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Louise Thomas
Editor
Autumn is just around the corner – and that means a brand new season of Strictly Come Dancing is not far off either.
The BBC has confirmed the start date for the latest series of the long-running dance competition, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
The pre-recorded launch episode is set to air on 14 September, so fans won’t have to wait too long to see how the show’s producers have paired up the latest batch of celebrity contestants with Strictly’s professional dancers.
The news was unveiled on the show’s official Instagram account in a brief video clip showing new contestant Pete Wicks, a reality star who has appeared on shows such as The Only Way is Essex, holding up score paddles bearing the numbers one and five.
“Your Strictly countdown is on!” the caption read. “There are only 15 days till @p_wicks01 puts the tan in tango.”
The first live show of the new series will then air the following weekend on 21 September, giving viewers the chance to see the new dance couples in action.
Then the first elimination will take place the following week.
This year’s line-up includes former Love Island contestant Tasha Ghouri, JLS singer JB Gill, DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles and comedian Chris McCausland, who will be the show’s first ever blind contestant.
Also taking part will be footballer Paul Merson, soap star Jamie Borthwick, Olympian Tom Dean, X Factor winner Shayne Ward, Miranda actor Sarah Hadland, Morning Live GP Dr Punam Krishan and singers Toyah Willcox and Wynne Evans.
The new cohort of celebrity hopefuls features the fewest female contestants in the show’s history, prompting the BBC to insist that “there is no hard and fast rule regarding the gender split on the show and it’s never been about ticking boxes”.
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Strictly has been at the centre of controversy over recent months due to concerns over the behaviour of some of its professional dancers.
Two longtime pros, Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, left the show following allegations about their training styles. Pernice has strongly denied accusations of “threatening and abusive behaviour”, and the verdict of an investigation has not yet been announced.
Di Prima admitted to kicking his celebrity partner Zara McDermott during a rehearsal last year.
He has said that he “deeply regret[s] the events that led to my departure from Strictly” and cited “intense passion and determination to win” as the reason for his off-screen behaviour.
The BBC has since confirmed that chaperones will be present “at all times” during rehearsals for the latest series.
The show’s professional dancers are set to welcome back their colleague Amy Dowden, who did not appear in last year’s competition while she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer, with a special routine.
