recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Fleur East

* Fleur
* with Vito

**Fleur East** is a singer-songwriter, who competed in Series 20, partnered with new professional Vito Coppola.

In July 2023, Fleur was announced as the new co-host of Strictly's sister show, It Takes Two, to join Janette Manrara, after Rylan Clark-Neal stepped back from the show after 4 years.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

She's got the X Factor, but has she got the skills for Strictly? Let's get to know the incredible Fleur East...

Fleur rose to fame when she placed second in the 2014 series of hit ITV talent show *The X Factor*, but she had actually auditioned many years before in 2005, as part of girlband *Addictiv Ladies*. The group made it through to the live shows, but were eliminated in week one, seeing Fleur return to university to study journalism and contemporary history.

Music never left her life though, as she sent a demo off to DJ Fresh and ended up singing with him in the Radio 1 Live Lounge and on an extensive tour in 2012. Fleur was also signed to record label Strictly Rhythm and released solo music while waitressing in a London nightclub to keep herself afloat.

In 2014 she auditioned for The X Factor again, this time as a solo artist, and the rest is history. Fleur made it all the way to the grand final, just losing out to winner Ben Haenow. Her widespread acclaim on the show saw her bag a record deal with Syco and release single Sax, which hit number three in the charts and stayed in the top 10 for seven weeks.

Since finding success in the music world, Fleur has also starred on *I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here*, been part of the Saturday Night Takeaway presenting team, hosted ITV gameshow The Void, appeared in three episodes of *Ted Lasso*, and has fronted *The Hits Radio Breakfast Show with Fleur East* since 2019 - the same year she married her husband Marcel in Morocco.

Fast forward to 2022 and she's ready and raring to hit the Strictly dance floor!

## Strictly Journey

Fleur was partnered with Vito Coppola, who just joined the Strictly professional lineup this series. Fleur got to the final and were runners-up, alongside Helen Skelton and Molly Rainford.
Sunetra Sarker

* Sunetra
* with Brendan

**Sunetra Sarker** is an English actress, best known for her acting roles in *Brookside*, *No Angels* and *Casualty*. She competed in Series 12, partnered with Brendan Cole.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Sunetra Sarker is certainly used to gracing TV screens on a Saturday night, having played Consultant Zoe Hanna on BBC One’s long-running medical drama, *Casualty*, for the past seven years. So how will she cope swapping her stethoscope for sequins, and will she be able to cure a case of two left feet if she doesn’t cut it on the dance floor?

"*I've got a bit of rhythm... In the privacy of my bedroom I can dance as much as I like!*"
— Sunetra Sarker
Born in Liverpool to a Hindu family, Sunetra has always been a hard-worker and graduated in IT and French from Brunel University. She hopes tackling Strictly will impress her nine year old son, Noah. (Though we think her extensive list of acting credits spanning TV, radio, theatre and film are impressive enough!)

Sunetra’s first taste of fame came in 1988 when she was cast as Nisha Batra in Channel 4’s serial drama, *Brookside*. She then starred in the ITV soap, *London Bridge*, before playing ‘man-eating nurse’, Anji Mittel, in *No Angels*. It wasn’t long before she landed the biggest role of her career in *Casualty*. So far her shows have taken her from Liverpool to London to Leeds and beyond, but will we see her make it as far as the Blackpool Ballroom?

Sunetra has previously appeared on *Celebrity Masterchef*, *Pointless Celebrities*, and ITV’s *Big Star’s Little Star*, so she should have good form for competing on *Strictly*. But will her Foxtrot be fab-u-lous, or will her Charleston cause a casualty? As Sunetra trades her latex gloves for spandex skirts on a Saturday night, let’s just hope she’s not diagnosed with a case of dodgy dancing!
Justin Lee Collins

Creepy fellow who became 'flavour of the month' for a wee while for no discernible reason. Thankfully he is no longer on TV or radio either, following disclosure of court papers of charges brought against him as a result of his domestic abuse and harrassment, which revealed the misogynist and racist tendencies many of the public felt, but couldn't put their finger on.
Zoe Ball

**Zoe Ball** was a contestant during Series 3, where she reached the final with her professional partner Ian Waite. She returned to the Strictly family in 2011 as the host of Strictly's sister show It Takes Two, replacing Claudia Winkleman who moved to the main show. Ball left It Takes Two in 2021.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Zoe hosted the show from 2011 to 2021, taking the baton from Claudia Winkleman after she moved to the main show. And it's just the latest in a long and impressive presenting career for Zoe.

After presenting the much loved children's show Live & Kicking, she became the first woman to solely front Radio 1's Breakfast Show and has since hosted a number of shows, including the BRIT Awards, The Priory, Strictly Dance Fever and Sky Arts Summer Festivals.
Zoe is also an established radio presenter with her weekly Saturday show on Radio 2.

She's also presented the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour, and stepped up to help out on the main show on several occasions. With all her dancing knowledge and presenting talent, the audience is in safe hands!

### Strictly Journey

In October 2005, Ball became a contestant on the third series of *Strictly Come Dancing*, where she was partnered by Ian Waite. Ball and Waite were ranked in third place; they also scored 38/40 (including two tens) for three dances in the series and one in the Christmas special.
Shirley Ballas

**Shirley Annette Ballas** is an English ballroom dancer, dance teacher, and dance adjudicator. She specialises in the International Latin division, where she won several championship titles which earned her the nickname "The Queen of Latin".

