With Christmas Day fast approaching, it's time to find out who'll be taking part in this year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.
This Christmas Day, the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom will be transformed into a magical winter wonderland for an all-star Christmas special that promises to dazzle audiences with a magical blend of dance, glitter, and festive cheer as six brand new celebrity contestants take to the floor in a bid to be crowned Christmas Champion 2023.
Each of the six couples will perform a festive-fueled routine with the hope of impressing the judges, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, Head Judge Shirley Ballas, and the voting studio audience. But who will emerge as the Christmas star of the evening, and lift the sought-after Christmas trophy?
Here are the six celebrities taking part and who they'll be dancing with...
Dan Snow
Broadcaster
Broadcaster Dan Snow was revealed as the first celebrity included in 2023’s Christmas lineup and will be paired with Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova.
Dan is a history broadcaster, best-selling author, and entrepreneur. After 15 years working for the BBC, History Channel, and Discovery, he founded History Hit in 2016, a digital history broadcaster and publisher. History Hit TV, his subscription on-demand channel, won UK's best Specialist Channel in 2023, while the multi-award-winning Dan Snow’s History Hit podcast and the wider podcast network is listened to millions of times a month.
Dan was part of the expedition to find Shackleton’s Endurance shipwreck in Antarctica in 2022 and is always on the hunt for new historical discoveries.
Speaking ahead of this year's Strictly Christmas Special, Dan Snow said "I am absolutely terrified about hitting the dance floor. But I love getting out of my comfort zone and I’ve always wanted to learn how to dance properly. So I thought it was now or never!"
Sally Nugent
BBC Breakfast Presenter
TV presenter Sally Nugent was the second Christmas celebrity to be revealed, she will be paired with Graziano Di Prima. Sally presents BBC Breakfast on BBC One and she has covered some of the biggest news and sport stories of the last 20 years.
Recently she is best known for working with former sports stars who have been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
Speaking ahead of this year's Strictly Christmas Special, Sally Nugent said "I am thrilled and slightly terrified to be taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special. I'm hoping the judges will be kind - and filled with Christmas spirit. And I hope everyone watching at home will enjoy a little bit of Strictly magic on Christmas night."
Jamie Borthwick
EastEnders Star
Actor Jamie Borthwick was revealed as the third Christmas celebrity and he will be paired with Nancy Xu.
Jamie is best known for playing Jay Brown in the BBC’s flagship continuing drama EastEnders. He has won a British Soap Award for "Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress", an Inside Soap Award for “Best Actor” and has been nominated for various other TV accolades. Jamie has played Jay for over 17 years in the iconic TV series.
Speaking ahead of this year's Strictly Christmas Special, Jamie Borthwick said "I am so excited to be joining the cast of this years' Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special. From Walford to a Waltz, I can’t wait to learn a new skill and put my dancing to the test. I’m hoping to spread Christmas cheer and have a good laugh with my professional dancer…get me on that dancefloor!"
Tillie Amartey
Actress
Actress Tillie Amartey was revealed as the fourth celebrity in the 2023 Christmas lineup and will be paired with Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Neil Jones.
Tillie has amassed an impressive CV in a short time, working on shows for Sky, CBBC and Channel 5 and in January 2024 will play Neville in BBC One’s hit series Waterloo Road. Tillie’s acting career has also seen her play a range of varied roles on CBBC’s popular show Almost Never, Channel 5’s four-part drama The Teacher alongside Sheridan Smith, and her most intense performance to date, playing Marnie in Jimmy McGovern’s Moving On.
Tillie was also handpicked by David Walliams for her debut film role in his TV adaptation of Ratburger. Her break-out performance as troublesome Tina Trott in the adaptation won her plaudits from critics and industry peers alike. Acting aside, Tillie is also known for her flair for presenting and has fronted shows on both CITV and CBBC. Most recently, she was a co-host on CBBC’s Love! Love! Love!, celebrating trends across music, pop, and celebrity culture.
Speaking ahead of this year's Strictly Christmas Special, Tillie Amartey said "My family have been avid fans of Strictly since forever so no pressure! The nerves are real, but I am SUPER excited to bring some much-needed joy to the telly while I shimmy and sparkle my two left feet through the Christmas special!"
Danny Cipriani
Rugby player
Danny Cipriani is the fifth Christmas celebrity to be revealed and be paired with Jowita Przystał.
Danny is a former England International and current professional Rugby Union player. He most recently played for Premiership Rugby side Bath and previously played for Gloucester, Sale Sharks and Wasps in the Premiership and Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby.
Speaking ahead of this year's Strictly Christmas Special, Danny Cipriani said "I’ve always enjoyed the concept of Strictly Come Dancing, it wasn’t something I ever thought I’d do. After addressing my own ideas and beliefs, I am very much looking forward to expressing myself through dance with no limitations. Strictly brings joy to everyone’s living rooms, being a part of that for Christmas Day will be special."
Keisha Buchanan
Singer-Songwriter
The sixth and final celebrity revealed to be taking part in this year's Strictly Christmas Special is Singer-Songwriter Keisha Buchanan, who will be paired with Gorka Márquez.
Keisha is a founding member of platinum-selling, critically acclaimed, girl group Sugababes. Having sold out the O2 for their One Night Only Show, this incredible girl group have just released their new hit single When the Rain Comes and have been crowned the Music Week Women in Music Awards 2023 'Inspirational Artist' of the year!
Touring the country hasn't stopped Keisha jumping at the chance of appearing in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.
Speaking ahead of this year's Strictly Christmas Special, Keisha Buchanan said "I am so excited to be taking part, and over Christmas too, my favourite time of the year! I am looking forward to learning some new moves and embracing the dancefloor!"
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special returns Christmas Day on BBC One
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