Telly 7th September 2020 by Adele Miner

The Full Strictly Come Dancing Line Up Has Been Announced

It's set to be a good one

2020 has been a strange year in many, many ways, we all know this. One industry hugely impacted by the Coronavrius pandemic has been the TV and film industry, which has seen hundreds of productions cut and put on hold back in March when international lockdowns were announced.

While we had to wave goodbye to both a summer and winter edition of Love Island this year, ITV is still serving the goods when it comes to I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! and Strictly Come Dancing, meaning that come the colder and shorter night we’ll have plenty to keep us entertained.

Strictly is set to look just a little different from usual years, with 9 shows going ahead instead of the usual 12. This of course means that fewer celebs have signed up to take part, but quality over quantity n’all that.

Social distancing and bubble measures are also set in place for all Strictly cast and crew, with rumours of stars and their pros being put into isolation together ahead of rehearsals for the show – which if that is the case, we’re guessing that Strictly curse will be STRONG this year.

Hooking up aside, this year’s season is set to make history, as it will feature it’s first-ever same-sex partnering, with professional boxer Nicola Adams partnering up with female professional Katya Jones. So, now that we know one celeb entering the dancing hall this autumn, let’s meet the other celebs vying for that 2020 glitter ball.

HRVY

 

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Harvey Leigh Cantwell, otherwise known as HRVY is a 21-year-old singer and YouTuber. As with previous years, producers seem keen to get some young-uns on their side, and with millions of social media followers, we’re guessing that HRVY should do just that.

Jamie Laing

 

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Jamie is a reality TV star, most recognised from hit TV show Made In Chelsea. Strictly fans will remember that Jamie was actually supposed to take part in the show last year, but had to pull out due to an injury. Jamie’s replacement, Kelvin Fletcher actually went on to win the show last year, so it’s fair to say ol’ Laing has some big boots to fill.

Maisie Smith 

 

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Maisie is most commonly known for her role as Tiffany in UK soap, Eastenders. However, more recently Maisie has been making a serious name for herself on TikTok, with over a million followers, it’s safe to assume Maisie will be pulling in the younger viewers too.

Bill Bailey 

 

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Bill is a comedian and actor, often appearing on shows like QI and Never Mind The Buzzcocks. He says that he’s ready to take on something new, and so Strictly was the perfect excuse for him to learn a new skill – sashay away Bill!

Clara Amfo

 

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BBC Radio One DJ, and all-round great gal, we reckon Clara may be within a good chance of nabbing the glitter ball – given her background in music (and her deadly hula-hooping skills).

Caroline Quentin 

 

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Caroline is an actress, best known for the roles in Men Behaving Badly and Johnathan Creek. Speaking about taking part in the show she said she’s both “a bit scared but quite excited”.

Jason Bell 

 

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You may recognise Jason as a former NFL American Football player, but you most probably recognise him as former boyfriend of our own Nadine Coyle. Speaking about hoping to impress him and Nadine’s daughter Anaíya with his dancing skills, he said: “I’ve been watching it (Strictly) since I came to this country, so it’s time for me to do something cool to impress my daughter, now that she can watch me perform!”

John-James Chalmers 

 

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John-James, better known as JJ is a TV presenter, public speaker, and Invictus Games Medalist. Having suffered a life-changing injury in a bomb in Afghanistan while serving as a Royal Marine back in 2011, JJ refected on how has life was 10 years ago compared to now. Taking to Twitter to say:

“10 years ago, I was preparing to join 42 Cdo #RoyalMarines, to start ramping up training to deploy to Afghanistan. Somehow, now I’m about to start training, ready to join the cast of #Strictly. What a decade, eh?!”

Ranvir Singh

 

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A television presenter and journalist, Ranvir is most often spotted on the likes of Good Morning Britain and Loose Women. With an already demanding job, Ranvir has said that she’s feeling the pressure to stay energised while training and competing in the show, “I am worried about sleep deprivation because I am carrying on this job, I am worried about energy levels.”

Max George 

 

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As we know, Strictly is nothing without a pop star, so filling in that gap is ex boyband star, Max George. Max’s fellow bandmate Jay McGuiness lifted the glitterball back in 2015, so maybe the winner can mentor Max to victory also.

Nicola Adams 

 

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A former professional boxer, Nicola is sure to have the stamina a successful dancer needs. As we already said Nicola is ready to make history this year, competing in the shows first same-sex couple, and she’s fairly excited about it: “Thank the BBC for giving me the opportunity to be the first female lead on the show. Yeah buddy, representing.”

Jacqui Smith

 

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And finally, what is any reality TV show these days without a somewhat disgraced politician? NOTHING, that’s what. Former UK house secretary from 2007 to 2009, Jacqui was eventually forced to step down from her position, and now she’s stepping up to do the foxtrot, oh how we do love modernity.

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