Strictly Come Dancing has revealed the celebrities taking part in its 20th anniversary series.
It comes as the BBC One flagship show has been hit by a series of controversies that have rocked its previously stellar reputation. Past contestants - including Amanda Abbington, Zara McDermott and Will Bayley - have complained about their Strictly experience.
Pro dancer Giovanni Pernice is not returning after a complaint from his 2023 partner Abbington about his behaviour during training. BBC are investigating, including looking at footage from the rehearsal room. Pernice has denied the claims and said: "I look forward to clearing my name".
Meanwhile, pro dancer Graziano Di Prima was dropped from the cast after a review of his training room footage allegedly raised concerns about his conduct towards 2023 partner Zara McDermott, who said she found watching it back "incredibly distressing".
Strictly fans will be hoping that the series returns with plenty of magic and sparkle to see it into its next 20 years.
We take a look at the celebrities who are hoping to lift the 2024 Glitterball Trophy.
Sam Quek
Olympian Sam Quek has tried reality TV before, with stints on Celebrity MasterChef and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! under her belt. The hockey star is now set to give Strictly a whirl.
News she has signed up was revealed on The One Show, where she said it had been "so hard" to keep it to herself. "I told my husband, I told my mum and dad and something this big, this exciting, you want to tell everyone," said the former Question of Sport star.
Quek said that when rumours started swirling it was tough to look people in the eye and fib about taking part.
Talking about what she would be like on the show, the star said she "can't not be competitive". "It's difficult though because with hockey I knew I had the ability, I knew what I was looking forward to and what I needed to do," she said. "But with Strictly, I can dance on the dancefloor with the girls on a night out, that's as far as my dance experience goes."
Paul Merson
Footballers tend to be popular on Strictly Come Dancing and former Arsenal star Paul Merson will be hoping he is no exception.
A big fixture in the beautiful game in the 80s and 90s, Merson is now also known as a match reporter and pundit. His reach has exceeded sports as in recent years Merson has opened up about his addiction struggles, having battled substance abuse and an addiction to gambling.
Appearing on The One Show, he said he was relieved to have the Strictly secret out in the open at last. "I don't like lying," he said. "I used to be really good at it but not anymore," he laughed. "I told my mum the other day."
He also hinted that dancing might not be his forte, saying he had done it three times in his life and that all of those were at his wedding.
Nick Knowles
Nick Knowles’ name kept coming up when fans were speculating about who might be on the dancefloor this year, and it’s now been confirmed on The One Show.
The presenter is best known for his hit programme DIY SOS but he has recently been showing another side of himself in travel documentaries such as Into the Grand Canyon with Nick Knowles and Amazing Railway Adventures with Nick Knowles.
Knowles has other dancers in his family, as his sister was a ballroom dancer and his youngest sister was also a professional. But he confessed that he is the "least talented person in the family". "They think it is hilarious that I am doing this," he revealed.
Asked if he would make it to Blackpool, he said: "If I do something then I absolutely go for it and I throw myself at it 100% so if I can not roll another ankle before Blackpool..."
Montell Douglas
Montell Douglas, aka Fire from the BBC's Gladiators reboot, is the only British woman to compete at both the Winter and Summer Olympics.
She once set the British women's 100 metres record at 11.05 seconds in 2008, before it was broken by Dina Asher-Smith in 2019.
She said: "Fire is here to light up the Ballroom. Wow, I am so honoured to have been asked to do the show. It is such an amazing thing to be a part of and I can't wait to get started. Hopefully a few of my Gladiator moves will come in handy with the Tango or Paso Doble!"
Tom Dean
Olympic swimmer Tom Dean broke with Strictly protocol by going ahead and announcing his own name for the cast while at the Paris Games.
The gold medallist said would be looking to another Team GB swimmer, Adam Peaty who took part in Strictly 2021, for support: "He did brilliantly on it so I'll be getting a few tips from him, for sure."
Later speaking on on BBC Radio 1, Dean said he will have to start running and walking more ahead of Strictly Come Dancing as he is not used to being on his feet.
