Strictly at Christmas

Posted on November 26, 2013

Strictly Come Dancing returns for a festive edition on Christmas Day, with six new celebrities taking part in BBC1’s much-loved show.

The female celebrities all have a musical edge this year, with member of the band The Saturdays Rochelle Humes, West End diva Elaine Paige and radio DJ Sara Cox all diving into the sequins. Their male rivals will be EastEnders actor Ricky Norwood, pop singer Matt Goss and comedian Rufus Hound.

Rochelle will dance with Ian Waite, Sara with Robin Windsor, Elaine with Pasha Kovalev, Matt with Aliona Vilani, Ricky Norwood with Janette Manrara and Rufus with Flavia Cacace. The show will also feature a winter wonderland number filmed at LaplandUK. Rochelle has already appeared on the Children in Need edition of Strictly – she was defeated by Harry Judd, who went on to win the glitterball in 2011. Rufus took part in Let’s Dance for Comic Relief, when he took on a Cheryl Cole routine.

Picture: Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly, who will present the Christmas special. Photograph: BBC/Ray Burmiston

Zoe Anderson

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.