I'm a big Strictly fan, watch every year and...

quite honestly so far we have.
Jeremy Vine....radio 2 presenter...
Ainsley Harriot...Ready steady Cook
Kellie Bright...Eastenders
Georgia ay...Coronation Street
Carol Kirkwood...BBC breakfast
Peter Andre...of Peter Andre fame
Katie Derham...BBC Proms
Daniel O Donnell....Irish television presenter
Anthony Ogogo...Olympics


OK well:
We can't recreate Louis Smith with Anthony. They even look alike boring.
I don't care for Daniel, Katie, Carol...too boring for me
Peter Andre well thats a OK choice to be fair
Kylie Bright and Ainsley ain't bad.
But the rest are DULL!?

This is supposed to be the No.1 tv show in the UK...this is the line up? It's like an advertisement for the phelotra of BBC services! Oh and please no contestants from The Apprentice, X Factor or Big Brother. That is beyond ridiculous they aren't celebs!

Whats the problem are Big Brother paying more!? Where are the real celebs?

In your opinion

Yes of course!

What does everyone else think in their own opinion of course!

I think its quite good so far..I recognised everyone by name at least. Stop moaning because the moaners end up watching anyway.

Shouldn't we wait and see how they perform before we judge? I've set out 'not liking' some contestants in the past and ended up supporting them.

Rampers had a 'boring' personality before Karen began work on him and look what happened there.......................whoarr

In all the years I've been watching Strictly, there have always been celebs that I'd never heard of. No different this year. I wouldn't be ale to pick Kate, Carol or Kellie out of a line up.
At the moment. It's when it starts that I decide if I like them or not.

I find it difficult to credit that there is anyone who knows all the celebs on day one, seeing a they are always from different segments of showbiz, to draw in different sections of the viewing public.

Give 'em a chance, for goodness' sake.

I'd agree with that.

I don't watch a lot of TV so don't know any of the women listed, though I know who most of the men are (I sort of know who the boxer is, but only vaguely aware)

Sometimes its better not knowing them. Peter Andre is pretty marmite & I'd rather he wasn't on it. If I'd never heard of the permatanned little plonker I'd be a lot happier about his participation

And I could cheerfully go the rest of my life without ever seeing Ainsley Harriot again. Prick with a Fork indeed.

But I will keep an open mind. Maybe Andre isn't as vapid as when he was in the jungle or in the trailers for his various shows. And maybe Harriot.......well....maybe he'll break a leg.

Couldn't agree more and btw..OP...Daniel O'Donnell is a singer and not an Irish tv presenter.

I don't think the line up is any better or worse than it has been for the last couple of years but inevitably they are getting towards the bottom of the barrel celeb-wise. I like the fact that most of them are people we hadn't expected (Peter and Georgia aside) but there's no one to get really excited about yet. I thought that, with all the changes on the X Factor, they might have gone for a big name signing (as they seem obsessed with competing with ITV) but I suppose there might be a bigger name still to be revealed. Have they confirmed the presenting line-up yet? I was still holding out some vague hope they might announce a good replacement for Tess.

I know them all except the soap actresses, but you're not going to be familiar with everyone. Give them all a chance and during the series you will gravitate to one or more "favourites" I think the line up is fine so far. The only thing I'd hate is a deliberate "comedy" turn ( John Sergeant / Anne Widdecombe)

It's probably the worst lineup on a reality show in a long time imo and that's including Big Brother,I'm a Celeb etc

I am perfectly happy with the line up so far - havent heard of a few, have heard of a few, its the same every year but I think they have a interesting mix of celebs and I am looking forward to seeing them on the dance floor

I think, bearing in mind we only know just over half so far, that it's an ok line-up. I've heard of all of them - although I had to remind myself of exactly who a couple were.

I think the celebs so far are mostly okay but not very exciting. I remember feeling a bit like that before series 8 and it turned out to be my favourite series ever, despite having a generally older cast and one or two celebs I utterly despised, so will try and keep an open mind.


Have you seen the BB cast?! Most of them are porn stars, hasbeens and reality show rejects.

Some of those "celebs" might surprise us over the coming weeks.

If anyone, it's knowing that Peter Andre is there that instantly gives me "ugh, him again" vibes.

