More than half of Strictly Come Dancing’s 200 contestants have been below the age of 40.
By contrast just one in 10 have been over 50, and only three contestants have taken to the dance floor in their 70s.
A Press Association breakdown of the 200 contestants by age shows how the programme has tended to favour younger stars during its 14 years on television.
The 30-39 age group alone has accounted for 35% of competitors.
In total 55% of contestants to appear on the show have been below the age of 40.
The youngest competitor to date has been actor Louisa Lytton, who appeared on the show in 2006 when she was just 17 years old.
The record for the youngest person to make the Strictly final is held jointly by actors Christopher Parker (2004) and Matt Di Angelo (2007).
Both were 20 years old when they finished runners-up in their respective contests.
The oldest person to finish second on Strictly is TV presenter Susanna Reid, who reached the final in 2013.
Reid and Louise Redknapp are the only contestants in their 40s to have finished as runners-up in the competition.
All of the show’s winners have been in their 20s or 30s.
Just three contestants have taken part in the programme while in their 70s: TV presenter Johnny Ball, magician Paul Daniels and actor Lesley Joseph.
Ball is the oldest person to appear on the show so far, at the age of 74.
The PA’s figures include only those celebrities who have appeared as a contestant in the proper series, and doesn’t count people who took part in one-off specials for Children in Need or at Christmas.
