Chris Ramsey, David James, and Emma Barton are the first stars announced for this year’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
The comedian, the England football legend, and the ‘EastEnders’ star will all take to the dance floor later this year when the BBC Latin and ballroom dance competition hits screens.
The three stars were announced during ‘The One Show’ on Wednesday (31.07.19), and the official ‘Strictly’ Twitter account later confirmed the news.
Speaking about his decision to appear on the show, 32-year-old Chris – who has previously appeared on the likes of ‘Celebrity Juice’ and fronts ‘The Chris Ramsey Show’ – said: "I’m both excited and absolutely terrified to be doing the show. You will not find me on the dance floor at parties, you will find me at the buffet table. All night. At my wedding I danced with my wife; that one song took about six months practice, and I definitely stood on her feet a couple of times. So I’m looking forward to the possibility of making a fool of myself in front of millions of people … there better be a buffet after the live shows."
Whilst former England goalkeeper David – who has also worked as a football analyst for the BBC and BT Sport – said he was "excited" to be on the show, even if it means being compared to the previous sporting stars who have taken part.
He said in a statement: "I’m really excited to be on ‘Strictly’ this year. Not just competing against this year’s stars, but being compared to previous sport stars from previous Strictly seasons. I have some big shoes to fill."
And Emma, who plays Honey Mitchell in BBC soap ‘EastEnders’, can’t wait to hit the dance floor, as she believes she’s one of the "biggest ‘Strictly’ fans on the planet".
She said: "As possibly one of the biggest ‘Strictly’ fans on the planet, I still can’t believe this is happening. I’m very much a dance around your handbag kinda girl, but now I’ve been given this wonderful opportunity to learn all the different styles of dancing from the very best in the business. So, I’m whipping off Honey’s ‘Minute Mart’ tabard and diving right in to all the glitter and sparkle. From Albert Square to the ‘Strictly’ dance floor – I just can’t wait!"
‘Strictly Come Dancing’ will air later this year, and more stars are set be announced in the coming weeks.