Strictly Come Dancing is back - time of BBC One launch show tonight
It's that time of year again when the iconic 'Da-da-da-da-da-da-daah' fills our homes, signalling the return of Strictly Come Dancing. After a nine-month hiatus, the 2024 series is set to sprinkle some much-needed glitter into our lives from this weekend.
The dynamic duo, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, will be back on our screens every Saturday night, steering the Strictly ship as it celebrates its 20th anniversary year. Meanwhile, the judging panel, consisting of Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and head judge Shirley Ballas, will be ready to scrutinise the performances of the new batch of celebrity contestants and their professional dance partners.
The Strictly journey officially kicks off with the launch show airing on Saturday, September 14 at 7.20pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, where we'll see the celebs paired with their professional partners for the first time.
READ MORE:Strictly Come Dancing's Kai Widdrington breaks silence on 'unfortunate' axe from main show line-up
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This will be followed by the first live show a week later on Saturday, September 21, at 7pm. This is when the competition truly heats up as the new couples perform for the judges' verdict and viewers' votes, reports the Manchester Evening News .
And without further ado, here are the 15 celebrities who will be lacing up their dancing shoes this autumn in hopes of clinching the coveted Strictly Glitterball trophy; Chris McCausland, JB Gill, Wynne Evans, Toyah Willcox, Dr Punam Krishan, Tasha Ghouri, Pete Wicks, Shayne Ward, Sarah Hadland, Jamie Borthwick, Tom Dean MBE, Montell Douglas aka Fire, Nick Knowles, Paul Merson and Sam Quek MBE.
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During the launch show, fans will discover which celeb will be partnered with which pro dancer. However Kai Widdrington will be missing out this year on being part of the competition.
He told the Daily Star: "Everyone wants to get a celebrity. Unfortunately it wasn’t my time this series. Two boys couldn’t have one this series and sadly I am one of them. Some of us don’t get partners and that’s the way it is."
Tess has been in the show since the very beginning and has revealed that sometimes, she can spot star quality from the very start.
Tess explained: “The class of ’24 look like a properly exciting gang. As a collective I genuinely cannot wait to see what they’ve got in store for us.
“Sometimes I feel like perhaps I can spot the winner as early as the launch show as it’s clear to see they have the full package. However, more often than not, I’m surprised along with everybody else."
Claudia on the other hand said she has “no idea” who’s going to win and always finds out with everyone else, which she described as a “magic moment”.