The biggest dance show in television has returned to BBC One this autumn, with its celebrity dancers now confirmed. Ainsley Harriott, Anita Rani, Anthony Ogogo, Carol Kirkwood, Daniel O’Donnell, Georgia May Foote, Helen George, Iwan Thomas, Jamelia, Jay McGuiness, Jeremy Vine, Katie Derham, Kellie Bright, Kirsty Gallacher and Peter Andre will all be taking part in the highly anticipated competition.
Returning for another year is Strictly’s much-loved judging panel: Head Judge Len Goodman, in addition to Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood, who will again be the panel of dance experts that this year’s celebrities will be dancing to impress. At the launch, the celebrities discovered which professional dancer they have been paired up with for the competition, in a bid to win the Glitter Ball Trophy.
Once the celebrities and professional dancers pair up, they have three weeks to train before returning to the ballroom to perform live every week. Each week the two couples with the lowest combined scores, from the judges and public vote, will face each other in the dance off, with one couple leaving the competition. At the halfway stage the show will travel to the international home of Ballroom dancing where the dancers will perform at the world famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
The professional dancer line-up welcomes three new dancers: Russian-born Dancing With The Stars favourite Gleb Savchenko, 2012 Italian Champion Giovanni Pernice and eight-times South African Latin American Champion Oti Mabuse. They will be joined by Aliona Vilani, Aljaž Skorjanec, Anton du Beke, Brendan Cole, Janette Manrara, Joanne Clifton, Karen Clifton, Kevin Clifton, Kristina Rihanoff, Natalie Lowe, Ola Jordan, Pasha Kovalev and Tristan MacManus. This year Joanne Clifton will join the It Takes Two team as their resident dance expert, hosted by Zoe Ball.