[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.