See you again tomorrow!
And that’s IT for this year’s Strictly launch show – thank you as always for joining in and kicking this season off with a glitter cannon, I’m off to read all your comments and relax in a warm bath of Strictly wit and wisdom. I’m @heidistephens on Twitter and Instagram, so do come and say hello.
Join me again TOMORROW at 6.45pm for the first live show - it’s a two hour twenty minute marathon, so bring copious provisions. See you then!
Updated
Our Strictly lineup is complete!
So we have our fifteen couples – please share your faves in the comment box. You might want to hold off on winner predictions until after you’ve seen their first group dance – it’s a great opportunity to see who’s got natural shimmy, and who’s got concrete limbs.
Well, quite a lot to see here, for a change. Jayde and Tyler both have some moves, and Helen is one of life’s natural over-achievers. Hamza and Fleur both look great, and even though Ritchie has a frame like broken deckchair, I love him. Ellie and Nikita look amazing, Kaye and Tony less so. Apologies for anyone I’ve forgotten – that all moved quite fast and I’ve only got two eyes.
OK, I’m already VERY over the Adams family thing. Stop it.
And finally...It's Kaye and Kai!
Anyone else frantically trying to work out which male celeb is left for Kaye? Oh of course, it’s Kai Widdrington. They meet in Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow, and Kaye is delighted. I mean you would be, wouldn’t you?
Kai made the Grand Final last year but sadly couldn’t compete because AJ Odudu injured her leg. Kaye and Kai has a pleasing ring to it, no? OK, I’m quite tired.
Updated
It's Tony and Katya!
Tony is absolutely terrified, and has the air of a man who popped out for a pint of milk and somehow ended up on Strictly.
He’s been paired with Katya Jones, who made it well into November with Adam Peaty last year. She says something about tackling some dancing, which I think is a football pun.
It's Jayde and Karen!
And there’s the Adams family gag! DRINK.
Jayde goes off to Brizzle to meet her dance partner. My day job is in Bristol, about a five minute walk from the Clifton Observatory – I can’t believe Jayde was there meeting Karen Hauer and I missed it.
Jayde is thrilled because ‘Karen IS Strictly.’ Karen has many ideas and feels like this is going to be a golden moment for her. After hauling Greg Wise round the dancefloor last year like a piece of garden furniture, Karen deserves a great partner.
How many couples are there? I feel like we’ve been at this for YEARS.
And finally we’re pairing up Scottish TV presenter and journalist Kaye Adams, who is best known for being the anchor on Loose Women. She also does a podcast called How To Be 60, which presumably recommends rolling yourself in glitter and taking a turn around the Strictly dancefloor. We all need life goals, and this is a good one.
Next up it’s Arsenal and England football legend Tony Adams MBE, who won 66 caps for England and captained the side in Euro 96. You may assume from this biog that I know something about football and have ever heard of Tony Adams, but I don’t and I haven’t.
He follows in the Strictly footsteps of some stellar football stars like Robbie Savage, David James and Alex Scott, so let’s see what his footwork’s like in Cuban heels.
Three celebs left!
…And they all have the surname Adams, presumably so Tess can labour an ‘Adams Family’ joke at some point.
First up is Jayde Adams, who is best known as an actor and stand-up comedian, and I also know her as a Eurovision podcaster. She’s also a West Country girl like me, which makes me wonder why we aren’t best friends. I’ll work on that over the coming weeks.
Updated
It's John Legend!
Time for our first musical interlude of the season, courtesy of US R&B crooner John Legend. He’s singing his new single ‘All She Wanna Do’. He’s dressed for kung-fu fighting, while Luba, Kai, Michelle and Cameron treat us to some human friction.
I’ve just looked up whether Legend is John’s real surname, mostly so we could discuss whether being born a Legend might inspire you to go on to actually be one. But it turns out he was born John Stephens, and now I’m mortally offended. What’s wrong with Stephens? It’s a perfectly good surname.
Although now I’m thinking about the career potential of changing my name to Heidi Legend. Has a certain gravitas, no?
Updated
It's Richie and Giovanni!
Whoever gets paired with Ritchie will need to start by sorting out his dreadful posture. He’s also a LOT.
He’s has been paired with Giovanni Pernice – Ritchie feels like he’s the envy of the British public right now, then calls him ‘Mr Giovanni’, like he’s the local ice cream man. Giovanni looks slightly overwhelmed, and I already love these two.
It's Molly and Carlos!
Molly is very excitable and I’m finding her joy quite infectious. She’s partnered with Carlos Gu, who is another of this year’s newbies. I know literally nothing about either of these two, which is why they will undoubtedly be my favourites by Week 6. That’s just how Strictly goes.
