This Year’s Strictly Come Dancing Line-Up Is Revealed

It’s the moment everyone has been waiting for: the line-up for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing has been revealed.

That’s right, the rumours are finally being put to rest as the 15 celebrities set to take to the floor have been named.

According to The Sun model (and Mrs Peter Crouch) Abbey Clancy, Murder On The Dance Floor singer Sophie Ellis Bexter and Bond girl Fiona Fullerton will be doing it for the girls.

 

Abbey Clancy will be taking to the floor in the coming weeks.

They will be joined by a number of familiar faces from the small screen including Countdown’s Rachel Riley, Dragon Deborah Meaden, former Corrie baddie Natalie Gumede (Kirsty Soames), BBC newsreader Susanna Reid and television presenter Vanessa Feltz.

As for the boys, there is also a strong television presence with the inclusion of Hollyoaks star Ashley Taylor Dawson (Darren Osbourne), Mark Benton (Daniel ‘Chalky’ Chalk) from Waterloo Road and Casualty actor Patrick Robinson (Martin ‘Ash’ Ashford).

Golfer Tony Jacklin, rugby star Ben Cohen, designer Julien MacDonald and Hairy Biker Dave Myers will also be shaking their hips (or trying to at least).

 

Soap star Ashley Taylor Dawson is one of the male celebrities taking part this year.

But it’s not just the celebrities’ faces that have changed from last year. A number of the professional dancers have had to be replaced after show favourites Flavia Cacace, Vincent Simone, Erin Boag and Aliona Vilani left to concentrate on other career opportunities.

Their places will be filled by Iveta Lukosiute (who stepped in for Aliona during the last series after she broke her ankle), Emma Slater, Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara.

This Saturday (on BBC One at 6.50pm) fans can tune in to see which celebrities are paired up with which professional dancers.

UPDATE (8.55am): Aliona Vilani will be taking part in this year’s series after Natalie Lowe fractured her foot during training.

Speaking about her unexepcted departure, Natalie said: “Not being able to compete with a celebrity partner is so hard. But this series is going to blow everyone away and I cannot wait to get my feet back on the dance floor.”