Information about Series 2 of Strictly Come Dancing...

Get your sequins out and your glad-rags on because Strictly Come Dancing is back, starting Saturday 23 October on
BBC 1 and Monday 25 October on BBC 2.

With two more couples than the first series, the ten celebrities who have dared pair up with some of the world's leading professional dancers are officially revealed today (Monday 27 September) as:

• Carol Vorderman MBE (presenter)
• Diarmuid Gavin (presenter)
• Esther Rantzen OBE (presenter)
• Julian Clary (presenter)
• Sarah Manners (actress)
• Aled Jones (singer)
• Denise Lewis OBE (athlete)
• Roger Black MBE (athlete)
• Jill Halfpenny (actress)
• Quentin Willson (presenter)

The show is again presented by Bruce Forsyth with series one winner Natasha Kaplinsky sharing co-host duties with Tess Daly who will return in the latter stages of the show's run having given birth to her first child.

Bruce Forsyth said: "The last series was so successful because it was a show for the whole family which is what I always hoped it would be.

"I'm so glad it's returning as I think it's important to strike while the series is so hot!"

Tess Daly said: "I love this show and Bruce to bits. And as the winner of the last series, it's great that Natasha is there for the first few shows until I come back after having our first baby - she'll have to keep an eye on Brucie for me!"

Each celebrity is given a professional dance partner who will put them through their paces during daily rehearsals, ensuring they're in the best possible shape for the live Saturday night performance on BBC
1.

And each week - including the very first show - the couples will face a public and studio vote with the lowest scoring team being knocked out.

The studio judges are again Bruno Tonioli, Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood and Arlene Phillips.

Phonelines will be open for viewers to call and vote for who they believe has put in the best performance.

The result is taken from the average of these scores with all profits going towards BBC Children in Need.

Strictly Come Dancing is a BBC Format Entertainment Production. The executive producer is Karen Smith.

Source