recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Deborah Meaden

* Deborah
* with Robin

**Deborah Meaden** is an English businesswoman, who is now best known for her appearances on the BBC Two business programme *Dragons' Den*. She competed in Series 11, partnered with Robin Windsor.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Entrepreneur and business woman Deborah Meaden is striking a Strictly deal this year, branching out from the Dragons' Den and into the world of ballroom dancing. Famed for her straight-talking no-nonsense approach in the Den, will Deborah breathe fire into her dance routines and turn up the heat on the Strictly dance floor?

"*I don’t mind being told that I did something wrong, but I will also need to be told that this is what you need to do to get it right*"
— Deborah Meaden
Prior to her success on the BBC Two show, Deborah was managing director of her family's leisure park business Weststar Holidays, selling the company in a deal worth £33 million whilst retaining a 23% share. Showing her entrepreneurial flair, she gave the business a makeover and sold her remaining stake for a further £83 million.

Deborah's business skills were honed early, launching her own glass and ceramics export company straight after college whilst still in her teens. No stranger to glamorous dresses, she went on to set up a fashion franchise in Italy.

*Dragons' Den* has enabled her to invest in all manner of businesses, from a wool manufacturer to a company producing baby products, an online antique valuation service and a recipe website. So far she has invested in has made 35 investments in the Den worth over 2million.

Deborah may be a self-confessed hard and tough business woman, but she is also an animal lover, an ambassador for WWF, and patron and advisor to the Tusk Trust.. She lives with one cat, three dogs, five horses, eleven chickens, four ducks and three geese!
Jaye Jacobs

**Emma Jaye Jacobs**(born May 27, 1982) known professionally as **Jaye Jacobs**, is an English actress. She is best known for playing the roles of Donna Jackson in the BBC medical drama series Holby City from 2004 to 2011, 2017 onwards and Sian Diamond in the BBC school drama series Waterloo Road from 2011 to 2013.

## Early Life

Jacobs was born in Street, Somerset. She was educated at the Crispin School, where she became deputy head girl. She attended dance classes at the Joy Tinney School of dancing, where she landed several roles in their yearly musical, including the Lion in The Wizard of Oz. She subsequently trained at the Arts Educational School in London. While training, she supported herself by modelling shoes and underwear, working in an Indian restaurant, and making and selling jewellery.

## Career

In 2003, Jacobs played Alice in the EastEnders spin-off Perfectly Frank.

In 2004, Jacobs joined the cast of the BBC medical drama series Holby City as fun-loving nurse, turned Ward Sister, Donna Jackson. In 2011, Jacobs left the show and the role of Donna Jackson. She is set to reprise her role in June 2017.

In Autumn 2005, Jacobs appeared in the third series of Strictly Come Dancing, dancing with professional partner Andrew Cuerden. However, the couple were eliminated in the second week of the contest and finished in 11th place on the show.

Soon after leaving Holby City, it was announced Jacobs had joined the cast of the BBC school drama Waterloo Road as new Deputy Head and Science teacher Sian Diamond in the seventh series. In 2012, Jacobs decided to leave the show and made her last appearance on February 28, 2013.

In October 2014 to February 2017, Jacobs played the role of Amber on CBBC children's television program Millie Inbetween. However, due to her return to Holby City, it is still yet to be confirmed whether she will be returning to the show for its fourth series.

In 2015, Jacobs appeared in an episode of the ITV drama Midsomer Murders as Police Constable Carolyn Florrie. She voiced Amaya in the fifth episode of the video game Game of Thrones.
David Dickinson and Camilla Dallerup

**David Dickinson and Camilla Dallerup**are a dance partnership from Series 1 of Strictly Come Dancing, the dancing competition on BBC One.

David Dickinson is an English antiques expert and television presenter whilst Camilla Dallerup is a Danish ballroom dancer. They came in 7th 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 "Sex Bomb" by Tom Jones. They received 16 points from the judges.

### **Week 2**

In the second week of the competition the couple danced a Quickstep to the song "Let's Face The Music and Dance" from the film Follow the Fleet. They received 21 points from the judges.

The couple were in the bottom two along with Jason Wood and Kylie Jones but were saved by the judges.

### **Week 3**

In the third week of the competition the couple danced a Tango to the song "La Cumparsita" by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez. They received 20 points from the judges.

The couple were in the bottom two along with Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole and were eliminated from the competition.
AJ Odudu

* AJ
* with Kai

**AJ Odudu** is a television presenter, who competed in Series 19 partnered with new professional Kai Widdrington.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

From Blackburn to the Strictly Ballroom, we're ready to see what moves AJ Odudu has in her locker!

"*I'm really excited to learn the Jive just because it's very high energy, like me, and it’s a proper feel good dance!*"
— AJ Odudu
She's best known for her rise to fame co-presenting Big Brother's Bit on the Side with our very own Rylan back in 2013, but her media career started years earlier. She made her debut as a radio reporter at BBC Radio Lancashire, before presenting online show 5:19 Show Daily in 2009, and later fronting MTV News and The Isle of Wight Festival 2012 coverage.

Since then, AJ's star has been on the rise, becoming a familiar face as the backstage presenter for The Voice and The Voice Kids, as well as presenting on Lorraine, This Morning, The One Show and hosting the BRIT Awards and TV BAFTAs red carpet coverage. Recently she's fronted ITV's Don't Rock The Boat alongside Freddie Flintoff and Apocalypse Wow.