In 2017, Ballas joined the Strictly judging panel as the new Head Judge, following the departure of previous head judge Len Goodman.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Shirley Ballas is one of the most renowned and decorated professional dancers in the world. A former British Open to the World Champion, and European, German, UK, USA and International Latin American Champion, her list of accolades is both vast and extraordinary.

"*Strictly is so loved by the British public, I have always been a massive fan.*"
— Shirley Ballas
Born and raised in Wallasey, by the age of 21 Shirley had won nearly every major title she competed in. To this day, she remains the only person to have ever won the British Open to the World Latin American Championships in Blackpool with two different partners, and has reached the finals an impressive 17 times. She is also still the youngest ever female to reach the British Open to the World Dance Championship finals.

In 1996, Shirley retired from competitive dancing, becoming the highly acclaimed and respected international coach she is today, as well as being one of the most sought-after Ballroom and Latin American competition judges in the world. She’s also mother to musician and Broadway star Mark Ballas, as well as being guardian to Dancing with the Stars professionals Julianne and Derek Hough during their childhood in London.

With such an incredible, decade-spanning career under her belt, Shirley Ballas makes the perfect addition to Strictly’s stellar judging panel.

## Television Career

### *Dancing with the Stars*

Ballas has appeared on Dancing with the Stars, giving master classes and commentating on the show.

### *Strictly*

On 9 May 2017, it was announced that Ballas would be joining the Strictly judging panel, replacing Len Goodman as head judge. She made her first appearance on the panel four months later - at the launch show of Series 15 on 9 September that year.
Tony Adams

* Tony
* with Katya

**Tony Adams** is a former England footballer, who competed in Series 20, partnered with Katya Jones.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

It's time for Tony Adams to join a whole new team: Team Strictly 2022!

This former footballer first found the sport at the age of six, joining his local club Romford Juniors and soon found that football was his calling. On his 14th birthday, Tony signed with Arsenal's youth division, before being given his first contract with the club and making his debut in 1983. As they say, the rest was history, seeing Tony go on to become Arsenal's youngest ever captain at 21, and remain in the position for the next 14 years. With Tony at the helm, the team took home four league titles, three FA Cups and two league cups, and by 1996 he'd also landed a spot as England team captain.

After 22 years and as Tony reached his thirties, he began to suffer injuries and retired from professional football altogether. In his final match in 2002, Arsenal won 2-0 against Chelsea, allowing Tony to end on a high having played in a whopping 674 matches.

In 2004, Adams was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his impact on the game, and a statue of his likeness stands tall today outside Arsenal's Emirates Stadium. He also received an MBE in 1999 for services to football.

Since leaving the pitch moving over to football coaching and management, Tony has led the Wycombe Wanderers, Portsmouth FC, Azerbaijani club Gabala FC and La Liga club Granada. He also helped establish the Sporting Chance charity, following his own struggles with alcoholism and addiction during his career, and now works with Six Mental Health Solutions, delivering solution-based education and treatment to the sports and business communities.

Now it's time for Tony to join our class of 2022 and we can't wait to see what techniques he brings from the pitch to the dance floor!

## Strictly Journey

Unfortunately, Tony & Katya were in the bottom two in Week 8, and after discussing with physio team following sustaining an injury during their performance on Saturday night, Tony decided to not perform in the dance off, and withdraw from the competition.
Vick Hope

* Vick
* with Graziano

**Vick Hope** is a British TV and radio presenter, journalist and published author. She hosts three shows a week across BBC Radio 1: *Going Home with Vick and Jordan* alongside Jordan North, *Life Hacks* and *Official Chart: First Look.*

Vick was a contestant in Series 16, partnering Italian Latin Champion Graziano Di Prima and finished in 12th place after loosing to comedian Seann Walsh in the dance off. She was the fourth celebrity eliminated in week five in a 3:1 judges vote with only Craig Revel Horwood choosing to save her. Vick had not appeared in the bottom 2 prior to the week of her elimination.
Ranj Singh

Ranj

**Ranj Singh** is a British doctor, television presenter, author and columnist. He is best known for being a resident doctor from 2016 to 2021 on *This Morning*. Ranj co-created and presented the CBeebies show *Get Well Soon* from 2012 to 2015. He has also appeared in celebrity versions of *Antiques Road Trip, Mastermind, Catchphrase, The Chase* and *The Great British Sewing Bee.*

Ranj was a contestant in Series 16, partnering Cuban-American professional dancer Janette Manrara and finished in 10th place after loosing to actor Charles Venn in the dance off. He was the sixth celebrity eliminated in week seven in a 3:1 judges vote with only Craig Revel Horwood choosing to save him. Ranj had not appeared in the bottom 2 prior to the week of his elimination.
Tony Jacklin

* Tony
* with Aliona

**Anthony Jacklin**CBE is an English golfer, who was the most successful British player of his generation, winning two major championships. He was also the most successful European Ryder Cup captain ever. He competed in Series 11, partnered with Aliona Vilani.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Tony Jacklin is one of the most successful British golfers of all time with twenty-seven tournament wins under his soon-to-be sequinned belt and is the most successful European Ryder Cup captain ever. His is a well-earned place in the World Golf Hall of Fame!

"*I’m at the time of my life when I thought why not! I love music and I do think I’ve got a sense of rhythm. Now it’s very close I just want to get stuck into it*"
— Tony Jacklin
Born to a truck driver father and raised in Scunthorpe, Tony picked up his first club at nine years-old acting as a caddie for his dad. Quickly abandoning a stint as a trainee steelworker, Tony turned pro aged 17 and has never looked back.