He said: "I think it's so different. I'm so used to being in the water where there's no gravity, there's no impact. I don't run, I don't go for walks anywhere... So I'm going to start going for a few more walks, trying to get a few runs in."
Jamie Borthwick
Just months after competing in — and winning — the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special with Nancy Xu in 2023, EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick is returning to the BBC dance competition in a bid to win the glitterball trophy.
Talking on BBC Radio 1, the actor said "I'm used to drama, so I’m really looking forward to it, it's going to be a really good adventure."
Borthwick rose to fame for his portrayal as Jay Brown/Mitchell in EastEnders which he has starred in since 2006. He is now one of the longest serving actors on the show.
About returning to the show Borthwick said: "I had a ball doing the Strictly Christmas special last year, so when I was asked to join for this series it was the easiest yes! This is a fresh challenge and it will be so different to be learning a new dance every week and for the public to have their say."
Shayne Ward
Former X Factor star turned actor Shayne Ward said how he was "super excited" to be a part of Strictly after being a fan for years. "For me honestly I felt I was nervous honestly, I thought I couldn't do it... I feel this is the right time."
Ward explained that having a history on the stage has meant that he is comfortable in front of an audience, even if Strictly will be a different experience. He told ITV's Lorraine: "I know what it takes to be in front of an audience and imagine they're not there."
When asked about the current Strictly scandal, Ward said that he hadn't kept track of what has been happening in the news because he was filming for three months. He said: "I haven't seen anything to be honest, I'm just excited about being a part of it."
Sarah Hadland
Sarah Hadland is an actor known for her roles in Miranda and James Bond film Quantum of Solace. She kept her participation in Strictly a secret from her mum, who is a superfan of the show.
Hadland told ITV's Lorraine that she does "like a dance, I'm a keen eager beaver dance wise" but that she is "terrified" of the "slow, sexy dances" that she might have to do in the competition because she doesn't feel ready yet.
When asked about the recent Strictly scandals, Hadland said: "I think because it's 20 years it's a super exciting year to do it, people look forward to being in it, people are excited to be a part of it."
Pete Wicks
Reality star Pete Wicks made a name for himself on The Only Way is Essex, which he has starred in since 2015, and is best friends with Sam Thompson and 2023 Strictly contestant McDermott. Wicks said that he is feeling a mixture of fear and excitement and joked he is "genuinely petrified" about getting his dancing shoes on.
Speaking on Kiss FM, he said of his friend's excitement: "Sam already knows, I did tell Sam and Sam cried. I am not even joking – he screamed and jumped up and down and cried and planned that every Saturday he will be at the show.
"He is making T-shirts – the guy really needs to get a life. He’s my number one fan in life, he is kind of like Martha from Baby Reindeer, that is our relationship."
Tasha Ghouri
Love Island contestant Tasha Ghouri a model and TV personality. She has helped raise awareness for the deaf community, championing these issues at Number 10 Downing Street, The Department of Education and MED-AL. The star has previous dance experience but feels that being on Strictly would be a new kind of challenge.
Sharing her excitement about joining the show on Kiss FM, Ghouri said: "I feel nervous, excited, like I’m about to throw up. It didn’t feel real til I was here now, but I’m so gassed, I’m so excited."
Ghouri, who once dated Giovanni Pernice, said that she'd be keen to be paired up with Johannes Radebe, and said of her dance training: "I’ve not danced in quite a few years now, since Love Island my career has changed so much. I might not be good at it, like ballet, I’m not good at ballet, I’m trained in commercial, so I’m excited to learn these new styles."
Dr Punam Krishan
Dr Punam Krishan is a GP known for her appearances on BBC Morning Live and BBC Radio Scotland.
She told Radio 2 that she was "so ready" to appear on the show as she and her family are super fans of the programme, and often spend Saturdays watching. "Now it feels like I'm going to jump off the sofa and into the television. My kids are going to be absolutely thrilled," she said.