2021 is set to be an even stronger year for AJ as she'll be hosting Channel 4's The Big Breakfast reboot alongside Mo Gilligan, and, of course, stepping out onto the Strictly dancefloor!

We can't wait to see what AJ brings to Ballroom this year and she's hyped to learn two dances in particular. "I'm really excited to learn the Jive just because it's very high energy, like me, and it’s a proper feel good dance," she said. "I also just love the Charleston, it's such a cute dance and something that you'd expect to see in a speakeasy."

You'll be kicking, flicking and swivelling in no time, AJ!
Jowita Przystal

Jowita is a Polish dancer and choreographer who has had a very successful career in dance, beginning at the age of 12 and going on to become the Polish Open Latin Champion in 2014 with her dance partner and boyfriend Michael Danilczuck.

In 2015 they ended their competitive career to join touring dance company Burn The Floor, where she performed around the world for four years. Jowita and Michael have also performed in Broadway musicals such as Legally Blonde, Priscilla and Rock of Ages. They moved to the UK in 2019.

In 2020 they won BBCs The Greatest Dancer in which they were mentored by and performed with Oti Mabuse. Part of their prize was an appearance on Strictly.

In 2021 Jowita and Michael both auditioned to become Strictly pros. Jowita was successful and became the only new female pro this year

Unfortunately Michael was not so lucky but has appeared in the group dances.

In her first season Jowita has not had a partner but starred in some of the dances accompanying the guest artists as well as the group numbers.

She will appear in the Christmas Special dancing with Adrian Chiles.
Darcey Bussell

### Series

Series 7 (guest judge),Series 10,Series 11,Series 12,Series 13,Series 14,Series 15,Series 16

### Children

2

Dame **Darcey Bussell** is an English retired ballerina, who was a former judge on Strictly.

Bussell was a guest judge in the final stages of Series 7 in 2009, where in the semi final, she performed a jive with professional Ian Waite. She joined the judging panel permanently in 2012, replacing Alesha Dixon, and remained on the panel until 2019, announcing her departure before Series 17.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Prima Ballerina Darcey Bussell CBE, the former Principal Dancer at the Royal Ballet, joined the Strictly judging panel in 2009.

At the age of 20, Darcey was promoted to Principal after taking the lead role in Kenneth MacMillan's The Prince of the Pagodas. She eventually retired from the Company in June 2007 with a performance of MacMillan's Song of the Earth, broadcast live on BBC Two.

"*I am very excited and really looking forward to being part of the Strictly team*"
— Dame Darcey Bussell, after announcement of joining the judging panel, 2012
In 2008, she teamed up with Katherine Jenkins to create Viva la Diva, which ran two sell-out arena tours. Darcey also came out of retirement to dance the Spirit of the Flame, leading a troupe of 200 dancers at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony.

Her broadcast work includes Darcey Dances Hollywood and Looking for Audrey, as well as presenting The Royal Ballet's worldwide cinema simulcasts.

Darcey’s books include Darcey Bussell: A Life in Pictures, the Magic Ballerina children's series and her autobiography Life in Dance.
Among the many charities Darcey supports, she is the President of the Royal Academy of Dance, the International Patron of the Sydney Dance Company and President of the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s fund raising appeal. She was appointed an OBE in 1995, a CBE in 2006 and became a Dame in 2018.
Michelle Tsiakkas

**Michelle Tsiakkas** is a professional dancer on *Strictly*.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas first started dancing at the age of six in her home country of Cyprus. There she became an undefeated champion, winning national titles consecutively from 2001-2011 before moving to London to study.

Whilst in the UK she continued to compete, representing England at major international championships before joining the world touring dance show Burn The Floor.

Now she's stepping into the world of Strictly and we're so happy to have her on board. “Being a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing has been my dream ever since I was a little girl. I cannot believe my dream has come true!" she said. "I’m so grateful to be joining this incredible family and I can’t wait to step on that magical dance floor and give it my all!”
Jason Wood

**Jason Wood** was a comedian, who regularly performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and was best known for his comic musical impersonations of performers including Cher and Morrissey. He competed in Series 1, partnered by Kylie Jones.

## Early Life

Wood was born in Luton, and attended Icknield High School.

## Career

In 2004, he took part in the first series of Strictly Come Dancing. He and his partner, professional dancer Kylie Jones, were the first to leave the competition. He was a contestant on the second series of The Underdog Show.

His show "My Anus Horribilis," its name a play on the Queen's 1992 "Annus Horribilis" Christmas message, was about how "The Christian right is pushing the country backwards, and I wanted to point that out. It's insane when they're quoting Leviticus to outlaw gay sex, yet most people, who have never read the Bible, won't know that book also threatens punishment for people who wear shirts of mixed fibre." His Fringe show in 2006 attracted a damning one-star review by The Scotsman newspaper. He referred to this on subsequent posters, quoting "A star - The Scotsman".

### Strictly Journey

Wood competed in Series 1, partnered by Kylie Jones. Unfortunately, they were the first in the series to be eliminated, placing 8th.