In 1967, at the beginning of a long line of historical career moments, Tony hit the first ever televised hole-in-one in Britain. The following year, he became the first European player to win the PGA Tour since 1920 and then went on to win the US Open in 1970. Becoming the first player since Ben Hogan in the 1950s to hold both the US Open and British Open titles simultaneously, he was awarded an OBE.

Tony has an unbeaten track record as a Ryder Cup player and has been the Ryder Cup Captain an incredible four times, taking the European team to its first victory in 28 years in 1985.

In his fourth consecutive role as Ryder Cup Captain, the European team successfully retained the cup for the first time in history making him the most successful Ryder Cup captain ever. Let’s hope Tony can add another trophy to his cabinet by winning Strictly... although by the sounds of it, we’re not sure if he’ll have room!

Tony lives in Florida and is married with six grown-up children. Since retiring from golf, his passion for the sport has continued, and he now designs courses around the world.

As long as Tony doesn’t get a four from Len, Bruno, Craig and Darcey he should find his form on the Strictly dance floor.
Verona Joseph

**Verona Joseph**(born April 23, 1974) is a British actress.

## Career

She played the role of Jess Griffin in the BBC drama series, Holby City between 2002 and 2007 and continues to appear as a recurring character from time to time.

In 2004, she appeared in the first series of the BBC dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing with her professional dance partner Paul Killick. She appeared in the first episode of Series 4 of Doctor Who as Penny, a journalist.

## Personal Life

Joseph married director Farren Blackburn in 2004. She has a son Terrell and two daughters Elsie-Mae and Ruby Rose.
Text to Win 2022

## Specials Chronology

In 2022, *Strictly* did not have a Children in Need special, as previous years.

Instead, viewers were invited to take part in the Strictly *Text to Win* competition, where they had a chance to win:

* 2 Tickets to the Strictly Series Final for this year’s series, on Saturday 17th December in the BBC’s Elstree Studios.
* An exclusive backstage experience of *It Takes Two* studio on Friday 16th December.
* Pre-paid VIP 2 night stay at a London hotel, with travel from anywhere in the UK to the hotel, and to the studios for the It Takes Two experience and to see the Final live prebooked.

To enter, viewers had to text “DANCE” to 81155, with a voluntary donation of £10 to Children in Need (that could be cancelled if requested).

The competition was regularly promoted on the main show and *It Takes Two* during the series, in the run up to the prize draw closing date on 25th November.
Tim Wonnacott

* Tim
* with Natalie

**Timothy "Tim" Wonnacott** is an English chartered auctioneer, chartered surveyor, antiques expert and a television presenter, best known for presenting the BBC's antiques show *Bargain Hunt*. He competed in Series 12, partnered with Natalie Lowe.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Tim Wonnacott is one of the most recognisable faces on daytime TV. He has presented over a thousand episodes of *Bargain Hunt* since taking the helm in 2003, and is known for his dapper style and eccentric wardrobe. So, the costumes on Strictly shouldn’t be too much of a culture shock - we’re sure we can dig out a ‘brand Harry Spankers’ sequinned tie!

"*I’ve never sold a glitter ball in all my born days, it’s true, but I have sold an early set of golf balls for 9 million and that’s a hole in one.*"
— Tim Wonnacott
Born in Devon, Tim’s father, Major Raymond Wonnacott, was a well-known auctioneer, and Tim’s ambition was to follow in his footsteps. Following a post-graduate course at the Victoria & Albert Museum in Fine and Decorative Arts, Tim joined Sotheby’s in London in 1978, becoming a Junior Director in 1983 and full Director in 1985. It’s safe to say he made a bid for the top.

Tim has since used his expertise on a number of programmes including *Antiques Roadshow*, *Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is* and *The Week We Went to War*. He even helped Top Gear’s James May to buy (and haggle down) an old sofa to fit in a Volvo Estate car. We wonder what treasures he’ll bring to the show?

Alongside Strictly, Tim’s next project is *The Great Antiques Map of Britain*. This will see him embark on a nationwide journey to discover the people, places and antiquities that tell the story of Great Britain. Tim lives in West Sussex with his wife Helen and they have three grown-up children.

But will his success in the Strictly Ballroom match the auction room or will his Cha Cha Cha mean he’s going, going, gone? Orff he goes to see - and very good luck!
Stacey Dooley

* Stacey
* with Kevin

**Stacey Dooley** is a television documentary presenter. She came to prominence in 2008 as a participant on the documentary series *Blood, Sweat and T-shirts* and has since made many social issue themed documentaries for BBC Three. In 2019 Stacey presented the reality television competition *Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star* for the first two series. In 2022 she finished 10th as "Prawn Cocktail" in the reality dancing competition *The Masked Dancer.*

Stacey was a contestant in Series 16, partnering four time British Latin Champion Kevin Clifton. She was crowned the winner beating Joe Sugg, Faye Tozer and Ashley Roberts, who all finished runners-up. Stacey never appeared in the bottom 2, so therefore never had to compete in the dance off.

## Dances

1 Score given by guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro.

## Trivia

* Dooley and Clifton were the seventh pair in the show’s history to win a series without achieving a perfect score of 40 on any dance.

