Strictly Christmas stars!

Posted on November 13, 2014

Strictly Come Dancing has announced the line-up for this year’s Christmas special, bringing back six very popular contestants for a special festive battle for the glitterball.

Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, actress Lisa Riley and singer Rachel Stevens return, alongside Olympic gymnast Louis Smith, TV presenter Chris Hollins and astrologer Russell Grant. This year’s show will have a special pantomime theme, with the celebrities taking on roles from some of the UK’s favourite pantos.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor will dance with Aljaž Skorjanec (pictured). Lisa Riley will be reunited with Robin Windsor – as he tells us in our November issue, the pair have been best friends since dancing together in the 2012 series of Strictly Come Dancing. Rachel Stevens will be partnered by Tristan MacManus, who made his debut on this year’s series, and spoke to Camilla Dallerup for our September issue.

Louis Smith will dance with Aliona Vilani. Chris Hollins will partner Iveta Lukosiute and Russell Grant will dance with Joanne Clifton, who told us about the Strictly experience in our October issue.

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.