Strictly stars set for live dancefloor debut

The 15 stars taking part in Strictly Come Dancing will have to swallow their nerves as they make their live dancefloor debut.
Strictly Come Dancing contestant Dr Ranj Singh and his professional dance partner Janette Manrara during rehearsals at a dance studio in London. Picture; PAStrictly Come Dancing contestant Dr Ranj Singh and his professional dance partner Janette Manrara during rehearsals at a dance studio in London. Picture; PA
Strictly Come Dancing contestant Dr Ranj Singh and his professional dance partner Janette Manrara during rehearsals at a dance studio in London. Picture; PA

The celebrities and their professional partners will show off their routines for the first live show of the series on Saturday night, after two weeks of rehearsals.

However, they will be saved from the extra tension that comes with the threat of elimination from the judges and the public vote - nobody will leave the competition until the following week.

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Among the stars taking to the dancefloor this year are Blue singer Lee Ryan, TV presenter and campaigner Katie Piper, newsreader Kate Silverton, Red Dwarf star Danny John-Jules and former What Not To Wear presenter Susannah Constantine.

There will also be Strictly’s first YouTube star, Joe Sugg, as well as radio DJ Vick Hope, This Morning regular Dr Ranj Singh, comedian Seann Walsh and Paralympic champion Lauren Steadman.

Rounding off this year’s famous hopefuls are Steps singer Faye Tozer, presenter Stacey Dooley, Casualty actor Charles Venn, Pussycat Dolls star Ashley Roberts and cricketer Graeme Swann.

Many of this year’s line-up have confessed to feeling nervous about their Strictly stint, with Roberts saying she is worried about taking a tumble.

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“Even though I’ve done performing, I’m just a bit nervous and I don’t want to mess up, I don’t want to fall or miss a step or something,” she said.

“I’ve heard it’s really intense so I think the whole thing is going to be a challenge, but I’m up for it.”

Tozer said that “keeping my nerves” is going to be her biggest challenge throughout the competition.

The pop star added: “I can get very nervous and I can actually be quite shy which is probably something that you wouldn’t know. It’s a completely different format for me so I don’t know how I’m going to be.”

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Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman return as presenters, while the judging line-up remains the same as last year, with Dame Darcey Bussell, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli offering their words of wisdom and critique alongside head judge Shirley Ballas.

The public vote will begin in the second week of the competition.

Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One at 6.15pm on Saturday.