It's Ellie T and Johannes!
Ellie T had Johannes at the top of her pro partner wish list, and through the magic of Strictly her wish has been granted and she’s paired up with Johannes Radebe. OK, I’m a bit excited about this one.
Johannes says that meeting Ellie has already been joyous, because he is the loveliest man on earth. Apart from Hamza.
It's Matt and Nadiya!
Matt has been partnered with Nadiya Bychkova, who was paired up with Dan Walker last year and made it to Week… *checks notes*…really? That far? Must be a typo.
Matt is ready to put his heart and soul into this, and I think I’m going to have to add ‘Matt Goss talking in metaphor’ to the bingo. He’s a fascinating human being, but also (whispers it) the the one most likely to have a colossal meltdown. There, I said it.
Updated
Time to welcome Richie Anderson, who is the guy who does the travel bulletins on BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show with Zoe Ball. He was was also in Turin in May to cover The Eurovision Song Contest. I mean, so was I - if this is a qualifier for Strictly, I’ve got a CV sewn out of rainbow sequins.
I believe Richie will be partnered with a male pro dancer this year – John and Johannes last year were a tough act to follow, so let’s see what Richie’s made of.
Time to meet Molly Rainford, who is is a singer and actress. In 2012 she was the youngest ever finalist of Britain’s Got Talent, and since graduating from Sylvia Young, she’s played Nova Jones on the hit CBBC show. This is literally everything I know about Molly Rainford, but we’ll update as we go along.
Updated
Next up it’s Ellie Taylor, who is a comedian, broadcaster, writer and actor. She’s consistently very funny on shows like Mock The Week and The Mash Report, and recently stood in for Siobhán McSweeney’s broken leg on The Great Pottery Throw Down. In the interests of full disclosure, I have quite a big girl crush on Ellie, but I’ll do my best to keep it under control.
More celebs please!
Next up it’s Matt Goss, who is…well, he’s Matt Goss. Eighties pop legend and the frontman of Bros, still a singer-songwriter and all-round quite intense human being. I was fourteen when the first Bros album came out, so apologies in advance if I occasionally make an involuntary squealing noise and get a bit befuddled.
Incidentally, if you haven’t yet watched the 2018 Matt Goss documentary After The Screaming Stops, you really should. It’s INCREDIBLE.
Matt also loves a hat, which is good news for future bingo lovers.
Rose and Giovanni are BACK!
Lovely to see last year’s Glitterball winners Rose and Giovanni back on Strictly, and revisit their amazing journey last year. Rose was one of the celebs I’d never heard of at the start of the series, but she and Gio turned out to be one of the most special partnerships Strictly has ever seen.
They take another spin around the Strictly dancefloor, gifting us another look at their fabulous Viennese Waltz to Fallin’ by Alicia Keys. Such a gorgeous dance, and such incredible storytelling. *Sigh*
It's Hamza and Jowita!
Hamza has been paired up with Jowita Przystal – she joined the Strictly pro lineup last year but this is her first year with a celeb partner.
She’s delighted that Hamza is fearless and strong and patient, which makes him sound like some kind of big game fisherman.
I’ve never heard of Hamza before, but I’ve already decided he’s an angel who must be protected at all costs.
It's Fleur and Vito!
Fleur confirms that she sets six alarms because she snoozes through all of them. This actually gave me an anxiety shiver.
Fleur goes to Walthamstow to meet her partner, and we discover that she’s bagged Italian newbie pro Vito Coppola. I mean, E17 is no Naples, but Vito is styling it out. Fleurito is already making me a bit hot under the collar, despite the rapping.
Updated
It's James and Amy!
Can I just say that it’s SO lovely to see a full studio audience again. I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed it until it came back.
James has ZERO dance experience (drink). He’s in Albert Square to discover that he’s been paired with Amy Dowden, then says he is incredibly relieved and feels like a winner already. DRINK.
It's Helen and Gorka!
Helen informs us that she has three little kids. DRINK.
She takes her black labrador (Spiderman, for some reason) to Roundhay Park to discover she’s been partnered up with Gorka Marquez, who can definitely understand a northern accent because he’s engaged to Strictly alumni Gemma Atkinson. He was a surprise Movie Week exit with Katie McGlynn last year, so hopefully he’ll hang around a little longer this time round.
Helen is genuinely over the moon. I actually believe her, because it’s GORKA.
Let’s meet Hamza Yassin, who is a wildlife cameraman and presenter on BBC’s Animal Park and Countryfile. He also competes in the Highland Games and rides around Scotland on a motorbike in his spare time.
How long before Hamza appears in a kilt, do we think? Keep a dram of something on standby for Bonus Kilt Bingo.
