Strictly 2016 has well and truly rocketed back onto our screens! The fourteenth series to date… count ‘em! Each year the show gets bigger and better without fail, and this year already promises to be no exception. I’ve been lucky enough to dance in every single series so far, so I must say a huge thank you to the BBC for including me once again in this year’s competition. Excited?… My goodness, there’s an understatement!
Just over three weeks ago we all saw the truly remarkable launch episode – an interstellar affair, that’s for sure, with rocket ships and starship commanders and intergalactic costumes and Claud and Tess bringing us all down to earth safely at Elstree to a red carpet reception and a throng of cheering fans! Tremendous! Not to mention the fabulous group dance number… What an opening spectacle, and a reminder to us all what we’ve been missing on our TVs all year… Strictly Come Dancing is back!
Here’s the opening sequence again… I still laugh every time I see the ‘Activate Anton’ part!
The launch show also revealed the full line-up of this series’ 15 celebrities. The BBC have once again done us proud with what could prove to be the strongest line-up yet! Pop stars, olympians, presenters, actors as well as a judge and a former MP – such a gamut of talent… but who will prove themselves as dancers? That of course remains to be seen, but like you, I’m very excited to see how everybody fares as they take to the floor each week.
I should also give a note of welcome to our new pro dancers too – all stars in their own right from their respective backgrounds, every one worthy of a place in our Strictly family. I’m sure we’ll all enjoy getting to know them as the series progresses. So, AJ, Chloe, Gorka, Katya, Neil and Oksana – welcome one and all!
Now, down to business: the pairings. What did you all think? If you ask me, I think they’re all spot on, and you could tell that everyone was genuinely pleased when the names were called out. No one more so than I, when the simply wonderful Lesley Joseph leapt into my arms!
What a gal! Taken to the nation’s heart for her role as voracious man-eater Dorien Green in the BBC hit show ‘Birds Of A Feather’, Lesley has been a performer all her life – first treading the boards at age 7. That’s very important to me as her dance coach – performance qualities are a very big tick in the box. “Merry Christmas, me,” I said on the show… and with jolly good reason!
@TheAntonDuBeke The first official pic of yourself and the lovely Lesley! Looking good, eh? #Strictly pic.twitter.com/bu6TCqrQsi
— BBC Strictly✨ (@bbcstrictly) September 19, 2016
Lesley is very much at home with the glitter, sequins, hair and makeup – she’s a natural! As to whether she’s a natural dancer?… The coming weeks will tell!
Do follow our dances each week over on my dance card at AntonAndErin.com (you can look back through all my dances in previous series too – as well as Erin’s – it’s quite the compendium!).
…And you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as Lesley’s progress on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram too – it seems there’s no escaping us with all this technology these days! …That said, we’ll be very appreciative of your support each week so tweet and share as much as you can!
Next instalment coming very soon!…
Much love,
