Tom Hiddleston Makes Exciting Plea to BBC for a Spot on Strictly and Celeb Traitors!

HE’S played Avengers anti-hero Loki and a heart-throb spy in The Night Manager, but Tom Hiddleston’s new career aspiration is closer to home.

The actor has revealed he is keen to try his luck on the BBC’s and .

He’s played Avengers anti-hero Loki and a heart-throb spy in The Night Manager, but Tom Hiddleston’s new career aspiration is closer to homeCredit: Getty When asked if he’d like to appear in Strictly or The Celebrity Traitors, Tom gushed: ‘Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I’m a massive, massive fan of both’Credit: Getty Signing a star of Tom’s calibre would transform the relaunch of the scandal-hit dance show following the departure of its much-loved hosts Tess Daly and Claudia WinklemanCredit: Getty

Tom returned to our screens as hotelier–turned–intelligence agent in the earlier this month.

On the campaign trail to plug the hit he was asked if he would like to take part on two of its other telly giants.

Tom gushed: “Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I’m a massive, massive fan of both.”

The revelation is a tantalising opportunity for the broadcaster.

Signing a star of Tom’s calibre would transform the relaunch of the scandal-hit dance show following the departure of its much-loved hosts and .

‘Ultimate decision’

He would also provide enough Hollywood star power to the second series of The Celebrity Traitors, so that it can continue in the same vein as its debut, which featured heavyweights , Sir and .

An insider said: “It is frankly the ultimate decision.

“Of course Tom’s schedule is more likely to allow him to film for a month in Scotland than commit to Strictly’s intense four months, but what an absolute gift to his BBC bosses to hear their leading man is up for both.”

London-born Tom has previously shown off his moves when he danced to Boney M’s Rasputin so vigorously on Alan Carr’s Chatty Man in 2013 that his microphone flew off.

And his turn as a cunning spy on The Night Manager will have prepared him well for the games of deception on The Traitors.

Last month, Tom told a podcast: “I’d love to go on that show. The celebrity one would be amazing.

“It is the most ingenious format — it’s completely compulsive. It might be the best I have ever seen.”

At a Q&A in last week, he added: “There was a version of it with celebrities in the UK in September — it was massive.

“I mean, this extraordinary thing, it united the entire nation. I think the entire country watched the finale, 11million people, which is a lot in the UK, watched the finale live.

“It was like a kind of a sporting event, like a World Cup final or a or something.”

He’s not wrong. But it was actually 12million folk who sat down to watch Alan Carr overthrow and in October’s blistering finale.

But the two British TV staples do feel somewhat of a backwards step for Tom, who has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Sir Ian McKellen, Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr.

He also had a three-month in 2016, which generated headlines around the world, particularly after he wore a “I heart TS” tank top to the beach.

Sometimes on the studio lot, you would cross paths with people and think, ‘This is a pinch-me moment.’

Tom Hiddlestone on filming the Avengers franchise

The actor has sensibly maintained a relatively private personal life since then. He now has two children with his fiancée, British actress , who is best known as Vod from .

The couple, who have shunned celebrity enclaves in California to live in North , met in 2019 while co-starring in West End play Betrayal.

Is it that down-to-earth grounding that is perhaps behind his urge to join the BBC dance floor?

Tom agreed: “We are big fans of Strictly in our house.”

Tom gained global fame as Loki in Thor in 2011, followed by the record-breaking franchise alongside big names including and .

He said: “It was amazing to be in that ensemble.

Tom proves he has he calibre to star in Strictly after showing off his stellar dance moves at a movie premiereCredit: Getty Diego Calva, Camila Morrone and Tom in The Night Manager series twoCredit: Des Willie/Prime Tom and fiancée Zawe Ashton, who is best known as Vod from comedy Fresh MeatCredit: Getty Tom had a three-month fling with Taylor Swift in 2016Credit: Splash

“Sometimes on the studio lot, you would cross paths with people and think, ‘This is a pinch-me moment.’ It’s a big cast.

“It must be a principal cast of I don’t know how many actors.”

Then the first series of The Night Manager, based on John le Carré’s 1993 novel, aired in 2016 and was also a huge success.

The show, which starred as Pine’s MI6 handler Angela Burr and as ruthless arms dealer Richard Roper, won three .

Tom went to the stage, starring in Hamlet (2017) and Harold Pinter’s Betrayal (2019), which earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the Tony Awards.

Other work included The Essex Serpent for TV+ in 2022 and the Loki series for Disney+, where for the first time he acted as executive producer.

Tom said in New York last week: “Honestly, I feel so grateful that I’ve been allowed to do TV, stage and film. I think they all keep me honest as an actor.

“You know, the camera captures the truth. And it has an extraordinary acuity. It’s so sharp.

‘Cool under fire’

“You can’t lie in front of the camera. And so that keeps you honest.

“But also, you can’t lie in front of a live audience.

“I love the precision of acting for camera, but I also deeply love the craft of playing the entire story from beginning to end, night after night. You do 90 performances or 150 performances, or actually, Betrayal we did 270 performances. I love doing both. No preference.”

The unassuming actor revealed that he has often playfully fibbed to members of the public when they recognise him.

He said: “I’m at the gas station, right? I’m filling up the car and it’s late.

“I’ll go and pay for the thing and I’ll get a snack or whatever. And the guy behind the counter will go, ‘Has anyone ever told you you look just like ?’

“And I go, ‘Yeah, I get that all the time. It’s funny, you’re not the first person to say this.’

“And eventually they go, ‘Are you?’ And I go, ‘No, but people say I do…’ It’s a ridiculous game.”

The return of The Night Manager after nearly ten years might make that game a little harder to pull off.

I admire that about him — many of us probably would be happy not knowing all the truth.

Tom on his Night Manger character, Jonathan Pine

The superspy is living as Alex Goodwin and working as a low-level MI6 officer, running a surveillance unit in London.

A chance sighting of an old Roper mercenary leads Pine to a violent encounter with new player, Colombian Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva).

Along the way he meets Roxana Bolaños (Camila Morrone), a businesswoman who helps him infiltrate Teddy’s arms operation.

Viewers were thrilled last night when Pine flashed his derrière in a sexy encounter with Roxana — a similar scene in the first series earned Tom Rear of the Year.

But he reckons Pine is far from the same man.

Tom added: “I love the idea that Jonathan Pine, at the end of season one, a fire has been ignited in his heart by Angela Burr.

“And that fire will not be extinguished until the end of his lifetime and he’s seen behind the curtain.

“There’s a desire to understand the world as it really is, not the world as it appears to be, and Pine wants to know the truth.

“I admire that about him — many of us probably would be happy not knowing all the truth.”

The Night Manager continues each Sunday, then Tom is back as Loki in Avengers: Doomsday at the end of the year.

Comparing his leading men, he said: “Both have a lot of adrenaline, a lot of racing.

“Jonathan Pine may be cooler under fire.

“Loki tends to get stressed.”

Perhaps we’ll get to see Tom taking on a tango or the Traitors’ turret this year too . . . 

Tom’s Jonathan Pine with his MI6 boss Burr (Olivia Colman) in The Night ManagerCredit: BBC Tom as Avengers’ Loki and Thor, played by Chris HemsworthCredit: Marvel Pine with friend or foe Roxana in The Night ManagerCredit: BBC