Next up is singer-songwriter, TV and radio presenter Fleur East, best known for being a runner-up on The X Factor and then releasing the absolute banger ‘Sax’. She also did I’m a Celeb in 2018 and is traditionally rumoured to be the UK’s entry for Eurovision every year without fail. That hasn’t yet come to pass, but I’m happy to settle for her being on Strictly instead.
Please keep a bottle on standby for the first time Tess or Claudia says ‘Take to the Fleur’. And the six times after that.
Updated
Time to meet James Bye is an actor, best known for playing Martin Fowler on EastEnders. The last time I watched EastEnders Martin Fowler was about eight years old, so presumably quite a lot has happened in the interim. James is, however, perfectly named for an early exit, so hopefully he won’t let us down by going all the way.
Let's meet some more celebs!
Up next is Helen Skelton, who is a TV and radio broadcaster, former Blue Peter alumni, and now does lots of stuff on BBC sport and Countryfile. She’s been rumoured for Strictly for so long I’d sort of convinced myself she’d already done it, but no. Still, better late than never.
Let's meet our four new pro dancers!
Whilst we’ve lost Aljaz and Oti this year, we’ve gained FOUR newbies. So let’s meet European cup winner Vito Coppola, Chinese National Champion Carlos Gu, former Under-21 British National Champion Lauren Oakley and Cyprus Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas.
They are all very young and beautiful, and Vito has a whiff of a man whose shirts inexplicably have no buttons. Must be an Italian thing.
Please note that I have already forgotten all their names. Even four years on, I have to go and look up Graziano every time he appears in a musical interlude.
Updated
It's Will and Nancy!
Apparently Will has seen Anton a the local tip, because they live near each other. If you’ve ever encountered a Strictly star at a local municipal facility, let us know in the comments.
He’s been coupled up with Nancy Xu, who made it all the way to the Semi-final with Rhys Stephenson last year. Can she go one better and waltz Will all the way to the Grand Final? She’s already made it as far as Runcorn.
It's Kym and Graziano!
Apparently Kym already knows all the Strictly pros because they regularly appear on Morning Live, a BBC daytime show she presents. Did I put ‘current project plugging’ on the bingo? Have a bonus drink anyway. Also she’s just become a grandma for the third time, aged 46. I mean, that’s at least three nana drinks, right?
She’s been partnered with Graziano Di Prima, which could be another very good coupling. Last year Graz was partnered with Judi Love, which has made me want to watch her twerking to Sean Paul’s Get Busy again. What a moment.
It's Tyler and Dianne!
Tyler’s mum! Drink! He’s been paired with Dianne Buswell, who finds Tyler DJ-ing in a pod on the London Eye. Is that even a thing?
Dianne immediately names them Team Ty-Di, and I’m getting good vibes from this partnership – last year Dianne was paired with Robert Webb, who decided to leave the show for health reasons fairly early on.
Updated
It's Ellie S and Nikita!
Ellie (who will henceforth be known as Ellie S, to distinguish her from Ellie T) tells us that it means everything to be representing not just dwarfism, but disability in general – the prospect of going out there and dancing every Saturday night makes her SO proud.
She’s been paired with Nikita Kuzmin. Last year Nikita made it to Week 10 with Tilly Ramsay – can he do better this year?
OK, I already love this partnership. They’re both adorable.
Updated
Next up it’s Will Mellor, an actor who I know from playing Jambo in Hollyoaks, even though I’ve never actually watched Hollyoaks. He’s also done loads of other acting stuff, including playing Harvey in Corrie.
My notes also tell me that he also had a chart hit in 1998 with a cover of Leo Sayer’s When I Need You. In the spirit of investigative journalism, I went and watched the video for this so you don’t have to, and can confirm that it’s exactly what’d you expect from a 1998 Leo Sayer cover sung by an angsty twenty-something. I blame Peter Andre, personally.
It’s time to meet Kym Marsh, who is best know for her role of Michelle Connor in Coronation Street, for which she won ‘Best Newcomer’ at both the National Television Awards and British Soap Awards. Unless, of course you’re over 35, in which case Kym Marsh is best known for being one of the three women in Hear’Say. I consistently get them mixed up with Liberty X because I am now, apparently, my nan.
Next up it’s Tyler West is a TV presenter, radio host and DJ, best known for hosting weekday afternoons on KISS. He also used to do lots of stuff on CBBC, which seems to be the traditional training ground for an eventual spin around the Strictly dancefloor.
Shout out to Tyler’s mum. DRINK.
LET’S MEET SOME CELEBS!