## Gallery

QuickstepCha Cha ChaJiveFoxtrotSambaTangoCouples ChoiceWaltzSalsaPasodobleAmerican SmoothCharlestonViennese WaltzShowdance
Penny Lancaster-Stewart

**Penny Lancaster-Stewart, Lady Stewart**(born March 15, 1971) is an English model, photographer and TV personality. She is best known for being married to rock singer Sir Rod Stewart. In 2014, she joined the ITV lunchtime show Loose Women and is now a regular panellist.

## Early Life

Lancaster was brought up by parents Graham and Sally who were both regular gym-goers and encouraged a love of fitness. She also has a brother called Oliver. At the age of six, Lancaster took up dance, learning tap, ballet and modern but decided to quit at the age of 16 due to her height and decided aerobics would better suit her frame. Six years later Lancaster became a certified fitness trainer. It was during this time that she was spotted by a model scout who suggested who should consider a career in modelling. Lancaster suffers from chronic sweat problem called hyperhidrosis.

## Career

### **Early Career**

Throughout the 1990s, Lancaster was in a long-term relationship with city trader Mickey Sloan. They lived in Bermuda from 1996 to 1998 but separated in 1999.

Around this time, Lancaster decided to learn about the other side of modelling and began taking photography classes.

### **Ultimo**

In 2002, Lancaster signed up to be the face of designer lingerie brand Ultimo for a reported £200,000. Lancaster was a success at promoting the brand raising its profile, especially in the United Kingdom, but two years later, Lancaster's contract was not renewed.

### **Strictly Come Dancing**

Lancaster was announced as one of the fourteen celebrities taking part in the fifth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2007. In week 4, she was revealed as one of the bottom two participants. She and her partner (Ian Waite) were in the week six dance-off with Matt Di Angelo and were voted off.

### **Loose Women**

On September 15, 2014, Lancaster was billed as an occasional panelist on the lunchtime chat show Loose Women. Through Series 19 of the show, she made four subsequent appearances, on December 1, 2014, March 9, 2015, June 15, 2015, July 6, 2015. Since Series 20 began on September 1, 2015, Lancaster now appears more regularly and has so far appeared three times in September 2015, once in October and November 2015, twice in December 2015, twice in January 2016, twice in March 2016, twice in April 2016, twice in May 2016 and once in June 2016. As of Series 21 which began on September 5, 2016, Lancaster now appears weekly.

## Personal Life

In 1999, Lancaster met singer Rod Stewart, who offered to let her take photos of him whilst on tour.

Lancaster gave birth to her first child, a 7 lb, 7 oz (3.373 kg) boy on November 27, 2005. On February 17, 2011, it was announced that Lancaster had given birth to their second child, (Stewart's eighth child), another boy.

Lancaster and Stewart married on June 16, 2007 at La Cervara near Portofino, Italy. The couple exchanged vows in the presence of family and friends.

Lancaster is an ambassador to Penny for London.

Lancaster is a vice president of the RNIB.
Will Mellor

* Will
* with Nancy

**Will Mellor** is a stage and screen actor, who competed in Series 20, partnered with Nancy Xu.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Welcome British acting icon Will Mellor to our 2022 line up of Strictly stars!

There's not much Will hasn't starred in, from hit police drama *Line of Duty* to crime dramas *Broadchurch* and *No Offence*, but now he's taking on a whole new role as he steps into our Ballroom.

Born and raised in Stockport, Will was the self-confessed class clown at school and began performing around age 11, landing his first role on ITV show *Children's Ward*. He then found himself cast in soap Brookside at the age of 16, moving onto brand new soap *Hollyoaks* in 1995, starring in the very first episode and 100 more.

A detour via music saw him release two singles in 1998, before spending two years in medical drama Casualty, eventually landing the role of Gaz in new comedy *Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps* in 2001. Following the loves and lives of five 20-something friends, the show soon gained a cult following and ran for an incredible nine series, until 2011. In fact, Will still records and tours a podcast with co-star Ralf Little, called *Two Pints with Will and Ralf*.

Will's career since then has continued to climb, seeing him star in *EastEnders*, *Coronation Street*, *Sorted*, BAFTA-winning show *The Street*, *White Van Man*, *In With The Flynns*, *No Offence*, and primetime dramas *Broadchurch*, *Sanctuary* and *Line of Duty*.

Now he's got his sights set on one last accolade - grabbing that Strictly Glitterball!

## Strictly Journey

Will & Nancy made it to the Semi-Final, where they were placed in the dance off against Fleur & Vito and were unfortunately eliminated, taking 5th place.

## Gallery

Will & NancyJive.webpWill & NancySalsa.webpWill & NancyAmericanSmooth.webp
## Promotional Video

File:Meet Will Mellor ✨ BBC Strictly 2022
Patrick Robinson

* Patrick
* with Anya

**Patrick Robinson** is an English actor, best known for playing Martin "Ash" Ashford in the BBC's medical drama *Casualty*.

He competed in Series 11, partnered with Anya Garnis.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Patrick Robinson is best known as Martin 'Ash' Ashford, one of Casualty’s longest serving and well-loved characters. Whilst Patrick trades in his scrubs for the ruffled shirts of Strictly, here's hoping he doesn't obtain any dance-related injuries during his time on the show as this on-screen doctor hates hospitals.

"*I don’t like dancing, I love it!*"
— Patrick Robinson
Born to a Jamaican father and an English mother, Patrick was the fifth of seven children. Cousin of footballer Ian Wright it seems football talent ran in the family, as Patrick was offered a trial at Southampton F.C but turned it down because it clashed with his drama classes. He’s an avid Arsenal fan and regularly plays matches for the ex-pros and celebrity teams.

