Strictly is back with a bang!
And BBC bosses say they are “delighted with the new line-up” having seen the stars in action at the recording of the 20th anniversary launch show.
The Saturday night sparkly spectacular is aiming to put its best foot forward having been rocked by bullying scandals.
Blind comedian Chris McCausland is among the new contestants already creating plenty of laughs after the tensions created by actress Amanda Abbington’s allegations against her pro partner Giovanni Pernice last year.
A source revealed there were “many funny lines, most delivered by McCausland, who wowed the audience” in Saturday’s recorded show.
“Expect plenty of laughs in the new series of Strictly Come Dancing” they added.
And judge Craig Revel Horwood added: “If they dance as well as they talk, we’re in for a great series.”
Pro dancer Amy Dowden, 34, is back after battling breast cancer. And the Welsh star says it feels “surreal” to be part of the 20th anniversary year.
“I think it’s going to be a real celebration,” she said.
Our source added: “Amy got a very warm reception. People were on their feet applauding. It was a lovely atmosphere.”
Also back is Slovenian pro Aljaž Škorjanec, who allegedly left after an incident on a boozy night out on the 2022 live tour.
●Strictly Come Dancing, Saturday, BBC One, 7.20pm
Chris McCausland
Blind comic Chris McCausland, who was the first name confirmed for Strictly 2024, has revealed his daughter fears he could take a tumble mid-tango.
Chris, 47 – who is a regular on TV panel shows Would I Lie to You?, QI and Have I Got News for You – is the show’s first blind contestant.
He said: “My daughter Sophie is 11, and a Roblox and YouTube kid, you know, but she’ll be watching.
“She did say to me, ‘You’ll fall off the stage and break your leg!’
“I told her, ‘But there is no stage. I believe it’s all flat.’”
The stand-up comedian added: “There is no getting away from the fact that I’m representing people who are
under-represented in certain forms of media, but in a very physically capable way, hopefully.
“It’s all about doing things that people think you can’t do.
“If it can surprise everybody along the way that’s a good thing, isn’t it? And have a laugh doing it.”
Paul Merson
Former footballer says he was told not to do Strictly by his Arsenal teammate Tony Adams.
Adams, 57, took part in the BBC show in 2022 but was forced to leave during it due to picking up an injury.
Paul, 56, says he decided to ignore his friend’s advice as it’s his mother’s favourite TV show.
He said: “Tony Adams said ‘don’t do it’. He said it’s the hardest thing he’s ever done and he’d never felt so nervous.
“I’m doing it for my mum. My dad, if it wasn’t for my dad I wouldn’t have been a footballer and my dad took me everywhere.
“My mum never really got the credit she deserves. This is her favourite programme on TV and I said, ‘I promise, I’ll go on it’.”
Toyah Wilcox
Singer Toyah Wilcox has revealed she gave Strictly bosses an ultimatum to get on the show this year - saying it was “now or never”.
The punk performer and actress, 66, whose hits included It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free in the 1980s, is the most senior celebrity to join the 2024 line-up.
She says she had been waiting years to get on the BBC ballroom dancing contest, after discussions with producers for the past five years.
But Toyah felt she had to do Strictly this year or not at all because she will be too old to compete.
The singer, who is known for her expressive two hour stage shows, said: “In 1999 I was in a wadi in the desert somewhere near Egypt with a woman, a producer from the BBC and a cameraman, and she said ‘I’m going back to London and I’m going to start a series called Strictly Ballroom’.
“I was there when she came up with the idea. We were under the stars at midnight with a camel, filming a holiday programme, and I’ve always wanted to be on it because I’ve always felt that connection.
“They’ve been asking me to be in the line-up for at least five years and I honestly said to them at the beginning this year, ‘if it isn’t this year I’m not going to be able to move the way you need me to move. It’s now or never’.”
Toyah says her husband of 38 years, Robert Fripp, a music producer and founder of progressive rock band King Crimson, will be her biggest supporter.
They have a YouTube series and tour together, having played at festivals including Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight this summer.
Toyah said: “Robert, he’s just over the moon. He’s just totally thrilled and he’s thrilled for me as well.
“I never expected to see Robert Fripp in an audience of Strictly, but he’s going to be there.”
Nick Knowles
DIY SOS host Nick Knowles has insisted his fiancée has no reason to fear the Strictly curse – as he is too exhausted by training to even think about romance.
Father-of-four Nick, 61, has been dating businesswoman Katie Dadzie, 34, since 2019 and proposed on Valentine’s Day last year.
Asked if Katie was worried about him falling for his professional partner, Nick said: “Honestly that’s not an issue. I barely have the energy to walk out to the car afterwards.
“Honestly, we did a day’s training yesterday and I literally crawled out the car and sat with my feet in a bath of cold water for an hour when I got home.”
The presenter also revealed he has already lost just over a stone through the workouts and admitted they are the “most difficult” thing he has done in his life.
Of his strategy, Nick added: “The first thing I’ve got to do is try not to look like a honey monster, so all my brain power at the moment is focused, because you don’t really have time for anything outside of this.
“You do such long hours and even when you get away from it, you’re trying to eat right – and you can’t shut your brain off over what you’re supposed to do.”
Sam Quek
The Olympian says she was not worried about taking part in Strictly despite the bullying scandal.
The former hockey star, who won gold for Team GB at Rio 2016, is looking forward to the new series starting on Saturday.
Wirral-born Sam, 35, now a TV presenter, said: “It (the controversy) didn’t cross my mind at all. No disrespect, everyone has a different experience and I don’t know what their experience was.
“There’s two sides to the truth and for me it shouldn’t take the shine off Strictly. It’s a fantastic programme, everyone loves it for the energy and it brings people together, it’s just a positive show.”
She added she is aiming to win “100 per cent. I’m competitive and it would be ridiculous if you came into this and someone said ‘do you want to win?’. Of course you want to win, why wouldn’t you want to win the Glitterball trophy?”
But Sam added: “With dancing, I’ve no dance experience. I’m here to have a good time, I’m here to learn to dance.”
Sarah Hadland
Miranda star Sarah Hadland has revealed she had to lie to her showbiz friends to keep her stint on Strictly a secret.
The comedy actress, 53, is part of a WhatsApp group who watch the dancing contest and comment on it.
She said: “I did very well to keep it quiet. I’m part of a big WhatsApp group and we watch Strictly every year, with Sue Perkins, Clare Balding, Alex Arnold and Emma Freud, it’s quite a full on crew.
“Every year people go ‘when is Hadders going to do it?’ And I did a really good bluff because we had another social event and I was next to Miranda Hart, and Miranda is like ‘oh no, I think it’s already started.’
“I was like ‘yes, I think they’ve already started rehearsals, it’s too late for this year.’ So when they found out they all went mental.”