## Personal Life

Wood was gay. He lived with his dog Jim in a cottage in Sundon, Bedfordshire, where he died on February 20, 2010, aged 38. Initial reports suggedted he died in his sleep. He was survived by his father Brian, mother, and sister Ann.
Dani Harmer

* Dani
* with Vincent

**Dani Harmer** is an actress, best known for playing Tracy Beaker in CBBC's *Tracy Beaker* series. She competed in Series 10, partnered with Vincent Simone.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Dani Harmer is an English actress who is best known for portraying popular CBBC character Tracy Beaker. Bringing the Jacqueline Wilson character to life in TV and film for over 10 years, Dani received a gold Blue Peter badge for her portrayal of the young orphan.

"*I wouldn't say I'm overly excited about the spray tan but I will embrace it.*"
— Dani Harmer
Dani started her acting career at the age of six, starring in the rock musical *The Who's Tommy* in the West End. She later appeared in a number of pantomimes such as *Snow White*, *Peter Pan* and *Dick Whittington*. Dani also appeared as an extra in *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*.

Dani's big break came when she landed the title role in CBBC's dramedy series *The Story of Tracy Beaker*, which she starred in for five series and also the feature length film, Tracy Beaker's Movie of Me.

In 2010, Dani was nominated for a BAFTA for her performance as *Tracy Beaker* in its various incarnations with the programme attracting another nomination in the Children's Drama Category at the 2011 RTS Awards.

As well as the Tracy Beaker series, Dani has played a version of herself in *Dani’s House* and *Dani’s Castle*; she also made the transition to TV drama with *After You’ve Gone* and *Trial and Retribution*.

The actress has recently turned her hand to singing, recording the theme song to *Dani’s House* (Free), which was released as a single.

## Strictly Journey

Dani competed in Series 10, partnered with professional Vincent Simone. They placed 4th.
Natasha Kaplinsky

Natasha Kaplinsky is a newsreader and television presenter, who competed on Strictly Come Dancing during its first series. With her professional partner, Brendan Cole, Kaplinsky won the series.

She returned in Series 2 to join Bruce Forsyth in presenting the show for the first five weeks, whilst Tess Daly was on maternity leave.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

News presenter Natasha Kaplinsky was the inaugural winner of Strictly Come Dancing with her partner, Brendan Cole in 2004. She finished 39 points ahead of the other finalist, Christopher Parker.

"*You are the coolest, the hottest, you are a Strictly Come Dancing ballroom star*"
— Arlene Phillips
Out of the ten distinct dances that were featured in the first series, Natasha received the highest mark for eight of them – Lesley Garrett received the highest mark for the jive, and Claire Sweeney received the highest mark for the tango.

Natasha has presented the news for BBC, ITV, Channel Five and Sky. During the second series of Strictly, Natasha stepped into the presenting shoes of Tess Daly who was on maternity leave.

## Strictly Journey

Natasha competed in Series 1, partnered with Brendan Cole. They made it to the final and won the series.
Myth (J Legend album)

Myth is the debut album by American rapper J Legend, released September 4th, 1991 on Legendd Records, J Legend's own label. It was released on cassette and CD, and the CD was released in very limited quantities compared to the cassette. The cassettes were very low budget, being self-recorded from J Legend's 4-track recorder onto each cassette. The cassettes used were a mixture of Sony blank cassettes, and cassettes of other people's releases. The Sony blank cassette releases are the highest quality out of all of the cassette releases, and some are even better quality than the CD releases, but they are quite rare, and very sought after. The album featured guest appearances from several rappers, and was recorded on J Legend's 4-track recorder in his garage. He used a Hyper 464A 4-track recorder across 4 different cassettes to record the album, so he could record at twice the tape speed and achieve a better quality recording. The album spawned two singles, "Broke" and "It's Alright", neither of which charted, but both were played on college radio stations locally. The album was different than most releases of its time, deviating from the aggressive gangster rap style popular at the time, and featuring a more mellow sound. The album's instrumentation was done on an Olympia Sound Canvas 383 keyboard and a no-name drum machine, with all instruments performed by J Legend. The album's success caused J Legend to create a second album in 1992, titled Legend.
Judi Love

* Judi
* with Graziano

**Judi Love** is an English stand-up comedian and presenter. She is best known for being a regular panellist on the ITV talk show *Loose Women* since 2020. Judi has appeared on numerous reality and game shows including *Celebrity MasterChef* (2020), *Celebrity Catchphrase* (2021)*, RuPaul's Drag Race UK* (2021)*, Blankety Blank* (2021) and *The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off'* (2023).

Judi was a contestant in Series 19, partnering Italian Latin Champion Graziano Di Prima and finished in 10th place after loosing to Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty in the dance off. She was the fifth celebrity eliminated during Halloween Week in unanimous judges vote. Judi had unfortunately found herself in the dance off in weeks 3 and 4, eliminating *Coronation Street* actress Katie McGlynn and film actor Greg Wise, respectively. In week five she had tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to perform on the live show. Under the rules of the show, she was granted a bye to the following week. Throughout the competition she had never topped nor been at the bottom of the judges leader board.
Gemma Atkinson

* Gemma
* with Aljaz
* with Gorka

**Gemma Atkinson** is an television soap actress and model, who competed in Series 15, partnered with Aljaž Škorjanec.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Soap-star Gemma gained nationwide recognition as Hollyoaks’ character Lisa Hunter and soon she’ll be getting into character, beneath the Strictly glitterball.

