Who is Ellie Taylor on BBC Strictly Come Dancing 2022?

Ellie Taylor is an actress and comedian best known for appearing in Ted Lasso and panel shows like Mock the Week.

The 38-year-old started her career as model, and went on to appear on the ITV reality show Show Me Funny in 2011, where comedians of varying experiences travelled across the UK performing gigs. After the show, Ms Taylor appeared on various TV shows, including 8 out of 10 Cats, Mock the Week, and was a regular presenter on the MASH Report.

Outside of comedy and acting, her debut book , My Child and Other Mistakes, was published in 2021, and recently became a Sunday Times Best Seller. She's likely best known for her role on Ted Lasso, Apple TV's hit comedy series, where she plays Flo 'Sassy' Collins. Now, she's set to compete in Strictly Come Dancing's 20th series, joking that the only reason she signed up for the show was "for the wigs".

Ellie, of Brentwood in Essex, says she has wanted to appear on the show “forever” and is excited “to find the joy in dance”, but has stipulated that she will need “a tall patient person” as her partner. In an instagram post when the news was revealed, Ellie wrote: "It's a total dream come true!

"I cannot begin to explain how excited/terrified I am. I promise that what I lack in dancing ability and spatial awareness I'll make up for in fake tan and enthusiasm."

On whether she has any dancing experience, Taylor said: “I retired from tap and ballet dancing aged seven, so aside from doing some sort of macarena mini disco on European holidays with my child, no!”. She also revealed some unusual methods to help to prepare.

"Mostly sort of just panicking and staring at a wall wondering what on earth I’ve done! I’ve also been watching old episodes, which has been useful to try and get my mind in the right mindset. I feel like doing Strictly is a bit like having a child. You can imagine what it might be like but you won’t actually know how wild it is until it starts."

Ellie is married to reporter Phil Black. The couple have a daughter and live in London.

The celebrities taking part in Strictly this year are Ellie Simmonds, Ellie Taylor, Fleur East, Hamza Yassin, Helen Skelton, James Bye, Jayde Adams, Kaye Adams, Kym Marsh, Matt Goss, Molly Rainford, Richie Anderson, Tony Adams, Tyler West and Will Mellor.

They will be watched and scored by Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas.

Strictly Come Dancing launches at 7pm on Friday, September 23, on BBC One before the first live show airs Saturday, September 24, at 6.45pm. The show had been due to launch on Saturday 17 September but was put back six days following the death of the Queen.

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