The celebrity contestants of 2015 are TV chef Ainsley Harriott, TV presenter Anita Rani, Olympic medallist and professional boxer Anthony Ogogo, BBC Weather reporter Carol Kirkwood, singer Daniel O’Donnell, Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote, Call the Midwife star Helen George, sports presenter and Olympic medallist Iwan Thomas, singer and TV presenter Jamelia, pop star Jay McGuiness, from The Wanted, broadcaster and journalist Jeremy Vine, BBC proms presenter Katie Derham, EastEnders actress Kellie Bright, sports news anchor Kirsty Gallacher and singer and presenter Peter Andre.

Also returning is Strictly’s well known judging panel - head judge Len Goodman, plus Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli, and Craig Revel Horwood, who will be the panel of dance experts this year’s celebrities will be trying to impress.


The professional dancer line-up welcomes three brand new dancers, including one from South Africa: eight-times South African Latin American champion Oti Mabuse, along with Russian-born Dancing With The Stars favourite Gleb Savchenko, 2012 Italian champion Giovanni Pernice. They will be joined by Strictly favourites, 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.


In the first episode, co-presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will host an exclusive premiere and red carpet launch for the 13th series of Strictly Come Dancing, welcoming the new celebrity contestants to the dance floor.


This is where the journey will begin for the class of 2015. At the launch, the celebrities will discover which professional dancer they are to be paired up with for the competition and with their help, hope to take home the famous Glitter Ball Trophy. Along with the professional dancers, the celebrities will take to the dance floor for the very first time for a group performance. There will also be one final performance from last year’s reigning champions and 2014 winners, Caroline Flack and Pasha Kovalev.


Once the celebrity pairs up with their professional dancer, they will return to the ballroom to perform live to the nation every Saturday night. There will be no public vote in the first week and the results show with Tess and Claudia will begin from week two on Sunday nights. From then, 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 for good.


At the halfway stage of the competition and now a Strictly Come Dancing tradition, the show will travel to the international home of ballroom dancing where the celebrities and their partners will perform at the world famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom.

The multi-award winning dancing show returns on 10 January, 2016, at 18:00.

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