"*I have a thick skin and I'm used to the odd bad thing said about me. I'm looking forward to having tips from some of the best people in the industry*"
— Gemma Atkinson
‘A few of my old Hollyoaks mates have taken part in the show and have told me what an incredible experience it was and how they would do it all over again in a heartbeat.’

Nominated as ‘Best Newcomer’ at the 2016 National Television Awards for her role in *Emmerdale*, her pathway to success has included appearances in *The Bill*, *Waterloo Road*, *Casualty* and West End production - *Calendar Girls*.

As well as TV stints, Gemma has also starred in a number of films, including a comedy where she played an obsessive, controlling girlfriend… Let’s just hope her partner doesn’t get too under the thumb!

‘I like strict but with an element of fun. I also need someone tall & strong as I'm 5ft 9 and 11 stone!’

The Strictly routines shouldn’t be too exhausting for gym-buff Gemma, she works out six times a week and is a dab hand at kick boxing. Time will tell if her love for fitness will remain when her moves are put to the test on the dancefloor!
Christmas Special 2017

## Series Chronology

Strictly's **Christmas Special 2017** was broadcast on BBC One on the 25th December 2017.

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned to host the show, as did Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell and Bruno Tonioli to the judging panel. They were joined by Shirley Ballas who replaced Len Goodman in Series 15 of the main show.

There was also a musical performance from the Kaiser Chiefs as well as a spectacular group number, set to Elton John’s hit ‘Step Into Christmas’.

The full lineup of the 2017 Christmas special, featuring six returning contestants, was announced on 6 November 2017.

It was won by Series 13 finalist Katie Derham and her professional partner for the special Brendan Cole.

## Couples

The six celebrities and their professional partners that took part were below;

## Dances & Scores

Couples are listed in the order they performed.

*Individual judges scores in the chart below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Shirley Ballas, Bruno Tonioli.*

## Gallery

Colin & AmyColin & Amy - RumbaJeremy & KarenJeremy & Karen - QuickstepJudy & NeilJudy & Neil - CharlestonKatie & BrendanKatie & Brendan - Viennese WaltzKimberley & PashaKimberley & Pasha - JiveRobbie & DianneRobbie & Dianne - American SmoothClaudia & TessJudges
Mark Wright

* Mark
* Series 12
* CS2019

**Mark Wright**is an English TV and radio presenter and model, who is known for appearing as a cast member on the first three series of *The Only Way Is Essex*. He competed in Series 12, partnered with Karen Clifton.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Mark Wright rocketed to fame after appearing in the first three series of ITV2’s scripted reality show *The Only Way is Essex*. TOWIE as it quickly became abbreviated to, followed the format of putting real people in produced situations. It’s also probably the only show that can give Strictly a run for it’s money when it comes to glitz and glam and lots of fake tan!

"*I get called Marky-no-moves by my friends and family.*"
— Mark Wright
No stranger to fancy footwork, before he joined TOWIE, Mark was a semi-professional footballer. Starting his youth career at Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, Mark played for the England U18’s national team, before later playing for Southend, Crawley Town and most recently St Neots Town.

Mark now focuses on his presenting work. In 2012, he presented *Take Me Out: The Gossip*, where newly paired couples would debrief after their first dates on the Isle of Fernando. He also fronted *Party Wright Around the World*, a show where he had the enviable job of travelling across the globe visiting the world’s best parties - so he should be used to getting his groove on!

In December 2012, Mark branched out into the world of DJ-ing with a regular spot on Heart FM, playing *Club Classics* on Friday and Saturday nights - but will his sense of rhythm and timing be enough to cut it on the Strictly dance floor? Mark’s fiancée actress Michelle Keegan hopes so, (though seems more excited about seeing him in sequins!)

When it comes to the Strictly leaderboard, Mark’s hoping the only way is up!
Kelvin Fletcher

* Kelvin
* with Oti

**Kelvin Fletcher** is an English actor, model, racing driver and presenter. He is best known for playing Andy Sugden in Emmerdale, a role he played from 1996 until 2016 and winning Best Actor and Best Dramatic Performance at the British Soap Awards. Since 2017 he has competed in the British GT Championship, with his best result in 2019 finishing 5th in the GT4 class.

Kelvin was a contestant in Series 17, partnering eight-times South African Latin American Championship Oti Mabuse. He was a late edition after Jamie Laing injured himself and had to withdraw before the show had started. Kelvin was crowned the winner beating CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual and *EastEnders* actress Emma Barton in the grand final. He was fortunate enough to never appeared in the bottom 2, so therefore never had to compete in the dance off. Throughout the series he scored two perfect scores; Quickstep in the semi finals and his Showdance in the final. He appeared at the top of the judges leader board five times and luckily enough never at the bottom.

## Gallery

Kelvin & Oti - SambaKelvin & Oti - WaltzKelvin & Oti - CharlestonKelvin & Oti - RumbaKelvin & Oti - Cha Cha ChaKelvin & Oti - TangoKelvin & Oti - Viennese WaltzKelvin & Oti - SalsaKelvin & Oti - JiveKelvin & Oti - Couples ChoiceKelvin & Oti - American SmoothKelvin & Oti - PasodobleKelvin & Oti - QuickstepKelvin & Oti - Rumba FinalKelvin & Oti - Samba FinalKelvin & Oti - ShowdanceChampions
Nadiya Bychkova

**Nadiya Bychkova** is a professional on Strictly.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Ukranian Pro Nadiya joined the Strictly family in 2017, leaving a lasting impression with the Judges and public alike after making it all the way to the Quarter Final with EastEnders actor Davood Ghadami.