Patrick trained at LAMDA and cut his teeth with The Royal Shakespeare Company, where he starred as their first ever black Romeo. After four years at the RSC, Patrick became a nationally recognised face joining *Casualty*. He stuck to his Shakespearean roots, choosing to settle down permanently in Stratford Upon Avon, when not filming Casualty in Cardiff.

Outside of the medical drama, Patrick has pursued screen and stage roles, starring as CIA agent Leon Washington in the 2003 action film, *Belly of the Beast* alongside Steven Seagal. From 2008 he appeared as Detective Constable Jacob Banks in *The Bill*, and in 2011 he took to the stage as Friedrich in The New London Theatre production of *War Horse*.

Patrick has some previous dance experience having taken part in Let’s Dance for Comic Relief 2009 where he performed a routine based on Riverdance. However judging by his enthusiasm for performing Patrick could quite well be a contender for the top spot in this year’s show “I learned historical dance at drama school and I’ll try my hand at anything, I’ll dance for dancing’s sake. I love funky soul stuff but I’ll get up to dance when no-one else is. If the music hits me, I’m off.”
Chapter 3: What is this?

Read this chapter here

Chapter 3 is a video of Nine asking more about the world they live in, especially questioning their own existence. They learn that the human race ceased ageing, being born, and dying on April 7, 2026. Meanwhile, Juice relocates the camera's feed to a home outside Nashville to check in with the Durabos.

This chapter is also home to Juice's famous Lunchables speech.

## Characters appearing

* Ten
* Nine
* Juice
Steve Backshall

* Steve
* with Ola

**Steve Backshall** is an English naturalist explorer and presenter, best known for presenting CBBC wildlife show *Deadly 60*. He competed in Series 12, partnered with Ola Jordan.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Steve Backshall is a multi-BAFTA-winning naturalist, writer and TV presenter, best known for his phenomenally popular CBBC wildlife show, *Deadly 60*. All-round action hero, Steve has done it all – dived with great white sharks, abseiled down waterfalls, scaled volcanoes, and handled some of the deadliest animals on Earth. Here’s hoping a mean Foxtrot should be a walkabout in the safari park for this modern-day adventurer…

"*I want to see if I can go from jungle man, croc catcher, snake charmer, to salsa dancer in a couple of months!*"
— Steve Backshall
Born in Bagshot, Surrey, Steve grew up on a smallholding surrounded by rescue animals. Among his closest pals as a child were the family’s asthmatic donkey and the grass snakes who called a manure heap home! Both his parents worked for British Airways so Steve was able to stoke his passion for exotic places in childhood and later, as a young adult, found himself backpacking solo around Asia, India and Africa, studying martial arts in Japan, and avoiding crossfire in East Timor.

After studying biology at the Open University in 2000, Steve hot-stepped it to South America and soon became National Geographic’s ‘Adventurer in Residence’, presenting and shooting his own natural history programmes amid the teeming wildlife of the Colombian jungle. His first BBC role came in 2003, working for the BBC Natural History Unit on *The Really Wild Show*.

Steve’s big break came with his CBBC series *Deadly 60*, in which he comes face to face with some of the natural world’s most impressive predators including jumbo squid, tarantulas, scorpions, tigers and leopards. Three series in, Deadly has spawned various spin-offs, including the series *Deadly 60 Bites*, *Live ‘n' Deadly*, and *Deadly Art*, as well as books and online games.

Off-screen, Steve is a rock climber and mountaineer, competing in marathons, adventure races and endurance sports; he is passionate about ice-climbing, kayaking and cycling - and as if that wasn’t enough - he’s also president of several wildlife charities, and holder of a Gold *Blue Peter* badge and honorary PhD!

With Steve’s vast experience keeping his cool when faced with some of nature’s most fierce and formidable creatures how will he fare under the piercing gaze of our judges?
Showdance

The Showdance is a dance routine performed on *Strictly*, during the series grand final by the top three or four couples.

Unlike the other dances the couples encounter throughout the series, the Showdance has no rules. Couples are allowed to pick any style(s) of dance and there are no rules in regards to moves allowed.

Some styles that have been performed as freestyle are Broadway, Hip-hop, Disco, Contemporary, Swing, etc, as well as combinations of different ballroom and Latin dances.

It is often said that whoever wins the freestyle round wins the competition, but this is not always the case.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor

* Sophie
* with Brendan

**Sophie Ellis-Bextor** is an English singer and songwriter, who competed in Series 11, partnered with Brendan Cole.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a multi-platinum selling singer known for her chart hits *Murder On the Dancefloor*, *Take Me Home*, *Music Gets the Best of Me* and *Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)*.

"*I’m a big believer in serendipity. At this point in my life I feel like I can really enjoy this and I don’t have any fear about looking daft, so I’ll just go for it!*"
— Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Londoner Sophie boasts solid showbiz roots born to former Blue Peter presenter mother, Janet Ellisand film producer father, Robin Bextor. With such strong showbiz sparkle in the Ellis-Bextor family, Sophie was bound to show early promise and her first TV appearances were alongside her mother on Blue Peter.

Sophie’s industry connections didn’t stop with her parents. In 2005, she married Richard Jones, bassist with band *The Feeling*, with whom she lives in London with their three boys.

Before dipping her toe in the world of pop, Sophie started out as lead singer for Indie band *The Audience*. When they split in 1998, she tried her hand at writing, saying “I wrote the worst novel ever.”

