brother, which Take That’s Mark Owen won in 2002. However, it’s more interesting when musicians go on a show centering around their craft, such as The Voice. We suspect, in 2022, we will see more musicians make their reality television debut, especially as entertainment betting continues to increase in popularity.