In 2018 she took to the dance floor with singer Lee Ryan (who's also one of Albert Square's famous alumni), but only made it to Week Three of the competition.

Bouncing back in 2019, Nadiya and her celeb partner ex-England goalie David James made it two more weeks to Week Five. In 2020 she took a break from partnering, but is now returning to the centre of the dance floor with Dan Walker for 2021!

### Background

Nadiya is a two-time World Champion and European Champion in Ballroom and Latin ‘10’ Dance, and has also taken part in the Bosnian version of *Strictly Come Dancing*.

Not to mention she's a multiple-time Slovenian Ballroom and Latin Champion, and is a familiar face to many of the Strictly Pros, having trained at the same Slovenian dance school as former Pro Aljaž Skorjanec.

### Series 15

In Series 15, Nadiya was partnered with *EastEnders* actor, Davood Ghadami. They placed 6th.

#### Scores

1 Tonioli was absent this week, and was not replaced by a guest judge.

### Series 16

In Series 16, Nadiya was partnered with boyband Blue singer, Lee Ryan. They placed 14th.

### Series 17

In Series 17, Nadiya was partnered with former England goalkeeper, David James. They placed 12th.

#### Scores

1 Score given by guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro.

### Series 18

During Series 18, Nadiya was not allocated a celebrity partner, but still participated in the professional dances.

### Series 19

In Series 19, Nadiya was partnered with *BBC Breakfast* presenter Dan Walker. They placed 5th.

#### Scores

1 Score given by guest judge Cynthia Erivo, in place of Horwood.

2 Score given by guest judge Cynthia Erivo, in place of Mabuse.

### Series 20

In Series 20, Nadiya was partnered with singer-songwriter Matt Goss. They placed 13th.
Amy Dowden

**Amy Dowden** is a professional on *Strictly*.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

New to the Strictly family in 2017, Amy made history by being the first ever Welsh professional to enter the Ballroom. She may be a long way from her hometown of Caerphilly, but that hasn’t stopped her setting her sights high.

Amy’s students say she can be strict and is quite the perfectionist, which her first dancing partner Brian Conley quickly found out! However, the duo only made it to Week Four of the competition. Amy fared better the following year with actor Danny John-Jules, as the pair scored the very first 10 of Strictly 2018, but sadly their journey was cut short in Week Eight of the competition.

She made it all the way to the Grand Final in 2019 with celeb partner Karim Zeroual, and had a strong run to the 2020 Quarter Final with JJ Chalmers. 2021 saw her perform with McFly star Tom Fletcher, but the pair were sent home in Musicals Week.

But now Amy's saying hello to Strictly 2022 with EastEnders star James Bye by her side!

### Background

Our Welsh wonder first started dancing at the age of eight and hasn’t looked back since. She was the 2017 British National Champion and remains one of the highest-ranking Ballroom and Latin American professional dancers in the UK. Amy is also a four-time British National Finalist and in 2015 she reached the semi-final of the World Championships.

## Strictly Career

### Series 15

Amy Dowden joined the Strictly family as a professional dancer during Series 15, and was partnered with comedian, singer & actor, Brian Conley. They were eliminated in Week 4, placing 12th.

#### Scores

1 Tonioli was absent this week and was not replaced by guest judge.

### Series 16

In Series 16, Amy was partnered with *Death in Paradise* & stage actor, Danny John-Jules. They reached Week 8, placing 9th.

#### Scores

1 Score given by guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro.

### Series 17

For Series 17, Amy was partnered with CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual. They made it all the way to the Final, placing joint second.

#### Scores

1 Score given by guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro.

### Series 18

In 2020, Strictly's eighteenth series was shorter than normal due to COVID. For the series, Amy was partnered with Television presenter & *The Invictus Games* medallist JJ Chalmers. They made it to the Quarter-Final, placing 6th.

#### Scores

1 Score given by guest judge Anton du Beke.
2 Score given by guest judge Anton du Beke.

### Series 19

In Series 19, Amy was partnered with *McFly* band singer Tom Fletcher. They were eliminated in Musicals Week (Week 9), placing 7th.

#### Scores

1 Score given by guest judge Cynthia Erivo.

### Series 20

In Series 20, Amy was partnered with *EastEnders* actor James Bye. They placed 11th, eliminated in Halloween Week (Week 6).
Georgina Bouzova

**Georgina Bouzova**(born June 1, 1976) is an English television actress best known for her former role as Ellen Zitek in the BBC One medical drama Casualty. Previously, Bouzova had a number of minor television roles including in Doctors, Mile High, The Bill and Murder in Suburbia.

## Early Life

Bouzova was born in Surrey, although she grew up in Manchester with her Czech father Ivan Bouza, mother Rita and younger sister Jessica. Her surname is pronounced boh-zaw-va. She was educated at the Manchester High School for Girls.

She qualified as a barrister, having gained her LLB in English Law and French Law from King's College London, with time studying at La Sorbonne in Paris.

