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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
John Plunkett

Twenty-eight left feet

Want to see Emma Bunton doing the foxtrot? Jimmy Tarbuck performing the mambo? Or Peter Schmeichel attempting the cha-cha-cha? Then you're in luck - Strictly Come Dancing is back.

BBC1's Saturday teatime treat is that rarest of beasts - a celebrity reality TV show worth watching.

I'm still trying to work out why. Perhaps it's the glamour, maybe it's Brucie's struggle with the autocue, or most likely it's the fun of guessing which of this year's partners will end up sleeping together.

So who's in it this year? Well, at first glance - and without recourse to Google - I've heard of 10 out of 14 of them. It's beaten Love Island already.

Peter Schmeichel could be this year's Darren Gough (lumbering sportsman turns out to be light on his feet) while Jimmy Tarbuck is the new Dennis Taylor. You don't expect him to be very good - and he isn't.

Then there is ITV News reader Nicholas Owen, England rugby World Cup winning star turned Question of Sport captain Matt Dawson, DJ Spoony, ex-England cricketer Mark Ramprakash and Dead Ringers star Jan Ravens.

My colleagues suggest former Emmerdale and Bad Girls star Claire King could be one to look out for. She has drawn the short straw - or is it the long one? - and been paired with Brendan Cole.

There are lots of soap stars this year - too many for my liking - plus the compulsory cast member from either Casualty or Holby City (this year: Georgina Bouzova. She plays Ellen).

My only worry is that the BBC might have got a bit greedy by adding two more celebrities and another two weeks to the show. You can have too much of a good thing. Those opening episodes are going to go on forever.

Anyway, let's hope not. So long as long as Len, Bruno, Arlene and Craig keep bickering away on the judges' panel - they make that lot on the X-Factor look like amateurs - all will be right in the world on Saturday teatimes. Or maybe I should get out more. In fact, I definitely should get out more. Maybe next year.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC1 next month. Oh, and those contestants in full: Emma Bunton, Georgina Bouzova, Claire King, Louisa Lytton, Mica Paris, Jan Ravens, Carol Smillie, Matt Dawson, Ray Fearon, Nicholas Owen, Mark Ramprakash, Peter Schmeichel, Spoony, Jimmy Tarbuck

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