Now it’s time to meet our first four male celebrities - Jason Orange, Matthew Lewis, Barry Elliott and Mike Tindall!

Jason Orange “Hi, I’m Jason Orange, and you may recognise me from the band Take That. I’ve been in the group ever since we started out in 1990, but I decided to leave last year because it was getting very tiring… and now I’ve signed up to a dance competition! I can’t wait to find out my partner and just get started!”

Matthew Lewis “Hello, I’m Matthew Lewis. I’m probably most famous for playing Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films, but I’d say my changes in appearance recently have made headlines too! The thought of dancing in front of millions of people is pretty terrifying, but I’m excited to hopefully come out of this with a bit of a skill!”

Barry Elliott “My name is Barry Elliott, but you may know me as Barry Chuckle from the CBBC show, ChuckleVision. It was actually Paul that encouraged me to say yes, but I always wanted to do it with him - that way I could beat him! But I’m here now and I’m really excited to get started and learn to dance.”

Mike Tindall “Hi, I’m Mike Tindall. I used to play rugby for the English national team, and I am now married to my gorgeous wife Zara Phillips. To say Zara was reluctant for me to do Strictly is a huge understatement - she was petrified! I eventually got her to come round, but I’m pretty sure she won’t be turning up in the audience unless I’m amazing!”


Now it's time to pair up our magnificent males with their new dance partners.

Jason, you'll be hoping to rule the dancefloor with... KATYA VIRSHILAS!

Matthew, you'll be casting a spell with... ALIONA VILANI!

Barry, you will be having a good chuckle with... OLA JORDAN!

Mike, you'll be having a try at dancing with... KRISTINA RIHANOFF!

It’s now time to meet our first three female celebrities - Mimi Keene, Tiffany Darwish and Laura Whitmore!

Mimi Keene “Hi, I’m Mimi Keene and I’m most famous for playing Cindy Williams in EastEnders. On EastEnders, I’ve had to play a teenage mother giving up her baby, perform in the live episode and been accused of Lucy’s murder, but Strictly beats all of those - I’m terrified!”

Tiffany Darwish “Hello, I’m Tiffany Darwish. I’m a singer who is probably best known for the song I Think We’re Alone Now, which was number one for three weeks here in the UK. I can’t wait to get started, but I have no idea what to expect! I hope my partner will be nice to me!”

Laura Whitmore “Hi, I’m Laura Whitmore and I present I’m A Celebrity! Get Me Out Of Here Now on ITV2. I was absolutely delighted when Strictly gave me the call - I’ve been a fan for years and I’ve always dreamed of learning to dance and performing in the gorgeous frocks and getting all glammed up… It’s not all that nice though, is it?”


Now it's time to see who our three lovely ladies will be dancing with.

Mimi, you'll be causing a lot of drama with... KEVIN CLIFTON!

Tiffany, you'll be making sweet music with... BRENDAN COLE!

Laura, hopefully you won't be saying "get me out of here" with... TRISTAN MACMANUS!

And now we meet our last four remaining males - Jeff Hordley, William Hague, Ainsley Harriott and Conor Maynard!

Jeff Hordley “I’m Jeff Hordley and I play Cain Dingle in the soap Emmerdale. When I told my kids I’d been asked to join the show, they were absolutely mortified. They said I couldn’t do it and I’d be terrible, but Zoe, my wife, told them I’d be “brilliant”. Let’s hope she’s not wrong, eh?”

William Hague “Hi, my name is William Hague and I used to be the Foreign Secretary for the coalition government from 2010 to 2014. Had you asked me a few years ago for an answer to doing Strictly, it would have been a definite “no”. But my wife said changing it up would be good, and David Cameron said I should give it a go on the phone, so why not?”

Ainsley Harriott “Hello, I am Ainsley Harriott and I’m probably best known for presenting and cooking on Ready Steady Cook. I do think I’ve got a bit of rhythm, so the Latin dances will be quite fun, but the thought of the strictness and rules of the Ballroom dances does scare me a bit!”

Conor Maynard “Hi, my name is Conor Maynard and I am a singer. When I was asked to do the show I was a bit unsure about it. It took me a while to come round to the idea but I’m so glad I said yes now and I just can’t wait to meet my partner and get started!”


Now let's pair up our wonderful men with their fantastic dance partners.

Jeff, your dance partner will be... NATALIE LOWE!

William, you'll be debating your skills with... JOANNE CLIFTON!

Ainsley, you'll be cooking up a storm with... IVETA LUKOSIUTE!

Which means Conor, you'll be turning around with... JANETTE MANRARA!

And finally we meet our final four leading ladies - Moira Stuart, Katy Brand, Sarah Ferguson and Steffi Graf!

Moira Stuart “Hello I am Moira Stuart and I am a BBC newsreader and radio presenter. I’m not sure what made me choose to say yes to Strictly; it was just an impulsive decision. I guess I’ll know if I regret it once I start training with my partner…”

Katy Brand “Hi, I’m Katy Brand. I am an actress, comedian and a writer and I’ve appeared in Nanny McPhee and Casualty. I am a slightly larger lady but that won’t hold me back - I’m going to give everything I have when I’m training and hopefully do the best that I can!”

Sarah Ferguson “Hello, I’m Sarah Ferguson, Duchess Of York and I used to be married to Prince Andrew and am the mother of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Oh I absolutely would not be doing Strictly if I was still married to Andrew; he was a bit unsure when I told him about it the other week, but I’ve already gone and said yes!”

Steffi Graf “Hello, my name is Steffi Graf and I am a retired world number one female tennis player. I’m really excited to learn to dance because I’ve never seen myself as a good dancer and it’ll be nice to learn a new skill. I hope Craig won’t be too mean to me as a beginner!”


Now it's time to pair up our final four females with their handsome partners.

Moira, you'll be delivering a treat with... ANTON DU BEKE!

Katy, you'll be having a laugh with... PASHA KOVALEV!

Sarah, your prince charming will be... ALJAZ SKORJANEC!

So that means Steffi, you'll be serving your dances with... IAN WAITE!