## Career

### **Acting Career**

Bouzova later discovered that acting was her main passion. She joined Casualty in 2004 as Ukrainian staff nurse Ellen Zitek. Her character was diagnosed with, and underwent treatment for, cancer, but died after being run over by  a motorcyclist in an accident while chasing an errant patient. Ellen was pronounced dead by her colleagues in the Emergency Department in the second part of the Christmas 2006 episodes (Series 21, Episode 16).

Since leaving Casualty, Bouzova has been concentrating on theatre, playing the leading lady, Vera, in Bill Kenwright's And Then There Were None and the leading part of Mollie in the West End Theatre production of The Mousetrap at St Martin's Theatre in London until January 2010.

### **Outside Acting**

Bouzova has also appeared on BBC TV series Strictly Come Dancing Series 4 with dance partner James Jordan, as a last-minute replacement for Gabby Loga, who was declined permission by her employers, ITV, to take part in the rival network's programme. Bouzova and her partner were voted off on the fourth show of the series.

Bouzova is a writer, and is in the process of completing her first novel. She has also contributed to various publications as a freelance journalist, in The Times and The Guardian newspapers.

Bouzova also runs an eco-friendly yoga clothing business called Barefoot Blondie.

## Filmography

* Cantiquue de la Racaille (1998)
* Nailing Vienna (2000)
* Second Nature (2001)

### **Notable Television Series**

* Surviving Cannes (1999)
* Doctors (2000)
* Crossroads (2001)
* Search (2001)
* Night & Day (2002)
* Mile High (2002)
* Is Harry on the Boat? (2003)
* Murder in Suburbia (2003)
* Casualty (2004-2006)
* Strictly Come Dancing (2006)
Darren Gough

**Darren Gough** is a retired English cricketer and former captain of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

He competed in Series 3, and won the series with his dance partner Lilia Kopylova.

## Champion Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Cricketer Darren Gough won the third series of Strictly, despite never finishing top of the judges’ leaderboard. He and his partner, Lilia Kopylova, defeated athlete Colin Jackson and presenter Zoë Ball in the final.

"*I didn't realise he was so light on his feet. I'm used to him charging when bowling, not dancing.*"
— Freddie Flintoff, about Darren
Darren and Lilia paired up again for the Christmas Specials in 2005 and 2007. The duo received top marks on both occasions for their Quickstep and American smooth respectively.

Darren retired from cricket in 2008; he has since gone on to co-present a weekday radio show on talkSPORT.
Bill Bailey

* Bill
* with Oti

**Bill Bailey** is an English comedian and actor, who is known for his role as Manny in the sitcom *Black Books*. Bill appears regularly on the panel shows *Never Mind the Buzzcocks*, *Have I Got News for You*, and *QI.* He plays a variety of musical instruments and incorporates music into his performances.

Bill was a contestant in Series 18, partnering eight-times South African Latin American Championship and former Series 17 winner Oti Mabuse. He was crowned the winner beating singer HRVY, *Made in Chelsea* star Jamie Laing and *EastEnders* actress Maisie Smith in the grand final. Bill was fortunate enough to never appeared in the bottom 2, so therefore never had to compete in the dance off. Despite winning the show he never appeared at the top of the leader board except for in the final and was luckily enough to never appear at the bottom either. . He scored one perfect score in the grand final for his Showdance.
Operater (Operater album)

Operater is the second EP/album by Operater. It was released on One Punch Records on vinyl and CD on July 1st, 1990, and on cassette July 3rd, 1990, due to shipping delays. The album was considered quite short, only being 21:23 in length, and only having 8 tracks. The album was meant to be a second EP, but the band had booked too large of an amount of studio time, causing them to record as many tracks as they could and turn it into an album. The band did not tour for the album, and it was a commercial failure, only selling 3,000 copies in 1990. The album is considered now by the band and other fans as the second EP. Four songs off of the album were re-recorded for the second Operater album, "Blitz", in 1991. "Jaked" was released on the 20th anniversary version of the album of the same name, in all 3 versions, demo, EP, and the "Jaked" album sessions recording.
Jason Wood and Kylie Jones

**Jason Wood and Kylie Jones**are a dance partnership from Series 1 of Strictly Come Dancing, the dancing competition on BBC One.

Jason Wood was a English comedian whilst Kylie Jones is a professional ballroom dancer. They came in 8th place in the competition.

## Strictly Come Dancing

### **Week 1**

In the first week of the competition the couple danced a Waltz to the song "Three Times A Lady" by Commodores. They received 21 points from the judges.

### **Week 2**

In the second week of the competition the couple danced a Rumba to the song "Leave Right Now" by Will Young. They received 19 points from the judges.

The couple were in the bottom two along with David Dickinson and Camilla Dallerup and were eliminated from the competition.
Jive

**Jive** is a dance performed in *Strictly*.

A fast and highly energetic Latin dance, the Jive originated in the 1930s in the United Sates, taking elements from Swing dances such as the Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, and East Coast Swing. Jive is characterized by fast moving steps, leg flicks, kicks, and lifting of the knees throughout the dance.

It is one of the five Latin dances that is competed internationally, along with the Cha-Cha-Cha, Samba, Rumba, and Paso Doble.

Jive has been featured in *Strictly* since Series 1.

## History

In competition, it is danced at a speed of 176 beats per minute, although in some cases this is reduced to between 128 and 160 beats per minute.

