Strictly Come Dancing has given fans a first look at the special 20th anniversary series.
Just yesterday, Charlie XCX declared Brat summer was over, and so demure fall is officially commencing, and nothing says autumnal like Strictly Come Dancing returning to our TV screens.
To get us excited for the upcoming episodes of the BBC juggernaut they’ve released images from the first episode, and a trailer will air this evening at precisely 7:29pm on BBC One.
If there’s one thing Strictly loves it’s picking a theme and running with it, and for the trailer, and launch show number, they’ve chosen to do a Strictly bus.
The dancing bonanza encourages everyone to get aboard the mode of transport, ‘which will officially open the doors to the 22nd series of Strictly with a sparkly, showstopping bang later this month’ the BBC promised.
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Audiences will see just a snippet in the trailer, but when the show eventually returns later this month, we will be privvy to the full dance.
The routine is performed to a medley of anthems, which have been getting Brits on the dancefloor for decades.
The Strictly pros will be moving and shaking to We Like To Party! (The Vengabus) by Vengaboys, Baby Baby by Corona, Pump Up The Jam + Get Up (Before The Night Is Over) by Technotronic, Absolutely Everybody by Vanessa Amarosi, and Get Ready For This by 2 Unlimited.
Saturday Night by Whigfield, Ooh Ahh (Just A Little Bit) by Gina G and 5,6,7,8 + Stomp by Steps will also be included.
For the occasion, the cast have put on their brightest outfits, and looked happier than anyone has ever looked on a bus.
Within the first episode, Amy Dowden’s return to the dancefloor will also be celebrated with an ‘empowering routine’.
To mark her momentous return, there will be a special, celebratory Quickstep that will feature all of the professional dancers, but will see Amy shine in the central position.
The routine was choreographed by Jason Gilkison and is danced to a medley of Training Season by Dua Lipa, Busy Earnin’ and Keep Moving both by Jungle and Candle Flame by Jungle and Eric the Architect, as performed by Dave Arch and his band.
Joining the BBC dancing series in 2017, Amy worked on six seasons of the show, being paired with celebrity partners including Brian Conley, Tom Fletcher and James Bye.
However, after being diagnosed with breast cancer last year and undergoing a mastectomy and chemotherapy treatment, it was announced she was unable to take part in the BBC dancing series but now the 34-year-old is back where she belongs.
Of course, viewers tuning in will also get to finally find out which celebrities and dancing professionals have been paired together.
Once the pairings have been unveiled, fans can make predictions as to who will eventually see the 10 paddle, and who could suffer from an early elimination, as they take to the dance floor for the first time in a group routine.
‘As Strictly celebrates two spectacular decades of dance, this series promises to be extra special with even more glitz, glamour and unforgettable performances,’ promised the BBC ahead of launch night.
This year, the likes of Towie’s Pete Wicks, comedian Chris McCausland, Love Island contestant Tasha Ghouri, Go Compare singer Wynne Evans and JLS singer JB Gill are competing for the glitterball trophy.
They’ll be joined by DIY SOS star Nick Knowles, former footballer Paul Merson, 80s music icon Toyah Willcox, BBC Morning Live star Dr Punam Krishan and former England hockey player Sam Quek MBE.
Completing the line-up are Gladiators athlete Montell Douglas, Olympic swimmer Tom Dean, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, The X Factor winner Shayne Ward, and Miranda actress Sarah Hadland.
In the pro-dancer line-up for the 2024 series are Aljaz Skorjanec, Amy, Carlos Gu, Dianne Buswell, Gorka Marquez, Johannes Radebe, Jowita Przystal, Kai Widdrington, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley, Luba Mushtka, Michelle Tsiakkas, Nadiya Bychkova, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, and Vito Coppola.
It’s been reported that Kai will not be getting a celebrity partner this year, and three more professionals are set to also miss out due to numbers.
Filming is underway for the upcoming series and couples may have already been ‘revealed’.
There will be multiple changes implemented into the next series, including chaperones being present for every rehearsal, after the scandals involving pro dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima.
The launch show date for Strictly Come Dancing will be announced in due course. The official Instagram account has teased that they will put ‘sparkle in Saturday nights’ in 10 days.
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