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Strictly Come Dancing is back with another season where contestants are ready to waltz their way to victory. The dance show is back with 15 celebrities as they team up with the show’s choreographers in an attempt to wow the judges and the audience with their dance routines.
The synopsis of the show read:
"Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are joined by judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse as they welcome 15 celebrities to the Strictly ballroom. John Legend is in the ballroom, and showing the new cast how it's done, reigning champions Rose and Giovanni perform one of their iconic dances from last series."
Strictly Come Dancing will air on September 23, at 2 pm ET/7 pm BST on BBC One with a pre-recorded launch followed by the first live show the next day.
All about Strictly Come Dancing Season 20 Episode 1
Strictly Come Dancing returns for another magnificent season with episode 1, titled Launch Show. The first episode was initially supposed to air on September 17 but out of respect for The Queen’s passing, it will take center stage in the coming week. The series will bring 15 new celebrities as they are paired up with choreographers to collectively add glamor to the network’s Saturday nights.
At the start of any show, the participants feel the pressure. To add to that, Strictly Come Dancing will bring back reigning champions Rose and Giovanni to perform an iconic number from last season.
The duo’s silent performance of Symphony by Clean Bandit and Zara Larsson won them Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment Award, with Heat Magazine calling the routine an 'unmissable TV Moment'.
The dancers will be scored by a judging panel that has seen a change since last season. Bruno Tonioli decided not to return to Strictly Come Dancing Season 20 after being on the panel for 18 years due to challenges with travel and the show's filming clashing with his role on DWTS.
In a conversation with MailOnline, the Italian choreographer referred to the BBC One show as his “family.” He went on to say that after spending several years flying back and forth for work, it was becoming too much to cope with.
Tonioli said:
"At the moment, you know it’s just impossible, you know the situation is too complicated but they’re all my brothers and sisters, we’re all loving each other, you know, no hard feelings. They’re great, they do a great job."
Taking his place as one of the judges will be Anton du Beke, who will be joined by Craig Revel Horwood, Motis Mabuse, and head judge Shirley Ballas.
Celebrities set to put on their dancing shoes and compete in Strictly Come Dancing season 20 include Will Mellor, Kym Marsh, Richie Anderson, Kaye Adams, Jayde Adams, Ellie Simmonds, Tyler West, Matt Goss, Ellie Taylor, Molly Rainford, Tony Adams, Fleur East, Hamza Yassin, James Bye, and Helen Skelton.
The pro dancers returning this season include Cameron Lombard, Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Giovanni Pernice, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington and Nancy Xu.
Executive producer Sarah James said:
"We could not be more proud of the Strictly professional dancers and we are so happy to have so many returning for 2022. The world-class skill and extraordinary care they bring to everything they do, from working with their celebrity partners to choreographing and performing remarkable and unforgettable routines, never ceases to amaze us."
Two fan favorites choreographers, Oti Mabuse and Aljaž Škorjanec will not be returning for the upcoming season as they have officially parted ways with the show. Aljaž was accused of having verbally abused crew members and being aggressive behind the scenes, however his representative said that he has the “utmost respect” for everyone on the show and that it was the dancer’s own decision to leave the show.