Many of its basic patterns are similar to these of the East Coast Swing with the major difference of highly syncopated rhythm of the Triple Steps (Chasses), which use straight eighths in ECS and hard swing in Jive. To the players of swing music in the 1930s and 1940s, "Jive" was an expression denoting glib or foolish talk, or derived from the earlier generics for giouba of the African dance Juba dance verbal tradition.

American soldiers brought Lindy Hop and Jitterbug to Europe around 1942, where this dance swiftly found a following among the young. In the United States, it was called swing. In the UK, variations in technique led to styles such as boogie-woogie and swing boogie, with "jive" gradually emerging as the generic term.

After the war, the boogie became the dominant form for popular music. It was, however, never far from criticism as a foreign, vulgar dance. The ballroom-dancing guru Alex Moore said that he had "never seen anything uglier." English instructors developed the elegant and lively ballroom jive, danced to slightly slower music. In 1968, it was adopted as the fifth Latin dance in International competitions. The modern form of ballroom jive in the 1990s to present is a very happy and boppy dance; the lifting of knees and the bending or rocking of the hips often occurs.
Arlene Phillips

**Dame Arlene Phillips** DBE (born 22 May 1943) is an English choreographer, talent scout, television judge and presenter, theatre director, and former dancer, who has worked in many fields of entertainment.

### *Strictly*

Phillips was a member of the original judging panel from 2004 to 2009, alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli.

During 2005 and 2006, Phillips was also a judge for the spin-off series *Strictly Dance Fever*, which was also created by the BBC to seek dancers wishing to join the chorus of a West End musical. Later in 2007, she created and judged another BBC dance series, DanceX, a show formed to find a new commercial dance act. After the initial audition process, the competitors were split into two troupes of dancers, with Phillips mentoring one troupe and the other being mentored by her fellow Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli. The two troupes competed live on television each week, with Tonioli's troupe being the eventual winners.

After the end of Series 6, the BBC announced that several changes would be made to refresh Strictly ahead of Series 7 in 2009. This led to a great deal of speculation in the media that Phillips might be dropped from the judging panel, but the BBC refused to respond to reports. They finally confirmed the news at the launch of their autumn schedule on 9 July 2009: she was replaced by former Strictly winner Alesha Dixon. The news led to much criticism being directed towards the BBC for its apparent discrimination against older women on television; the BBC, however, strongly denied this.

### After *Strictly*

After her departure from the *Strictly* judging panel, Phillips appeared in Series 38, Episode 1 of the BBC's *Have I Got News for You* in 2009, and regularly appeared as a guest panellist on ITV's daytime gossip show, *Loose Women* in 2010.

She also joined the original judging panel of the UK version of *So You Think You Can Dance* in 2010, alongside the show creator Nigel Lythgoe (who was also head judge), pop singer Louise Redknapp, and dancer and choreographer Sisco Gomez.

In 2021, Phillips appeared as a guest judge on ITV's dance competition, *Dancing on Ice*, during Musicals Week.
Ben Cohen

* Ben
* with Kristina

**Ben Cohen** MBE is an English activist and former rugby player. He was in the England Rugby team that won the 2003 Rugby World Cup, and received an MBE in the 2004 Queen's New Year Honours list for services to rugby.

Ben competed as a contestant in Series 11.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Dubbed the 'David Beckham of rugby' Ben Cohen MBE is the 10th-highest point scorer in England rugby history and third behind Rory Underwood and Will Greenwood in the list of all-time England try scorers. Part of the England Ruby World Cup winning-team in 2003, how will this former winger handle the leap from a scrum to a Samba on Strictly Come Dancing?

"*I’ve always watched Strictly from a distance, and never ever in a million years thought I’d be in this position now.*"
— Ben Cohen
Ben caught the attention of England boss Clive Woodward whilst playing for successful Northampton RFC who won the Heineken Cup in 2000. Woodward soon handed him an international debut against Ireland during the inaugural Six Nations where he scored two tries.

Beginning his professional career at the age of 17 with Northampton Saints, Ben left English rugby in 2007 crossing the channel to try his hand for French team Brive. He returned home two years later to join Sale Sharks.

Ben was an integral part of the 2003 World Cup winning squad, playing in all but one of England's matches. He was awarded an MBE in the 2004 Queen's New Year Honours list for services to rugby.

In May 2011, the father of twin girls retired from professional rugby to focus on The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation he created to combat homophobia and bullying in the game.

No stranger to a spray-tan nor stripping-off, Ben has appeared in numerous rugby calendars and has also graced the covers of Attitude, Out and Compete Magazine. He has modelled underwear and appeared on live TV in his undies in front of Fern Britton and Philip Schofield (to raise awareness of testicular cancer).

Whether this counts as training for some of the tighter and torso revealing costumes of Strictly Come Dancing is to be seen!
Strictly Come Dancing Wiki/Policy

Welcome to Strictly Come Dancing Wiki! We hope you enjoy your time here. We expect you'll be on your best behavior when editing here, but nonetheless we do have a few rules we ask you to follow.

Everyone makes mistakes, so don't worry if you break one by accident. If it becomes a problem, we will warn you. Continued flouting of the rules after warning may result in a temporary ban from editing.

Posting pornography, harassment, or outright vandalism will probably result in an immediate ban without warning.

## Categories

Please do not create or add new categories with asking an admin first.

Categories with only one member are completely useless; avoid single-item categories at all times.

