James Nesbitt Won’t Join Strictly For A Very Relatable Reason

James Nesbitt has become synonymous with gritty police procedurals. He played Detective Tom Brannick in BBC’s Bloodlands, corrupt cop Marcus Thurwell in Line of Duty, and DS Michael Broome in Netflix’s Stay Close. Now, he’s set to play another detective (and bereaved dad) in Channel 4’s Suspect. But that’s not to say the actor isn’t itching to do something a little lighter — a go at Strictly Come Dancing, perhaps?

When asked by Radio Times whether a future on Strictly was in the cards, Nesbitt had nothing but positive vibes for the BBC dance competition. “My daughters would love me to do that,” he said. “I love the Viennese waltz, I love all that. I love the notion of the discipline of learning.”

The one dance that really scares him, though, “is the one with the bare chest. The samba or whatever... It must be the Presbyterian in me.”

So he’s all for the opportunity to take the coveted glitterball home, then? Not quite. “I would love to do it, but not for it to be on telly. I am very competitive,” Nesbitt said. The actor came to notice his competitive side while filming Suspect. “As terrifying as it was, it also brought out the competitor in me,” he explained. “I was working with an incredible array of talent and I was scared into having to try and match them.”

Strictly may be a no-go, but there is a genre that the Suspect star is itching to get back into. Having made his name on the ITV comedy-drama Cold Feet, Nesbitt is all for appearing in something similar. “A funny, musical romcom would be great,” he told the Daily Mail. “I’d love to do a comedy musical. How about a new version of Seven Brides for Seven (Old) Brothers?” the actor suggested. “We could have Liam Neeson, Ciarán Hinds, Adrian Dunbar, and Stephen Rea joining me.”