Strictly 2024 countdown: Here's what the new contestants have to say | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV

Strictly is back with a bang!

And BBC bosses say they are “delighted with the new line-up” after seeing the stars in action at a recording of the show to mark the 20th anniversary of the launch.

Saturday night's flamboyant spectacle is looking to put its best foot forward despite bullying scandals.

The Blind Comedian Chris McCausland is among a new cast that has already generated plenty of laughs following tensions over actress Amanda Abbington's allegations against her professional partner Giovanni Pernice last year.

A source said the show, taped on Saturday, had “a lot of funny lines, most of which came from McCausland, which wowed the audience.”

“Expect lots of laughs in the new episode Dancing with the Stars— they added.

And judge Craig Revel Horwood added: “If they can dance as well as they can talk, we're in for a great series.”

Professional dancer Amy Dowden, 34, has made a comeback after battling breast cancer. And the Welsh star says it feels “surreal” to be part of the 20th anniversary.

“I think it's going to be a real celebration,” she said.

Our source added: “Amy got a really warm reception. People were standing and clapping. It was a great atmosphere.”

Also returning is Slovenian professional player Aljaz Škorjanec, who allegedly left the team after an incident during a drunken night on tour in 2022.

●Dancing with the StarsSaturday, BBC One, 19:20

Chris McCausland

The Blind Comedian Chris McCauslandwhose name was confirmed first for Strictly 2024, has revealed his daughter is worried he might fall while tangoing.

Chris, 47, who regularly appears on TV shows Would I Lie to You?, QI and Have I Got News for You, was the show's first blind contestant.

He said: 'My daughter Sophie is 11 and she plays Roblox and YouTube, as you know, but she will watch.

“She told me: ‘You’ll fall off the stage and break your leg!’”

“I told her, 'But there's no stage there. I think it's all flat.'”

The stand-up comedian added: “There's no point in getting away from the fact that I represent people who
underrepresented in certain forms of media, but hopefully physically quite developed.

“It's about doing what people think you can't do.

“If it can surprise everyone along the way, that's good, right? And have a laugh while you do it.”

Paul Merson

The former footballer revealed that his Arsenal teammate Tony Adams had strictly forbidden him from doing so.

Adams, 57, took part in BBC show in 2022, but was forced to leave due to an injury.

Paul, 56, says he decided to ignore his friend's advice because it was his mother's favourite TV show.

He said: 'Tony Adams said, 'Don't do it.' He said it was the hardest thing he'd ever done and he'd never felt so nervous.

“I do it for my mom. My dad, if it wasn't for my dad, I wouldn't have become a footballer, and my dad took me everywhere with him.

“My mom never got the recognition she deserved. It was her favorite TV show, and I said, 'I promise I'll go on it.'

Toya Wilcox

Singer Toya Wilcox revealed she had given Strictly bosses an ultimatum about taking part in the show this year, saying: “It's now or never.”

The 66-year-old punk singer and actress, whose 1980s hits included It's A Mystery and I Want To Be Free, became the oldest celebrity to join the 2024 lineup.

She says she waited years to get on BBC ballroom dancing competition after discussions with producers over the past five years.

But Toyah felt she had to either do Strictly this year or not do it at all as she would be too old to compete.

The singer, known for her flamboyant two-hour stage shows, said: “In 1999, I was in a wadi in the desert somewhere near Egypt with a woman, a producer from BBC and the cameraman, and she said, 'I'm going back to London and I'm going to start a series called Strictly Ballroom.'

“I was there when she had the idea. We were under the stars at midnight with a camel, filming a holiday program, and I always wanted to be there because I always felt that connection.

“They asked me to be in the squad for at least five years, and I told them honestly at the beginning of this year, 'If it doesn't happen this year, I won't be able to move forward the way you need me to. It's now or never.'

Toya says her husband of 38 years, Robert Fripp, a music producer and founder of the progressive rock band King Crimson, will be her biggest supporter.

They have a joint YouTube series and tour, which has seen them perform at festivals such as Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight this summer.

Toya said: “Robert, he's just over the moon. He's just absolutely thrilled, and he's thrilled for me too.

“I never expected to see Robert Fripp in the Strictly audience, but he will be there.”

Nick Knowles

Homemade SOS host Nick Knowles insists his fiancee has no reason to fear the Strictly curse as he is too exhausted from training to even think about romance.

Father-of-four Nick, 61, has been dating businesswoman Katie Dadzie, 34, since 2019 and proposed to her on Valentine's Day last year.

Asked if Katie was worried about him falling in love with his work partner, Nick replied: “It's not a problem, to be honest. I barely have the energy to walk to the car after that.”

“To be honest, yesterday we had a whole day of training, and when I got home I literally crawled out of the car and sat with my feet in a bathtub of cold water for an hour.”

The presenter also revealed that he has already lost just over a stone thanks to training and admitted that it is the “hardest” thing he has ever done in his life.

Of his strategy, Nick added: “The first thing I have to do is try not to look like a honey monster, so all my brain power is focused at the moment because you don't really have time for anything else.”

“You work so many hours, and even when you have a chance to rest, you're trying to eat right, and you can't turn off your brain thinking about what you should be doing.”

Sam Kuek

The Olympian says she wasn't nervous about taking part in Strictly despite the bullying scandal.

The former hockey star, who won gold for Team GB at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is looking forward to the new series starting on Saturday.

Wirral-born Sam, 35, now a TV presenter, said: “It (the controversy) didn't cross my mind at all. No disrespect, everyone's experience is different and I don't know what their experience was.

“There are two sides to the truth and for me that shouldn't take away from the shine of Strictly. It's a fantastic programme, everyone loves the energy and it brings people together, it's just a positive show.”

She added that she is committed to winning “100 percent. I am competitive, and it would be funny if you came here and someone said, 'Do you want to win?' Of course you want to win, why wouldn't you want to win the Glitterball Cup?”

But Sam added: “As far as dancing goes, I have no dance experience. I'm here to have a good time, I'm here to learn how to dance.”

Sarah Hadland

Miranda's star Sarah Hadland admitted she had to lie to her showbiz friends to keep her Strictly involvement a secret.

The 53-year-old comedian is part of a WhatsApp group that watches and comments on the dance competition.

She said: “I've done very well to keep it a secret. I'm in a big WhatsApp group and we watch Strictly every year, with Sue Perkins, Clare Balding, Alex Arnold and Emma Freud, it's quite a full team.

“Every year people ask, 'When is Hadders going to do it? ' And I was really good at bluffing because we had another social event and I was next to Miranda Hart and Miranda was like, 'Oh no, I think it's already started. '

“I was like, 'Yeah, I think they've already started rehearsing, it's late this year.' So when they found out, they all went crazy.”