## Dates

We use the International Standard date format, **DD Month YYYY**. Please do not change these dates to another format.

If you find in our pages a date such as Month DD, YYYY, feel free to convert it.

## Templates

Any changes to templates are to be discussed with active admins. If the admins approve, then the changes will be instated.

## Fanon

This is not a fanon wiki. Please do not insert fanon, fan fiction, fan art, or the like into our pages.
Christmas Special 2014

## Series Chronology

Strictly's **Christmas Special 2014** was broadcast on BBC One on the 25th December 2014.

Sir Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returned to host the show, as did Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli to the judging panel.

There was a festive performance by Bruce who sang a special Strictlyfied version of Winter Wonderland accompanied by professional dancers Aliona Vilani, Iveta Lukosiute, Joanne Clifton and Natalie Lowe. This years couples also performed a special group number to *All I Want for Christmas is You,* at the beginning of the show.

The full line-up of the 2014 Christmas special, featuring six returning contestants in a change to recent tradition, was announced on 13 November 2014. This year's special had a pantomime theme, with each couple, as well as the judges, dressed as characters from a different classic pantomime.

It was won by Series 10 champion Louis Smith and his professional partner for the special Aliona Vilani.

## Couples

The six celebrities and their professional partners that took part were below;

## Dances & Scores

Couples are listed in the order they performed.

*Individual judges scores in the chart below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli.*
Gleb Savchenko

**Gleb Savchenko** was a professional dancer on *Strictly*. He also appeared on Strictly’s Australian and American versions, *Dancing with the Stars*. He joined the Strictly professional lineup in 2015, but was only on the show for one series.

## Biography

*Retrieved from bbc.co.uk*

Former Dancing with the Stars pro, Gleb Savchenko, reached the semi-final of Strictly with partner Anita Rani in 2015.

Gleb has travelled the world competing and performing. He recently returned from Russia where he partnered with Adelina Sotnikova, an Olympic Gold ice skater in the Russian version of Strictly Come Dancing.

"*I’m really excited to join such a fabulous brand and dance like the whole world is watching*"
— Himself
Gleb also competed in the Australian version of Strictly as well as Dancing with the Stars in America.
Some of Gleb’s greatest achievements include coming 10th in the World in the Pro-Latin American division and first in Rising Stars. Gleb specialises in Latin and is passionate about Strictly.

Russian born Gleb has been dancing since he was 8-years-old when he started lessons in his hometown of Moscow.
Gleb has been married to fellow dancer Elena for 7 years, the couple have a 4-year-old daughter called Olivia.

## Strictly Career

### Series 13

In 2015, Savchenko was confirmed to be one of the new professionals for *Strictly*’s thirteenth series. During the series launch show on 5 September, 2015, Savchenko was partnered with television presenter, Anita Rani. The couple finished sixth, leaving in the semi-final, after a dance-off with Katie Derham and her partner, Anton du Beke.

#### Scores

Savchenko did not return for the next series.
Nina Wadia

* Nina
* with Neil

**Nina Wadia OBE** is an English actress and comedian, who is best known for her role as Zainab Masood/Khan on *EastEnders* from 2007 until 2013. She has also starred in the BBC comedy *Still Open All Hours* as Mrs Hussein and *Citizen Khan* as Aunty Noor. For her role in *EastEnders* Nina won British Soap Awards at the 2009 ceremony. In 2021, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to entertainment and charity.

She was a contestant in Series 19, partnering British four-times World Latin Champion Neil Jones and finished in last place after loosing to *Coronation Street* actress Katie McGlynn in the dance off. She was the first celebrity eliminated in the second week in a 3:1 judges vote, with only Anton du Beke choosing to save her. Unfortunately she scored the lowest with the judges in week two and after the first two weeks scores were combined, she found herself at the bottom of the judges leader board.
HRVY

* HRVY
* with Janette

**HRVY** is an English singer and social media star. He was a presenter on *Friday Download* on CBBC from 2014 to 2015. HRVY has released three EP's entitled; *Holiday* (2017)*, Talk to Ya* (2017) and *Views from the 23rd Floor* (2022). He released his first single "Thank You" at the age of just 14.

HRVY was a contestant in Series 18, partnering Cuban-American professional dancer Janette Manrara. He was the runner-up alongside *EastEnders* actress Maisie Smith and *Made in Chelsea* star Jamie Laing, after being beaten by Bill Bailey in the grand final. prior to reaching the final he, along with Bill never appeared in the bottom two, so therefore avoided the dance off. Throughout the series, he topped the judges leader board on four occasions, the most of any couple in the series; including the final.
Children in Need Special 2020

## Specials Chronology

In 2020, Strictly did not have a Children in Need Special due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To replace the usual Children in Need Special, Strictly fans were encouraged to take part in the ***Strictly Children in Need Dance Challenge***.

### Challenge Format

The Special featured a compilation of clips of members of the public and the cast of the show’s series that year, dancing to the song "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon. At the end of the compilation, all three judges were each seen giving a score of 10.

Elements of the dance routine for the challenge were shown each night on *It Takes Two* shared by various couples from the show’s 2020 series, during the week leading up to the Children in Need 2020 Live Show on 13th November.

### Televised video

The final video, as shown during the Children in Need show broadcast in 2020:

File:The -StrictlyCiN Dance Challenge 💃 - BBC Children in Need 2020