Strictly Come Dancing Unveils 15 Celebrity Pairings for 24th Series as 3 New Hosts Debut
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 19
Strictly Come Dancing Unveils 15 Celebrity Pairings for 24th Series as 3 New Hosts Debut
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 19
Summary
Fifteen celebrity-pro couples were confirmed in Saturday’s launch show, opening Strictly’s 24th series with a new pairing format that revealed matches through three dance routines.
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and former pro Johannes Radebe made their presenting debut, replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman after the long-running hosts exited last year.
Dani Dyer returned after withdrawing from last year with a fractured ankle and was paired again with Nikita Kuzmin, while Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu became the show’s third all-female partnership.
Five new professionals — Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita — also joined the cast as judges took a lighter role in the launch episode.
Karen Carney, the reigning champion, returned to recreate her opening-week jive before the competition begins its 13-week run to crown a new winner.