First up is Ellie Simmonds OBE, who is is best known as a gold medal-winning Paralympic swimmer and broadcaster. At the age of thirteen she was the youngest British athlete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, and won gold medals in the 100m and 400m freestyle events. Her first dance tomorrow will almost certainly have a watery theme, because that’s Strictly law.
Updated
Out come the stars! I know eight out of fifteen this year, which is pretty standard. I have a very good feeling about this series, just so you know.
Matt Goss. MATT Goss. 14-year-old Heidi is having palpitations.
Time to meet the judges! Anton is back on the panel for a second year, which I for one am perfectly happy about. If the choice is listening to him share his views on a Samba, or watching him actually dance the Samba with maracas and frilly sleeves, I’ll definitely take the former.
TESS AND CLAUDIA DRESS WATCH!
Tess in white flares and some kind of gold cape/scarf thing with a weird baggy sleeve. Claudia’s in a rather fabulous white suit.
I think we’ll call that a mixed bag from Tess and Clauds, who had a generally solid season last year, bar a few notable exceptions (dog collar pantsuits. No). They are both stunning and fabulous and rocking it for the older woman, so let’s cross our fingers for weekly fashion heaven. God knows we’ve seen enough wonky bin bags and polyester coffin linings over the years.
And we’re off! We kick off with the first pro dance of the season, which is a cinematic affair that starts in Blackpool during a gale, then goes on tour of various towns, cities and villages. If you recognise any of these places and spotted Giovanni gadding about in your village, do let us know. Is this sponsored by UK tourism?
OK we’re in the studio now, and there should be some new pro dancers in there somewhere – Vito, Michelle, Lauren and Carlos. We’ll meet them all in more detail later, but in the meantime let’s have a moment of reverent silence for the departure of Aljaz and Oti. They will be missed around here.
Are we feeling good? I’m feeling good. How can we not? Strictly’s BACK.
Are we ready? I’m ready. And also excited (drink).
What other housekeeping should we do while we’re waiting? I have plate of snacks, a mug of tea (I’m off booze for boring medical reasons, back on the wine in October), but no dog because she’s away with my other half for the weekend. What are you snacking on?
I could plug my books, I suppose, but that would be crass. And also you could just head to my website of your own accord. Not NOW, obviously. Strictly’s on in a minute.
LET’S PLAY STRICTLY COME BINGO!
A new season of Strictly calls for a new season of Strictly Come Bingo! If you’re new around here, this is a fun weekly drinking game, whereby I list five Strictly tropes, clichés and pet peeves, then invite you to take a sip whenever you spot one. It doesn’t have to be booze – you can always choose water and increase your hydration levels. I also know someone who keeps a bowl of Haribo Tangfastics on the arm of the sofa and eats one every time there’s a bingo score – some weeks are more intensely sugary than others.
I did consider easing you in gently, particularly as we have to do it all again tomorrow. But it’s our first ever Friday night Strictly so I’m feeling a bit giddy - so take a swig of whatever tickles your fancy for any occurrence of the following:
Someone claiming they can’t dance at all
Someone demonstrating their dance skills by doing the robot/running man
The word ‘excited’
Any early mentions of parents, nannas or kids
”OMG he/she was definitely the person I was hoping to be partnered with” *big fat lie face*
Just a small point of order for anyone popping in to rant about Strictly melting the nation’s tiny brains or grumbling that The Guardian soils the internet with this kind of trivial rubbish. This is my thirteenth year doing this liveblog; we’ve been here so long we’ve claimed squatters’ rights and are constructing a sequinned yurt. So honestly, save your breath. Or alternatively, hang out in one of the friendliest corners of the internet for a couple of hours. You never know, you might enjoy it.
IT’S THE STRICTLY COME DANCING LAUNCH SHOW!
Good evening all, and welcome back for the 20th series of Strictly Come Dancing! I’m delighted to be back on my liveblog sofa, and hope you’ll join me for another autumn of communal watching. It’s been a challenging year for many once again, but this blog – and in particular the comment box - brings its own unique brand of low-cost sparkly energy.
Tonight’s pre-recorded launch show is an opportunity to pair up our fifteen new celebs with their pro-dancer partners – this should have been broadcast last Saturday, but it was considered inappropriate to festoon the nation in fake tan and feathers while the Queen was still lying in state. So the launch is tonight, and the first live show is tomorrow. That’s *checks notes* just short of four hours of liveblogging in total, but it’s all going to be fine because I’m banking on plenty of support from all of you down below. If you’re a first-timer, feel free to come out from behind your lurker curtains and join in. If you’re an old hand, welcome back. I’ve missed you.
We’re kicking the new Strictly season off at 7pm, so please gather snacks, drinks, family members and a bucket of glitter, and I’ll see you then!
Updated
