Strictly Come Dancing favourites Ellie Simmonds and Tyler West are to make a return to the dancefloor. The news will come as a relief to fans who greeted the pair's exits from the BBC show with outcry.
The paralympic swimming champion and the Kiss FM DJ will return to the Strictly world as the first celebrities named as appearing in the hit series' upcoming 2023 UK arena tour. Will Mellor, who is preparing to perform in week 10 of the competition this weekend, will also join them when they hit the road early next year.
Janette Manrara will return to host the tour, alongside judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke - although it'll be the first time the latter has appeared in the live show. The 31-date tour is set to kick-off on January 20 in Birmingham’s Utilita Arena. You can get more showbiz news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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The production will then waltz around the country, calling at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena, Leeds’ First Direct Arena, Manchester's AO Arena, Sheffield and Newcastle’s Utilita Arena, as well as London’s O2 Arena and the SSE Arena in Belfast. It'll culminate at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on February 12.
And, according to the Manchester Evening News, Craig also is returning - not only as a judge, but also to direct the 2023 tour, which will feature celebrities, professional dancers and the Strictly Live Band. Organisers said the tour was a "great way" to celebrate the 20th series of the programme, with fans being able to experience "everything they love about the TV show live on stage."
The audience will get the chance to watch the celebs perform their routines while having the power to decide who wins the Glitterball trophy at the end of each show, getting to vote for their favourite couple via text. Each performance of the tour will host a British Sign Language interpreter, who will be displayed on two large screens either side of the stage.
Paralympic swimming champion Ellie, who once trained and went to school in Swansea and was sixth to be eliminated, said: "Strictly was a such an incredible life-changing and emotional experience for me. It gave me a huge confidence boost and the feeling that anything is possible." Kiss FM DJ Tyler, who lost his place in the contest after competing at Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom last weekend, added: "I never realised how much dance would change my life - I'm so happy my Strictly journey isn’t over quite yet."
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