He's pretty much become a reality TV staple, almost a parody of himself.

Plenty of boring people have made great Strictly contestants though. Rachel Stevens, Gethin Jones, Colin Jackson, Jason Donovan, Pixie Lott, Kimberley Walsh... All of them gave interviews so bogglingly dull they could strip paint, but they're all Strictly Legends. Don't rule people out on the grounds of tepidity, EMBRACE THE BEIGE.

I have to admit I would rather have someone who is naturally beige than some one who is artificially enhanced with bells, whistles and a joker hat.

I agree with others that you need to wait and see how they perform. I hadn't really heard of Steve Backshall but I really liked him as time went on. There are some more names to be released. Perhaps they are holding back on the big ones - or maybe not.

Monkseal has spoken - Embrace the Beige people - and I must admit I completely agree. Better to have no pre-conception of the celebs beforehand and make up your own mind than to have the celebs fail to live up (or down...) to your expectations.

As for me I can't believe that in 2 weeks time (or a bit less) we'll all be discussing our favourite/least pairings - who we think will be rubbish, who are the ringahs, who is lovely, who is completely-not-what-expected who has the best arse and so on....

Less than 2 weeks.....

You could add Sophie EBot (her ballroom was devine, THAT Charleston and the undermarked Paso Doble and Argentine Tango) and Jake Wood to that list. Jake was so dull sometimes but chuck him party classics (Come on he had Mambo No 5, The Macarena and Enter the Gladiators) and a Janette, no literally chuck Janette at him and he produced two of the best party latins of all time. Hell even Harry Judd was really dull erm he wore jumpers knitted by his Nan and was so middle class he put the whole cast of Made in Chelsea to shame. I would argue that Louis Smith was dull, jacked up on his Mum's beans on toast of all things.

I'm not impressed so far, but then I don't know much about any of them.

Ainsley looks to me like he will be able to dance Latin (even at 58) and he may grate in large doses, but I expect at least he will be noticeable and may be entertaining in smaller doses.

Jeremy has done one interesting thing (the Rocky Horror Show sketch - I wouldn't call it dancing or singing), and he wrote a good interview reply as to why he wants to do Strictly.

Katie looks like she will give it a real go and might maybe be able to dance.

Georgia may be able to dance. She may need a pro who can bring out her personality.

Carol may have to be entertaining rather than a dancer, but she seems likeable - which gets you a long way.

Kellie is an unknown to me - I haven't even seen an interview with her.

Peter will probably be able to dance and has seemingly been a marmite character, so will probably generate a lot of debate.

Anthony seems like he might have a lot of potential, but his injuries and reasons for doing strictly are somewhat unknown areas.

Daniel is the most interesting character IMO. He's very much not my cup of tea, but not in a bad way. Frankie Boyle is at one end of my scale for switching off and Daniel is at the other - he's too nicey nice. I'm prepared to change my mind - if he shows a lot of admirable character.

I think it's an excellent line-up so far.

BIB^^^ That's why I hope Jeremy will turn out to be a good contestant. I don't know if he'll turn out to be a good dancer or not, but I don't need every contestant to be a brilliant dancer -- what I do want is to see them making a genuine effort to improve each week. A number of celebs over the years have found some of the things they've been asked to do on Strictly quite embarrassing (they're not used to being themselves instead of playing a part if they're an actor, or being on their own without their bandmates to back them up, or performing if they're a sports star, etc etc) but after that Rocky Horror skit, hopefully Jeremy will have already got over any embarrassment about performing and will throw himself into Strictly wholeheartedly.

Interesting thoughts fatskia - regarding Daniel, I suspect you don't get to be the brand that is Daniel O'Donnell without quite a bit of steely character behind those twinkly smiley eyes ..... I actually think he's a really interesting signing - somebody you wouldn't in your wildest dreams ever have imagined might do Strictly.

Probably the next most surprising after him would be Jeremy Vine who you tend to associate with serious TV not with Light Entertainment.

Nah definitely the least interesting line up for me, the last 2 years have been brilliant but this year im very underwhelmed.

Hopefully we get a couple of real surprises or the celebs turn out to be more entertaining than I suspect