STRICTLY Come Dancing’s glittering launch on BBC One on Saturday night finally confirmed this year’s celebrity contestants and their pro partners.
The dancers will strut their stuff live for the first time next weekend.
And while there won’t be an eviction then, they will be desperate to wow the judges.
Building a rapport in the rehearsal room will be key to each couple’s success.
All 15 star hopefuls told the new edition of Radio Times what taking part in the series means to them.
JB GILL AND AMY DOWDEN
JLS star JB revealed: “My wife said, ‘I think they want you to be with Amy’. I was very hopeful that I would get her.
“I’ve met Amy before and she’s lovely. I knew I’d be in good hands.”
NICK KNOWLES AND LUBA MUSHTUK
TV presenter Nick said: “People know I ride a motorbike. I play rugby.
“Guys come up wanting a pint with me. I want people to see me and decide to do a dance class. Dance is an amazing bonding thing.”
SARAH HADLAND AND VITO COPPOLA
ACTRESS Sarah said: “The contestants have a chemistry meeting.
“The minute I started dancing with Vito, I thought, ‘If it’s not him, I don’t know what I’m going to do’.”
CHRIS McCAUSLAND AND DIANNE BUSWELL
BLIND comedian Chris said: “I need Dianne to be good with her descriptions.
“Once, she just picked my leg up and put it where she wanted.”
SAM QUEK AND NIKITA KUZMIN
NIKITA, the sports pundit’s dance partner, said: “We’ve spoken about going into each dance with an open mind.
“There are things you will not agree on.”
PUNAM KRISHAN AND GORKA MARQUEZ
DANCE pro Gorka said of his TV doc partner: “Some days . . . Punam will wonder, ‘What am I doing this for?’
“But it’ll make sense in the long run. She has potential.”
TOM DEAN AND NADIYA BYCHKOVA
EXPERT Nadiya said of swimmer Tom: “It’s great to work with someone who has dedication.
“We’ll take it day by day to make sure his ankles, knees and feet are ready. Tom’s feet are delicate. They need to be a bit tougher.”
TASHA GHOURI AND ALJAZ SKORJANEC
LOVE Islander Tasha, the reality show’s first deaf contestant, said: “I was trained in commercial dance, which is the opposite of ballroom.
“I’ve also never danced with a partner before.
“And I’ve not really danced at all in the past three or four years.”
PETE WICKS AND JOWITA PRZYSTAL
PRO dance star Jowita said: “He’s not scared to try things, to listen to me and fall into that fairytale of dance.
“He’s hard-working. I just need to shape him. We’ll make him Patrick Swayze!”
PAUL MERSON AND KAREN HAUER
EX-footie ace Paul said: “When I play football with my little one in the garden, I want to win.
“But I’ve only ever danced three times. When I was dancing with Karen and we did a clap, I clapped ahead of time.”
MONTELL DOUGLAS AND JOHANNES RADEBE
GLADIATORS star Montell said: “I’m really tall, so I was never confident enough to wear heels.
“When Johannes said he wanted an extra inch on my heel, I said, ‘Whatever Jojo says. Who needs ankles?’.”
WYNNE EVANS AND KATYA JONES
HAILING Go Compare opera singer Wynne, pro Katya said: “The hardest thing to teach someone is music. That box is ticked.
“He’s got the personality, the fun. He’s got arms and legs.”
TOYAH WILLCOX AND NEIL JONES
STAR dancer Neil said of the singer and actress: “When we walked in, I saw Toyah going through the routine on her own, practising every step.
“I thought, ‘She’s a hard worker’.”
SHAYNE WARD AND NANCY XU
X FACTOR winner Shayne said: “We both love the cartoon Minions. It’s our little language between us.
“If you’re stressed, squeak. . . Honestly and humbly, I’m here to win.
“I’m ready to see what my body can do.”
JAMIE BORTHWICK AND MICHELLE TSIAKKAS
EASTENDERS star Jamie said: “I went to the Sylvia Young Theatre School.
“Everyone thinks that because I had a handful of lessons there, I can dance. But I admit I didn’t pay attention.”
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Source: USA Today