Krishan shared that while she is "so happy" to be part of the show it is also "so out of [her] comfort zone", she explained: "As someone raised on Bhangra, cèilidhs and the odd hip hop, doing the Cha Cha Cha is so out of my rhythm."
She added that she plans to ask her fellow Morning Live presenters about their experience on the series, like Helen Skelton and Kym Marsh: "All these working mums, I'm going to ask them advice on how the balance it all. I'm excited to share this with them."
Toyah Willcox
Singer Toyah Willcox said being part of Strictly made 2024 feel like "a landmark year" after having played Glastonbury and becoming a pensioner.
She told Radio 2 that she is keen to take on the challenge of dances like the salsa and Cha Cha Cha, but that she already has experience with the Jive.
She joked that she has to "stop seeing myself as the Ann Widdecombe of the" group, and shared her hopes of reaching Blackpool because her mother performed at the venue. Willcox added: "My mother danced there in 1948, it's a big emotional thing for me to be there where she danced... my mother was a child actress, she was a professional actress from the age of 12.
"I'm often playing at venues where she danced at, and it means so much."
Wynne Evans
Welsh opera star Wynne Evans is probably best known for his appearance in the GoCompare adverts, but he is a renowned singer in his own right. Evans has appeared in musicals like the 25th Anniversary of Phantom of the Opera performed at the Royal Albert Hall, and has performed with the Welsh National Opera on multiple occasions.
Speaking on Radio 2, Evans joked that he was so nervous about being on the show that it felt like his "first day of school". He added that he has an affinity with classic ballroom dances like the Waltz because there is a lot of similarities with opera.
He said: "I think I represent every portly middle aged father out there, I do not want to do a jive and set off a minor tsunami... my inspiration is Bill Bailey."
Evans shared how he has already begun preparing for the competition despite not being allowed to have dancing lessons yet, adding that he already has "tap shoes, dance shoes, [and] ballet shoes".
JB Gill
JLS star JB Gill won the Strictly Christmas special in 2012, dancing the jive, and admitted he has some dance experience from performing with the boyband.
Gill said: "I did the Christmas special, it was great fun, to be fair. And I did the jive and I feel like it was it was probably the most similar dance to things that I would have done in JLS. But I do feel like a lot of the routines, a lot of the styles, especially the ballroom styles, are again very alien to me. I was not trained dancer. I didn't go to stage school growing up, so it's gonna be a learning curve as well."
Bandmate Aston Merrygold took part in the show in 2017 and his wife Chloe is also a dancer, so he has lots of people to ask for tips. He admitted his wife will help him, saying: "I remember when I did the Christmas special, she was great in rehearsals because she was really championing me and helping me to work out little bits that I didn't find natural. It's good to have that support."
Gill was partnered with Ola Jordan in 2012, who is no longer a pro dancer on the show.
Gill rose to fame with JLS bandmates Merrygold, Marvin Humes, and Oritse Williams after appearing on ITV talent show The X Factor in 2008. They went their separate ways in 2013 but reunited for a tour in 2021.
The singer now lives on lives on a Kent farm with his wife and two children and he hosts CBeebies show Down On The Farm.
Chris McCausland
Comedian Chris McCausland is a stand-up comic and a regular panelist on current affairs show Have I Got News For You. He lost his sight 25 years ago at 22 because of the hereditary condition Retinitis Pigmentosa.
Speaking on This Morning, he joked he's "obviously never watched" the show, and said his preferred style of dancing was "headbanging and mosh pits".
But he admitted he was feeling "massively apprehensive" about competing on the BBC dance show. He said: "I don't know what I'm getting myself into, I've never watched it, obviously! I might as well just play some music." He added: "I don't dance, I've never danced. I grew up with headbanging and mosh pits. So I'm looking forward to mosh pit week."
News of his appearance was leaked to the press before it was confirmed. He said: "I kept it a secret so good and then it was in the papers, so at least now I can admit it instead of going, 'I don't know what you're on about.'"
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