It wasn’t long before Sophie found eventual chart success, providing vocals on DJ Spiller’s *Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)*. It flew straight to number one, beating Victoria Beckham’s debut solo outing into second place in the charts.

A year later, Sophie released her debut album *Read My Lips*, which reached number two and featured top singles *Take Me Home* and *Murder on the Dancefloor*. The latter was in the chart for 23 weeks and became Europe’s most played song that year. Sophie was seen showing off her dance moves in the music video; let’s hope she can still remember how to wiggle those hips!

Sophie says “I love to go dancing with my husband and our friends... When he gets bored, I’ll prance around with my girlfriends. We’ll do silly, pretend-sexy moves to songs by Rihanna”.
Tango

The **Tango** is a dance performed on *Strictly*.

Even though it is commonly associated with its Argentinian roots, the *ballroom* Tango contains more elements of American and European ballroom dances, compared to the traditional Argentine Tango. It is typically performed in a closed hold position.

It is one of the five ballroom dances currently competed internationally by professional dancers, along with the Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, and Quickstep.

On *Strictly*, the Tango was introduced in Series 1.

## History

Tango is a dance that has influences from European and African culture. Dances from the candombe ceremonies of former slave peoples helped shape the modern day Tango. The dance originated in lower-class districts of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The music derived from the fusion of various forms of music from Europe. The word "tango" seems to have first been used in connection with the dance in the 1890s, possibly related to the Latin word "tangere" but more likely related to the African slave word "tango" (drum or dance place).

Initially it was just one of the many dances, but it soon became popular throughout society, as theatres and street barrel organs spread it from the suburbs to the working-class slums, which were packed with hundreds of thousands of European immigrants, primarily Italians.

In the early years of the 20th century, dancers and orchestras from Buenos Aires traveled to Europe, and the first European Tango craze took place in Paris, soon followed by London, Berlin, and other capitals. Towards the end of 1913 it hit New York in the US, and Finland. In the US around 1911 the word "tango" was often applied to dances in a 2/4 or 4/4 rhythm such as the one-step. The term was fashionable and did not indicate that tango steps would be used in the dance, although they might be. Tango music was sometimes played, but at a rather fast tempo. Instructors of the period would sometimes refer to this as a "North American Tango", versus the so-called "Argentine Tango". By 1914 more authentic tango stylings were soon developed, along with some variations like Albert Newman's "Minuet" Tango.

In Argentina, the onset in 1929 of the Great Depression, and restrictions introduced after the overthrow of the Hipólito Yrigoyen government in 1930 caused Tango to decline. Its fortunes were reversed as Tango became widely fashionable and a matter of national pride under the government of Juan Perón. Tango declined again in the 1950s as a result of economic depression and the banning of public gatherings by the military dictatorships; male-only Tango practice—the custom at the time—was considered "public gathering". That, indirectly, boosted the popularity of Rock 'n' Roll because, unlike Tango, it did not require such gatherings.

In 2009, the Tango was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
Verona Joseph and Paul Killick

**Verona Joseph and Paul Killick**are a dance partnership from Series 1 of Strictly Come Dancing, the dancing competition on BBC One.

Verona Joseph is an English actress whilst Paul Killick is a British professional ballroom dancer. They came in 6th place in the competition.

## Strictly Come Dancing

### **Week 1**

In the first week of the competition the couple danced a Cha-cha-cha to the song "Respect" by Aretha Franklin. They received 27 points from the judges.

### **Week 2**

In the second week of the competition the couple danced a Quickstep to the song "If My Friends Could See Me Now" from the musical Sweet Charity. They received 24 points from the judges.

### **Week 3**

In the third week of the competition the couple danced a Jive to the song "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner. They received 24 points from the judges.

### **Week 4**

In the fourth week of the competition the couple danced a Paso Doble to the song "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel. They received 24 points from the judges.

The couple were in the bottom two along with Lesley Garrett and Anton du Beke and were eliminated from the competition.
Rylan Clark-Neal

Rylan co-presented Strictly’s sister show, *It Takes Two*, alongside Zoe Ball from Series 17 to 18, and then with Janette Manrara during Series 19 and 20.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

As a Strictly Come Dancing mega-fan with an adoration for glitz and glamour, Rylan is the perfect person to co-host the Strictly sister show, It Takes Two. This is Rylan's third year co-hosting the hit-show, giving viewers the inside scoop on what it takes to tango (and waltz, and jive, and more!).

Since his explosion onto the entertainment scene, Rylan has rapidly established himself as a competent host, entertainer and TV personality. Rylan hosts regular Saturday shows on BBC Radio 2, as well as numerous hit shows such as You Are What You Wear, Ready Steady Cook and many more.

After co-commentating the BBC's broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018, Rylan became the official spokesperson for the United Kingdom in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. The much-loved personality has had numerous award nods, including becoming youngest-ever nominee for National Television Awards Best Presenter.

Rylan certainly knows what it takes to stand out from the crowd and we can't wait to watch him work his magic on It Takes Two!

## Career

### Before *Strictly*

Before joining the Strictly family, Rylan was most known for appearing in Series 9 of ITV’s *The X Factor* in 2012, where he made it to Week 8, being saved multiple times by the public vote, following distraught between the judges on multiple occasions.

After his time on *The X Factor*, Clark appeared in Series 11 of *Celebrity Big Brother* in 2013, where he met his future husband, Dan Neal, who was a fellow housemate.

