That faint tang of self-tan on the evening air can mean only one thing – a new year of Strictly! I’m Kat Brown, your companion for Telegraph coverage of this series. I’m too tall to do lifts, and I use my hip prosthesis as a get-out in a way that would make our Paralympian dancers roll their eyes – but I am a devoted Strictly viewer and I can’t wait to get locked into the new set of contestants with you and see who we all fall in love with.
This year’s 15 celebrities may not be the starriest group we’ve seen on the show, to put it mildly, but they are certainly among the ballsiest. It’s taken gumption alongside a healthy paycheque in a way nobody could have anticipated going into this 20th anniversary year. This series has been somewhat overshadowed by the allegations against pro dancers Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice, both of whom have left the programme – the BBC have yet to release the findings of their inquiry into accusations that the pair bullied former celebrity dance partners.
Still, some viewers at home have already had their say: on Wednesday night the show picked up a ninth consecutive Best Talent Show prize at the audience-voted National Television Awards, and Pernice starts a new job with the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars next week. Will we see a change to the VTs? Will things be more ‘real’ in the rehearsal room?
As is traditional in the opening show, there is no voting for us to do at home. Instead, we’ll find out the celebrity pairings, cheer the return of professional dancer Amy Dowden (now MBE if you please and rightly so) in a group dance with visuals themed around breast cancer awareness pink, and have our first look at everyone on the floor.
So, wherever you’re tuning in from: get the kettle on, grab some snacks, settle in, and get ready. Glitterball season is here again.
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