Max George, Caroline Quentin and Jason Bell confirmed for Strictly Come Dancing 2020 line-up
The first three celebrities have been announced for the 18th season of Strictly.
The first three celebrities, actress Caroline Quentin, Max George and former NFL star Jason Bell have been announced for the new series of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing.
The Wanted and Glee star Max, 31, will join his bandmate Jay McGuiness in having taken part on Strictly Come Dancing (Jay actually won the Glitterball Trophy in 2015).
He said: “Buzzing to be on Strictly this year. Not really one for the dance floor, but I take a lot of comfort in the fact that Jay McGuiness set The Wanted’s bar so low....”
The Blue Murder, Jonathan Creek and Men Behaving Badly star Caroline, 60, says she's “thrilled and terrified in equal measure to be taking part” in the show.
Quentin revealed she had some dance and tap experience and studied ballet from the age of 3-12.
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She said: "I do remember what I learnt, but my knees are 50 years older!"
Former NFL star, Dallas Cowboys player Jason, 42, will also dance on Strictly, revealing that he was looking forward to "the journey". Just as in his playing days Jason promised to "lock into the present moment... and perform at the highest level".
Jason co-hosts the NFL Show for BBC Sport and added: “Strictly was the first show I ever watched when I moved to the UK and I’m a massive fan. My six-year-old daughter never got the chance to see me run out on the field at an NFL game, but she is very excited about me taking to the dance floor. I hope I can do her proud.”
Strictly Come Dancing is likely to premiere in late October, but the long-running entertainment show will be a little different structurally, due to the ongoing COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
However Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two Rylan Clark-Neal reassured fans that this season would be no different in tone to previous years.
He told RadioTimes.com: “I’m not the official spokesperson for Strictly or anything, but all I know is it’s the biggest show on TV, it’s the BBC’s diamond, it’s their number one show."
It has been reported that Strictly will premiere a month later than usual, on Saturday 24th October, and will continue until 19th December, the weekend before Christmas.
If true, this means that Strictly 2020 will clock in at just nine weeks in length, a reduction on the usual 13, with the special Halloween and Blackpool episodes both airing within the first month.
We'll bring you the latest additions to the Strictly Come Dancing line-up as they happen.
If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV guide.