Following *Celebrity Big Brother*, Clark presented a range of shows from *Big Brother’s Bit on the Side* alongside AJ Odudu to *The Xtra Factor Live* with Matt Edmondson, and was for sometime a stand-in presenter for *This Morning*.

In 2018, he covered for Zoe Ball on BBC Radio 2, taking over her show when she moved to present the breakfast show in early 2019. At this time, he has also featured as a guest presenter on the BBC’s *The One Show*.

### *Strictly: It Takes Two*

In 2019, the BBC announced that Clark-Neal would join Zoe Ball in co-presenting *Strictly: It Takes Two*. Rylan made his debut appearance on *It Takes Two* at the start of Series 16.

In April 2023, the BBC announced that Clark-Neal has decided to leave the *It Takes Two* team, ahead of Series 21.
Susanna Reid

* Susanna
* with Kevin

**Susanna Reid** is an English journalist and presenter best known as a co-presenter of *Good Morning Britain*, and more recently on *BBC Breakfast*, now interviewing celebrities, and taking part in more viewer-friendly tasks.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Breakfast presenter Susanna Reid has Strictly form, not only is she a celebrity fan of the show, but in 2011 she shimmied her way on to the set in a special routine for Children In Need as part of a troupe of BBC news readers.

"*I hope I don’t make anyone angry. I definitely need patience and understanding in a dance partner*"
— Susanna Reid
Susanna presents *BBC Breakfast* alongside former Strictly contestant Bill Turnbull, breaking major hard-hitting news stories including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the death of Michael Jackson and the Prince of Wales’ engagement to Camilla Parker-Bowles.

Originally Susanna began her career as a child actor but a stint on the student newspaper at university ignited her interest in journalism. After gaining her degree in Politics and Philosophy from Bristol University, she went on to achieve a graduate diploma in journalism in Cardiff.

Susanna’s first BBC role was at Radio Bristol which led to a job for Radio 5 Live. Whilst pregnant with her first child, Susanna got her chance to shine on screen at BBC News 24, when a presenter failed to turn up for an evening shift, Susanna stepped in leading to a permanent position on the BBC News channel.

A keen fitness fanatic, Susanna’s status as a sex symbol was confirmed when she was voted into FHM's 'World's Sexiest 100 Women’ list in May 2013. She was described by the magazine as ‘the sexiest thing to come out of Croydon since Kate Moss’.

BBC Breakfast presenters have had mixed results on Strictly. Will Susanna reach the highs of Natasha Kaplinsky or crash out of the competition at the half way stage like Bill Turnbull? All to be revealed in 2013.
Quickstep

The **Quickstep** is a ballroom dance performed on *Strictly*.

A fast-flowing ballroom dance, born in the 1920s, taking elements from the Charleston and the slow Foxtrot.

It is one of the five ballroom dances currently competed internationally by professional dancers, along with the Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango and Viennese Waltz. It is performed in closed hold throughout the dance.

The Quickstep has been part of Strictly’s dance repertoire since Series 1.

## History

The quickstep evolved in the 1920s from a combination of the Foxtrot, the Chase G Chug, Charleston, shag, peabody, and one-step. The dance is English in origin, and was standardized in 1927. While it evolved from the Foxtrot, the Quickstep now is quite separate. Unlike the modern Foxtrot, the man often closes his feet and syncopated steps are regular occurrences (as was the case in early foxtrot). Three characteristic dance figures of the Quickstep are the chassés, where the feet are brought together, the quarter turns, and the lock step.

This dance gradually evolved into a very dynamic one with a lot of movement on the dance floor, with many advanced patterns including hops, runs, quick steps with a lot of momentum, and rotation. The tempo of quickstep dance is rather brisk as it was developed to ragtime era jazz music, which is fast-paced when compared to other dance music.

By the end of the 20th century, the complexity of quickstep as done by advanced dancers had increased, due to the extensive use of syncopated steps with eighth-note durations. While in older times quickstep patterns were counted with "quick" (one beat) and "slow" (two beats) steps, many advanced patterns today are cued with split beats, such as "quick-and-quick-and-quick, quick, slow", with there being further steps on the 'and's.

## Style

The Quickstep is elegant like the Foxtrot and should be smooth and glamorous. The dancers should appear to be very light on their feet. It is very energetic and form-intensive. The Quickstep is danced to 4/4 music of 48-52 measures per minute.

## Quickstep Performances

### Best Routines

###### Perfect Score (40)

* Lisa & Brendan
* Ricky & Natalie
* Pamela & James
* Harry & Aliona
* Kelvin & Oti
* Karim & Amy

###### 39/40

* Colin & Erin
* Alexandra & Gorka
* Rose & Giovanni
* Maisie & Gorka (38.7)
* Bill & Oti (38.7)

###### 38/40

* Denise & Ian
* Alesha & Matthew
* Abbey & Aljaz
* Ore & Joanne
* Claudia & AJ
* Joe & Katya
* Joe & Dianne
* Ashley & Pasha

###### 37/40

* Jason & Kristina
* Susanna & Kevin
* Frankie & Kevin
* Kellie & Kevin
* Louise & Kevin

### Worst Routines

* Diarmuid & Nicole (12)
* Kate & Anton (15)
* Carol & Pasha (17)
* Dennis & Izabela (18)
* Ann & Anton (18)
* Jerry & Anton (18)
* Judy & Anton (18)
* Jessie & Darren (19)
* Simon & Karen (19)
* Adam & Katya (19)
* Rav & Aliona (20)
* Dr Ranj & Janette (20)
* Matt & Nadiya (20)
Trent Whiddon

**Trent Whiddon** is an Australian dancer, who was a professional on *Strictly*.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Six-foot tall Latin-loving, Aussie-born blonde, Trent, joins us this year for his very first Strictly experience!

