The first three celebrities for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing have been revealed, with former England footballer David James, comedian Chris Ramsey and EastEnders star Emma Barton taking to the dance floor on BBC One.
The three glitterball hopefuls were revealed as contestants on BBC One's The One Show on Wednesday evening.
Our first signing of the #Strictly season is @England football legend David James! ⚽️@jamosfoundation https://t.co/wTN7nL7Li8 pic.twitter.com/tIluUjDzPq
— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) July 31, 2019
He can handle a heckle but how about a fleckerl? Comedian @IAmChrisRamsey is our second #Strictly celebrity of 2019! 🎤 https://t.co/IS4FVG2xES pic.twitter.com/zJCvkmWvvD
— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) July 31, 2019
Waltzing in from Walford welcome @EmmaBarton! @BBCEastEnders Honey Mitchell to #Strictly. ✨ https://t.co/loGoq7pDYj pic.twitter.com/VlmsbouRUd
— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) July 31, 2019
James told the BBC he was "really excited" to have signed up for the series.
"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," he added.
An "excited and absolutely terrified" Ramsey said: "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."
"As possibly one of the biggest Strictly fans on the planet, I still can't believe this is happening," said EastEnders star Barton, who plays Honey Mitchell in the soap.
"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," she continued.
"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!"
