[Sam!]

Strictly reveals dancing line-up

Joe Calzaghe, Zoe Lucker and Ricky Groves - EastEnders' Garry - are among the hopefuls

The star contestants for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing include boxer Joe Calzaghe, the BBC has revealed.

Actress Lynda Bellingham, Crimewatch host Rav Wilding, ex-cricketer Phil Tufnell and tennis champion Martina Hingis will also take part.

Hollyoaks' Ricky Whittle and The Bill's Ali Bastian, EastEnders Ricky Groves and Natalie Cassidy will compete with BBC Breakfast's Chris Hollins.

Ex-Footballers Wives star Zoe Lucker is also among the competitors.

Lucker will take to the dancefloor against her co-star from the ITV melodrama, actress Laila Rouss.

Athlete Jade Johnson and jockey Richard Dunwoody will also represent the world of sport in the series, which begins on BBC One next month.


Actress Natalie Cassidy will team up with Vincent Simone.

Jo Wood, the estranged wife of Rolling Stone Ronnie and actor Craig Kelly - who plays factory manager Luke Strong in Coronation Street - complete the line-up.

Kelly is also well-known for playing Vince in 1990s drama Queer As Folk.

The makers of the Saturday night show have also revealed some changes to the way the competition is run this series.

The first two weeks will see the 16 competitors split into two groups, but not into men and women as in previous outings.

There will be shows on Friday and Saturday for the opening two weeks, but the Sunday results show has been shelved.

After the judges' scores, none of the couples will be safe from the dance off in another change from previous seasons.

It was previously announced that former winner Alesha Dixon is to replace Arlene Phillips on the judging panel in the new series.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8220020.stm

[Mickey2009]

The 16 celebrities who will compete in the upcoming season of Strictly Come Dancing have been officially announced.

The seventh series of the BBC show will see judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood return to the panel alongside newcomer Alesha Dixon, who has replaced Arlene Phillips.

The female contestants and their dancing partners are:


Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna
Lynda Bellingham and Darren Bennett
Natalie Cassidy and Vincent Simone
Martina Hingis and Matthew Cutler
Jade Johnson and Ian Waite
Zoe Lucker and James Jordan
Laila Rouass and Anton du Beke
Jo Wood and Brendan Cole

The male contestants and their dancing partners are:


Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff
Richard Dunwoody and Lilia Kopylova
Ricky Groves and Erin Boag
Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan
Craig Kelly and Flavia Cacace
Phil Tufnell and Katya Virshilas
Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe
Rav Wilding and Aliona Vilani

Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly will return to front the competition, while Claudia Winkleman will host spinoff show It Takes Two.

The new series of Strictly Come Dancing begins next month.

[BigSister]

Yay someone from Corry
and a few there that i thought would be in it. Looks quite good but maybe not as good as last years
Having looked at it again both karen and Camilla have gone1. Also Hayley but i wasnt too fussed about her

[Tom]

Buy One Get One Free with Zoe and Laila?

[Brad.]

Rav to win!!

[Marc]

yay! go fatalie! and rav!

[Marc]

OMG AND HINGIS!!!!

[Sam!]

If you didn't know they were, the pictures of the contestants:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/en...0/10001192.stm

[MrGaryy]

easily worst line up ever.

[Shaun]

Only...4 I don't know. Pretty good, but not any big names really.

[Harry!]

An ok line up, the last 2 years were better.

[CbgAndy]

Originally posted by Marcjswp
OMG AND HINGIS!!!!

i love martina !!!!!

[DrunkerThanMoses]

Um....... not sure what to make off them yet.. .eastenders again..... however 2 hollyoaks this time...... ah, wired bunch this year!

[King Gizzard]

Calzaghe ftw!!!

i love lilia poplova though



But theres alot of em I dont know this year which sucks.

[Braden]

seems like a good line-up

[MissKittyFantastico]

Joe Calzaghe and Martina Hingis.

I'm happy!

Lynda Bellingham looks like my mum.

[King Gizzard]

woop kitty and brad watch it as well, people to talk to

[Gemmer-x]

Can't wait for this to start!

[DrunkerThanMoses]

A week today!

[Brad.]

2 weeks today sir jon!

[DrunkerThanMoses]

is it? I saw in the tv mag saying its next week?

[DrunkerThanMoses]

Oh wait they useually do that thing that shows whos in it first dont they, so it is 2 weeks time!

[HBB1508]

Can't wait to see Rav in his lycra outfits

[andyman]

Starts Friday 18th September at 8:30pm on BBC1.