"*I'm a laid back Aussie guy, but my energy is explosive.*"
— Trent Whiddon
Specialising in Latin, Trent is a two time British Championships Latin Finalist and Australian professional Ten Dance Champion. His favourite dance is the Samba as he loves Brazilian music and the fun party atmosphere of the dance. He’s a big fan of Rumba too, stating: “Getting to dance rumba with my wife Gordana is something very special for me as the character and story of the dance is actually real in that moment”.

Working hard and helping people improve their dance skills is something that particularly motivates Trent. When it comes to his teaching style he’s positive, calm and fun, but is happy to apply a firm hand when needed! He’s really excited about the challenge of turning celebrities into dancers, so let’s see how he gets on…

### Background

Trent started dancing at the age of seven. After seeing him dance, his mum signed him up for classes and his obsession with dance began. He trained in a wide range of styles including Ballroom, Latin-American, Jazz, Tap, Ballet and Hip Hop, and first realised dance would become his life at the age of 15 when represented Australia at the Junior British Championships, making it to the open final.

Just two years later he was asked to join the cast of *Burn the Floor*, and in his second tour with the show became lead dancer. The past six years have seen Trent lead the Broadway show as Dance Captain and Company Manager.

No stranger to gracing TV screens either, Trent has also been a professional dancer on Australia’s Dancing with the Stars and he’s choreographed for So You Think You Can Dance Australia on two seasons, alongside his wife Gordana Grandosek. Trent met Slovenian dance champion Gordana in 2008 when they became dance partners and Australian Professional Ten Dance Champions.

### Trivia

Trent has an extensive list of hobbies including cycling, drawing, painting, cooking and playing with his dog. He also enjoys most outdoor activities like hiking, swimming and surfing. When it comes to relaxing though, there’s nothing more that Trent loves than a good meal with Gordana, who he claims is an amazing chef. Perhaps Gregg will share a few of his top culinary tips for our Latin-loving foodies?
Rose Ayling-Ellis

* Rose
* with Giovanni

**Rose Ayling-Ellis** is an English actress. She is best known for playing the role of Frankie Carter in the BBC soap opera *EastEnders* (2020–2022). Deaf since birth, she is a British Sign Language user. Rose has also appeared in theatre productions, playing roles such as "Wendy" in *Peter Pan* (2019), "Kattrin" in *Mother Courage* (2019) and "Celia" in *As You Like It* (2022-2023). In 2022 she won Inspirational Person of the Year at the Visionary Honours.

She was a contestant in Series 19, partnering Italian Open Latin Dance Champion Giovanni Pernice; making her the first deaf contestant in the shows history. Rose was crowned the winner beating baker John Whaite in the grand final, after television presenter AJ Odudu withdrew from the competition leading up to the final. She was fortunate enough to never appear in the bottom 2, so therefore never had to compete in the dance off. Rose scored the earliest perfect score ever given in the show, during Halloween Week for her Tango. She also scored a perfect score for her Argentine Tango (semi-final), and her Couple's Choice and Showdance (both in the final). With the judges she topped the leader board in week 11 and jointly in the semis and grand final and never appeared at the bottom. For her Couple's Choice routine she won TV Moment of the Year at the H*eat* Unmissables Awards and at the British Academy Television Award's, Virgin TV's Must-See Moment.
Susannah Constantine

* Susannah
* with Anton

**Susannah Constantine** is an English former TV fashion journalist, writer, style advisor, television presenter, author and clothes designer. She is best known for her shows *What Not to Wear* and *Trinny & Susannah Undress the Nation* with Trinny Woodall. In 2015 she was a contestant in *I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!* being the first celebrity eliminated.

Susannah was a contestant in Series 16, partnering British ballroom professional Anton du Beke and finished in last place after loosing to Singer Lee Ryan in the dance off. She was the first celebrity eliminated in week two in a unanimous judges vote.
Ranvir Singh

* Ranvir
* with Giovanni

**Ranvir Singh** is a British journalist and television presenter. She is the newsreader/deputy presenter for *Good Morning Britain* and also the relief presenter on *Lorraine* (alongside Christine Bleakley). Ranvir was the presenter of *Daybreak* from 2012 until it ended in 2014, and was replaced by *Good Morning Britain*.

She was a contestant in Series 18, partnering Italian Open Latin Dance Champion Giovanni Pernice and finished in 5th place after loosing to *Made in Chelsea* star Jamie Laing in the dance off. Ranvir was the seventh celebrity eliminated in the semi finals, in a 2:1 judges vote with only Motsi Mabuse choosing to save her. Prior to her elimination week she had not appeared in the dance off nor had she been at the bottom of the judges leader board. She had however topped the leader board during Movie Week for her Foxtrot routine.
Emily Durabo

**Emily Durabo** (formerly **Emily Durazo**) is a tight end in the Tennessee Coastal League. She has been named the TCL Most Valuable Player 386 times.

## Appearances

* Chapter 4: Nashville, Tennessee. West Virginia. - Emily, Jason, and Lori are having breakfast. Jason tells Lori about his participation in The Koy Detmer Game.
* Chapter 24: New York City. - Having made no progress in NYC, Jason calls Emily. The two come up with a game that could be played there, and she tells him a story about a teammate who briefly lived in NYC and lost NFL urine samples.