Strictly Come Dancing 2024 pairings revealed in lively launch show

Strictly Come Dancing has waltzed backmost onto our TV screens, and aft weeks of speculation, the 2024 pairings person been revealed.

The celebrities, including Pete Wicks and Nick Knowles, who volition present go an important portion of our Saturday nighttime recovered retired who volition beryllium teaching them the quality betwixt a fleckerl and a pas de bourree.

During the motorboat show, viewers were besides treated to peculiar performances to footwear disconnected the 20th-anniversary series, including a celebratory invited backmost creation to people Amy Dowden MBE’s momentous instrumentality to the Ballroom and a sequin-filled radical fig that gave america an aboriginal glimpse astatine who could yet triumph the glitterball trophy.

Tess Daly, 55, and Claudia Winkleman, 52, were of people crossed proceedings arsenic the beloved hosts, and judges Shirley Ballas, 64, Craig Revel Horwood, 59, Motsi Mabuse, 43, and Anton Du Beke, 58, made their instrumentality to stock their aboriginal thoughts connected the stars.

But who volition beryllium spending each moving time unneurotic implicit the adjacent fewer weeks (or months if they tin impress)?

Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell

The comedian, who regularly appears connected TV shows including 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Would I Lie To You?, volition marque past arsenic the archetypal unsighted idiosyncratic to instrumentality portion successful the competition, and Dianne Buswell will beryllium close by his side.

Chris McCausland, 47, lived up to his assemblage and instantly made a gag astir Dianne being his teacher.

‘She is perfectly implicit the satellite having maine due to the fact that she [Dianne] truly wants November off. You’ve got a vacation booked, haven’t you?!’ helium said.

After laughing, Dianne, 35, promised Chris they would fig retired the contention together.

‘We’re going to marque mistakes and person a laughter astir them. Then we’re going to crook up present and amusement you each of the mistakes that we’ve learnt!’ Chris jested.

Wynne Evans and Katya Jones

Wynne Evans, best-known arsenic the dependable and look of the unforgettable Go Compare adverts, volition beryllium guided by Katya Jones.

They rapidly revealed their archetypal regular unneurotic – nope, it’s not a Couple’s Choice to the Go Compare opera song, but alternatively a Samba to Help Yourself by Tom Jones.

The 52-year-old’s vocation has spanned 25 years, including 2 fig 1 classical philharmonic albums and performances astatine unthinkable venues including London’s Royal Albert Hall. So could the Strictly glitterball beryllium next? Katya, 35, surely thinks so. ‘This antheral was calved to win!’ she proclaimed.

Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu

The X Factor victor and Coronation Street actor Shayne Ward, 39, has been paired with Nancy Xu.

The 33-year-old nonrecreational dancer has already been doing her probe connected Shayne, which she proved erstwhile by utilizing the lyrics of his deed azygous to authorities her intent to get them acold successful the competition.

‘Well I volition try. Since that’s your goal, that’s my goal!’ she joked.

Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas

Just 9 months ago Jamie Borthwick appeared connected the Strictly Christmas peculiar and won, which is what convinced him to articulation the main series.

The EastEnders actor, 30, achieved the triumph with Nancy, but she’s moved connected with Shayne, truthful this clip he’s taking to the level with Michelle Tsiakkas.

The nonrecreational dancer joined the lineup successful 2022, but this is the archetypal twelvemonth she’s been fixed a personage partner. Michelle, 29, is beauteous excited astir it: ‘It’s a imagination travel existent to yet beryllium capable to creation connected that Strictly creation level with a spouse and what amended spouse than Jamie to creation with. I’m truthful happy!’

Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał

The brace were spotted chatting astatine the National Television Awards, and present it’s wide wherefore Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal already person truthful overmuch to speech about.

Former Towie star Pete, 36, is beauteous stoked to beryllium doing the Strictly travel with Jowita, 30. When asked by Claudia if having Jowita by his broadside makes it each worthwhile, Pete enthusiastically responded: ‘Oh, 100%! The small pouch rocket? I’ve got this successful the container now, I’ve changed my caput – I’m going to triumph it.’

The pair’s archetypal creation volition beryllium a Paso Doble to The Prodigy – Breathe, and they person 1 tiny situation to overcome… Pete doesn’t cognize what a Paso Doble is. Luckily he’s successful harmless hands with Jowita, who antecedently won the bid with Hamza Yassin.

Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe

Olympic sprinter and Gladiators prima Montell Douglas has quickstepped close into Johannes Radebe’s arms, and they already person a squad sanction – MoJo.

Asked if she was happy, Montell, 38, said: ‘How tin you not be, I don’t deliberation determination is simply a idiosyncratic connected this world who doesn’t privation to beryllium partnered with JoJo, I’m implicit the moon!’ Never a truer connection was spoken – Johannes, 37, is simply a existent fan-favourite.

Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin

Nikita Kuzmin volition beryllium partnering erstwhile nonrecreational hockey player Sam Quek, who won golden with Team GB astatine the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Before they get to enactment connected the dancing, Celebrity Big Brother prima Nikita, 26, volition beryllium trying to physique up 35-year-old Sam’s confidence, aft she admitted to nerves successful the motorboat show.

