The first names for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing have been announced – including Peep Show comic Robert Webb, TV presenter AJ Odudu and McFly’s Tom Fletcher.
Great British Bake Off winner John Waite is also taking to the dancefloor, in the show’s first ever all-male dance partnership.
Webb, 48, has already won one BBC dancing competition after triumphing in Let’s Dance for Comic Relief in 2009 where he wore a leotard and performed the What A Feelin’ sequence from the movie Flashdance. And he may well play it again for laughs this year,
Webb said: “I am ludicrously excited to be taking part in Strictly this year. It’s a big, generous, joyful show and I can’t wait to get packed into a spandex onesie and fired from a glitter cannon directly at Claudia Winkleman.
“At least I think that’s what happens. My goal is to try and survive from week to week without causing serious injury to myself or innocent bystanders. I know it’s going to be a challenge. To do well in this competition is a test of character, although mainly it’s a test of dancing.”
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BBC)
Webb is a television, film and theatre actor well known for his comedy partnership with David Mitchell. Also an acclaimed author, his memoir, How Not To Be A Boy, went on to become a No.1 Sunday Times Best Seller and his debut novel, Come Again, was published last year.
In April last year he admitted he had heart surgery in November 2019 to save his life.
On the morning of the operation, there was a problem with the intensive care unit and the hospital tried to delay surgery until the cardiologist told the surgeon: “You can’t send him home for five days, he isn’t going to last two days.”
During surgery, Webb also lost two-thirds of his blood cells. “So it was all,” he said, “a bit touch and go.”
Speaking last year, Webb added at the time that it has changed his outlook on life, saying: “The first thing you want to do is start taking it for granted again. On the other hand I certainly felt that my own death is now not this very, very mysterious or foreign thing any more. It’ll be a day like this.
“And I’ll be wearing clothes like this, and I’ll get out of a bed like the bed I got out of this morning. I’ve got the shape of it. I can weigh its dimensions. And I feel more chilled out about it because I think I can see it. I’m more relaxed, and it’s a relief.”
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Channel 4)
Also getting ready for months of fake tan and sequins is singer and author Tom Fletcher.
Less than a year after his wife Giovanna Fletcher won I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in Wales, Tom will try to lift the Glitterball trophy. And to add more pressure his bandmate Harry Judd has already won Strictly in 2011.
Fletcher said: “I think the fact that I’m actually going to be dancing on Strictly this year has only just started to sink in while I’m writing this! I’m incredibly excited, of course, but also totally terrified!
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BBC)
“My kids were excited too until I started showing them my best dad-dancing in the kitchen. I’m not sure how far they’ll get me in the competition but I can’t wait to add some new moves to my embarrassing dad-dancing repertoire.”
Tom is best known as a lead vocalist and guitarist in McFly, one of Britain’s most successful bands. Tom has penned ten UK number one singles for McFly, as well as written a number of chart-topping songs for bands such as One Direction, Busted and 5 Seconds of Summer.
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Dave Benett/Getty Images)
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Alongside his music career, Tom is also one of the UK’s bestselling authors for children, with his books, including The Christmasaurus, The Creakers and There’s a Monster in Your Book, going on to be translated into over 30 languages.
Next up, and AJ said of taking part in the series: “I am beyond chuffed that I am going to be on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing and I’m so glad I can finally tell my mum.
“Her face will be a picture, she’s going to be over the moon! I absolutely love the show and am fully committed to making the most of every second of the Strictly experience. Bring it on!”
Meanwhile, baker John had his say on making history as he will be part of the show’s first ever all-male pairing.
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PA)
He said: “It is an honour, when they asked me if I would be interested I just bit their hand off.
“To do that and represent the LGBTQ+ community is one thing, but also to see two men or two women dancing together, it is not necessarily about sexuality, it’s about intimacy and respect.
“I think that is gonna be such a great thing in our culture where men are conditioned not to open up and be emotional, and I think it will help to combat that.
“I’m so excited on so many levels to be doing the first ever male partnership, I don’t think it has sunk in yet.”
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More names will be announced in the coming days ahead of the BBC1 series starting next month and speaking earlier this week judge Shirley Ballas told ITV’s Loose Women that “of all panels, you have never seen such celebrities as you are going to see on this particular show”.
This year’s Strictly will also see four new professional dancers take to the dance floor. They are Dancing With The Stars Ireland’s Kai Widdrington, former Let’s Dance Germany professional Nikita Kuzmin, reigning South African Latin champion Cameron Lombard and winner of The Greatest Dancer Jowita Przystal. Last year’s series was won by comedian Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse
*Strictly returns in September on BBC One