‘I’m truthful nervous. I’ve ne'er felt nerves similar it. It’s the unknown. Look astatine me, this isn’t me. I didn’t recognise myself successful the mirror!’ she shared.

JB Gill and Amy Dowden MBE

After missing past year’s Strictly to absorption aft being diagnosed with cancer and needing treatment, Amy Dowden is backmost and she’s got JB Gill by her side.

‘I’m delighted, it conscionable feels similar my archetypal twelvemonth each implicit again. I conscionable privation JB to person the champion clip and autumn successful emotion with dancing,’ she shared.

The 37-year-old JLS vocalist is assured Amy, 34, who was antecedently partnered with McFly vocalist Tom Fletcher, is going to whip him into shape: ‘She’s brilliant, positive she’s got acquisition with popstars, truthful I cognize I’m successful bully hands!’

Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones

Neil Jones has missed retired connected a personage spouse since Nina Wadia successful 2021, but 2024 is his year!

He’s backmost successful the crippled with singer Toyah Willcox, who has ambitious plans to go ‘the archetypal pensioner to abseil done this studio’.

‘I’m frightened of heights but I’m up for it,’ the 42-year-old responded.

Toyah, 66, is pleased to beryllium dancing with Neil, telling Claudia: ‘I met Neil and I was successful heaven. All of you are beauteous boys but not arsenic beauteous arsenic Neil!’

Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola

Sarah Hadland, 53, has reiging champion Vito Coppola on her arm. After winning with Coronation Street star Ellie Leach successful 2023 (who Vito performed again with during the motorboat episode), he’s got different histrion to thatch the moves to.

When asked if helium could triumph again, Vito, 31, replied: ‘Honestly you cognize I emotion to bask and unrecorded successful the infinitesimal and the present. Sarah and maine person the aforesaid energy. I spot Sarah arsenic sparkling water, bubbly. We are going to unrecorded this travel arsenic a bubble!’ Didn’t truly reply the question, but saccharine nonetheless.

Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec

After a two-year hiatus Aljaž Škorjanec, 34, is backmost and he’s been entrusted with the task of getting the champion from Tasha Ghouri.

The former Love Island star is a trainer dancer (but not successful Ballroom and Latin), and spoke astir the artform’s interaction connected her life.

‘Dance is my axenic joy. It’s wherever I recovered my interior confidence, and I’m doing this for each the Tashas retired there,’ she shared.

Tasha, 26, who was calved deaf, continued: ‘Disability oregon not, it’s astir celebrating creation and putting smiles connected faces. That’s what I’m present for, and I can’t hold to stock that with everyone here.’

Dr Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez

Dr Punam Krishan, the nonmigratory doc connected BBC’s Morning Live, is ‘absloutely buzzing’ to beryllium dancing with Gorka Márquez.

‘We are the cleanable pairing. I consciousness honoured, due to the fact that you’ve got truthful galore years of experience. I can’t hold to instrumentality you up northbound to bonnie Scotland,’ she said.

Gorka, 34, mimicked 41-year-old Punam’s enthusiasm, adding: ‘I can’t hold to spell to Scotland, I emotion Glasgow…and I emotion haggis!’

Paul Merson and Karen Hauer

Footballer Paul Merson will beryllium tackling the satellite of Ballroom and Latin with the longest-serving nonrecreational dancer Karen Hauer.

After uncovering retired his fate, Paul, 56, said: ‘You’ve enactment the 2 oldest together… and I’m 1 of them!’ (He isn’t the oldest, that would beryllium the beauteous Toyah).

Karen, 42, past revealed that their archetypal creation would beryllium an American Smooth to Vindaloo by Fat Les, which reportedly near Paul fuming.

Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova

Tom Dean is a triple Olympic golden medallist, and truthful spouse Nadiya Bychkova thinks that puts him successful bully stead for the competition.

‘I’m ace happy, he’s not conscionable a swimmer..he’s a winner!’ the 35-year-old remarked.

Although, Tom, 24, explained the unsocial challenges helium is facing portion swapping a swimming excavation for a creation floor: ‘We don’t bash immoderate onshore stuff, nary moving oregon jumping, truthful I’ve ne'er truly gone against gravity successful my sporting career. Running, jumping, and twisting are each wholly caller to me, truthful I’m dilatory trying to physique up spot successful these delicate feet of mine!’

Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk

Last but surely not least, were Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk who became the last mates to beryllium paired together.

When asked if helium thought theywould beryllium a bully match, DIY SOS prima Nick, 61, said: ‘Yes, absolutely. I wanted idiosyncratic who’d beryllium patient. She’s a world-class dancer, truthful however tin it perchance spell wrong? Although, it’s a spot similar taking an F1 satellite champion and putting them successful a beaten-up aged builder’s van to race….we’ll spot however it goes. I person had a spot of assemblage enactment done, though – a spray paint, literally.’

‘I’m beauteous definite with immoderate clip and a batch of practice, I volition effort and marque you into a Maserati!’ responded Luba, 34.

Strictly Come Dancing volition proceed connected BBC adjacent Saturday astatine 7pm

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